Saturday Scavenger Photo Hunt

This week's theme is "Purple"

Purple pansies in my garden

The purple uniforms for the women's roller derby team

The purple sky at sunset

If you would like to join in on the fun please check out

tnchick for all the instructions. Happy hunting!

Happy Friday

I must be getting older. I can't believe how time flies by. I mean here we are coming to the end of another week and Easter has come and gone. I had a lovely Easter weekend. My girls weren't able to make it over but I was able to celebrate it with my extended family on my hubbies side. I had prepared a ladies brunch as the men decided they wanted to go golfing...little did they know it was going to rain half way through their game. But I think they enjoyed themselves all the same.

Brunch was a gathering of generations. I was fortunate to have both great-grandma's, Grandma, mom and baby Lachlan for Easter, along with my nephew's girlfriend. It was a lovely time. Even though the years divided us we were kindred spirits and were able to converse on many levels. My nephew's girlfriend was very interesting she is a lovely young women studying language and psychology in the endeavour to become a psychologist. She posed some very good questions and kept the conversation lively.My great nephew Lachlan was a charmer....gooing and drooling he just kept us all smiling.

from L-R Great-grandma Mamare, my niece(aka mom),Lachlan,Grandma, and Great-grandma Marilynne

Now here we are. It has been a busy week for me. I worked 4 days this week for my gradual return to work. Next week I do three 8 hour shifts and then I should be back to my regular shifts by the 29th of this month. Yippee!!! Gosh it has been a long road one I hope I don't have to travel ever again. However, with that being said it certainly has taught me more than I ever could have imagined. I have really had to learn patience's. That does not come easily for me. Well in my professional life I am very patient but in my personal not so much. I have had to learn that I can do with out a lot of things and even though I think the world is going to come tumbling down on me....it never did. I worried myself sick at times about paying the bills.....but as it turns out I didn't have collectors calling or did I have anyone knocking at my door saying they were going to take things away. No, I fretted for nothing. I caused myself angst for fear of the "What if". Those what if's never happened. Some how things more times than not just fell into place. It's like that book I was telling you about....take care of now and the future is taken care of....and you know....having lived it ....I find those words to be true.

During those difficult times I tried to live by the motto that this to shall pass....and then I found this saying by Cortia Kent...............

"Flowers grow out of dark moments"

I wish you all bountiful bouquet of of flowers!

500 and still counting......

Well I can't believe it.....here I am celebrating my 500th post! Who would have thought. Well I certainly didn't think I would still be blogging. I didn't think I would have that much to say that would warrant 500 posts.

Looking back this all started because of my sister and her request for trying to keep our very large family connected. When I moved to the Island this seemed like a natural thing to do. Sharing my experiences moving from the big city to a very small town.

I have found myself participating in weekly meme such as the Saturday Photo hunt, Camera Critters, and Heads or Tails Tuesday. I have tried to play along as often as I can, but being a shift worker often doesn't allow me the time to meet the weekly commitment. I even tried to make a commitment to myself with Humour Thursday. I thought it would be fun to dedicate a day of the week to spreading some humour....but I fell short of that as well and do it when I can ....or when I think about it.....bad blogger.

My blog has never been dedicated to any specific category, rather I blog about whatever catches my fancy at the time. I wish I could be committed to just talking about one topic whether it be politics, health care which I am very passionate about, gardening, birding....anything. Rather I find myself dabbling in a bit of it all. I guess that is just my eclectic taste, some might say I easily become bored. I like to think I like to mix things up a bit.

I enjoy blog hopping the most. Finding out what is going on in the blog world. Who has discovered what....what's going on with individual families, who's having a baby, who knitting or quilting. The writers, the artists, the photographers all grab at me...the folks who lead alternate life styles and by that I mean the eco-friendly or the homes on a barge. The travel blogs oh I have been so enticed by their writings and expeditions. When they momentarily take me to a far off land where I can day dream and think of it being me on that safari, oh climbing the mountain or just sipping on a nice glass of ice tea lazing in the sun reading a good book. Ah yes blogging....it's a wonderful world. One that I am glad to be part of.

I thank all of you who visit my blog on a regular basis and encourage me when I need encouragement. I thank you for staying by me when I didn't think I wanted to blog anymore. I'm feeling a big group hug coming on.

So my thanks to you all....and I hope to be around for another 500!!!!

Organ donation....Let's put a face with it.....

There is a recent controversy stirring in the news these days about a couple who had agreed to donate their daughter's heart. These poor parents have a 2 month old daughter who has a very rare disease and has been hanging onto life via the help of a ventilator. All the specialist told the parents that there was no hope for their daughter. With that being said the parents were asked if their daughter were to pass away would they consider donating her heart. The parents agreed. This has stirred up much controversy. The father has been very outspoken about organ donation and trying to explain to people the importance of organ donation.

Their daughter was taken off the ventilator and continued to beat the odds and was breathing on her own. Here's more on the story of Kaylee Wallace

This story struck home. In reading the story of little Kaylee I thought it necessary to put a face to organ donation. My niece was a recipient of double lung transplant. If it wasn't for the selfless act of the parents of the child from whom she received the organs she wouldn't of had the couple of good years she had. I'd like to share her story with you.

I don't speak of my niece much, actually I don't think I have ever mentioned her in any of my posts. But this month will be 4 years since my dear sweet niece Rachel Katrina Gojevic passed away. Rachel or Rae Bow as we use to call her because she was always bright just like a rainbow, lost her battle with Cystic Fibrosis at a young age of 21.

Rachel was such a fighter. She spent a good portion of her life in Children's hospital. Rachel unfortunately struggled most of her life trying to fight off the ailments of the disease. Cystic Fibrosis is a very cruel disease you struggle for every breath and every breath is a gift. It was evident at a very early age that Rachel was going to required organ transplant if she was going to make it past her teens.

I can remember when she was young it didn't matter where we were if Rachel needed her physio she got it. Laying her on your knee and pounding on her chest and then back....and then giving her the Ventolin treatments......oh my goodness....in the early stages it was 4 times a day she had to endure those treatments...it increased as her condition deteriorated. By the time she was 12 she received a double lung transplant. That gave sweet Rae a good 2 years and provided her with the ability to truly live her life. She didn't waste anytime. She joined danced classes...she loved art so she took art classes....she was finally able to get out there and participate in life.

During that time she had a wonderful boyfriend, and a huge circle of friends and the world was her oyster. Rae Bow became a spokes person for the Cystic Fibrosis chapter in our area. She spoke at many public functions. She was the poster child/person for the Cystic Fibrosis fundraiser at the college where I took my nursing. Every year the college held a fundraiser called Shinorama, the students would dress up in costumes and go around town trying to raise funds and awareness about Cystic Fibrosis. At Easter we would volunteer at Zeller's and print names on Easter Eggs for a donation. As a family we did a lot of fundraising for CF and tried our best to bring awareness about the disease.

Unfortunately the disease took hold once more and Rachel's life was cut far to short. Just prior to her passing for Rachel's' 21 birthday she went on a cruise with her grandma "nanny" as she use to call her. By the time of the cruise Rae Bow was on oxygen 24/7 and wheelchair bound. The cruise ship did everything they could to accommodate her and her needs. They were wonderful with her. Although she had been feeling unwell during the trip she made the best of it. She went to the casino's and enjoyed the entertainment and even though she couldn't eat much I remember her blog posts about the food.

One of Rachel's last blog posts she wrote about her trip and what a wonderful time she had. She also wrote how unwell she was and that she would have to go into the hospital.

Rae bow's kidney's began to fail the end was near......On April 23 2005 that little angel just gently and quietly passed away, surrounded by family. Although her passing was difficult for all of us we recognized that Rae would no longer have to struggle. Her journey had ended....but ours was just beginning....learning to live our lives without her. But had it not been for the parents who offered their child's organs up for donation Rae's passing may have been much sooner, and to them I say thank you. Thank you that through their grief they found the courage to donate and give our Rae an extended life.

As I look out my window this morning and the sun shining, I know that bright spirit of hers is out there and living and when I see an Rainbow of course she immediately comes to mind and I shed a tear and feel as though she is saying I am ok aunty.....

Happy Easter......

Happy Easter to all my blogging friends. Wishing you all a wonderful day and a Bright and Happy Spring!!!

The fasts are done; the Aves said;
The moon has filled her horn
And in the solemn night I watch
Before the Easter morn.
So pure, so still the starry heaven,
So hushed the brooding air,
I could hear the sweep of an angel's wings
If one should earthward fare.
~Edna Dean Proctor, "Easter Morning"~

What do you think?.....

So I am driving into town today and as I turn onto the highway there are "Caution signs" indicating there is work going on ahead. I just so happened to have to stop at the light and I took a look at what they were doing. Where I live there is a lot of Broom...although a lovely plant when in bloom the Broom is a royal pain...it takes over everything. Currently there is big campaign on to try and control the growth of the Broom. There actually is a group called the Broom Busters who you can contact and they will let you use their equipment if you want to go out and help cut back the Broom.

This group of people however were not the Broom Busters. No sirree, it was very evident who they were, all dressed in their bright orange coveralls with big black letters on the back which says "Corrections". Yes they were actual convicts from the local prison doing work detail of clearing the Broom. I thought right on, it's about time we see these folks doing something constructive and productive. It was a glorious day perfect for being outside. So rather then being behind the prison walls possibly scheming or getting into trouble they were out there being supervised and clearing the broom. To me it seemed like a win win situation. The prisoners get to be outside doing something constructive and the public wins as the Broom gets cleared.

Now with that being said, I can't help but wonder why so many of these programs have been done away with. I can remember where I grew up there was a prison not far from us. It was situated on wonderful parcel of land with a lake and acreage. In the early days as part of work detail and work experience they use to have the prisoners go into the fields and grow crops. They got paid minimal for doing these tasks but again to me it seemed like a win win. They again get outdoor, did something productive, got some exercise and grew crops, the food was used by the prison and anything left was sold to the local market with the monies going into inmate programs. They did away with that program, some prisoners and prison rights activist felt it was infringing on the inmates rights. Hmmmmmmmmm.......didn't they forfeit their rights when they committed their crime? Just seems so odd to me.

There are a lot of programs on the TV lately portraying the prison life. Lots of prisoners are on 23 hour lock down. I'm not sure how that helps reform a prisoner or even if the prison system believes it has a responsibility to help reform the prisoners, but it is something they do. I have heard the over crowding of the prisons makes things very unsafe for a variety of reasons, but that's a whole other topic. Again I can't help but wonder how does locking someone down for 23 hours promote anything positive. It leaves the inmates lots of idle time....and you know what they say "idle hands". If these folks are to eventually be reintegrated into society why aren't they provided an opportunity to learn a trade, do something productive rather that sitting in their cells 23 hours a day thinking about their next con, or who knows what.

I am sure there are lots of theories and rationale as to why the 23 hour lock downs are better than the prisoners doing a little community work/service. I also recognize the prison system is a very complex environment. There are some hard core prisoners in the system, but what about those petty crime inmates. Those prisoners that just made some bad life choices and given the right tools could easily reintegrate into society. Prison gaurds are trained professional and put their lives on the line everyday, but why can't they supervise some of these inmates in performing community duties? Maybe working with them to teach the inmates some life skills. Maybe I have simplified things here, but I still think there must be a better way.

What do you think? Do you think there should be inmate reform programs or better yet community service programs similar to what I observed today.

Heads or Tails Tuesday

I just love this header...to cute....

The theme/prompt for today, April 7, is:

TAILS - "List Three"

List three things from any category. Your choice. (Remember, this is TAILS
and that means your post should be a real list of some sort.)

The possibilities are almost endless this week! Some examples would be: Movie stars or movies, singers, songs or bands, pets or animals, drinks, foods or recipes, locations or vacation spots, toys or games.. etc. etc. etc.!
If you would like to join in on the fun please check out Skittle's Place Home of Heads or Tails Tuesday.

My first list would have to be 3 Sports I enjoy:

1. Slo Pitch
2. Fishing with my hubby
3. Skiing both water and snow

3 Foods I like to eat:

1. Seafood(any kind except shrimp as I am allergic to shrimp)
2. Anything hubby makes( He is an awesome cook)
3. Chicken cooked anyway

I have what some would say an eclectic taste in music 3 genres of music

1. Coffee House
2. R& B
3. New Country

I just so happen to have 3 daughters their names are

1. Siobhan
2. Candice
3. Roisin

So that is my lists of "3". Hope you all have a great week!

Saturday Scavenger Photo Hunt

This weeks theme is stripes.....if you would like to play along please checkout tnchick for all the instructions. I loved the stripes in this yellow butterfly that was outside my window last spring.

Something to ponder

Do you ever find yourself dwelling on things in the past? I do. I do it a lot. I think about things both positive and negative, but I tend to dwell on the negative. People say that you shouldn't live in the past but rather we should learn from the past. To learn is good. They also say don't worry about the future, don't worry about something that might be. How true. So what does that leave us, the Present, the Now.

I am currently reading this book The Power of Now A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle. To say it is enlightening for me would be an understatement. It has given me many concepts to ponder. It also provides for some very interesting topics of conversations. For me it challenges the concept of how we identify ourselves.

I don't know about you but I have often identified who I am based on where I have come from. My past experiences good and bad have made me who I am today. Is that such a bad thing?

According to Eckhart, by holding onto feelings and emotions from the past holds us hostage to our emotional pain center, Echart describes these feelings as "pain-body", that we identify these feelings/emotions as being who we are"....you have made an unhappy self out of your pain-body and believe that this mind-made fiction is who you are. In that case, unconscious fear of losing your identity will create strong resistance to any disidentification. In other words, you would rather be in pain ~ pain-body ~ than take a leap into the unknown and risk losing the familiar unhappy self."

An interesting concept. So if I understand him correctly he is saying I would rather stay unhappy because that is familiar to me, rather than risk the unknown to possibly become a better me. Food for thought don't you think?

Eckhart really wants to teach the reader how to let go of the past and not worry about the future but live in the NOW. Is that possible? Part of me wants to believe this to be possible. I was saying to my husband the other day....I can work on letting go of my past, but what about the future. It has been ingrained in us to always plan for the future, like the squirrels rushing around and gathering nuts and storing them in preparation for the "possible" long winters. But if I don't take care of the future, then who will....then it dawned on me.....if I live in the NOW and take care of the NOW then tomorrow will be taken care of. Simple concept really, but not an easy one to really grasp to live by. Is that Nirvana?

I have really simplified Eckharts concept of NOW. One of the things that I really liked in his book is how he spoke about those moments in our lives when no words can express how you are feeling living the moment. Like holding your child for the first time, or when you see something so breathtaking or you are in total awe of your surroundings no words can express how beautiful, tranquil and invigorating that experience is for you.

We can all live and hold onto our past, or worry and busy ourselves planning for the future, but then we often forget about living and enjoying the present. What a pity don't you think?

Lemons and Lemonade

You know the saying "When life gives you lemons you make lemonade" Well that is kinda of how I have felt ever since my surgery in December. It wasn't what I expected but I had to go on and do what I had to do to get healthy and my life back in order.

Today we were in the doctor's office and hubby was having his check up post surgery when we started chatting with the doctors nurse. She was asking me how I was liking my new job, and I had said to her well if I was there it would be nice. This lead into explaining to her what had happened. After our little chat hubby being who he is pipes up and said, if I ever needed an autopsy I already had the pattern in place and that they just needed to connect the dots. She looked at him wasn't quite sure what to say at first, but when she saw us smiling she laughed and told him he was pretty quick witted. Well that was like adding fuel to the fire he then says.....I should get a tattoo that says " In case of autopsy cut on dotted line" Ba ha ha.......You are to funny honey!!!!!!!

But truly, isn't life like that. Of course we could wallow in our own self pity, but what good would that do us? Not much good at all I think. Oh don't get me wrong there were times during my healing process that I was in tears, but those tears didn't get me anywhere. Nope, I decided that I was going to take control of my healing and not let it control me. They told me to make sure I walked every day so for the first 3 months that is exactly what I did. Snow, sleet, wind, rain, I was out there walking with my trusty companion Bert.

Each day I set a goal for myself. I would walk to the top of the drive and look down the road ahead, initially I wanted to make it to the end of the road and back, but it didn't take me to long to realize I had bitten off more than I could chew. But through trial and error I made my destinations. One foot in front of the other. I would eventually make it to the end of the road, then it was the next road and then the next. After that is was going down the hill and back....then came my stepper. I decided that I was going to see what I could do. So onto my stepper I went. The very first time I don't think I lasted more than 4 mins. before I got lightheaded and realized I needed to get off. Next time 10 mins, then 15 mins all the ways up to 45 mins. Of course starting off at the lower level. Today I did the stepper for 35 mins at level 5 Yippee! I have been out for 3 runs. I am able to comfortably run 6 km. I'm pretty pumped about that.

Last week I introduced a weight training program. I started off small, I am using a variety of weights and apparatus. Hubby and I converted one of our rooms into our exercise room, so we have the universal, the weight bench, my free weights, the exercise ball and my rubber bands....I put my a little stereo in there and I am good to go. The stepper is still in the office, but it will eventually end up in the room as well.

Anyhow, the point to all of this is that I could have kept the poor me hat on.....I could have sat on the couch and done nothing....I could have whined about how I have felt really isolated through this whole process, how I felt the medical field really abandoned me when I left the hospital,but what good would that have done me. I had to be my own advocate. I had to get myself onto the road to recovery. I still have a whole life ahead of me and I want to live that life to it's fullest. If there was one thing I learnt through this whole process, it's how fragile life truly is, in a HEART beat it can be taken away from you. So I say....it's a good thing I love lemonade.

Heads or Tails Tuesday

Well I haven't played this in a long time.....let me first say how much I love the variety of headers we can use for this meme....thanks Skittles. The theme/prompt for today,is:

HEADS - See
*OR*
TAILS - Sea

Make any kind of post using either "See" or "Sea" as your prompt. You can even use both. This is an easy one and allows for a lot of possibilities.

When I see the word "See" I think of "Seashells down by the Seashore". Which then prompts me to think about all the huge oyster shells I "See" by the "Sea". One day in particular hubby and I had been out wondering the beach when what should he "See" but this oyster by the "Sea" That foot that you "See" is a size 12. That's one big oyster that you "See" down by the "Sea"
If you would like to play along please check out Skittle's Heads or Tails home page for all the intstructions.

Man's best friend......

I have had a request to post a more recent picture of my dear dog Bert......which then got me thinking about my four legged friend and companion.

Bert is 4 years old. Hubby and I got him from the SPCA when he was 9 weeks old. He stole our hearts right from the get go. There he was cowering in the corner of his cage....hubby called him over...he had one ear the stood straight up and the other that flopped over...to us he was just so adorable. The previous owners had abandon the whole litter and were left in a terrible state...so our dear Bert was a SPCA rescue. We wanted him, we knew we could make a good home for him.

Bert when we brought him home

Bert grew really fast. The vet told us Bert is a Retriever, Labrador Mix. My hubby says he is part Retriever and Kangaroo. We get a funny stare when he says that....but Bert has always had such a spring in his step....he bounces. It's so funny to watch.

This is Bert at 4 months. He could just see in the back door.....I swear he was saying "Hey dad let me in, it's cold out here"

Bert as I said grew fast. But he didn't out grow the puppy stage as quickly. I remember one time we had shoes at the front door....I am not sure where we were but when we returned Bert had taken every shoe from the front doorway and put them outside. We lost a few shoes during that phase. Bert I swear had a shoe fetish. I can remember that once he got over the chewing the shoes, he would take one of my shoes and one of my husbands shoes and put them into his bed with him. We would wake up seeing Bert in his kennel and with one of our shoes just on the kennel door way.

Bert has always had a good temperament. Does what a dog is suppose to, the only time he barks is if someone is coming down the drive or to the door. He growls when he thinks he hears something outside....and more times than not he's been right on the mark. He has never been to a dog park. With 5 acres there is really no need to take him to a dog park. The down side to that is he doesn't get many opportunities to socialize with other dogs. Well, my in laws breed Yorkies so he has them to chase around the property. Mind you some days I swear it is the Yorkies chasing him.

We take him to the beach and on our road trips. He's great fun when I go for my walks and he really enjoys socializing. Hubby has trained him well. Bert comes when called, heals and follows direction. We rarely have to put him on leash...when we do, we do it more so for when we come to others who have a dog and we don't know how their dog will respond to Bert. Bert is the farthest thing from being aggressive, but because of his size I know people are intimidated by him.

Bert on guard......

About 18 months ago we noticed that dear Bert's nose was red and raw. We took him to the vet and she put him on medication. This never worked. We took him back, this time his eyes were also not looking good so back to the vet we went. She wanted to do some biopsies. We agreed. Bert had the biopsies done. Have you ever tried to get a dog the size of Bert into your vehicle while he is still dopey from the drugs and wearing one of those cone heads. Not easy thing to do. Poor Bert had to live with this cone on his head for 10 days. Poor Bert was nnocking into everything and scaring himself half to death.

The day came and Bert was to get his stitches out and we were to get the results of the biopsies. Turns out that our dear Bert has Discoid Lupus. He is very sensitive to weather changes and the vet told us that he needs to stay out of the sun and when it is cold to stay indoors. Well my goodness, Bert is not an indoor dog. Of course he is in on days when the weather is poor and during the nights...but generally he is outdoors. When it snows there is nothing more Bert likes to do but bury his nose in the snow!

Bert and his buddy Cooper(Golden Labrador)

So other than his Lupus Bert is good and staying pretty healthy and keeping us happy.

As time keeps Marching on.....

It certainly has been a busy time in our household. This month just seems to be flying by.

Hubby seems to be healing well from his surgeries. He is still on heavy duty doses of antibiotics for another two weeks and then he will see the surgeon.

Two days after his discharge from the hospital my niece and entourage arrived for the weekend....they had no sooner and left and I had to get the linens washed and rooms cleaned for my girls arriving on the Monday. They stayed until Wednesday and we had a wonderful visit. But of course their visit led to more laundry and well....you know. I love having company and I always say my door is open.....but it's a lot of work.

The rest of the week was spent try to speak with some in Service Canada regarding my Employment Insurance for Sick Benefits. Seems like they cut me off 7 weeks to early, and without any explanation. Have you ever tried to get through to a government agency? I am sure you have. They have these automated messages press this if you want to speak in English, this if you want to change your address..blah blah blah.....heaven forbid you miss the number you were suppose to hit....cause they either cut you off or you have to go right back to the beginning and listen to all the prompts all over again. I finally got smart and just pressed "0" and was put on the list for calls waiting for a customer representative......that's when I put the phone on speaker and go about doing my chores....if I didn't I would be sitting there for a very long time watching my nails grow.

My quest to find out what was wrong with my claim started on Tuesday....after my lengthy wait I spoke with a representative....she told me that they didn't have my doctor's certificate on file. I asked how that could be because I mailed it in with the other documents that they got and had on file.....I got the local fax number for the office closest to me and faxed it in right away.....this didn't resolve matters....I needed to speak to someone who could actually make the change to my records. The representative said that she would mark my file for someone to call me ....but they had 2 full business days to return my call which meant they had until the end of the business day on Thursday to call. I waited around fearful of missing their call, but something also told me that they would want an updated form from my GP so I had made an appointment for late Thursday afternoon. The way my luck has been running these days I figured they would call once I had left the house so I gave instructions to my hubby asking him if he could find out from them what they wanted from me in order to get my claim up and running again....I worried for nothing...they never called.

Friday morning bright and early I was on the phone yet again trying to resolve this situation. I went through the prompts pushed "0" put the phone on speaker and went about with my chores. Finally a friendly voice came on the phone....I explained my situation once again....she said that my file would be marked as urgent...but as protocol they had 2 business days to return my call. Well Friday ended with no follow up call. this now meant that I would have to wait until Monday to hear from someone.

Yesterday was a glorious sunny day, a little breezy but wonderful all the same. Hubby and I decided that we were going to go out and take Bert for a nice walk. Whilst we were getting ready, the phone rang....."Hello........." the voice on the other end said......"Ms. C this is Kate from Service Canada" my chin almost hit the floor. Since when do government agencies work on the weekend? Anyhow, we chatted, and as I figured they wanted something updated from my GP.....yippee for me that I had been proactive and got the updated doctors certificate...I told her I had it...I she was a little surprised by that, I said I could fax it to her right away, again she seemed surprised....she said she would stand by the fax and wait for it to come through. I got off the phone and faxed it STAT.....she called me right back told me she got it and that my claim had been re approved and that I was to file my next report. WOW I was impressed.....I couldn't believe it. Jokingly I shouted down to my husband " Hey honey we don't have to eat dog food for the next two weeks"

I desperately need to get back to work. I am so thankful for the EI sick benefits but in no way does it come near to what I was making nor covers our household expenses, and hence the credit cards are on fire. I know I am not alone here. With the economic times being what they are I know that there are many many people in the same boat.

I have my appointment with the specialist at the beginning of April and I am optimistic that I will be given the go ahead to start what we call a gradual return to work. I really am looking forward to getting back to work...not only from a financial aspect but I love what I do and I really do miss it.

Well, that pretty much sums up what's going on in my small world......how's life in yours?

March...out and about

It's been a crazy time in my household. Hubby ended up having emergency surgery for his arm last week. Actually he ended up having two surgeries within a three day period. I spent every day making the 120km trek to be with him in the hospital. Some days I was there 12hrs or more.....I just didn't want to leave his side. He is recovering well at home now. On massive dosage of antibiotics for 3 weeks and then follows up with the surgeon.

This past weekend I had my niece, her son, dog and friend come for a visit. We had a really nice time.....this time of year the herring are running and I know in previous years I have shared photos of the herring boats and all the action that takes place along the coastline during this time. The eagles, seagulls, seals, and sea lions are abundant. A place that the sea lions like to return to every year is called Fanny Bay. The sea lions like to congregate on the log booms. This year was no different.....they were abundant and huge...some of these sea lions weigh over 2000 lbs. The tide was out when we went to go see them and they were only about 100 feet away....I wouldn't want to live in Fanny Bay this time of year as the barking sounds of all these seals is very loud!!
The wind was blowing and it was rather chilly at the waters edge, so back into our vehicles we got. The adventure was not over yet, I took them to a couple of our favourite spots, Rosewall Creek, and my favourite spot up on the logging roads. Seeing as we both were driving 4 wheel vehicles I decided it wouldn't be back roading if we didn't try to make some jumps....here is a little clip of my niece and her friend making the jump...this footage doesn't really do it justice. We had to drive up a almost vertical hill, then jump a crevice that was about 6 feet wide and 10 feet deep.....it was such a rush!!!!

Comox Lake

My girls have been here since Monday and again we had to get out and about. This time we went up to Comox Lake. It is a lake as a result of a hydro dam....it is situated in the mountains and in the summer it is a very popular spot. One of the nice things about visiting Comox Lake is that you drive through historic Cumberland BC. Cumberland is a town which came to be as a result of coal mining. The mines have long since closed down, but there are many historic sites to see.

Not sure what they would have done if they had fallen in.....

Catching up....

On Valentine's day hubby and I took a lovely walk around the neighbourhood. The owner of the property not far from us has been doing a lot of clearing. I think he is thinking of selling the land in parcels. Some of the area in which he has cleared has the most wonderful view of the water and the local islands and the coastal mountain range. I am sure whoever the lucky person(s) are who buy the property will enjoy the wonderful view.
While walking in the cleared area we noticed some of the local vegetation.....this really caught my eye.....At first I thought is was frost on a twig.....but after a closer look....it appears to be some kind of fungus....what do you think?


I found this very intriguing....how these two trees of different species intertwined. As our walk took place on Valentine's day the first thing that came to mind was even in nature opposites can attrack. Then is got me thinking even further.... if nature can find harmony and compatibility in difference what is wrong with the human race?

We made our way home. Hubby and I had no special plans for Valentine's day, but I couldn't let it go by without making a special something for us to enjoy...It's called Strawberry Cream Cake

I got a little messy with the Belgian chocolate....but boy was it yummy......

Now onto a completely different note. As most of you know I am into birding. Over the past couple of years I have shared photos of birds that I have spotted in my travels. Today was no exception in the bird spotting category. With spring just around the corner the birds have been abundant. So while I was clicking away with my camera it dawned on me that maybe I should start a blog on birding. So that is exactly what I did. The link to it is on my sidebar...but here is it as well....it's called The Amateur Birder. I have met many of my blogging friends as a result of birding. What I am hoping to acheive with this blog is that it would be used by amateur birders like myself to share birds that we have seen....their antics and the likes. I figure there are some wonderful people with a lot of resources out there and we can share our love for birds. So please stop by my new blog....let me know if you like to bird and if you have photos to share or questions to ask.....I am hoping this blog will be used to talk about anything to do with birding.

I hope you will join me in the fun.

A poem for you....

Another week beginning, Lord, Another page to turn, another chance to start a new With Lessons still to learn, A time to lose all last week's fears And leave them all behind, To look for bright horizons, Lord, And find new peace of mind. Then going forward through the week Whatever lies in store, Be with us on the path we tread, And keep us safe once more.

by ~ Iris Hesselden~

I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead! Stay safe and be good to yourself!

Cheers!

Sunday Camera Critters

We were out fishing last summer, and hoping to catch some salmon. All we seemed to catch were theses "Dog fish" actually they are part of the shark family. This is youngest son holding his catch of the day.

If you would like to play along please check out Misty's Musings at My Dog's Keep Me Sane
Hope you all are have a great weekend!

Something to Celebrate

I received this award the other day from my dear blogging friend Peppylady.

It's her "Encouragement Award" Whenever Peppylady visits a blog she ends her comments by saying "Coffee's on". Peppylady says this award represents the encouragement people provide her and that the coffee is on and are ready to listen, encourage and even advise.
Thank you so much Peppylady. Again this is a very hard award to pass along as I would say all bloggers who leave comments are leaving comments of encouragement or good will....but in the spirit of the award I would love to pass this along to:

Jeni at Down River Drivel
Claudia at On A Limb with Claudia
Grandmocha at In the MIddle~Mad Hatter

It was also Peppylady's Birthday yesterday....so if you get a chance stop on over and see who she shares her birthday with.

That gave me an idea.....What do all these people and I have in common?


1922 Shelly Winters (actress)

1933 Roman Polanski (film director)

1936 Robert Redford (actor)

1954 Patrick Swayze (actor)

1957 Denis Leary (actor, comedian)

1958 Madeleine Stowe (actress)

1969 Masta Killa (rapper)

1969 Edward Norton (actor)

1969 Christian Slater (actor)


On This Day In History:

1920 The Nineteenth Amendment to the US Constitution, granting women the right to vote, is ratified.

1991 Soviet hard-liners launch a coup to topple the government of the vacationing President Mikhail Gorbachev.

1227 Genghis Khan, Mongol leader and warrior, dies.

1994 Blues singer Cab Calloway dies of a stroke at age 86.

Hope you all have a fantastic Day!

The single Letter name..........

The other day I wrote about insurance companies and how I don't like them. The unfortunate thing is I do have a policy that I am currently trying to make a claim on and as a result I have to correspond with them.

I recieved correspondence from my case manager last week and I don't know if this person was trying to stay anonymous or if their actual last name is only one letter name. This person signed the letter with just a single letter....i.e Mr. Kevin G. My question to myself was is this for real or as I said are they trying to remain somewhat anonymous. The reason I wondered that is because you never get to speak to these case managers directly. I have to go through the bank that I have the insurance with and they look things up on the computer to see where the file is at. I am not given a telephone number or possibly of a last name of the person who is handling my file. Seems a tad odd don't you think?

It got me thinking, are there really names out there, whether it be a first name or last name that actually are only one letter? I did some checking and I still don't think I understand or got answers.

Looks like the most common use for single use letter names is for bands in the music industry. In my search I also came across a blogger who was posting on a similar topic and had taken offense to people abbreviating names by using single letters and hence felt those individuals had lost their identity. Of course one of the respondents to this person post stated that their first name was indeed a single letter name. This then reminded me of my brother. When he was a real estate business he shortened his last name to a one letter name. He said he did it because so many people had difficulties saying the last name so he thought it would be easier if he just gave them his first name and the first letter of his last name...it did have a catchy tone to it and I guess in the real estate industry you want to do anything positive that will make you stand out from the competition.

But I wonder, do you really think that is what this is about that people want their name to sound catchy or do they really just want to stay anonymous? I can understand abbreviations and single letter use in arenas such as this but when sending out a professional letter and only use a single letter for your last name just seems odd to me.

I ended up writing a letter to Mr. G and all the while I felt it odd that I was addressing this individual in this manner.

Update on this post....I wrote this post yesterday before I got my mail....can you guess what arrived in the mail? I'll tell you. I got another letter from the insurance company from a completely different case manager. T his person like Mr. G signed their letter using their first name and initial for their last name. It makes me wonder what is going on with this company that they find it necessary to have such a policy? Are times that rough that the company has adopted such a protocol for their staff to stay anonymous? How very odd and sad. Doesn't give me much confidence in this company.

Reality TV....what's it all about ?

Do any of you watch Reality TV? Shows like John and Kate plus 8, or the Dugger Family a family of soon to be 18, The Real Housewives of Orange County, Bachelor, The House or Little People Big World and the list goes on.

Well I have to admit that on occasion I have been known to watch John & Kate plus 8....I guess I watched as I was intrigued wondering what it would be like to raise never mind twins but multiples in their case 6 plus their twin daughters. After watching one episode I found it really wasn't that much different from raising children who are close in age. Yes lots of extra laundry and tears to wipe and scratched knees to put a band aid on....but really it is pretty much the same.

So what is the attraction to all this Reality TV? I know there has been research done on this and obviously their is a market for it as more and more Reality shows are popping every season. The latest being about Jockey's. Again what is it...what draws us to a Tuesday night to sit down in front of the television and watch such programs? Are our own lives so boring that we need to look in on someones so called life? Are we that bored and need to watch such mindless drivel?

Some of the show I find an insult to our intelligence and members of the cast should apologize to the public for their displays of bad behaviour. I'm talking about The Real Housewives of Orange County here.... What is so real about these over Botoxed, Cosmetically altered women? I have only seen the adds for the show and that is enough for me to know that it's not a program for me. What do I care about watching some rich spoilt women gallivanting around the country going to the spa, drinking their bubbly and talking trash about each other. No thank you there are some great Documentaries out there that I would far rather watch. Better yet read a book.

So this is what we have been relegated .... so called Reality TV. First thing I ask myself is how real is this....Do you really think their lives are like that? I don't want to believe that some people can be that rude, ignorant or egocentric...but I guess they must be.

What is the attraction to shows like the Bachelor or Bachelorette? Why do I give a hoot as to who this person marries? Why does air time have to be wasted on watching someone have a so called intimate dinner with their possible future husband or wife....why...why are we drawn to this?

Let's take the Dugger family for instance...again I haven't watched the show only the advertisements. Yes that is a very large family....something they choose to do....I too grew up in a large family of 12 children....most of my friends came from large families albeit it not 18 but 14...so why is there a program about them? Families can and do amazing things. When you have large families everyone has to pitch in, everyone has chores....grocery shopping was an all day affair for my mom....she would do the major shopping at the grocery store and then her and my dad would go to the bakery often buying the day old bread and then off to the butcher where they would get the hamburger meat the chicken necks and backs and maybe a roast for Sunday dinner. I don't recall there being anything special about doing what you had to do to raise your family. Yes I thought my parents were extraordinary people to provide for us the way they did, but was it TV worthy? I don't know.

If you really want reality TV why aren't those producers out there with the cameras and just filming what goes on in the streets everyday.....do they witness an act of kindness...do they observe an accident....do they see someone just stopping to lend a helping hand.....Reality TV as I understand it is to be non scripted....but I can't believe that some parts of it aren't. How natural are you going to be with a camera following you around all day? Here's the true test....put a hidden camera in someones home for a day...or a restaurant...or a bank.....film the goings on in that environment for a day....see what happens.

If you want reality look at yourself....look at all the amazing things you have accomplished in your life. Look at the adversities you have overcome. Take a good look around you and see the wonderful circle of family and friends you have...that didn't just happen...YOU made it happen...that is reality.

Insurance a false sense of security......

How many of you have been talked into buying those extended warranties? You know the ones when you go to Future Shop or Best Buy and you purchase some electronic and they want to you get the extended warranty....or you go and purchase an appliance and again they want you to purchase the extended warranty, and what about those one's on vehicles, now those can cost you. When I bought my Mustang it was practically new, they talked me into purchasing the extended warranty...what a goof I was, it cost me an additional $3500 for that insurance and I never used it.
Back to the salesperson who first off tries to sell you the most expensive item in the product line for which you are purchasing...you finally decide what it is you want and then of course they use the pitch on the extended warranty. I actually had a sales person try and sell me an extended warranty on a chair I bought for my husband. Can you believe it! I know these sales people make most of their money on selling the extended warranties but really it's just not right.

I am told that all products have a shelf life or life expectancy....how long a product is estimated to last. Personally I think the product should last that..and if it doesn't the manufacturer should be responsible for either replacing or repairing the product. It should also be affordable that if the product does only last the predicted life time then it's not going to cost you an arm and leg to replace it.

Now let's talk about life insurance, home insurance, mortgage insurance and health insurance. Again I am finding it to be a bunch of crap.

I got my first life insurance policy when I was 24 it was shortly after I had my first pacemaker and my first daughter had been born. I had my life insurance policy with this company up until last year, when it came time for my renewal. I went to renew and right out of the blue they cancelled my policy because they said I "lied" about my pacemaker. I was shocked. The only reason I went to this company was because I knew they provided policies for people who had pacemakers. So why would I lie. I had a very thorough physical way back when I applied for the policy...I completed all the forms, I couldn't believe what was happening. I spoke with the broker who I maintained contact with all these years and he said he would do what he could....he spoke with them....we wrote letters...but they were having nothing to do with it. So there I was with no life insurance...now what am I going to do. We found another policy holder...it is costing me triple of what I was paying...and has a lot more limitations. The life insurance policy does nothing for me, when your dead your dead. It is however giving me peace of mind that if I were to die tomorrow at least I know I would have left something for my hubby and family.

Personally I wouldn't have gone for the life insurance....but when I went for mortgage insurance they turned me down. Again I was shocked. I was turned down because of my pacemaker and colitis...I am considered a high risk. High risk....bull s..t. I run regularly, I am not over weight, I don't have hypertension or cholesterol issues...none of the risk factors which would normally be considered. So as a result I went to increase my life insurance policy and that is how the whole mess with the life insurance started.

I have home insurance coverage....but right now as it stands it would be void as it says we don't have a wood burning fireplace, but we do....we always have....I have personally been to the agent on three occasions to get this changed but it hasn't happened....I know I have to pursue that more.

I have a loan that I got an insurance policy on in case of injury/illness. I went to go make a claim on this policy this past month......again they are making me jump through hoops to get them to pay up for the loan( and this is not asking them to pay out the loan it's only asking that they pay the monthly loan). I am still paying the loan....I just wanted it covered while I was off on sick leave....chances are it won't get covered by the time I go back to work....it's been useless. You see I couldn't even claim for it until I had been off work for 6 weeks then of course all the medical forms have to be completed by myself and my doctor...which I had done....but no...they send me and my doctor more letters telling us about all these restrictions and how they want more information...like I said by the time I get this approved...if I do get it approved....I will be back at work and won't need it.

Health care, in Canada we have universal health care. What the means is if you have to have surgery you can have the surgery...there is no such thing as an HMO dictating your treatment. Most employers offer health benefit packages which often includes not only health coverage, but extended health(prescriptions, glasses,massage therapy, and chiropractor just to name a few)dental and long term disability insurance. Now if your employer does not offer this or if you are a retiree you still can get the basic provincial health insurance which again covers any doctors visit, hospitalization, surgeries and the likes. If you can't afford the provincial premiums then there are systems in place where the government would pay for such services. But you would have to prove eligibility for such services. Which I think is only right.

So, I talked to my brother who is an insurance adjuster about the whole insurance thing. He said to me that insurance companies are not out there to pay your claims or make our lives easier....they are out there to make money...and you making a claims takes money away...so of course they are going to do whatever they can not to pay out on a claim.

So let me recap this....I have life insurance which is very restrictive..and I truly wonder if I were to die tomorrow if my hubby would be able to get anything....but that would be a battle he would have to fight. The house insurance as it stands isn't worth the paper it is drawn up on because we have a wood burning fireplace and the loan insurance company is already giving me the run around. To me insurance is truly a scam in the greatest sense of the word and yet it is consider acceptable and prudent. But that has been falsely fed to us by the insurance companies.

I have fed into this insurance scam and allowed them to provide me with a false sense of security, that they will be there when you need them.

When I was looking for pictures to coincide with this post I came across this one cartoon...it was a picture of the insurance agent on the one side of the desk and two snowmen on the other the caption said "Are you prepared if one of you melts" That was just the icing on the cake.