Happy News.....

First, I want to thank all of you who left me a note on my post yesterday. It was a tough day for me and it hit me hard. Actually, it caught me by surprise that I was as emotional as I was. I ended up spending most of the day in bed. But today is a new day and I got some wonderful news I would love to share with you all.

I was chatting online with my sister last night, when she proceeds to say guess what? I say don't tell me "C" had her baby and you are a grandma? Thinking I was psych and right I was expecting her to say yes, but she didn't. She says to me, didn't you get my phone calls. What phone calls....I shout out to hubby...."hey did you get a call from my sister"....."nope" was the shout back from the living room, "are you sure" I say to him as he has been known not to pass on messages. I tell her we never got any calls. We kinda got a giggle out of that, because some household has messages on there machine for me.

So what is your surprise......."I'm getting married!"....... Your What!!! Getting married? You can't be getting married, you are going to be a grandma in a couple of weeks. "When did all this come about?" I ask her. "Around Valentines" she proceeds to tell me......and you are just getting to me now? Well as mentioned above she did try, just left messages at some strange persons home. So of course inquiring minds wantedto know all of the details. Oh she is so excited....and I am just as excited for her. She originally wanted it near the beginning of August this year but the venue she wants is not available, so she has been looking at other places and alternate dates. So far any of the dates she has chosen I am working. So I told her set your date let me know asap and I will take if off....they either give it to me or I quit I told her. She said "you'd do that for me?" Of course I would....in a heart beat.

So a summer wedding is in the air, I am so excited. I love weddings. Well I love to help plan weddings. I have been involved in so many weddings. From bridesmaid, maid of honour to being the make up artist for the wedding parties, florist and DJ for others. See I am multi talented....not just your run of the mill RN but rather RN wedding make up artist come DJ florist.......can you see it? Yup I love weddings especially when they are for family!!!

Congratulations sis!

In Remembrance of Eileen.......my sister

Life is strange sometimes don't you think? Today I was talking with my husband about my night shift last night. I was telling him about the patients and how so many of them were restless last evening. I got on to talking about a patient who had a myriad of medical aliments two of which are cancer. Cancer of the prostate and the other Myelodysplasia Syndrome or better known as MDS.

I was telling him that the prognosis for the patient was grim and that doctors and medical team really should be talking with the family and talking about the patients code status and future treatments. I was telling my hubby how my colleague and I were talking about MDS and that was what my sister passed away with and the treatments she went through. When I was talking with my colleague I did a little research for her at the same time in order to help her understand the disease a bit better. It was difficult to do as it was so reminiscent of what I did when my sister was diagnosed with the disease. I wanted to know everything about it.

While I was talking to my hubby this morning about this, it hit me. Today is 4 years since my sister passed away. I never really thought about it until just this morning. I never had given any thought to that disease until this patient last evening. He is the first patient I have had with that disease since my sisters' passing. What were the chances of that? Having a patient that had that same disease and discussing it last evening and the realization coming to me today. It was my husband that drew this to my attention.

I cried. My dear sister Eileen. Oh how I miss her. She was a wonderful woman and friend to me. She always thought about everyone else. She dedicated her life to education and teaching special needs children. The month she was diagnosed with MDS she had just finished her Masters in Education. She volunteered for so many things. One of her biggest charities was a program called GATE, Global awareness through Education. She taught me so much about life, just in the way she lived hers. I was fortunate that I was able to take a leave from work and spend the last couple of months of her life with her. We spent a lot of time together. It just always seemed so ironic to me that she died from cancer. When my youngest daughter had been diagnosed with cancer she was there for me always. She would drive across town to come pick my daughter and I up and take us to an appointment and then spend the day with us. She was right by my side through it all.

When it came close to her passing my brother in law called me. I nursed her at home right up until she died. It was just her and I in her room when she passed. I held her, I sang to her, and I told her it would be alright. I told her daddy was waiting for her at the garden gate and she should go be with him now. I assured her that her boys would be alright, and with that she took her last breath. This picture was taken a month before she passed away. My dear sister.....gone but never ever will she be forgotten.

Eileen Brenda Gojevic April 1953 - March 2003

Friday Ramblings

"That Burns my Twizzlers"

Do you ever find that sometimes, you read things in the paper or see it on the news that makes you say "What the heck!" or in my case "that really burns my twizzlers". Well I have. So I started thinking I bet there is a lot of us out there that think the same thing. So why not post about it. It gives us forum to voice what's on our minds. So, What burns your twizzlers?

Today what is burning my twizzlers is our Judicial system. Apparently a serial rapist being released in our midst's. His name is Paul Callow. You can read his story here. This man is guilty of climbing up balconies of women's homes and entering their homes and raping them. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his crime, which he has served everyday. The problem is, is that he is at extremely high risk of offending again. The province of Ontario where he committed the crime does not want him and he has been shipped out to British Columbia to the city of New Westminster.

So what is burning my twizzlers you ask. This......what the heck were they doing with him in prison for 20 years? If there is no hope for rehabilitation for this man why is he being released to re offend? They say it's because there were no laws to keep him at the time. Well change the law! I mean the government if they don't like something with a stroke of a pen change laws every friggin day. So why not in this case. Mr Callow is not the first dangerous offender to be released or going to be released. Shouldn't the government be looking at changing the laws now?

Thought for the Day

" Hope" is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul......And sings the tune without words and never stops.....at all.

~Emily Dickinson~

School Closures

I been hearing a lot of chatter lately about the School Districts closing schools. This seems to be a province wide initiative. I can understand if they are closing the schools because enrollment is down or the school is in need of repair. But that doesn't really seem to be the case here. Where I work I have being listening to parents saying that they are closing two schools and moving them all to one school. The school they will be moving these students to is not big enough to accommodate the increase. The School Boards answer is to put in portables! Does that make sense? Have any of those administrators ever spent one cold winters day in the portable or a hot summer day? Portables are not the answer. They just add to the problem. They increase safety issues, health issues, and over crowding issues. I think at the end of the day, it is not really whats best for the students but what is best for the government pocket book and we do this at the expense of our children. Shame on them!!!

Would you want this for your children?

Have you ever planned your day based on the weather?

Happy Friday All!!

Look what arrived in the mail.....

To me there is something so special about getting a package in the mail. I mean something other than bills. That little notice that there is something for you to pick up at the post office. Well that was what was in store for me today.

Back in February I participated in this Ostara Scavenger Hunt hosted by Dora. We were to collect the following items:

OSTARA SCAVENGER HUNT
1. A spoon
2. Something yellow or yellow in it.
3. A recipe using 3 eggs
4. A frame picture taken from your place looking east
5. Your local Newspaper or a local Magazine
6. An item more the 3 inches and less then 8 inches.
7. Anything that a person can plant and grow

Well my exchange partner was Pea from Pea's Corner
And today my parcel from her arrived. Look at all the wonderful things she sent me.

The parcel. Look at the size of this thing!!

The contents. You see that card in the front...Pea made that card...isn't is adorable!

Item Number 1.....the Spoon

Item Number 2....something yellow....I think my coffee is going to taste mighty fine coming from that mug!

Item Number 3......A recipe with 3 eggs......

Item Number 4.....A framed picture taken from your place looking east....isn't that a lovely frame....and your house is very nice Pea with all the snow....

Item Number 5.......Your local Newspaper.....my hubby will appreciate this seeing as he is from Ontario.

Number 6 an item more then 3 inches less than 8 inches.....now how cute is that...that is going to stay on my desk....I often take my earring off when I come home from work and put them beside my computer...and then proceed to lose them....Now I have a place to put them.

And last but not least....Item number 7.....something I can grow in my garden. Those are going to be perfect in my English garden I am planting this year.

So here they all are....how nice is that. Thank you so much Pea!!!

One more for old man winter

Old man winter decided to rear his ugly head again. Here I was the other day showing you some pictures of my garden and my chives and oregano coming up. Nope not anymore.

Yes this was my chives and oregano. Boo hoo.

So yesterday, I had to go to work. I started out early before 0600 because we had a sprinkling of snow and I just wanted to give myself enough time to get to work. I am about 15 mins into my drive when the snow came. Here I am in my Mustang and summer tires. Not a smart move. I opt to turn around make the 15 min. trip back home and exchange vehicles with my father-in-law. This of course now puts me over a 1/2 behind time. But I venture out again. By the time I get to where I was before I turned around the first time, the snow was really coming down. I venture forth. I am about 30 mins into my drive now when I come to the Denman ferry terminal. There is a light and it's red. I slow down. The car stalls. I am right at the light, it's snowing and dark and I can't get the car to start. Oh I tried. Nope. I end up pushing the vehicle by myself across the intersection and over to the curb. I have my cell phone with me but reception in this area is very poor. After 4 attempts I get through to my father -in-law tell him what has happened. He and hubby and mother-in-law come to my rescue. They all arrive. Mother-in-law offers her car to me to take to work. I get in her car and continue on to work. I arrive at work 1 1/2 hrs late.

The sun came out yesterday it was glorious no snow at my work. I finish my shift, it's 7 pm and it has started to snow. I called hubby as I always do to let him know I am on my way and asked him what the weather was like down our way. Snowing he says. I tell him I am taking the old highway and taking my time. It was snowing heavily but the roads weren't to bad at all. It was very windy and the snow was blowing in all directions. There were parts of the drive that were literally white out conditions. I am travelling at about 10 - 20 km/hr. There were cars actually following me, I guess they just wanted to follow my tire tracks. At one point of the trip I am coming to a bend in the road and a small bridge. I know this as I travel the road all the time. I slow down even more, good thing. I was discombobulated....I was heading for a ditch and the other cars were merrily following along behind me. I redirect myself. Just get me home. I make it to the area where I had to turn around that morning. By this time I have already been on the road for 1 1/2hrs I was stressed and exhausted. I get just past that area and the windshield wiper gave out. It had frozen. I pulled over the best I could, wiped it, flicked it did whatever I thought to try and get it going. No go! I was afraid to be out of my car for to long for fear that some drivers might not see me. At one point there was a car coming straight at my vehicle I honked my horn and he swerved. Not sure why he didn't see me I had my headlights and flashers on. Maybe it had something to do with his windshield being covered with snow, and the snow falling every which way. I call hubby. I am so tired and stressed. When I called him I was beside myself. Crying like a bumbling idiot. I had had enough. No more winter!!!! Help! So once again, hubby and his dad come to my rescue. I felt like so silly. But I knew I couldn't go any farther. The conditions were the worst I have ever seen. I will admit. I am a city gal gone country but I haven't gotten used to all the driving and the weather conditions. We made it home 2 1/2 after I had left work.

At 0430 this morning when the alarm clock went off, I looked out the window and saw all the snow and listened for the weather. Nope, it's a snow day!

But I want to thank my hubby and father-in-law....you guys are my hero's!!!

The taxman cometh.....

Yup. It's time to start gathering up all your receipts, your T4's , your RRSP contribution, that is if you are lucky enough to be able to save and put some away. It's that time of year that the taxman wants your money yet again. Urgh! As we gather our information to take to the tax man, for some of us that means reviewing our credit card bills. In reviewing those bills, I wonder how many of us are still paying off a few of those Christmas items?

Well as I was busily gathering things to take the the taxman, my hubby came across this article and I thought I would share it with you all. It just might help us understand why we are stilling paying for things we bought before Christmas. It's titled:

"The Cost of Christmas"

The cost of The Twelve Days of Christmas is up 3.1 percent over last year., according to PNC Financial Services Group. Buying each item in the song once will now cost you $18,920 US; that total cost once all the verses are repeated rings in at $75,122 US. This year it appears that the wages for skilled workers, including dancers and musicians. have increased as the labour market has tightened up. While the price for the partridge, turtledoves, French hens, geese and swans remains stable, dancing ladies and lords a -leaping wages are up 4 and 3 percent respectively. The maids a -milking are not as lucky. They make the US federal minimum wage of $5.15/hour, having not received a wage increase since 1997. Trying for on-line deals won't help much either. Buying the items over the Internet will set you back $125,767, mainly due to shipping costs."

I wonder how much I would save if I only bought 2 days of Christmas?

Saturday's Photo Scavenger Hunt

This week's theme is something "Soft" these are a few of the softest things I own. They each have a story. The Dalmatian "Dotty" was my youngest daughters, she gave it to me so when ever I got lonely and was thinking about her, I could cuddle Dotty. The bear in the back her name is "Mrs. Blue". I got her from some friends when I was sick in the hospital. So whenever I am sick I cuddle on up with Mrs. Blue and nice cup of tea. The last one is kitty or "Ginger" Hubby and I gave that to my mom when she was in the hospital, mom passed away three months after getting Ginger. But she would cuddle Ginger just as she was falling asleep.

Dotty, Mrs. Blue and Ginger

Happy Hunting all!!

Well lookie what I saw....

I have been reading so many blogs and watching on the news about how the Midwestern and eastern provinces and states have been getting hit hard with snow. It's been a strange winter hasn't it. We have been hearing more and more about the effects of global warming and climate change.

Well in my neck of the woods we have not had the snow most of you have but we have experienced some terrible wind storms, power outages and lots of rain. The groundhog saw it's shadow on February 2nd which meant that spring was only 6 weeks away. I found that so hard to believe at the time. However, yesterday the rain had stopped and the sun came out briefly, so I thought I would take advantage and get outside and do a little yard work. There is so much to be done. Anyhow, I was working in my front garden and I couldn't believe my eyes

when I saw thesetulipsand these crocuses

And finally these chives and oregano.

Yes I guess spring truly is on it's way. Happy Thursday all!!!

Ash Wednesday.....

Growing up in a Catholic household and going to catholic school, I remember Ash Wednesday as the day we went to church. Usually, we were at school as it was a Wednesday and there would be a mass. We would receive the ashes on our forehead in the sign of the cross. As a children we use to play this game and see who could keep the ash on their forehead for the longest. So we would run around the playground trying to catch the other kids and remove the ashes. I never really understood the whole purpose of the ashes and that it was to stay on our foreheads until sundown. But if you would like to know more about Ash Wednesday you can find out about it hereand here.

I was talking to a colleague at work the other day and she had brought in this wonderful loaf for our coffee break. She said she had to get rid of sweets out of her house as she was giving up sweets for Lent. Ah yes, another memory. Lent and giving things up. I never did very well at that. Kinda like the New Years resolutions. Never did very good at that either. I never really understood why we did all of these things...I just knew we did them because we had always done them. I guess that is why I never made a very good Catholic. I never understood a lot of why we did what we did. It just seemed to we did it because it had always been done that way.

I was a little bit of a rebel right from the get go. I should have known something was wrong when in grade one I got sent out of the class because I challenged Sister Mary about blind faith. She really didn't like me asking question like "why". I can tell you I had my ear tugged more than once. It wasn't until I was in grade 11 and we had the coolest religion teacher and she taught us about other faiths which truly interested me. I thought if anyone was going to give me the straight good on religion it was her. She was willing to let us think for ourselves and let us explore our faith and not just accept it in blind faith, which as you know I couldn't do.

I always wanted answers. I never understood why we never studied the bible. Why we only took scriptures out that were pertinent to the topic we were dealing with, rather than looking at the bible as a whole. I never understood the whole "Immaculate conception" I mean scientifically it is impossible but if you are of religious faith you believe and accept it as being so.

I just find it all so strange. My parents did everything the catholic church asked. They didn't practice birth control, hence 12 children, we all went to catholic schools....my father and mother worked hard to pay for us all to go through private schools, because that is what the church wanted and expected, we went to church every Sunday. During the Easter season there was Palm Sunday, Ash Wednesday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Saturday, and Easter Sunday masses. We never ate meat on Fridays or Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday was Pancake Wednesday. Seemed like we were always at church during the Easter season. The one mass I never liked was Good Friday. According to the Bible that is the day Jesus dies on the cross. I found this mass so dark and depressing, and really long. Lots of kneeling up and down. I always remember it raining on Good Friday which just added to the doom and gloom. Mass was always at 3:00 in the afternoon I can't remember why. Another reason why I never made a very good Catholic. The rain seemed to continued until Easter Sunday, and at some point in the day on Easter Sunday the sun would shine.

I am not meaning to be disrespectful to anyone who is of the Catholic faith. I am just sharing my memories of the whole Easter season and how I felt about it.

On a brighter note to Easter, I also remember it as being a time when we would all get new spring outfits. My mom made sure we all had new hats, dresses and gloves for the girls and new pants and shirts and ties for the boys. I loved the colouring of the Easter eggs and the family gatherings. Oh yes I do have fond memories of Easter but I shall save that for another post.

Happy Ash Wednesday.

All Aboard!!!

In my last post I was telling you about my adventures on the mainland with my girls. Well in order for me to get there and back I must take a ferry. The ride is 35 nautical miles or for those of us that don't understand nautical miles it is a 1 1/2 hour ferry ride. BC Ferries has a fleet of 35 ferries with the largest ferries being 560 feet(imagine 2 football fields)they carry 2100 passengers and 461 vehicles. The shortest is 111 feet carrying 133 passengers and 16 vehicles. If you are interested in ferries you can find out more about the fleet here and here. Below are some photos I took when I was leaving Horseshoe Bay on the Mainland and going back to Departure Bay, on Vancouver Island.

Leaving Horseshoe Bay Terminal

These mountains are part of the Coastal mountain range. There is a road called the "Sea to Sky" highway which will take you to Whistler, an international ski resort. This is where, downhill, snowboarding, cross country events will take place for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

That line just up from the houses is the "Sea to Sky" highway. You will have to take that road if you want to get to Whistler to ski or take in any of the downhill and Nordic events for the 2010 Winter Olympics.
This a sample of some of the multi million dollar homes around Horseshoe Bay area, this particular home has it's own dock and passage leading to the water.
I thought this picture kinda cool. The only way to get to this place is by boat. In the hazy background is Downtown Vancouver. That is not pollution you see it was low clouds.

That long stretch of land is part of Vancouver called the University Endowment Lands. The University of British Columbia is located up there. This is also considered a posh area of Vancouver, with the majority of residence being doctor's, lawyers and university professors. Around it's distant point you would come to Richmond where the International airport is and further along is the Tsawwassen Ferry terminal which brings people from Victoria which is the capital of the province. Not far from there are the San Juan Island group which is the gateway to the US. There is a little place there called Friday Harbour which is the border crossing.

Entering the Departure Bay terminal on the island.

Those pillars and the small building in the back...that is the terminal....and now I am back on the Island, only 45 minutes from home!

My visit to the mainland.....

The other day I made the trip to the mainland to spend the day with my girls. It was a spur of the moment thing but boy did we have fun.

While I was on the ferry I called my eldest daughter with whom I was going to stay, and asked her to make me an appointment with her hair dresser. My hair was in desperate need of a cut. I arrive at my daughter's just before one. Long enough time to drop off my bag grab a glass of juice and we were out the door to get my hair done.

The hairstylist was very pleasant and we chatted all about living on the Island. Anyhow, we finished off there and went next door to the restaurant my daughter works at. I know many of her friends and we had a little visit there. Quick telephone call to daughter number 2 to tell her we were on our way to pick her up from her friends, then swinging over to their house to pick up daughter 3 and then off to the mall. Oh we shopped. Apparently, Bebe is very trendy....and so it should be....have you ever heard of paying $104 for a pair of Lycra pants....yup...and $68 for a tank top? Well multiply that by 3 as I couldn't by for one and not the other. Oh and did I say number 2 daughter needed some boots. Then number 2 daughter decides she needs some new work clothes. Well I had to draw the line there. I broke down and bought myself something. My girls were teasing me telling me "She's back" The city girl is "back" Oh they wanted me to get all kinds of things for myself...and I kept reminding them where I lived. My rubber boats and sweat pants are a staple now. But I did break down as I said and bought myself a couple of things. Then I couldn't leave hubby out. So I bought him something as well. So, 4 hours later we are finally leaving the mall.

I told the girls I would make something for dinner and we would just hang at eldest daughters watch tv, chat and just enjoy. But we had to go to Safeway first to get much needed groceries, $100 later. We get home at it is 8:00 pm. I start cooking. I give each daughter a job. Eldest daughter who isn't the greatest cook but is really trying to learn says she will make the rice. I made a chicken curry dish, youngest daughter made a wonderful salad and middle daughter made an appie. Well dinner is almost ready and I tell eldest daughter it was time to make the rice. She gets it going, it starts to boil, I tell her it is boiling...she goes into the kitchen to tend to it. A few minutes later I look at the stove and smoke is coming out from the pan. I rush over to take it off. She had mistakenly turn the element to high...and well you know what happened. Then the fire alarm goes off. Middle daughter rushes to get a towel to sway below the alarm to shut it off. Can you imagine. Evacuating the apartment building for burnt rice. We got it shut off. She was devastated. No worries I tell her, live and learn. So it's after 9:00 now and we are hungry....to heck with the rice we eat the curry as is. It was yummy as was the salad. The best part ....was just hanging with my girls.

Next morning, I was up early, drove eldest daughter to work and headed to the ferry. I took lots of pictures I will share with you in my next post. The above picture of a ferry is very similar to the one I was travelling back to the Island on.

Cheers all!

What a surprise!!!

The other day I was telling you that for Valentine's Day hubby and I and his parents were going to go to a fun night with their power squadron group. It was a casual evening, pizza and raffles and live entertainment. What my mother in law and I didn't count on was what was to take place after dinner.

Apparently, my in laws enjoy Barber Shop Quartet . Each year they go watch international competitions. The group that performed for us has competed at many of those competitions. Anyhow, father in law along with hubby thought they would have this group come and serenade us at the dinner. As you can see from the folks behind us, I think they enjoyed it as well.

I think they sang about 4 songs to us. Afterwards we had our picture taken with them, and were presented with a long stem rose and a valentine card from our sweeties. We were very surprise to say the least. For someone who didn't want a big deal made out of Valentine's day...this certainly was a surprise.....Thanks again guys....hugs....

Saturday's Photo Scavenger Hunt

This weeks Scavenger Hunt is something "Antique".

So the hunt began, what do I have that is antique. Is it Great-grandmothers mother of pearl jewelry? Nope. Is it my mom's Cameo brooch? Nope. Is it my dining room suite? Nope. This is what I chose:

Many years ago I used to collected old and unusual bottles. A fellow I used to work with knew this and said he had this bottle and wanted to know if I wanted it. Sure I said. I have had that bottle over 20 years myself. I loved the workmanship in the glass.

This picture really doesn't do it justice....as I said the workmanship in the glass is amazing....

Happy Hunting....