Canadian National Canthem - Happy Canada Day!

Wishing you all an Early Happy Canada Day!

Keep Safe and Don't Drink and Drive!

Watch these people - crazy and talented.  

Its been a Wee Bit Rainy here..

I have been whining and complaining about the cold rainy weather  we have been having in the Sunny Okanagan.

Whining and complaining is what I do best. 

I excel at it.

We can't go boating.

The beach?  Forget it, wet sand is nasty.

The hiking trails are treacherous.

My cherries will not be sweet and juicy because they need SUN! darn it.

The peonies and lilies are flattened and soggy.

Archie the Dog hates getting wet.  He has a rain coat that he can wear but it's wet feet that bother him most.  

It has been said that people and their pets are similar - I concur.

My gardens are full of weeds.  

And the lawn is covered in toadstools.

However,

Sicamous, a town about 45 miles north of us,  has had a lot of rain too.

Photos: Contributed - Donna-Marie Gregersen

 

I'll take the weeds and toadstool any day over this.

Anyone know how to build an Ark?

RUN! (toward the forest) RUN!

Cholera did not happen.

Neither did pneumonia, small pox or influenza.

So I sucked it up and joined the girls for The Run.

They are girls - I am not.

Here is what I discovered during my run:

1.  My skin (and parts) move a lot with each jarring footstep, quite an unpleasant sensation.  Gravity, you are not my friend.  

2.   My cardio condition sucks!  I was seeing black spots by the time I had run about 1/4 mile.

3.  The girls can run backward while shouting encouragement.

 4.  A sprained ankle or pulled muscle does not cut it with them - "work it out!" was the call of the day.

 5.  To the highway and back, which is 4 miles, felt like 27 - I hit the wall (as I mentioned earlier) at the 1/4 mile mark.

6.  Going slow enough so they could pick me up on the run back  didn't work - they insisted we all stick together and "isn't it beautiful out at this time of day?"
 I couldn't reply - no oxygen.

7.  Running in Son #2's old grade six sneakers was not a good choice of footwear but it was that or my flip flops.

8.  I had a good time - in spite of the cramps in my side and the burning in my lungs and legs.

Do it again next Friday? they ask.

Sure, love to.

If I'm able to move by then.  Or if Yellow Fever doesn't finish me off.......



http://egotvonline.com/

Some Friend.....

Her call started off innocently enough.

Her:  What are you doing on Friday?  Still have the day off?

Me:  Yes.

Her:  Want to get together in the morning?

Me:  Sure.

Her:  There will be three of us.  We're going for a run.

Me (silently, in my mind):  I don't think so!
Me (out loud):  Sure.  Love to.

Her:  Great!  See you in the park at six.

Me (silently, in my mind): Six? In the AM?   $hit!!!
Me (out loud):  Okay,  see you then.


Seriously, I hope I get  cholera before Friday.

Make Your Own Luck

It is the last week of school for the boys.

It is also exam week.

Son #2 is his same casual self, thinking 'it is what it is'.

Son #1 is a pleaser and is worried that he may not get over 95% on all of the exams.

He has three Provincial exams to write.

Chemistry, Calculus and Socials.

He is fine with the first two but is worried about Socials - even though I helped him a lot with the 50's and 60's!

He looked a bit pale as he got out of the car and walked toward the school.

I rolled down my window and honked the horn and yelled,

"Don't Worry! You're wearing your lucky underwear"

50 heads turned.

I think he hates me.

Father's Day Doll

My Mother In Law bought  us this book when Son #2 was just a few months old.  

She had been talking about it and I was unfamiliar with the story so I think she bought it for me as much as for our boys.

I love this book.

It's always the last few lines of the book that get to me

It brings tears to my eyes each time I read it.

About William's Doll

"William wanted a doll.  He wanted to hug it and cradle it in his arms..."

What happens when a boy wants a doll?

William's brother and friends and the boy next door call him a creep and a sissy. His father gets him a basketball ("He practiced a lot / and got good at it / but it had nothing to do / with the doll. / William still wanted one, and his father bought him an electric train set ("The tiny train/ threaded around and around the tracks/ with a clacking sound./ William made cardboard stations / and tunnels/ and bridges / and played with the train/ a lot. But he didn't stop wanting / a doll..." ).

Finally, his grandmother comes to visit --- and at last William is understood. She gets William the doll (he "loved it right away"). And she explains to William's father (who "was upset.")  'He's a boy!' he said , 'Why does he need a doll?'" This is why William needs it:

"so that when he's a father like you, he'll know how to take care of his baby and feed him and love him and bring him the things he wants, like a doll so that he can practice being a father. "   Have a Happy Fathers Day  weekend, all you wonderful dads and moms!

15 More Things to Teach my Boys and One New Thing I Learned Myself.

Raising boys is starting to become a job!  Who knew there was so much they need to know.

Here are 15 more that they will be quizzed on later.

1. The kitchen? Not just for girls. Learn to use a stove.

2. If a girl tries to change you she doesn’t really love you no matter how much you want her to.

3. Shower daily, keep your nails trim and use deodorant.

4. A dutch oven* is never funny.   EVER

5. It is never acceptable to break up with a girl over the phone. 

6. Understand how to use basic tools. 

7. When you ask a girl, “Is something wrong?” and she says, “No.” She’s lying.

8. The job of a stay-at-home mom is equally as hard as yours. 

9. Table manners. Use them.

10. You will never know a stronger pull than that of your friends trying to get you to participate in their wrong doing. Resisting makes you a man. Succumbing makes you a coward.

11. Never use your fists to solve any dispute. One wrong punch could take a life and it could be yours.

12. Condoms will save your life.

13. Never use the word gay in a derogatory manner. It’s ignorant. 

14. Sexting is a federal offense.

15. Not all real girls look like Victoria’s Secret models.

*  I didn't know what #4 was so I looked it up -   Dutch oven is a slang term for while lying in bed with another person, pulling the covers over the person's head while flatulating, thereby creating an unpleasant situation in an enclosed space.^[1] This is done as a prank or by accident to one's sleeping partner.  ^- and now I know so Thank you Wikipedia. - unpleasant situation indeed.

I've Come A Long Way, Baby!

Son #1 is taking Socials this semester and has moved into discussing the 1950 - early 70's era.

He came home yesterday and said - "You were alive during that time right.  Freaky.  Boy things sure were different.  You had nothing!"

"Not so,"  I said. "I was born in the 50's and while many of our neighbors didn't have indoor plumbing - we did.  We had television , but only two channels, one radio station and a car.  But we lived in the country and technology was slow to come to the country."

(age 4 - when chickens were our toys)

"I went to a one room elementary school - grades 1 to 8.  There were seven of us - we were all related. "

"No, No!"  he said," I mean you didn't have computers, IPods, or cell phones..."

"Cell phones! we were on a party line - pick up the receiver and make sure no one was on the line.   'Busy?' was the common query.  Turn the handle the appropriate number of rings to alert the person we were calling - we were Ring 4 by the way."

His face was  a blank sheet of paper so I decided to write on it.

No,  I wasn't raised in the digital age and, because I was isolated on a cattle farm, I was quite removed from current affairs and the way of the world.
 In fact, until I moved to The City I did not know there were gays and lesbians.
'She's a bit 'off' ' , they would whisper.  Really, that's what they said.

It was an era of Valium, unhappy housewives  and cigarette commercials.

I was in my late teens and early 20's during the burn your bra era, the Viet Nam war demonstrations and peace rallies, Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin and Timothy Leary ...and Woodstock. 

It was a big eye opener for a naive farm girl.

It was long hair, flashing the peace sign, water buffalo sandals and granola, brown rice and the Ting Tea Room.
 It was an era of hippies and VW buses.

It was  hitch-hiking, tie-dye shirts and finding yourself in Europe - on a dollar a day.

It was a time of freedom -  but not for everyone .

"Sheesh, mom, I didn't want the History Channel documentary - I just wondered how you managed without electronics!"


But we had TV! and Hockey Night in Canada!




I've come a long way.
Except for the IPod.  I still don't have one of those.

Listen Up, Dyson!

Archie the Dog is a shedder.

Happily, he and the vacuum are good friends.

He lays in the sun while I vacuum his loose hair.

He will not allow his belly to be vacuumed as the hose end often sucks up his extra skin and it scares him.

So this is a small request to you, the folks at Dyson.

"Is it possible to make a small and gentle beater bar for vacuum grooming a dog?"

I would buy one for sure.

Archie the Dog thanks you in advance.

And please, not one so powerful that it will remove the smiley face from his hip.

Little Things

Life is filled with commitments and obligations, stress and tension. 

I was going over my to do list in my head after I dropped Son #2 at school.

I was stopped at the intersection and I was going to be late for work.

Cars, trucks, kids on bikes, kids on scooters, my kid on his motorcycle (wave hello!)

Everyone in my way.

I spot an opening - just after this big 4 x 4 350 diesel work truck. 

 I am craning my neck trying to see past the bushes to make sure all is clear once this truck turns.  

$hit! another kid on a scooter. 

 I sit back, breathe slightly, kid passes, the big truck turns and driver gives me a nice smile and little wave.

That little gesture turned my day around.

I am still smiling, still feel good and tried to pass on that smile to other drivers I saw on the rest of my trip into work.

It truly is the little things that make a difference

If it Breaks, they Will Come

We  received a call from the owner of the business.  

He would be late.

He was taking the fridge from his cottage to a small, small  village an hour away to have it repaired.

huh?

I don't think there is an appliance repair shop  there.

It's a really small village.

Did he not know there are companies closer who will  repair appliances on site?

Was he not familiar with the saying 'Why take the mountain to Mohammed when Mohammed can come to the mountain'?

Sometimes all we can do is shake our heads in disbelief.

Or maybe he just wanted the morning off.

Ten Random Observations

Observation #1 - Driving a convertible without a hat  on this beautiful sunny day will result in a sunburned bald spot.

Observation #2 - Cars slow down to gawk at wild animals and do not pay attention to oncoming traffic - car licence number VLW *** you almost put an expensive convertible (trying to avoid your float over the center line while you watched the wildlife) into the ditch.

Observation #3 - My sister has had cancer, and treatment, since 1993.   She is on another round of chemo treatments but is  still preparing for the June 9th Challenge for Life Cancer walk and fundraiser.  That reminds me to stop whining about my gardening blisters.

Observation #4 -The very nice people who live directly behind us have a three year old girl who throws her toys over our fence.  Her parents phone us to have us go out and toss the toys back into their yard.    Nice people can be a pain in the a$$ sometimes.

Observation #5 - The air conditioning in our office is running to full capacity as it has been so hot.   Sandals are not always a good choice of footwear when the temperatures in the building are set to 18 deg C (that's 64.4 deg F for the metric system challenged)

Observation #6 - No matter how often you brush Archie the Dog he will still shed lots of hair in the house.

Observation #7 - Advertisers who say their glue will hold anything together, forever! are lying.

Observation #8 - There is always a dryer sheet stuck inside one article of clothing.

Observation #9 -  In the middle of the night the ice maker sounds like an intruder.

Observation #10 - I just spent several minutes, and lots of ranting about the Blogger formatting system, trying to delete a comma and then realized it was dirt on the computer screen.

20 Things to Tell my Boys

This came from Amanda at  Werdyab and I think it is absolutely wonderful.

http://www.werdyab.com/2012/04/20-things-mother-should-tell-her-son.html

20 Things a Mother Should Tell Her Son

1. You will set the tone for the sexual relationship, so don't take something away from her that you can't give back.

2. Play a sport. It will teach you how to win honorably, lose gracefully, respect authority, work with others, manage your time and stay out of trouble. And maybe even throw or catch. 

3. Use careful aim when you pee. Somebody's got to clean that up, you know.

4. Save money when you're young because you're going to need it some day. 

5. Allow me to introduce you to the dishwasher, oven, washing machine, iron, vacuum, mop and broom. Now please go use them. 

6. Pray and be a spiritual leader.

7. Don't ever be a bully and don't ever start a fight, but if some idiot clocks you, please defend yourself.

8. Your knowledge and education is something that nobody can take away from you.

9. Treat women kindly. Forever is a long time to live alone and it's even longer to live with somebody who hates your guts.

10. Take pride in your appearance. 

11. Be strong and tender at the same time. 

12. A woman can do everything that you can do. This includes her having a successful career and you changing diapers at 3 A.M. Mutual respect is the key to a good relationship.

13. "Yes ma'am" and "yes sir" still go a long way.

14. The reason that they're called "private parts" is because they're "private". Please do not scratch them in public.

15. Peer pressure is a scary thing. Be a good leader and others will follow. 

16. Bringing her flowers for no reason is always a good idea.

17. Be patriotic.

18. Potty humor isn't the only thing that's humorous. 

19. Please choose your spouse wisely. My daughter-in-law will be the gatekeeper for me spending time with you and my grandchildren.

20. Remember to call your mother because I might be missing you.

Thanks Amanda! 

http://www.werdyab.com/2012/04/20-things-mother-should-tell-her-son.html

Rain: liquid water in the form of droplets that causes the Cancellation of Planned Events

http://danielyunhx.wordpress.com

It rained this weekend.

That's because I washed the windows.

And because it was a long weekend.

We had planned a couple of days at the family cabin.

We would be staying in our trailer as the cabin

gets very crowded on long weekends....

.....and our trailer has a potty.

We don't like the outhouse very much.

On Friday, in anticipation of the weekend,  I planted the rest of the vegetable garden and then the boys (who had the day off from school) and myself washed the windows.  

We have a lot of windows (twenty one) for such a small house.

The Husband was at work.

There was a lot of grumbling and whining.  

(and it wasn't all me)

I promised pizza for dinner - thank goodness I can still bribe them with food.

I can't eat pizza (cooked cheese! you are not my friend).

So I had this. 

Vietnamese Chicken and Mint Salad

(it is very good - I think this recipe originally came from Nigella Lawson)

1 chili, a hot Thai chili, seeded and minced

1 fat Garlic Clove, peeled and minced

1 tbsp Sugar

1 1/2 tsp Rice Vinegar

1 1/2 tbsp Lime Juice

1 1/2 tbsp Fish Sauce

1 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 medium Onion, finely sliced 

Black Pepper - to taste

2 generous handfuls of shredded Cabbage

1 Carrot, shredded, julienned or grated
(feel free to add other veg - I often add cucumber or red pepper)

1 handful cooked Chicken Breast - cut into strips

1 small handful Mint - I used half a small handful of Lemon Basil this weekend and it is delicious!

In a bowl, combine the chili, garlic, sugar, vinegar, lime juice, fish sauce, oil, onion and black pepper.

Set aside for half an hour or so to let the flavors develop

In a big plate or bowl, mix the cabbage, carrot, chicken and mint. Pour the onion-soused, chili-flecked dressing over the veg and toss so that everything is combined and thinly covered. 

Taste to see if salt or pepper is needed.

Top with a bit more mint (or lemon basil) and chopped chili

This recipe makes enough for two very generous sized salads

It rained all weekend - and then it rained some more.
And it was cold.

The three days were a blur of shopping,  avoiding the rain, dressing warmly, avoiding the rain, staying home, shopping, visiting, no boating, no cabin, more shopping, too many bargains and a debit card that unfortunately was pulled out of the purse too many times and appears to have scorch marks on the edges.
And rain.


Maybe we can go boating next weekend.
Or camping and canoeing!  she thought hopefully........


rain, rain, go away......

Happy early Birthday Queen V

This weekend is a long weekend in Canada.

We celebrate Queen Victoria's Birthday

To most Canadians this weekend is known as The May Long Weekend 

To others its known as Victoria Day.

When my niece moved to Houston Texas they all wanted to know what a Maylon weekend was.

Ha! (and she thinks the Texans don't enunciate!)

She  (Queen Victoria, not my niece)  would have been 193 years old on the 24th of May - had she lived.

People say she didn't smile as she ate too much sugar and her teeth paid the price. 

I don't know that to be true.

I do know that I have never seen a picture of her where she is smiling.

Here are some of the things she said throughout her life.

yikes.

Her thoughts on marriage

• When I think of a merry, happy, free young girl -- and look at the ailing, aching state a young wife generally is doomed to -- which you can't deny is the penalty of marriage.

• I feel sure that no girl would go to the altar if she knew all.

Her thoughts on children (maybe I should have posted these on Mothers Day!) 

• An ugly baby is a very nasty object, and the prettiest is frightful when undressed.

• I don't dislike babies, though I think very young ones rather disgusting.

Anyway it is she we are celebrating this weekend.

This weekend at our house  there will be no birthday cake, or fireworks or probably even one thought of her but hey, it's an extra day off.

So to all you Canadians out there Have a Great Victoria Day!

and to the rest of you .....

... feel free to gloat when you get a holiday day and we don't.

She Who Hesitates....

....loses her baby fish

I bought this.

It's the fine net umbrella type thing you put over your food to keep the wasps away when dining al fresco.

My plan was to set it in the pond upside down and place the pottery with the developing fish in it and when they hatched they could swim freely, chow down on the microorganisms floating by, and stay protected from the evils lurking in the pond.

I enlisted the help of Son #1 because two brains are always better than one.

I should have read up on hatching fish.

I would have read that they hatch in four to five days.

I think I showed up with the protective netting  on day six or seven.

When I turned over the broken pottery all I saw was empty egg sacs.

It sucks being a procrastinator!

Somewhere in the pond are some really new, very tiny, baby fish trying to avoid the dangers of the deep   -    the big fish looking for lunch, the pump trying to suck them through the filter, the too cold water in the deep part of the pond and the frogs, toads and salamanders.

Its a cruel, cruel world little fishes - good luck.

Keeper of the Fish

Several years ago Son #2 and I dug a deep hole where the greenhouse used to be and turned it into a pond.

It has a small waterfall, rocks and moss and - even though I didn't want it to be - it's round.

It also had mosquito larvae.

To combat the mosquito problem we stocked it with gold fish.

(I guess I will have to live with the round)

The blue herons love the goldfish.

I hate the herons

With their big flappy wings and long sharp beaks they just swoop in and eat my fish!

I know -   nature, food chain, blah blah - that rationalization doesn't make me feel better when I see there are fewer orange flashes in my pond.

Another issue with the pond fish was our really cold winters, the water would freeze and the fish would die if I didn't take them into the house and care for them in an aquarium.  

So I took them inside. Or should I say 'we' did.
The aquarium was not cheap......
....and I dropped it on the garage floor so it is done.

Two years ago The Husband bought a floating heater.
He said it was for me but as he was the one who had to dip net the fish out  (they can be really fast and wiley having learned to dodge the heron) and it was a big job.

The heater worked like magic and the fish survived the winters.

We also provided them with hiding spots so that they could dart away from the herons and that (touch wood) has been working too!

http://somethingfishy84.hubpages.com

This spring when cleaning the debris out of the water we came across what I thought were tadpoles -  tiny jelly like balls with a black dots..

A few minutes later I remembered that frog/toad egg sacs float freely in a clump and these had attached themselves to a piece of broken pottery.

Yesterday I checked the eggs again and I can see the definite shape of a fish!
I hope its a fish and not something nasty.

Now how do I keep the pond fish from eating whatever these things are when they finally break out to freely swim around the pond?

Perhaps "we" could make a box to set in to the water. 
A box that has very fine mesh so that these babies can't get out and the big guys can't get in.

Maybe I could put them in a fish tank, but we've wandered down that expensive road before.

I just know that The Husband will mutter something about survival of the fittest.
And the fact that feeder fish are only 59 cents each  retail may come in to the conversation.

The Husband is not going to be happy with the extra work or money involved.

I just know there will be grumbling.

Happy Mothers Day to Me!

 

I lay there so long waiting for breakfast in bed I thought I was going to get bed sores.

I can't eat eggs yet, when I came downstairs,  there were three breakfast egg sandwiches.

I made my own coffee.

And waffles.

No one wanted to come to the gardening shops with me and after some serious guilt rants they acquiesced.

 

One stood with his arms folded, the other two with their hands pushed deep into their pockets.  

There were no smiles until I told them to go and get an ice cream.

Thank goodness Swan Lake Nurseryland sells ice cream.

I made them fill the back of the truck with another order of mulch.

I made them shovel it onto the garden beds.

I made them lunch.

I planted the vegetable garden.

I ran out of carrot seeds and went to Coldstream Willows Nursery which is just around the corner.

The Husband came with me to guard the bank card.

My children stayed home - they'd had enough fun..

They took me out for dinner.








 I ate too much.

When we pass in the hallway "I love you mommy"

Good enough!

As long as they love me everyday, I don't need a special day.

Memories of Gramma

Recently a friend posted about letting go of an item he had been hanging on to since his sisters passing and I started thinking about things and memories and love and heritage.

I understand the need to hold on to and feel the items left behind by someone we loved.  Being near them makes their existence more tangible (and their absence more bearable) and maybe we feel as if part of their spirit lives within the item.  

And who am I to say? perhaps it does.

My sister is a hanger on of things.  She'll pull out a book and say,  'this was one of moms books, I remember her reading it'.  

Or her husbands Nana's big enamel bowl - the one she soaked her feet in.

Items of that nature -useless things really other than being 'memory triggers'.

I didn't end up with things from family members who have passed on.  

Except for this.

My Gramma's coffee cup.

This cup never gets used.  It is too small and has the worst handle ever.
I don't think anyone else wanted it.

There was only one of these cups, too plain and ugly to have been a gift I think.
This is why I surmise that she pocketed it when she was in the Bridge Cafe on one of her monthly outings with the other women from the farming area where we lived.  

She would go out with freshly combed hair that had never been curled, wearing a very sensible and  plain hat pulled down on her head and her not so stylish dark cataract glasses. 

 Her skirts were hand sewn. 

Technology scared her so consequently no electricity, telephones or plumbing.

Her life as a farmers wife was, like so many prairie women, filled with hard work.

She had nine children and two husbands - she had these husbands at different times -  not at the same time (just needed to clarify that). 

She always found some time to spend with the large hoard of grandchildren who, every year for Christmas, got the same thing (but in different sizes) from the Army Navy Surplus catalogue.

 In the summers after swimming in the river we would run to gramma's house where fresh baked, and still too warm, brown bread was waiting on the table with a big jar of honey for us to wolf down.  Rice pudding, creamy, sweet and made everyday would be sitting on the back of the wood stove just in case the loaf of bread hadn't filled us up.

Winters had us sitting by the wood stove, warming our feet after tobogganing down the river bank, eating apple pie.

In  the spring, when the ice on the river had melted,  we would fish from the river banks. She would come out with her big cast iron frying pan, a jam can full of lard and some sliced potatoes.  She taught us how to clean and gut the fish  while the potatoes were frying in the pan over the fire she had shown us how to make. When the potatoes were crispy and tender the fish was then fried to a flaky, white slab of deliciousness, topped with a hearty shake of salt, and eaten like we had been denied food for days.
All of us thinking that this was the best food we had ever eaten and giving not one thought to the slime and fish scales on our icy cold hands.

Memories of her are triggered each time I see or smell a food she made for us, or taught us how to make.

Christmas Eve - vinetarta (we are a family of Icelandic immigrants)
Birthdays - fried steak and new potatoes from the garden with sweet corn on the cob.
First snow storm of the season - bacon and eggs cooked on her wood stove.
Hot Summer days -  potato salad and cold sliced ham with the just-canned vinegary smell of dill pickles and sweet relish glistening in shiny jars ready for winter meals.

There were always kids playing hide and seek in the corn rows, aunts and older cousins in the kitchen gossiping and making food,  uncles and older boys off in the corner planning next years crops and talking about the newest farm equipment.

And dogs and cats everywhere.

The smell in the air? One of delicious food and nearby cattle.

Last Sunday morning in my quiet house Son #2 asked if we could make bannock.

 Ahh Gramma, there you are again.

Happy Mothers Day everyone!