Is this what it takes......

Do you remember the athlete Kareem Abdul- Jabbar? It appears that Mr.Abdul-Jabbar has been diagnosed with a rare cancer "chronic myeloid leukemia." Rare in deed. When I heard of his diagnosis a shudder went through my body. I have only heard of two other people with this disease, although I am sure that there are many more. One of the people was a patient I cared for and the other was my sister.

A Rare cancer indeed, you could imagine back in 2002 when my sister was diagnosed that we were all shocked and in disbelief. This cancer when detected generally is found in the male population and males in their 60's to 70's. My sister for obvious reason did not seem to fit this group. This disease in the simplest of terms is a disease that effects the bone marrow where blood cells are made. Her diagnosis was detected from a simple blood test. This test discovered she had what they called Myelodasplastic Syndrome. The first and only chance my sister had for survival at that time was to undergo chemotherapy and then a bone marrow transplant. Her first obstacle was trying to find a bone marrow match. Needless to say that every member in my family wanted to be a donor. It was my sister Kathleen who ended up being a perfect match. How extremely fortunate for my sister Eileen, as finding an exact match can be very difficult and time consuming...something that she didn't have. My sister Eileen underwent the transplant and spent 8 weeks in an isolation room as they had to wipe out her immune system and then hope that the bone marrow would take.

Eileen and I in September 2002, just before she started her treatments

It was December 2002 Eileen was given the go ahead to be released from hospital. She was in great spirits. She celebrated a wonderful Christmas with her family and was surround by so much love.This was taken in the later part of January 2003....She makes bald beautiful!

January 2003, she took a turn for the worst Her platelet counts were falling at alarming rates. She required platelet transfusions every other day. We all took turns taking her to those appointments. She endured so much. She tried all kinds of treatments. But it wasn't to be. My dear sister lost her battle to MDS on March 4th 2003 just, 7 months after being diagnosed and a month shy of her 50th birthday.

This photo was taken just a month before her passing....

So the other day when the news broke about Kareem, it was my husband who drew the comparison of Kareem and my sister to my attention. There are many forms of MDS which they seem to rate at low and high risk. My sister fell into the high risk category.

Since my sisters passing, my family has entered a family team in a walk called "Light the Night" walk for Lymphoma and Leukemia. This walk took place just last month. Our team ended up in the top 10 fundraising groups and my brother was in the top 5 fundraisers. My dear sister may be gone but never forgotten. The Light the Night for Lymphoma and Leukemia is not only a walk to raise money for research but a walk to draw "light" to this devastating disease. Now with Mr. Jabbar's diagnosis, maybe this might draw more attention to this rare disease and provide education and encourage more research into this disease.

I wish Kareem all the best in his journey for good health and hope he continues to have strength and courage to keep this disease at bay and to keep it in the public forefront.

Dreams.......

Lately I have been having very vivid dreams. Those kind of dreams that when you awake you wonder if it was really a dream or did you actually experience it.

The other night was no exception. I dreamt I was in a trailer like cabin. It was located next to a river. It was welcoming and warm and brought good feelings. I was surrounded by familiar faces and faces I didn't know. When I awoke from this dream I could remember most of it and thought to myself that I should write it down. But as I attempt to do this now parts of the dream elude me. What I do recall was the fast running river. The water in the river was dirty and murky...in my dream I believed it was like that because of the current. Somehow I end up getting pushed into the river....I wasn't afraid....I remember hitting the water and almost touching the bottom....when I surfaced I shouted to those on shore that it was shallow and how I almost touched bottom. The next I remember was that I was floating down the river and then scrambling to get out....I awoke shortly there after. It was the part of being pushed into the dirty murky water that stayed in my mind, and I couldn't help but wonder if there was any significance to this. So I went to look it up in a dream interpretation book. This is what I found.....

To see muddy or dirty water in your dream, indicates that you are wallowing in your negative emotions. You may need to devote some time to clarify your mind and find internal peace. Alternatively, it suggests that your thinking/judgment is unclear and clouded. If you are immersed in muddy water, then it indicates that you are in over your head in a situation and are overwhelmed by your emotions.

And then I came across this interpretation of dirty water......

To fall into muddy water, is a sign that you will make many bitter mistakes, and will suffer poignant grief therefrom.

I am sure there are other interpretations of the dream primarily the dirty water. The first interpretation seems to fit. I did fall asleep the other night upset and confused about some personal issues, and hence I think that is where the muddy waters come into play. I do believe that our dreams in part are manifested by things we experience in reality. Issues that we tend to bury or worry us or thoughts that fill our mind during the day carry on in our dream world.

I have always been fascinated by dreams. As a child I had a recurring dream for years....I still remember parts of that dream to this day....but I no longer have that dream, and the reason for that I believe is due to the fact that I dealt with the issue that was causing me to have those dreams.

I know I dream in colour. I have dreamt of brightly painted rooms, ships and bright gowns. I have felt warmth and cold in my dreams. I have certainly had my share of what I call nightmares, primarily triggered by scary movies, but some have most certainly been triggered by the events that unfold during the day.

When I was looking up dream topics on the Internet I came across this and thought it as an interesting concept:

There are two kinds of dreams. There are dreams that we have while asleep and dreams that we have while we are awake. What is the connection between the two types? Both kinds of dreams are about the yearnings that are held deep inside us. Some of these desires are so secret that we dare not share them even with our closest friends. Those of us that dare to put our dreams down on paper are showing the courage and faith that they will come true. © Dream Poems from Family Friend Poem

" Oh Sleep! It is a gentle thing, Beloved from pole to pole" ~ Samuel Taylor Coleridge ~

And so with that I shall go seek slumber and hope that my thoughts take me to far away places full of whimsical fancy.....til morrow....

Lest We Never Forget....

I am sitting here staring at a blank screen, thinking about things to write. I could always write about this terrible flu I have been dealing with for the past 12 days. This headache that is so intense that it makes having your tooth pulled without any freezing a joke. I should have stocks in McNeil Pharmaceutical. Speaking of which, I really wonder how my liver is making out after all this Tylenol I have had to ingest in order to keep these wretched headaches at bay?.
But no I won't go on about the flu....no I shall rise above that and find something more enlightening to talk about. Hmmmmmmm.


Tomorrow is Remembrance Day. A day in which we take a moment to remember those who have fought in wars in order that we may have the freedoms we so enjoy today. A few years ago I posted about how I had the honour and privilege of meeting a relative of the late Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, M.D.(1872-1918). I would like to share with you excerpts from that post I did back in 2006

"November the 11th. Remembrance Day in Canada and for my friends to the south of me it is Veteran's Day.

..... as a child I remember learning about the poem "In Flander's Field" it was written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918) Canadian Army. He was a surgeon attached to the 1st Field Artillery Brigade. He was a new doctor and he wrote about his experience as a field surgeon.

I remember reciting this poem every Remembrance Day and as a class we would draw and colour pictures of poppies, and tape them to the class windows. We often would have a visit to the class by a Veteran, who would share stories of the war with us.

Today thousands of veterans and families will gather to celebrate their loved ones lost in battle. We will dedicate a moment of silence in their remembrance. Our fellow country men and women who so bravely gave their lives so that we all my live in lands of peace and harmony.

I also think of our loved ones who are on current tour of duty and pray for their safe return home.

"IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow Between the crosses row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields."

"Lest we never forget"

Sniff, snufflle, cough and hack......

Well the flu season is in full swing.

I am sure everyone is feeling they have heard just about enough about the H1N1 virus and vaccination, but please bear with me as I would like to put my two cents in.

For the past five years I have run the "flu shot clinic" for my doctor's office and I have really enjoyed it. I think one of the things I enjoyed the most was the opportunity to talk with folks who were there not because they were ill, but rather they were trying to prevent an illness. In preparation for the clinics I always do the research on what is the contents of the vaccine, side effects and contraindications. This year was no exception.

This year in fact was far more challenging as the government was gearing up for the H1N1 campaign and were changing the rules on who and when people could get the "seasonal" flu shot and who and when people could get the H1N1 vaccine.

The government's change in the administration of the "seasonal" vaccine really threw many people for a loop. At the beginning they seemed to be changing their minds almost daily on who should get the shots, and when they should get them. As a healthcare professional I felt this very frustrating as I was being asked regularly what I thought about the vaccines, and how the government was proceeding with the administration of the drug. It was very difficult to get my head wrapped around their rationale for who would get what vaccine and for what reasons. In this case I am talking about the "seasonal" flu vaccine.

You see up until this year anyone who wanted the "seasonal" flu vaccine could get it. Healthcare workers were almost forced to get it. What I mean by that is that as a healthcare worker if you were sick with the flu and opted not to get vaccinated you were penalized. Anyhow, this year they changed all that. They decided that the first folks who should get the vaccine were people over 65 and anyone with a chronic illness. Well you can imagine the flack I got from people when I told them they didn't meet the criteria for the seasonal flu vaccine.

Now we are at the stage for the H1N1 vaccine. Again, government is being very restrictive on who should be the first to get the vaccine. They decided that pregnant moms, people with chronic aliments(especially those with respiratory issues)and Indigenous people should be amongst the first. Now don't get me wrong here, but wouldn't you think that you would want your front line workers to get the shots so they could remain healthy to care for these folks or be able to go out and provide the immunization clinics? Well as far as the government is concerned that is not the case. I am not sure, but I suspect part of their decision came from the fact that they say they didn't have enough of the vaccination to go around. And yet, we hear stories of athletes getting the vaccination, politicians getting the vaccination....and yet...still a front line health care provided did not qualify for the vaccination! I am not certain what swayed the governments minds on who would be first in line, but starting last week healthcare workers who had direct contact with H1N1 patients or healthcare workers themselves who had chronic health issues i.e asthma would be able to get the shot if they wanted it, as far as I was concerned the goverment and health authorities were being reckless not to immunize those who would have direct contact with these people. It just seems like a logical thing to do(but when did the government do anything that was logical)make sure the folks that are responsible for caring for the ill are available to you...and by being available to you that would mean ensuring they are protected from the virus.

The H1N1 virus has been around for awhile now...people were getting sick with it in the spring and summer months. The government and health authorities have spent so much money on stupid mail out cards, when they should have been focusing on getting the drug approved, and ready for distribution.

This is a pandemic and we all need to keep ourselves very informed and make the decision that we believe is right for us. I am not here to debate the pros and cons of vaccinations I am hear to help ensure that folks continue to stay informed.

I think our best defense in situations like this is to use common sense, wash your hands, sneeze and cough into your arm.....don't spread your germs to others....keep a sanitizer in your bag, purse or pocket. If you have a fever and are coughing STAY home!!!!!!! Your colleagues and those that you might expose to your germs will thank you.

I really think this H1N1 virus is a huge wake up call to society. Hygiene and health smart is what is going to turn this around.

Another Memorable Weekend.....

Another full weekend come and gone....but certainly will not be forgotten.

What a weekend. Saturday had me up early to catch an early boat to the mainland. The plan was to do the Night the Light 2009 for Leukemia and Lymphoma. For the past five years my family has entered a team in remembrance of my dear sister who lost her battle with cancer. This would be my first year as previous years I have always been working. Anyhow our spirits were high. Our team beat our goal for raising over $5,000.00. We were very proud! In the 5 years that my family has participated in this walk we have raised over $15,000.00! Way to go family.

Anyhow, as I said our spirits were high. Unfortunately the weather did not want to cooperate with us. It's almost as though the weather gods waited till we started the walk for the torrential down pours to begin. I have never been so soaked....well not since I was a kid and deliberately stood under a rain spout and had the water pour down on me. It reminded me of Gene Kelly in Singing in the Rain. I actually started to do puddle dances...and a bit of a Charlie Chaplin manoeuvre through the puddles...actually I think some of these puddles were really miniature lakes....water up over our ankles at many parts of the walk. One wouldn't expect such puddles seeing as we were walking on the seawall in Stanely Park which a paved flat surface......but there they were.

It was a 5km walk...in order to keep our spirits high we sang a variety of songs, held our candles high, helium balloons abound and carried our banner with pride, and merrily made our way around the designated route. Once we got to the finish line, we took appropiate photos, the organizers had a great band there playing awesome music so we dance a bit with the band....but our soaked clothes were starting to win out. My dear sister had offered to have us all over to her place to warm up and have some cheer.

When we arrived at her place every one quickly stripped down out of their drenched clothing with the females raiding my sister closet to find something warm to put on while their clothes were in the dryer and the men were in varying stages of dress which made for very good giggles.

Speaking of giggles....don't you just love what helium does to your voice.....way to funny....my comedian sister was the first to inhale the gas....and of course she had to say the funniest thing...putting us all into fits of tears.....yes a helium party it was.

After we ran out of balloons we started to reminisce primarily speaking of my deceased sister....we realized that this was the first time in a few years that all the remaining 5 sisters had been together...it was a wonderful time or remembrance.

There were many things to celebrate on Saturday. My dear niece gave birth to her second child...a daughter .....she gave in the wee hours of Saturday morning as was home by the afternoon....proud grandma...aka my sister A. already has pictures of this darling little bundle of joy...and she truly is a lovely little thing. This past month we have had two new additions to the family....my sister A also became a grandma to a bouncing baby boy at the beginning of the month.....so her family is really starting to grow....with these to new additions I think that puts the number of great nieces and nephews up to 10! WOW!!!

The the pies ta res once.....while we were all sitting and chatting my sisters H phone rings...it's my sister P's. daughter.....she was looking for her mom......well.....good new once again....my dear sweet niece was calling to say she had just got engaged!!!! Oh Thank goodness my brother in law had his camera handy as he got the most wonderful photo of my sister P. when her daughter was telling her the good news....it was absolutely priceless.....I truly feel blessed that I was there and able to speak to my niece right then. We were all in tears....tear of joy and happiness of course. So it looks like there is going to be a wedding down under in 2011....Yahoo!!

Well with all of the excitement I didn't put my head on a pillow until 0100....that may not seem late to some, but I had to be up by 0500 to catch the first ferry back to the Island.

It was a very full weekend....as as I said it will be one that will be marked on the calendar!

Photos coming....and lots more to share....but I will save that for another day!

Cheers all!

The search is on......

This past summer along with having a houseful of guests we also played host to our guests canine pets.

Hubby and I have always encouraged family members or friends to bring their dogs when they come for a visit. This summer was no exception. Our first guests brought their dog and that dog was with us for a month. Bert just loved having a buddy to play with.

It was so nice to see Bert jumping and runny about like a little puppy. It was great exercise for him and companionship. Hubby and I couldn't help but notice how much fun Bert had with the other dogs. It was so enjoyable to watch. It didn't take long to determine who was the Alpha dog, and for Bert to lay the ground rules for the other dogs.

In observing Bert's interactions with the dogs, hubby and I realized how much Bert would benefit from having a full time companion.

This isn't a decision we take lightly. It's a big responsibility. Many things need to be considered. Like the temperament of the other dog, and would the other dog be compatible with our dear Bert. Another consideration, because of my allergies I really need to minimize the dog hair....so a non shedding dog would be great. I also want a dog that has a friendly temperament.

Many of my colleagues at work have dogs and some have a wealth of knowledge when it comes to dogs. Today for example I just so happened to mention to our clerk at work about what kind of dog I would like and the next thing I knew she was showing me pictures of dogs that she thought would be appropriate for us.

The dog that caught my eye was the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier....what a darling dogIsn't that the most cuddly looking dog? I think so. My problem lies with the fact that I really don't want to get it from a breeder, but rather from a rescue. I think there are enough homeless dogs out there that I shouldn't have to go to a breeder. We got our dear Bert from the SPCA, Bert had been abandon when he was a pup and needed a home. Getting Bert was one of the best decisions hubby and I have made. We would like to provide a home to a dog who really needs a home. So we are on the search for a resuce facility which is not to far from home. I think that might be a tall order.

Getting a pet is a serious matter. One that shouldn't be taken lightly. I look at it like this; when you decide you want to start a family you think long and hard about the pros and cons , you realize that you are making a life altering decision. I believe the same principles apply when you are considering getting a pet.

So the search is on....We want a dog that will be compatible with our life style and us with their temperament, and that Bert will enjoy being around. Tall order I know......but wish us luck!

Thanksgiving Weekend

Summer has come and gone and we are well into Fall. As much as I love summer I do love the sights and smells of fall.

With this past summer being so dry we weren't allowed any fires all fires were banned. Finally this past week the fire bans were lifted and back yard burning is now allowed. There is something about the smell of an outdoor fire. The burning of the leaves and brush.....it just brings back memories....the raking of leaves.....the gathering and stacking of wood for the upcoming winter. Ah yes fall.

We just celebrated Thanksgiving this past weekend and what a full weekend it was.

Friday evening was a great start to our weekend. Hubby and I went to our local Legion for a little social. They were having a meat draw. I don't know how many of you have ever been to a meat draw. They are quite popular for places like the Legion as they are a good fundraiser. Anyhow at the meat draw you buy tickets, there is a table full of a variety of different types of meat and cuts. If you are fortunate enough to have your ticket drawn you go up to the table and pick out what meat you want. Well wouldn't you know one of my tickets was drawn. So up to the table I went. There was a beautiful pork roast, some steaks, and chicken. I am not a red meat eater but when I saw the steaks I thought of my hubby and how much he would appreciate having a nice steak. So that is what I picked. As the winner you have to draw the next number....so I put my hand in the tickets bucket mixed the tickets about turned my head and drew out a ticket and gave it to the announcer. I had just made it back to my table when he called the number.....guess what.....it was my number....what were the chances of that....A little sheepish I went up to claim my prize. This time I picked the huge pork roast that I had eyed the first time I was up there! Yippee.

There was way to much meat for us so I invited some friends for Saturday night dinner.

Saturday was a busy day. Hubby had to go to work, so I busied myself preparing for my guests arrival. I was a woman on a mission. Not only was I preparing for dinner but I had to bake desserts for Saturday and to take with us for Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday. I started my preparation by cooking and canning a dozen jars of pickled beets. I know I know what was I thinking doing that along with everything else .....ah well....I just did.

After the beets were done it was onto the baking. First I baked some pumpkin cookies with butter orange icing....after that I made the pumpkin pecan pie.....and finally I made the blueberry apple crumble for Saturday nights dinner.

Desserts were cooked it was now time to start preparing the veggies and appetizers for dinner. While things were baking in the oven I cleaned the house prepared the table....and being the candle crazy woman that I am I ensured my candles were are ready to go....you know ambiance....hubby got the wood and the fire was lit....the guests arrived and we enjoyed a lovely evening of laughter. My friend brought her youngest daughter who is eight. I wondered what I had in the house that might entertain her....then it hit me.....my craft room. So I took her up to my room and asked her what she would like to do...would she like to draw, make cards, or jewelry. She opted to make jewelry...so out came the beads and the string and we took it all downstairs so she could be close with us and I set her up at the table. There she busied herself making earrings and necklaces....it was rather entertaining as she decided that she was making an earring for both my husband and her dad.....and yes they were good sports and wore the earring....well at least while she was around.

Along came Sunday. As I had already prepared the dessert the day before all I had to do was make the appetizer. This time I made a stuffed brie with cranberries roasted pecans and maple syrup wrapped in phyillo pastry.....along with that hubby had just recently made some smoked salmon so we took that with some herbed goat cheese.....I am drooling just thinking about it.

Anyhow we had lots of time to spare before we had to go for dinner. So hubby decided that he wanted to take me on an adventure. Somewhere he has wanted to take me to for a long time. It's called Mount Arrowsmith....I think I have shared photos of this mountain with you in the past. Anyhow if and when you make it to the top....you truly feel like you are on top of the world. There are a lot of logging roads and switchbacks and it is very easy to miss a turn. Which I think happened to us....but that didn't matter.....in one day we saw both the west and east side of the island....it was spectacular. On one of our missed turns...which I will call a fork in the road to adventure we came to a dead end. That was ok as it provided us with a most spectacular view of a river below and nothing but mountains.....looking up in an area that had been logged we noticed a most interesting site....it was like someone had made planks and formed them into 12' by 8' flat and leaned it up against two huge tree stumps...it just look so odd. I was curious and really wanted to get a closer look. Well what a mistake....as I started my climb I didn't realize how almost vertical this was....hubby said it was about a 25 - 30% incline....it was crazy...all I knew was that is was far more challenging than I ever thought.....it gave me a great respect for the loggers who transverse these mountains caring their chainsaws and ropes. Anyhow, I got to about 100yards of this thing when I had to take a break and sit down....whilst sitting down I looked out and realized how high I was.....I was WAY to high for my liking....it dawned on me that I would have to make my way back down....and believe me.....going up is much easier than the climb down. My hubby was down on the road by the truck....he occasionally would look up at me to make sure I was ok. At one point I tried to shout for him...but he couldn't hear me...then I attempted to whistle....he still couldn't hear me......I knew then that I had gone to far....if he couldn't hear me and if anything should happen I would be in trouble....that sealed the idea for me that I should start heading back. I finally made it back down to the truck...a little sore and scratched...but I made it. By this time we had to be heading home in order to make it for dinner on time. Remember when I talked about those switch back roads....well I think we took a left when we should have taken a right. Yes we got a tad lost....well not lost...let's say we just extended our adventure for longer than anticipated. Funny thing was that when we managed to make it back to civilization what should cross the street in front of us but a big black bear!

Yes it was a full weekend of fun, social gatherings and adventures.

I hope you had a enjoyable weekend as well!

Thought for the day......

"Do you ever wonder about those people who spend $2.00 a piece on those little bottles of Evian water? Try spelling Evian backwards."

With that being said let me share with you a photo of one of my favourite watering holes....all the mountain fresh water you could ever possibly want......Have a great day all!!

Saturday Scavenger Photo Hunt

This weeks theme is "Pink"......I searched my photos and all I could come up with was this photo I took after my manicure and pedicure.....I love pink ......


If you would like to join in on the fun please check out tnchick for all the instructions.

Happy hunting and happy weeekend to you all!

Help! My brain has gone on a hiatus without my permission. No seriously.....I can't seem to think for the life of me of anything witty or charming or exciting that has happened which is post worthy.

Hubby built me a three tiered flower box last week...this past week I spent shoveling gravel and dirt into it and then went plant shopping....the box is complete...and pictures will follow.....but boring....hubby built a concrete slab for our garbage and recycling and water hose....boring......we went down to the boat....hubby had to do some minor work...great..I cleaned...cool blue heron right on the dock camera ready...I thought...only to find my batteries went dead....missed the shot....boring......shovelled more topsoil to fill in holes on the lawn and planted more seed...been watering daily....boring.......

Back at work....doing same old same old....don't mean to trivialize what I do...but some days....boring......

Since I started this post a few days ago things have picked up around here. I have a full house. My brother, brother in law and nephew arrived on Tuesday. My brother is here as a respite. He just underwent surgery for the removal of one kidney due to cancer. He is skinnier than a rake and I am on a mission to put some weight on him. Supplement drinks and three square meals a day should help....I hope. Brother in law and nephew oh and their dog Cooper are here to go out fishing.

Last year brother in law spent a month with us fishing and helping out around here. He hasn't put down a fishing line yet, but he did manage to get 60 very large prawns which he cooked up to perfection as an appetizer last evening. I should have taken a picture of these prawns they were huge and delicious! Nephew is going home tomorrow only to return for a few days next week.

This afternoon two of my daughters arrive for the weekend. I am really looking forward to their visit, but more so to help balance the sexes. I am feeling a tad out numbered and overwhelmed by all the testosterone that is in the house right now I mean even the dogs are male!

I am hoping for good weather so we can get out and do something this weekend like getting out on the boat.

Have a great day all!

Driving Antics.......

I have a long commute to work. I drive in from a rural area into a urban area. Where I live the posted speed limit on the highway is 110km, most people travel at about 120km. This speed limit goes for about 35km and then goes down to 90km which people then might slow to 100 or 110km.

Like any commute you see all sorts of things and believe me I have seen my share of accidents,car fires,animals and wild life. The thing that never ceases to amaze me is the behaviours of some drivers.

The other day when I was driving to work I swear the stars must have been colliding and sending someone of the most aggressive drivers my way. I have always admitted to the fact that I have a lead foot and more times than not exceed the speed limit. It was very evident when I owned my mustang and got 3 speeding tickets in less than a year. Something I am not proud of, and I paid substantial financial penance for my driving behaviour.

Back to the other day. I drive fast....generally I admit I drive about 10-20km over the speed limit. In my experience even when you are driving fast there is always someone who is on your tail pushing you to go faster. At a certain portion of my trip the traffic increases significantly, the posted speed limit goes to 90km but of course most people continua to travel at 100km or more. The road becomes twisty that is when I think some drivers think they are Mario Andretti and love to push the performance of their vehicles....I don't know but something comes over some of these drives, it's like they get highway possession, they become more aggressive....you look in your review mirror and they are in you back seat...you consider pulling over but traffic is moving much slower in the next lane due to logging truck, commercial vehicles and now holiday campers and boats.

Although I like to drive fast, I always keep my distance from the vehicle ahead of me. I remember when I took driving lessons one thing they instilled was the 2-3 car length rule and now some 25 years later I still abide by that rule, much to the chagrin of other drivers. You can imagine what happens then.....other drives are forever cutting in front of me.

We have heard lots of talk about the aggressiveness of today's drivers. Older folks blame it on the young ones...young one's blame on the slow old pokes and so it goes. Well in my observation we are all to blame. Being a female I hate to admit this next comment...but I think we are some of the worst offenders of aggression when it comes to driving. So back to the other day, it was all women who were the aggressors. They were driving like crazed over hormone under medicated women on a mission. The age of these women ranged from mid 20's to maybe early 50's. The behaviour on one such driver was so frightening that I actually gasped at what she did.

I was in the fast lane (designated speed 90km) I was doing 110km. A semi truck was beside me in the slow lane a vehicle approximately 2 car length ahead of me. I was looking in my rear and side view mirrors when I saw this vehicle come out of no where travelling at excessive speed...she wanted to get into my lane.....she sped up almost colliding with the rear of semi truck....of course she wanted pass....the moment that the opportunity arose she scooted out missing the front end of my vehicle by mere inches and then she cut in front of the semi. I am sure she would have been on my tail but I had another women who had been riding my tail already. What I find so amusing is that they often don't get that much further ahead. More times than not you meet up with the at the red light. The crazed woman in the white car was now to my right talking on her cell, smoking and looking for something not sure how she even managed to focus enough to put he foot on the gas peddle or brake for that matter.

Yup, I have to admit I was embarrassed to say I was part of the female race. I have witnessed this so many times on my commute it is frightening. People doing everything except pay attention to the road. I can't help but wonder what is it that makes these people drive and behave in this manner. What's going on in their lives to make them drive this way? Do they even have any insight as to their driving antics and the impact it has on other drivers? I think not.

No wonder we pay such high insurance premiums....maybe instead of pointing the finger we all need to look at ourselves and realize we are all to blame. Drivers who drive to slow are just as dangerous as those that drive to fast. Do we really need to be multi tasking while we are driving....shouldn't driving be our primary focus..eyes on the road....be observant of your surroundings. Or what about driving for the conditions, slow down in the rain...make sure your vehicle is in good running order, ensure you have good tread on your tires......but most importantly let see if we all can slow down just a bit.....me included......as the commercial says...."Speed kills".

Saturday Scavenger Photo Hunt

This weeks theme is "Creamy" The only thing I could think of that I had a picture of was this cake I made at Valentines. It was very creamy with the whipped "Cream" strawberries and Belgian chocolate. Oh and it tasted pretty darn good as well.

If you would like to join in on the fun please check in with tnchick for all of the instructions.

Happy Weekend to you!

Head or Tails Tuesday

The theme/prompt for THIS week, June 16, is:

HEADS - Lost
*OR*
TAILS - Found

Make any kind of post using either theme/prompt. You can even use both.


I was trying to think of something I lost recently but I can't think of anything except maybe my mind....but then hubby says lovingly I've lost my mind farily often. So then I started thinking about lost things or items.....for example the saying....."I've lost my marbles"

or " The Lost boys" in Peter Pan



Little Bo Peep "who lost her sheep"

So now it's "Tails" things that have been found well of course I could say I have found my marbles...or the lost boys were found or that I never had any sheep to lose....but no....things I have found are:I found that I really enjoy going for walks with my step-son and just chatting about life.....

I've also found that there are a lot of great swimming holes and adventures to be had on this island....
If you would like to join in on the fun please check out Skittle's Place for all the instructions. Hope you have a great day!!!

A little bit of Island history....

Have you ever had one of those days when you don't know what is in store and it can go either way? Well I experienced one of those days on Friday.

Hubby had to drop off some samples to a client and so I thought I would join him on the outing. The area in which this client lives is surrounded by a golf course and waterfront property....a pretty posh area. Anyhow, it made for a nice drive. After completing this task I suggested we go to a Provincial Park not far from where we were called Rathtrevor Provincial Park. I love this park...it has wonderful trails for running, there are fabulous campgrounds.....the beach goes out for ever...it's just a great family park full of all kinds of adventures.

So we headed towards Rathertrevor. Hubby hadn't been there in awhile and was really amazed at all the foliage and the huge trees. As we were walking along hubby commented on one of the many thorny floral bushes that we frequently saw along the trail. In my very amateur botanist opinion I told him what I thought it was.....it just so happens that while we are having this discussion this lovely elderly woman carrying a small picnic cooler asks us if we thought there was beach access ahead....we assured her there was just a few meters ahead. As we had now started conversing with this woman my hubby took it upon himself to ask her if she knew the name of the flower we were looking at....she said it was a Wild Rose and gave us the Latin name....we chatted a bit about the trees and how the species seem to really intermingle...we said our goodbyes and continued on our walk.

After a lovely walk through the trails,which bordered the campsites we made our way along the beach route and back to our vehicle. Well as fate would have it we met up with this dear woman and her husband.....my hubby made some comment about us meeting again...this led us chatting a little longer as we made our way to our vehicles.

She mentioned how much she and husband loved visiting Rathtrevor and proceed to tell us that they were on their way up to Telegraph Cove. When we heard this we were excited as hubby and I have wonderful memories of Telegraph Cove. I asked her if they were going Whale watching and how much we loved it there. She said no that they were going there for a memorial service for the woman who used to run the post office(she was 94). We gave our condolences. The woman then went on to tell us she grew up in Telegraph Cove and that is was her grandfather who named the Cove. She told us about how her father ran the lumber mill there and the house that he built. As it turned out hubby and I had spent a weekend in the house that her father built...and we went out whale watching on what use to be their family boat. Hubby and I were just awe struck. She then proceed to bring out what was a family album, but actually had been made into this incredible book. I asked her if they ever considered publishing this book but they said no...they didn't think anyone would be interested. I wanted to beg her to allow me to have a copy. We eventually said our goodbyes and I wished them a safe journey all the while I felt so fortunate to have met this woman.

This woman and her family I felt were not only part of British Columbia history but more importantly played an integral part on the development of the lumber industry on the northern part of Vancouver Island and the "telegraph line".

Her grandfather came to the northern parts of Vancouver Island and established the Telegraph line during World War II. If you click on the link above under Telegraph Cove it gives a brief history. I kick myself for not asking her name.....but because I was so impressed with what she shared I did a little research and figured out who the family was. Her father was Fred Westall...it was his father Marmaduke Westall who named Telegraph cove.

I felt so privileged to have met this woman and to hear some pioneer stories first hand! In 1980 the North Island Gazette printed an article about her father and stories of the early days in Telegraph Cove. If you are at all interested here is a link to that article about Fred Westall. and Telegraph Cove.

A sight to behold.......

We have been fortunate with the weather these past few weeks. Yesterday hubby and I decided that we would go out on the boat for dinner and if the conditions on the water allowed we would go fishing. Our destination was Tribune Bay on Hornby Island.

Conditions were perfect. We chose to go right into the bay as hubby wanted to do something to the engine. The sea was calm, as smooth as silk. We pulled into the bay and were able to come close to shore. It was only a matter of minutes for him to do what he needed.... because the waters were so calm we decided to head out towards an area called Floura Islets..it's a group of very small islands where the salmon like gather. We were told that just a couple of days ago a pod of killer whales made their way through this area. I know the seals love this area because of the fish. Yesterday was no exception the seals were abundant.

We dropped the line...it wasn't long before we both got bites on our lines....at one point hubby struggled with something for over a half hour only to lose the hook in the end.....but it was sure thrilling seeing him work the line and the rush you get when you think you got something.....unfortunately it only ends up being a fishtale as you have nothing to show for your efforts......except this time I did get some photos of hubby working the line.....

We fished for most of the evening....we may have come home without any fish but what you are about to see was amazing.

We were trolling our way home when off into the distance we saw something surfacing quickly and then down and up again.....at first we thought is was more seals....but there were to many of them......although this is not a very clear photo when you click on it you will know exactly what they are.......

Hubby immediately headed towards the school of dolphins. These are Pacific white-sided dolphins. Seen in these waters but hubby says the last time he saw them was about 10 years ago. It was thrilling then as it was yesterday. These dolphins are very playful and love to swim in the wake of the boat. We followed them for about an hour. It was truly a sight to behold.

My camera has a video component to it so I was able to get some video footage of these amazing creatures.....hubby made a post to Youtube.....

Dolphins June 2009
This link will take you to the short 34 second video....I was able to capture them underwater before they surfaced......it was breath taking......

After our adventure with the dolphins we made our way back to the marina under the guidance of this beautiful sunset......

Happy Saturday to you all!

The dispensable children.......

Seems like everywhere you turn these days there is a new term coming out to describe or lable a disorder or syndrome. Today for example I was reading the Globe & Mail when I came across this article on "Post Adoption Depression" and piqued my curiosity. After reading the first few paragraphs I started to get angry, but I couldn't pin point why I was angry and where those emotions were coming from. I read further. This couple after having 4 biological children said they really wanted to adopt children. So they ended up adopting 2 boys from Guatemala. The first boys was adopted as an infant the article goes on to say this.....

"The minute she laid eyes on her adopted son, a seven-month-old Guatemalan boy, Michelle Brau knew something was wrong, she says.

Instead of joy, she felt dread. Instead of wanting to comfort the infant, she found herself not wanting him at all." I love children," says Ms. Brau, who lives in Springville, Utah.

The article then goes on to say this......"But she couldn't bring herself to love her healthy new son, nor a second boy, aged 2, whom the couple adopted from Guatemala months later."

So here we have a woman who already knows she has unhealthy feelings towards the infant son but then few months later they are adopting another boy! Am I crazy or is there something wrong here?
First of all why didn't she seek immediate counselling, secondly why on earth would she want to adopt another child and thirdly why did the adoption agency allow this to happen.

This story does not have a happy ending. After five years this husband and wife give the boys back to the adoption agency. Once the boys were returned to the agency she goes on to say that she started to feel better. She started to feel better? What about the turmoil and emotional heartache she and her selfish husband have caused these boys? What about their biological children...for 5 years they are lead to believe these two little boys were their bothers their siblings, part of the family and now just because mom is suffering from "Post Adoption Depression" these boys become disposable. Shame on the parents and shame on a system that would allow this to happen.

The purpose of the article was to draw attention to this disorder...although this has not be officially recognized by the psychology as a disorder. Suffers do share very similar characteristics as moms who suffer from post partum depression.

Unfortunately, I didn't get that from this article at all. As I said I was angry...this to me just reinforces that children are dispensable....I can remember times when I was so sleep deprived because one of my children would be up all night with a cold, or crying or whatever and I can remember my mom(who had 12 children) saying " well you can't send them back, so you better get used to it"....harsh words maybe but true. Those days do pass....and no you can't send them back....but now apparently you can.....why did they chose to send the adoptive children back...why didn't they put their biological children up for adoption....so many questions I have about the actions of these parents and how that was allowed to happen.....shame on them....

Here is the article....Post-adoption Depression

In trying to find the above article on the Internet I did come across many research articles on this topic, so it is more common than I was aware of. Although this was the first article that I read that talked about the parents sending the children back to the adoption agency.

Where were these children's rights? How was this allowed. I think those parents need some serious counselling and the biological children would benefit from understanding that what their parents did was not the norm in adoption cases. What an extremely poor example they set for their biological children.

Our Inaugral Trip.....

Over the past couple of weeks we have been experiencing some unseasonably warm weather. Last week in particular the mercury rose to 31 Celsius in and around where I live. I was fortunate to have 3 days off last week, so hubby decided we should go out on the boat. Thursday morning was sunny and hot!!! We decided that we would head out on the boat late morning unsure as to whether we would spend the night but packing in order to make it a possibility.
Our journey started by cruising up Bayne Sound...

I didn't take this photo but it is an aerial shot of Deep Bay marina, where we moore the boat, we headed north out of the bay towards Comox....the Island in the distance is called Denman Island and the Island behind that is Hornby Island.

Anyhow we made our way up the sound. The waters were calm and the conditions were perfect. One of the many things this area is well known for are the oysters. There are many many oyster farms along the coastal waters.....as we were making our way up the sound we came across one such farm which was actively in use...the workers were clearing the cages of the oysters.....

It was really quite a production they had going on. Anyhow having watched them for a little while we continued on our journey. We made it up to Comox harbour got fuel and made arrangements for moorage for the night. After that we headed northeast to an area called Goose Spit...


Again, this is not a photo I took but it shows you the park in correlation to Comox. This area is very popular for boaters of all ages. In Comox harbour they offer sailing lessons for all ages and the hold regatta out and around Goose Spit area.

The following day we were up early with the sun and birds....especially the loud crows and seagulls. We left the harbour by 0800 after hearing word that there were high winds and swells, we change our course for return and opted to return via the sound again rather than heading to Lambert Channel. We experienced about 3 foot swells and we rolled a bit...hubby enjoyed it....I on the other hand was a tad nervous. Once past the open waters and in the shelter of the two islands the waters settled and we actually dropped a line and trolled for a little while. By mid morning we had made our way back towards Deep Bay but we were not ready to call it a day. The winds had settled down and hubby convinced me we should head towards Lambert Channel and Hornby Island. So that is what we did and I was so thankful. There was a chop on the water but manageable. We made it to a place called Ford Cove on Hornby Island a lovely quaint little spot, but what amazed me the most was the rock formations and how the water had eroded the stoneIn this photo you are looking from the beach in Ford Cove on Hornby Island and you see the east side of Denman Island and in the background are the mountains of Vancouver Island.

I think this photo is pretty cool....you can see all kinds of faces and figures in the stone.....

In this photo you see how the ocean eroded the stone to make a web like pattern.....again....way cool!

It's amazing how the vegetation just adapts to the surroundings.......After walking around and checking out the store and shops we made our way back to the boat and continued on to another cove where the Denman Island ferry comes to Hornby Island. There we went to the famous Thatch Pub, known for it's thatched roof and eggs benny on Sundays.

We moored the boat on that rickety dock and yes the tide was out as well...we made our way to the pub for a beer. We met a lovely lady who was from Oregon who said she has been coming to Hornby for over 20 years and was staying in Ford Cove but was out for her hike. There are many wonderful hiking trails on Hornby and she is an avid hiker and said she never tires of the Island. After our chat we made our way back the boat and decided that we would drop the fishing line again and see what we could catch. Got lots of bites but nothing on the line.....boo hoo.

Eventually we made our way back to Deep Bay. After tidying up the boat and loading up we decided that seeing as we didn't catch any fish that we would go and have fish and chips for dinner.

This was a great start to the boating season.

The Eight Meme

So my dear friend Skittles aka Barb tagged me for this meme.....

8 THINGS I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO:

1. Spending time with hubby this evening
   
2. Getting the soil and plants for my garden
   
3. The tomatoes ripening and the peppers to be ready for eating
   
4. My daughter coming to visit
   
5. Thursday and Friday so I can go boating with hubby
   
6. Fishing with hubby
   
7. Camping and more boating
   
8. Seeing what tomorrow brings
   

8 THINGS I DID YESTERDAY:

1. Went to the washroom on the dock only to find out it wasn't opened yet
   
2. Fishing
   
3. Cruised Bayne Sound
   
4. Went to Ford Cove for the first time
   
5. Bought a framed print of a beautiful purple Iris
   
6. Went to Thach Cove
   
7. Had a cider in the pub
   
8. Had fish and chips for dinner
   

8 THINGS I WISH I COULD DO:

1. Have more patience
   
2. Paint a picture
   
3. Be mechanically inclined
   
4. Be content
   
5. Enjoy the moment
   
6. Be a dancer
   
7. Write a song
   
8. Spell better
   

8 SHOWS I WATCH:

1. American Idol
2. Morning news
   
3. Deadliest Catch
   
4. UFC
   
5. Hell's Kitchen
6. What ever is on at the time
   
7. Movies
   
8. More of whatever is on at the time
   

8 FAVORITE FOODS:

1. Fish - any kind - any way
2. Shell fish prawns and crab
   
3. yogurt
   
4. Spaghetti(veggie)
5. Chicken
   
6. Salads of any kind
   
7. This time of year Fruit and lots of it
   
8. My homemade double chocolate chip cookies
   

8 PLACES I’D LIKE TO TRAVEL:

1. County Cork Ireland(my grandparents birth place)
   
2. Dubrovnik(my father's birth place)
   
3. Texas(to meet my friend Shelley)
   
4. New Foundland
   
5. Spain
   
6. The Alaska Highway
   
7. Cycle more of the Kettle Valley
   
8. Drive across Canada with my hubby

So now I am to tag 8 people......but I am not going to do that....if you want to play along please copy and paste and have some fun....just let me know it you did the meme so I can come and check out your responses.

Finding balance

I didn't mean to stay away so long....I really didn't.

Since I have started back working full-time it certainly doesn't leave me much time for anything and as a result my blogging has suffered. When I am struggling to get all the things done that I can on my two days off, blogging is the last thing on my list.

With the wonderful summer like weather upon us I find myself outdoors, cutting and trimming the lawn, cutting back brush, and tending the garden. Even though I'm an early riser some days getting up at 0700 doesn't even give me enough time to do all that I want to do in a day.

I have read so much lately about finding balance in one's life. Finding time for self, others and your community. I have really tried to do something for myself everyday...it's like they say pay yourself first, but sometimes there just isn't enough to go around. That's how I feel about myself. My days are full....but with what. In reflection I find that working 5 days a week a real adjustment for me.

Having worked most of my nursing career doing 12 hour shifts with 4 on and either 4 or 5 off it's hard to go to 5 on 2 off. Case in point. With my 8 hour shifts we do a lot of on call and hence mandatory overtime. An afternoon shift which is 1600-midnight with being on call till 0600 the next morning can and has translated into a 15 hour shift and then you have to come back that afternoon and possibly do it all over again. It's a bit of an adjustment and one that the jury is still out on. I enjoy my job, but I am not sure about the 8 hours. Everyone has told me that even though we shut down operating rooms in the summer the overtime is crazy. I don't mind overtime I just want my life as well.

So this leads me back to finding balance in my life. I am still not 100% post surgery. I have try to get in my yoga and weight training as much as possible, but again sometimes that suffers as when I come home from work, doing a work out is about the last thing I want to do.

As of late birding has been one of my passions. I have really taken a keen interest in learning about the birds in my area. My bird feeder and property are a great start. This spring alone I have observed close to two dozen different varieties of birds on my property. I started a birding blog in order to help me journal the birds that I have seen and to use it as a reference point and connecting with other birders. As you can imagine this to takes time....so although I may not be busy making a post on this blog I am busy posting on my birding blog.

Family is also very important to me. With my children and siblings living on the mainland I take every opportunity I can to connect with them. Trips to the mainland are often a whirlwind. At the beginning of May my brother hosted a "Decade" birthday. His eldest son was turning 30. As it turns out 2009 is the year of the "Decade" birthdays in my family. We have someone in the family celebrating a decade birthday starting from 10 all the ways up to 70, so my brother decided to host the party......This was the cake.....there are "11" names on that cake......it was a pretty darn scrumptious cake....Every weekend in May was full with family visits and celebrations.

So back to finding balance. It's something I strive for. What do you do to find balance in your life? Or do you think your life is already well balanced?

Head or Tails Tuesday

The theme/prompt for THIS week, June 2, is:
HEADS - "Motion"

This is a Search and Rescue boat doing some training out on the Westcoast of Vancouver Island....I did not take this photo...but I wish I had....

What a wild ride that would have been....I would to have loved the opportunity to have been on that boat....happy sailing!!!

If you would like to join in on the fun please check out Home of Heads or Tails by Skittles