Angel Laura

What are you eating today?

2012-01-01T07:28:00.000-08:00

I have a big batch of cinnamon buns rising. Half are regular cinnamon buns with cream cheese frosting. The other half are caramel apple. So good!

For dinner we are having my son's girlfriend up. She has had a lot of appointments while home on school break so this is actually the first time we have seen her this visit. Justine has just been diagnosed with celiac disease so I am experimenting with rice noodles in the lasagne for the first time. And we are having salad, 2 kinds of gluten free bread and crustless cheesecake.

Tomorrow we are meeting her parents for the first time. The original plan was that they would come here but her dad is on call and can't travel that far so we are now meeting in our hometown, which is the halfway point. For dinner. Between her dietary needs and our anaphalactic for peanuts nephew who is with us there are no "safe" restaurants. I guess we will have to take him back home or to his grandmother's while we eat.

When I was growing up all the holidays were celebrated by feasts with visiting relatives. Now the thought terrifies me. In our immediate family we have lactose intolerance, people with arthritis flare-ups from potatoes, peppers and tomatoes, one flexitarian (a vegan who will eat seafood), 2 peanut allergies and the new celiac. What to serve? No pasta because the sauce is either creamy (with dairy) or red (with tomatoes). And we may have to substitute rice pasta - but that is not a big problem. If we have a roast, ham or turkey I also have to do rice because of the potato issue. Thai food and curries aren't liked by everyone. The vegan would be happy with shrimp or fish but a lot of others don't like fish. We can all eat a green salad (as long as the tomatoes are on the side).

So what are you eating today? Do you have to deal with any of these food issues?

And Happy New Year to all!

In which the Pot calls the Kettle Black

2011-12-23T05:30:00.000-08:00

When I spoke at my Dad's funeral (or tribute as my mother prefers) I mentioned his love of maps and atlases. When Caitlin and I took our epic road trip in October some of the maps we used came from his car. Why he had a map of the north central states (including useful city maps) was perplexing but much appreciated. Last week my sister said she had found a filing cabinet drawer full of maps so I volunteered to sort them. It wasn't really full by my standards but since my sister's only "map" is a GPS I can see how dozens of maps and a few triptiks would be overwhelming.

I laughed while I sorted and arranged them so nicely for picture taking. Who needs a 1987 map of Nova Scotia or Saskatchewan? And how can you see them both in the same year? Maps dating to 1994 and 1995 included Virginia, Manitoba, Vermont and Alberta. In 1997 and 1998 they must have come to visit us in New Brunswick because the maps were all the Atlantic provinces. But there was also a 2004 New Brunswick map and we lived in Ontario then.

Then I decided I would go through our own map box and um let us just say it needed cleaning too. Anyone could tell we lived out west in the early 90s since the maps are all from that area. I couldn't find a date on the map in the top left corner but the governor's clothes indicate it is more than a few years old. And who needs 3 maps of Fredericton?

I won the prize for the map in the worst condition. Pretty much every corner and fold was destroyed. Pretty useless unless you wanted to go to Tobermory. This map was even relatively new (as in less than a decade old).

All in all I had an enjoyable time sorting the maps. It was a trip down memory lane - remembering our postings and their visits to us. Many of the maps were from trips my parents took with my other siblings to resorts. Though I wasn't with them I sorted the pictures for the long memorial slide show and can see all the good times they enjoyed.

And again I found treasures. Go back and look at either of the first 2 pictures. See that Shell Quebec map? It is from 1967! And the black and white map all the maps are laying on? It is a 1964 Toronto map! Toronto stopped at the airport - no Brampton. Those two I am keeping.

Treasures - part 2

2011-12-21T14:41:00.000-08:00

This is the oldest picture we found. My grandmother (my mom's mom) was born in 1906 so this picture is close to a century old!

I don't know the date this picture was taken but it shows both of my mom's parents. My grandfather died when I was only 2 so I don't really remember him but I adored my Granny.

This is my mom and her brother Ed visiting you know who. This was likely taken in the early 1940s.

And my mom and her baby sister Faith - likely mid to late 40s. I laughed when I saw this one. My mom does not like horses now!

My mom and her sister Norma. An old family friend commented at my Dad's funeral that my mom and Norma were always fashionable in their Rose Marie Reid and Jantzen bathing suits. She hadn't seen this picture. What do you think?

Treasures

2011-12-17T13:47:00.000-08:00

When I was going through my Dad's belongings I found many treasures. There were cemetery and property deeds and bills of sale for many properties dating back half a century or more, love letters from my grandfather to my Nana and old resumes with lots of information. And some old pictures I now cherish. These are from my Dad's side of the family.

This is my Nana in approximately 1920.

There are only 2 pictures of my Dad's dad. This is one of them. The little boy slumped in the chair is my grandparent's firstborn John, known as Jackie. He was a forceps delivery and that resulted in severe cerebral palsy. We also found a letter from their doctor to a specialist requesting treatment. Jackie died when he was 4 or 5 and this is the only picture of him.

This is my dad painting a chair when he was about 10 so roughly 1942.

This is my dad and his brother Frank with their mother at their father's grave in 1948.

And this is one of many pictures of my father as a scout. He loved scouting and being outdoors.

Stay tuned for pictures from my mom's side!

My Dad

2011-12-13T15:36:00.000-08:00

May 26, 1932 - December 1, 2011

Home Sweet Home

2011-10-27T15:36:00.001-07:00

No pictures today. You have all seen it anyway.

Just a post of random reflections on our trip also known as useless trivia and facts. Things to keep my mind occupied while travelling.

We live in a really, really big country.

I am glad this trip was not in my truck.

It is almost time for another oil change and it was only done 3 days ago.

I could never be a long haul trucker. But I already knew that.

On the west coast the cars were small and energy efficient with many hybrids and electric cars. As we travelled east the number of larger vehicles and trucks grew.

Vancouver must have the most coffee shops in the world. Every block seemed to have a Starbucks, a Tim Hortons, another chain I don't remember and then there was the odd private store.

In the States we saw lots and lots of trains. Only one after returning to Canada. However, at any given point of our drive today we could see 3 or 4 semis. It would appear that Americans transport much more by train than we do.

Everyone in the US wears camouflage (at least at this time of year). Men, women, children, old and young everything from coats to pyjamas in camo. The odd person we saw not wearing camo was wearing red (presumably so they don't get shot by those who are).

Caitlin managed to drive every time it rained, except once. I got to drive through all the construction zones (and half of the continent is undergoing roadwork).

Caitlin prefers driving 70 mph, not 70 kph. I am content in the middle.

We travelled 4 days and thousands of kilometres through the States. We saw a total of 7 police cars - 3 at accident scenes in Seattle, 3 cruising around Ritzville, Washington and one that startled me just outside Duluth (he came out of nowhere and stopped the guy who had just passed me going 20 mph over the speed limit). We spent 7 hours driving in Canada. We saw dozens of police cars.

When we were in the States we saw an average of 3 dead deer a day and a multitude of dead skunks and raccoons. Today we saw a grand total of 1 dead coon. Are Canadians better drivers? Do we venture out less at night when the animals are out? Maybe our road crews are faster at removing the dead animals? None of the dead deer were anywhere near the deer crossing zones. Maybe Canadian deer are smarter and cross where they are supposed to? Maybe we don't have as many deer to start? Has anyone else noticed this? Help me or I won't be able to sleep for trying to solve this dilemma.

The price of the hotel does not reflect the amenities and enjoyability of your stay. Our favourite hotels were not the most expensive. Location sets the rate.

In the average year, I might travel away from my home 3 or 4 times. Mostly Christmas shopping or trips to visit relatives. Lately I have only had a vacation every 3 years and we have stayed in Ontario. This year has definitely been a record. Last September we drove Tori back to University and went through Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and a day trip to Nova Scotia. We spent Christmas at my sister's in New York. We vacationed in Bar Harbor, Maine in July and travelled through Vermont and New Hampshire. I flew over Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta last week and landed in Vancouver. (So I covered all but 4 of the provinces in 13 months) Then we drove through Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan (thereby visiting 11 of the 13 states that border us to the south) Anybody for a road trip to Pennsylvania and Ohio?

Duluth, Minnesota to Sault Ste Marie, Ontario

2011-10-26T17:37:00.001-07:00

We don't own a GPS. Occasionally we debate the need for one. I borrowed my Dad's for this trip. We had a trip tik and maps but I thought the GPS might help if we were wandering in circles in a strange city after detouring for gas or a meal. It did help us find somewhere to get an oil change, but usually it would give us directions we knew were contrary to our destination. This morning we got directions to get back on the highway from the hotel staff. When that got us lost we turned on the GPS which was no help either. It wanted us to go north to Thunder Bay and all the way around Lake Superior so we turned it off and finally got on the right road 45 minutes later. We occasionally turned the device back on just to check on it and sure enough 6 hours later it clued in and gave us correct directions. Mostly I find the advice received from the GPS to be "Whenever possible, make a legal U-turn" or "turn left, turn left, turn left" which both send me back from whence I have come. What about you? Do you have a GPS? Do you love it?

Anyway, not many pictures today. Because the drive pretty much looked like this

Occasionally a train would break the monotony.Or a view of a lake
Or a deserted building.

We made it the Soo at dinner time, ate and had a swim and we will be home tomorrow. It will be a long drive since our audiotape is finished. If Caitlin is driving I let her listen to country. And she does most of the driving. Like I said, it will be a long day.

Travel joke of the day

A minister was preaching and asked, "Who wants to go to heaven?"

Everyone shot their hands into the air except for one small boy.

"Don't you want to go to heaven when you die?" he asked the youngster.

"Oh yes sir ... when I die. But I thought yu were getting a group up to go now."

Dickinson, ND to Duluth, Minnesota

2011-10-25T18:44:00.000-07:00

We were on the road for 12 hours and travelled close to 900 km again. The days are starting to blur now. The scenery isn't as stunning and we are almost done our audiotape so the last day will be very long.

We went to the National Buffalo Museum in Jamestown, ND. (Jamestown is also the birthplace of of Louis L'Amour and Peggy Lee). There are 3 rare albino bison there but I didn't get a good shot.

This pic is for my dad. More than 25 years ago my parents came to visit us in Edmonton. I took them to Elk Island where the buffalo roam free. Despite repeated warnings my dad insisted on getting out to get a better picture of a buffalo. Then I watched as he ran for my little Datsun 210 and folded himself back into the seat as the buffalo did not want a close up. Do you remember that Dad?
This was done with a chainsaw!
This picture was done on a bison hide.
The "feathers" are quite iridescent.
All being well, we enter the land of multi-coloured money and Tim Horton's tomorrow. Yippee!

Travel joke of the day

(because we have seen a LOT of cows in the last few days)

What happened when the cow jumped over the barbed wire fence?

It was an udder disaster.

Butte, Montana to Dickinson, ND

2011-10-24T18:31:00.000-07:00

Caitlin and I don't check each others blogs until after we have both posted. I am hoping you get a different perspective from both of us and between the 2 of us we cover everything.

We were on the freeway at 7 this morning and crossed the continental divide 10 minutes later. We enjoyed this sunrise an hour later outside Bozeman. The sky radiated colour but the camera didn't catch it.

The scenery wasn't quite as breathtaking as the last 2 days but I really wanted to get out and run around and explore those hills. There are deer on the top of one of those 2 buttes below - I just can't remember which one!

To keep busy on our drive we both read (but not at the same time!), take pictures and I knit as well. We also listen to lots and lots of CD's. There's not a lot of radio available so it is good that Caitlin has all her CDs accessible. Today we listened to Country and Veggie Tales, Christian worship, Shrek soundtrack, AC DC and oldies like Janis Joplin and Roger Miller, Great Big Sea and Country (yes I know Country is there twice). We are also listening to the Bloody Jack series by L.A. Meyer. My sister Lynda introduced us to it this summer. It is hilarious and sure helps keep us alert.

We travelled 885 km today - our longest break was waiting for an oil change in Billings. We have at least 2 more days to go. We are currently experiencing some confusion as to which time zone we are in. Some of our electronics (and the room clock) are in one time zone, the rest in another. The clocks in the lobby show both times. It's not really important but we don't want to show up for breakfast an hour before the restaurant opens!

Travel joke of the day:

Shawn had just received his driver's license. The family all climbed into the car so he could take them for a ride. His dad immediately jumped into the backseat, directly behind the newly minted driver.

"I'll bet you're back there for a change of scenery after all this time of having to sit up here with me, teaching me how to drive," said the teenager.

"No," replied his father. "I'm going to sit here and kick the back of your seat as you drive, just like you've been doing to me all these years."

Ritzville, Washington to Butte, Montana

2011-10-23T20:01:00.000-07:00

We covered 645 km today. A few things slowed us down. It was very foggy for the first hour. Then we decided to go see the world's longest freshwater boardwalk in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Coeur d'Alene is rated as one of the 5 prettiest lakes in North America and CAA called the boardwalk a gem and mentioned osprey and bald eagles. We expected a nature walk. This is what we found - see that blue building on a boardwalk surrounding the marina. Very disappointing. The most interesting part was that the water inside the boardwalk is much calmer than the outside because of the skirting underneath.
We stopped at a big silver store/casino/restaurant because Caitlin broke an earring and lost an earring last night but we didn't find any hoops. The scenery and fall colours continued to be breathtaking. And we saw 6 deer - 3 of them were even alive!

We wish we had gone here instead of the boardwalk. We always seem to be too early or too late for the attractions we want. Tomorrow - who knows.

And yes, we finished the whole pie.

Travel joke of the day:

A man was driving down a dirt road and got bogged down in an unexpectedly muddy hole. After a few minutes a farmer arrived with his tractor and offered to pull him out for only $25. After the car was back on dry ground, the man said to the farmer "At that price, you're probably pulling vehicles out of the mud day and night".

"Naw, I can't at night", answered the farmer.

"That's when I haul water to the hole"

Vancouver, BC to Ritzville, Washington

2011-10-22T19:44:00.000-07:00

We left Vancouver at 9:30 and headed towards Seattle. Crazy place to drive. We saw 3 accidents and were glad to clear that city. Within an hour of crossing into the United States, we heard the national anthem on the radio. Americans sure are patriotic! The drive was beautiful. Driving through the beautiful green mountains in the intermittent rain.

Then abruptly we entered the badlands. Still beautiful.

We saw a herd of wild horses
We have a beautiful room in Ritzville (pop 1700). In the first 2 minutes in town, we saw 3 different police/sheriff vehicles from 3 different forces. We feel very well protected.

We had a great meal at Perkins. I had salmon, rice and brocolli - very healthy choice. Then we had peanut butter pie. Melt in your mouth peanut butter concoction smothered with whipped cream on a chocolate ganache. Mmmm! See the picture below?
That is what's left. It was $3.99 a piece and we each wanted a piece - or $13.99 for the whole pie. It was a sound financial decision to buy the whole pie, right? We walked (a whole block)to the restaurant and back and took the stairs instead of the elevator so I am sure we burned off most of the calories, right? The room has a fridge so we can eat the rest for lunch tomorrow. It is packed with protein (peanut butter) and dairy (whipped cream) so it is a healthy choice, right? Glad you agree.

Travel joke of the day:

A woman was frantic when she saw smoke coming from her garage. She called 911 to report the fire.

How do we get there asked the emergency dispatcher?

"Well" said the woman, "Don't they use those big red trucks any more?"

And on a totally unrelated topic, last I heard my dad was doing much better. He showed marked improvement when I saw him Monday and apparently is working on mastering German now.

We're heading home

2011-10-22T09:07:00.000-07:00

When Caitlin and Tori travelled out to Jasper the first time their theme song was Alberta Bound by Paul Brandt. I figured we needed a theme song for this trip. Unfortunately it must be the only song that doesn't have a video so here are the lyrics.

I'm Going Home

by Chris de Burgh

I left my home by the ocean,
I left my love by the sea,
Dreaming I could sing my songs in the city...

I thought the streets of London
Would be paved with gold,
But the only gold was in the setting sun,
And these city nights are so cold.

And you know that feeling when you've been too long,
And you wanna go home and it's so strong,

I'm going home, I'm going home,
Oh the leaves are falling and the wind is calling
And I must get on the road,
You'll be alone, you'll be alone,
But if you're crying to the
rhythm of the falling rain,
It's alright, I'm on my way, I'm going home,
I'm going home, yea...

Jilly she's got a smile in her eye,
And a bed just right for two,Silly how much I love her, but I do,

Sunny days will be here again,
She whispered in my ear,
Oh Lord it's funny how much I've
missed the country rain,
That's a sound I love to hear...

And I know that feeling and I've been too long,
And I wanna go home and it's so strong,

I'm going home, I'm going home,
Oh the leaves are falling and the wind is calling
And I must get on the road,
You'll be alone, you'll be alone,
But if you're crying to the
rhythm of the falling rain,
It's alright, I'm on the way, I'm going home,
I'm going home, yea...
Oh hold on darling, I'm going home,
I'm on the way, I'm going home,
I'm going home, Hold on darling...

Something about the home on the coast and the falling leaves and the rain just made it seem appropriate. Hope you remember this song or can find an old cassette tape and sing along with us.

All you George Canyon fans will have to wait until tonight for Caitlin to update about the concert.

Travel joke of the day

A police officer pulled a woman over and gave her a speeding ticket.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" she asked angrily.

"Be sure to keep it in a safe place" he answered. "When you collect 4 of them, you get to ride a bike"

(Hmm ... maybe that is why there are so many bikers in Vancouver)

Vancouver Day 2

2011-10-21T17:17:00.000-07:00

We did not hike Grouse Mountain.

We did not go to the Capilano suspension bridge as planned.

We did not go to Whytecliffe Park.

Why? We started our day getting not one but 3 of Caitlin's tires patched after last nights flat tire. I can see occasionally driving over a nail - I do it all the time at the dump - but 3 in less than 2 weeks since she had her car checked out?

Then we went to CAA and got emergency medical insurance. Just in case.

Then we did go to Lynn Valley suspension bridge and ecology centre. Beautiful.

By the time we finished there it was raining harder and harder so we gave up outdoor activities, went out for lunch then back to the hotel.

Make sure you check out Caitlin's blog tomorrow for concert updates! All being well we leave here tomorrow morning and head south.

Vancouver Day 1

2011-10-21T07:12:00.000-07:00

We went to the store Caitlin worked at Wednesday night.We were both up at 6:30 Thursday morning and decided to have breakfast then race up Mt. Seymour (elevation 4,150 ft) to catch the sunrise. My dad speaks fondly of a drive up there many years ago. The fog (cloud)? was so heavy driving up we ended up turning around and heading back down.

We went to Deep Cove instead. You can see the low cloud cover behind us.
We went to Lonsdale Quay, took the seabus across to Gastown. Made a stop at Rogers chocolates (my dad used to bring Roger's chocolates home from business trips and now I get to bring him some). Took the seabus back.

We had lunch on the trunk of Caitlin's car then biked around Stanley Park for a few hours.

And enjoyed the fall colours
Make sure you check out Caitlin's blog too for a different perspective.

2011-10-21T07:01:00.000-07:00

I told Caitlin she looks pale in this picture. She said that is because the sun is rarely out in Vancouver. I think the plant behind her is a gunnera. This is exciting for me to see all the plants I read about in gardening magazines.We spotted these two raccoons on the side and took a few pics.
Then we spotted these ones across the road.
There were 7 coons! When I tried to walk to a view down that path you can see in front of Caitlin, one of them stalked me and kept getting closer and closer. I used my bike as a shield and we left. As we rode off someone started feeding them peanuts. I guess all they wanted was food.
A beautiful blue hydrangea

Aquarium Pics

2011-10-21T06:49:00.000-07:00

We spent more than 3 hours at the aquarium. Caitlin has been there before so was a little bored because as an aquarium keeper I wanted to absorb everything. We also went to a 4D movie here. In addition to wearing 3D glasses, their are special features built into the chairs and the do things like mist you with water and blow bubbles when appropriate. Very cool.I wish I could remember the names of these cuties. They spend their lives like this.
This is an Irish Lord fish. They all looked grumpy.
Stawberry anemone
A caiman

2011-10-21T06:44:00.000-07:00

This is Daisy. She is a Harbour Porpoise and is very interactive.
This is a brugmansia. I tried to grow one for years. It looked nothing like this.

2011-10-21T06:41:00.000-07:00

And we finally made it up Mt Seymour! It was almost dark so this is the best shot we could get.And we had an almost flat tire at the bottom. Please pray we have no other problems this trip.

Vancouver - Initial Impressions

2011-10-20T20:30:00.000-07:00

Vancouver is green. Very green. And manicured.
Everything is big. Big trees. Big bridges.
Big hills. Big leaves.
Vancouver drivers are crazy. Aggressive. Ignorant. I am content to let Caitlin drive. I am amazed how well she has adjusted to big city life. She used to say she wanted to be a hermit. She used to have a very poor sense of direction - had no idea how to get to an adjoining town and now she zips around congested highways at high speed.

Spinning

2011-10-18T03:26:00.000-07:00

This year was going to be my quiet year. Because I hurt my hands shoveling snow I only worked 3 or sometimes 4 days a week instead of full time. We went on a family vacation to Bar Harbor and Kevin and I had a few days away in Muskoka at a lovely B & B. Tori went back to University as scheduled. All according to plan.

Then chaos.

My dad was taken to the hospital on September 19 when my sister noticed his speech was garbled. He was diagnosed with a stroke that day but the doctors felt something wasn't right. The next day more tests and the diagnosis was changed to a brain tumour. He spent 3 days on a stretcher in emerg before being moved upstairs. The care he received in emerg was good but you must remember that they don't carry pillows and blankets for long term stays and that stretchers are not meant for tall men. The second night I stayed with him to help out and let my mom get some rest. Once he was moved to the ward there were many more tests and finally the recommendation for the gamma knife as his weak mitral valve and lung cancer rendered him unsuitable for invasive surgery. He underwent this procedure at Princess Margaret at 6 am on October 4. Kudos to Leanne for getting my parents there at that hour. This shot was taken just before 7 am. The next day was their 55th wedding anniversary.

Since then he has had good days and bad days. Mostly he just wants to sleep. His speech is still hard to understand most of the time. He understands us but we don't always understand him. It is so frustrating for everyone. His spirits are good considering the circumstances.

So you can imagine what my days are like now. Work 3 days, travel to my parents for 2, back home to get caught up and pay attention to the dogs, back to my parents, back to home and work .... I feel like I am on merry-go-round spinning out of control a lot of days.

Last week Connor was in Florida with his cousins and Kevin was in New Brunswick on business so things really spun faster without their weight to anchor the ride. And tomorrow I leave for BC so I can drive back with Caitlin who feels the need to be here with all that is going on. So in less than 10 days our family has covered most of the continent. Coast to coast to coast and now we are filling in the middle.

I am getting off the merry-go-round and onto a roller coaster through the mountains of the northern US.

Overdue Vacation Update

2011-08-05T19:14:00.000-07:00

My mother-in-law reminded me that it has been a while since I blogged so here is the condensed version of our holidays.

We went to Bar Harbor/Acadia National Park, Maine with my sister and her family.

We biked on the beautiful carriage trails built by Rockefeller starting in 1913. There are a lot of bridges that Connor liked to climb. He kind of reminds me of Kilroy.

Even though we had been here before we got lost a lot. Not surprising with maps that didn't show the underpasses and overpasses and great signs like this.
Connor went deep sea fishing with my brother-in-law and nephew. They came back with lobster, pollock and cod so we had a feast.
While they fished the rest of us went to Dive in Theatre with diver Ed on the Starfish Enterprise. It was educational and fun - a laugh a minute. We highly recommend it for anyone in the area.

We all enjoyed exploring the tide pools.
All of us as we are preparing to depart.

Family Reunion

2011-07-03T11:21:00.001-07:00

It was so nice to see everyone from my side of the family at the reunion 2 weeks ago. The last family portrait we had was 6 or 7 years ago and there has been someone missing at every other get together since then. We held the reunion at Springwater Park again. It is partway between our abodes and close to the 400 for people who have to travel. There is lots to do - a wildlife rehab centre, playground, trees for climbing, hiking/biking paths and space for your own games.

My friend Linda always makes an amazing cake for our get togethers. This one was for the family reunion, Kevin and I turning 50, my brother and niece's birthday (Tinkerbell was for Ashley), Father's Day and welcome home to Caitlin and Alec. Each side said something different. The paddler had a little camera, map and set of keys.
Kevin's side of the family was invited but had other commitments. Kevin's mom and aunt were the only ones who made it. Here Kevin is taking his mom for a spin on the tandem.

Catching up

2011-06-26T15:05:00.000-07:00

It has been very busy around here. Since May 13th we have had overnight guests 6 times. One I didn't even know (friend of Kevin). Two have stayed only one night but the rest were 3 - 10 nights. As you know that means a lot of changes in routine, extra laundry and transportation arrangements. There have been 4 trips to the airport and one to a bus station. We have been to a wedding and a family reunion. Alec was the last one to head home this afternoon. While I miss having my kids around, I am looking forward to things settling back to normal - whatever that may be. At this time of year work is still crazy so I won't be resting.

I finally have a few minutes to share some pictures with you.

I like this picture of Caitlin and I taken at the wedding shower.

Me and my girls
All my kids

Guess How Many

2011-06-26T14:48:00.000-07:00

I had my hair done up special for the wedding.

I slept on it Saturday night and kept it in all day Sunday. It lasted amazingly well - only one curl came out.

So my question to you - guess how many bobby pins it took to hold my hair up?

Wedding

2011-06-18T17:09:00.001-07:00

Alec's best friend got married today. We were very excited that all the kids could be around for his big day. We took lots of pictures. This is one of the best of our family.

The wedding was at the groom's parent's property. We walked down a steep embankment, crossed this beautiful covered bridge and the ceremony was held streamside in a small clearing. It was a beautiful day and a very informal wedding.

Tomorrow we are having a family gathering so it will be one busy weekend!

Blast from the Past

2011-06-08T17:53:00.000-07:00

One of my clients has a special treasure.

I knew Connor would enjoy seeing his treasure so I arranged a trip.

George bought this 1931 Model A Ford Coach in 1946 when he was 16 years old for $250. I find it amazing that he has owned a vehicle for 65 years! And I was surprised to find that it is all the original parts!

It is a little dusty but George has dialysis 3 times a week and is on oxygen so he doesn't have the energy to care for it like he used to. However the woodwork still gleamed.
Reminds me of a mini van.

The guys tried to crank the engine and are very glad we don't have to do that now. I am not sure who enjoyed the evening more us or George. He enjoyed showing us his baby and learning about our tandem bicycle that we rode over. And we learned a lot!

Adventures in Veganism

2011-05-03T18:02:00.000-07:00

Tori has been home for a few weeks. She eats vegan most of the time so we have been making a lot of dietary adjustments to accommodate her and hopefully improve our health as well. We have been feasting on Spicy Black Bean Patties with Lime Hummus, vegan pizza with cheese made from yeast flakes and soy milk and experimenting with egg substitutes. Products like Tahini and Salba are stocked in our pantry with Wheatgrass, Spelt flour and Dulce.

Tonight I planned Red Lentil Curry with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach. The recipe called for 1 can Rotel. On my way home from work, I stopped at the grocery store and asked for help finding the Rotel. The grocery manager was sure he had seen it, maybe it was a cheese. The health/organic manager said she had been a vegan for 19 years and had no idea what it was. I figured we could make the recipe and substitute something so I went home. And looked it up

Hmm ... maybe next time I will look up the strange names before I head to the store.

Tonight's Top 3

2011-04-26T14:27:00.001-07:00

The question tonight was "What is your favourite word in the English language?".

It took the 3 of us a while to come up with legacy, serenity (which led to tranquility), secularism, bumblebee and buzz.

But it only took us a minute to come up with a big list for Shasta - breakfast, supper, popcorn, bed (because she gets a treat there), squirrel, walk, out ...

What about you - what are your favourite words?

What would you?

2011-04-12T14:39:00.000-07:00

If you could be or have any car in the world - fictional or real -what would it be?

Herbie?

Chitty-Chitty Bang Bang?

Kitt?

One of James Bond's amazing sportscars?

Or?

Kevin's 50!

2011-04-09T18:44:00.000-07:00

He had to work from 12 to 4 but we went out for a nice dinner afterwards. He had steak and lobster, I had salmon. We shared his dessert.

If you can read the chocolate sauce you have a hint where we dined.

On the way home we had a bit of a surprise.

We are used to seeing deer and turkey frequently in the fields as we drive.

We are used to seeing horses and cows in pastures.

We have never encountered a cow on the road before. The car in front of us went up the farm lane to alert the farmer. The cow let us pass then moved into our lane and stared down a Ford F-150. We watched for a minute then moved on.

It occurred to me that this is going to be a milestone for many in our family.

Kevin and I will both be 50 by year end.

Caitlin and Alec will be 25 (that makes me feel even older than being 50)

Connor will be 16 (if he lives that long)

Guess What Happened

2011-03-03T15:35:00.000-08:00

Another Top 3

2011-02-22T14:56:00.001-08:00

For Cheryl, who doesn't watch enough movies to answer the previous question.

Have you ridden an elephant?

Bungee jumped?

Worn matching hats at an airport?

Now is your chance to share it with the world.

Name the 3 craziest things you have done.

Choose your Top 3

2011-02-19T17:06:00.000-08:00

(subtitle: 500 Dynamic Discussion Starters to Get Your Teenagers Talking)

At supper, instead of asking "How was your day?" we ask a question from this handy little book.

The answers give us something to talk about and we gain perspective into each other's thoughts. Connor's friends seem to really enjoy it as well. Connor's friend Derek was around one night when they had to tell us their top 3 personal injury stories. Watching the two hardcore snowboarder/mountain bikers compare injuries was like that scene from one of the Lethal Weapons where Mel Gibson and Rene Russo show each other their scars.

Todays question: Choose your top 3 movies about high school

Careful - your answer may date you!

Tori - we missed your contribution to this discussion!

Quotes about Love

2011-02-14T10:18:00.000-08:00

I went looking in my quote book for something appropriate to celebrate Valentine's Day. Alas, I could not find anything sentimental. Have no fear, I did find some to share with you!

Some birds mate for life. There's no divorce in the aviary world, apparently. I think that's why they fly into windows, it's the only way out .... Robin Fairbanks

Marriage is a three ring circus: engagement ring, wedding ring and suffer-ring ... Anonymous

My mother always said that a rose is the perfect symbol of romance. It dies after a few days, it's pretty petals fall off and all you're left with is the ugly prickly thing ... Maureen Murphy

Hope these made you chuckle!

(The end - for now) of What I've been up to

2011-02-08T15:59:00.000-08:00

Inspired by the apron I made my mom, after Christmas sales and winter nesting I have been quite industrious. Here is a group shot of the aprons I have made, followed by individual pictures. I have a few more I want to finish but no time right now.

2011-02-08T15:54:00.000-08:00

And I made a few diapers and an apron for Haiti.

I made the pattern for this one from my granny's holey, threadbare one that my mom was still wearing. I think it turned out great. Mom -yours will look just like it but with the pink (to make the boys wink) bias tape you requested.

What I've been up to - getting organized

2011-02-03T14:09:00.000-08:00

When I started all the mittens I told you about in the last post I had an awful time finding and matching my double-pointed needles. Most of the plastic envelopes they come in had ripped and the needles were loose all over my craft shelf and stuck in pattern books. I figured there had to be a better way to store them so I started looking for cases in stores. Nada. I looked on line and found a few for sale but they were all over $60. So I found a few tutorials on needle rolls, some scrap material and bias tape (leftover from making aprons) and got to work.

Here are the raw materials.

And the finished product! It only took a few hours and I am pleased with the results.

When I am done, I fold down the upper half, roll it up and tie it. No more lost needles!

What I've been up to - part 1

2011-02-02T09:37:00.000-08:00

While you were knitting crazy hats, I was knitting mittens.

This is all Tori's fault. When asked what she wanted for Christmas, she replied she wanted me to make her mitts. So I did. Apparently mittens on strings are back so I fastened ribbons to them.

The above pair was done in her favourite colours but didn't really match her cape (or any other winter wear) so I made her a pair of flip mitts too. I was working like crazy on these and managed to finish them one hour after we dropped her at the airport. Canada Post must love me this year since I am sending parcels coast to coast regularly.

Then I took a break and did this puzzle that my parents gave me for Christmas. It was the hardest one I have done for a long time. Too bad Susan wasn't around to help put in a piece or two.

Connor really liked the colour of the first pair I did and asked for mitts with fingers. So I made him mitts with fingers (some of you may know them as gloves).

I have made many other items over the last month and I will share them with you shortly.

Stay tuned!

For Caitlin

2011-02-01T09:30:00.000-08:00

I have been slowly packing a box for you.

I thought I would give you some choice as to the contents.

Which one would you prefer?

Quote 3

2011-01-24T06:21:00.000-08:00

The greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it ... Epicurus

(Greek philosopher born 341 BC)

This quote is relevant today because I am training for a new job as a supermarket food demonstrator to tide me over until the gardening season starts. They use a well known company for their secured operating system and it is a nightmare to get used to. Parts of the system don't operate in Google Chrome, only in Explorer so I am running into lots of glitches because I keep forgetting to switch. The company has just hired 4000 people as they are taking over sampling at a major chain and getting issues resolved is quite time consuming and extremely frustrating. I have just submitted my first timecard (with tech help). I feel quite victorious after completing the online training and timecard submission.

Quote 2

2011-01-18T07:19:00.000-08:00

Another one I really like from Benjamin Franklin.

When the well's dry, we know the value of the water

Or in more recent terms

You don't know what you've got till it's gone ... Joni Mitchell (Big yellow Taxi)

Do we take our lifestyle and conveniences for granted? Do we appreciate how fortunate we are in Canada? We rarely have to worry about our "wells" running dry.

I just got back from skiing. The woods were picture perfect. But we are in for snow, freezing rain and colder temperatures later today.

Quote 1

2011-01-17T08:49:00.000-08:00

I love quotes from people who have a way with words. I would love to be able to be more eloquent and to be able to sum up my feelings in such a concise way. For the last two years, I have sent out my weekly orders to my team with an inspirational quote. I have been thinking of sharing some of my favourite quotes for quite some time and got the final nudge from Fawn. Her post on quotes garnered a lot of feedback with many sharing their favourite quotes so I know I am not the only one who likes quotes. I doubt I can do a quote a day so I will share as I can. So ...

Plough deep while sluggards sleep ..... Benjamin Franklin

I chose this one because Ben was born on this day in 1706. Most of us know him as a great diplomat and statesman but he also was an inventor and gave us the lightning rod, bifocals, the Franklin Stove, the first odometer (for carriages) and the glass armonica (kind of cool - look it up) He was also responsible for the creation of the first public lending library and fire department in the States. If you have this months Reader's Digest, there was an article about his quest for betterment by studying 13 virtues. What a legacy he left!

I also picked this quote because I like it. The bible has many references, especially in Proverbs about the dangers of slothfulness. I wonder if any other religions warn against laziness? And remember Aesop's fable about the ant and the grasshopper? We have many slothful people still. Watching tv or surfing until the wee hours. Spending hours in coffee shops, shopping or in garages drinking beer. What do you think? How dangerous or evident is slothfulness today? Does the early bird really get the worm?

(excuse the change in font - I don't know why it changed mid post but I can't fix it)

Bogs

2011-01-12T16:17:00.000-08:00

In the fall of 2009 I found myself in need of new winter boots and I wanted new rubber boots too. After a little searching I discovered Bogs. They are made of neoprene and rubber so they are waterproof and warm well below zero. I love them. I have worn them to work and horseback riding, walking the dogs and shovelling snow and they slip on fast to pick Connor up at work. They come in 4 different heights from ankle to rider's. I love the funky choice of colours. Except for men's - they only get black or camouflage. I bought Tori a pair when I bought mine - they are great for the wet winters the Maritimes get. Kevin got his very recently. Shown below are mine, Tori's and Kevin's.
So now I really only need one pair of boots. The problem is I would like a different height and a different colour. Oh well. If anyone is looking for new footwear look for Bogs.

Sprouts

2011-01-10T15:06:00.000-08:00

For Christmas I received this from Alec. And just what is it?

It is amazing.

It is so simple.

And so healthy.

It is a Biosta sprouter.

You simply put the seeds in a tray and water them once or twice a day. The little red siphon pumps move the water to the bottom tray where you discard it next time you need to water it. There are many kinds of seeds available. Shown below are Crunchy Bean Mix and Alfalfa seeds.

Several days later the sprouts are ready!

In the last two weeks we have had sprouts on sandwiches and salads. The Crunchy Bean Mix was a delicious addition to spinach salad. These ones are destined to be added to rice. Yummy. The possibilities are endless.

And I get a gardening fix in the winter.

Christmas

2010-12-27T16:52:00.000-08:00

This year, for the first time, we went down to New York to spend Christmas with my sister and her family. The trip both ways was uneventful and the weather was great. We had a wonderful time. We swam in the hotel pool and played lots and lots of games. You have never seen anything like my dad playing charades or Mad Gab. His facial expressions, gestures and accents had us laughing so hard! The video won't load or I would share it with you.

We went out to their favourite Chinese buffet. Lynda told them it was Alec's birthday and the staff came out and sang to him. They gave him a cake surrounded by swans made from oranges and some vegetables. And they gave him a pretty bouquet of suckers.

Lynda read us a bedtime story Christmas Eve.

Presents!

2010-12-27T16:20:00.000-08:00

Kevin got a new camera - waterproof, shockproof and freezeproof - great for all his hobbies. I got a pass to the nordic centre 2 blocks away.

Last time I visited my parents I noticed my mom was still wearing my grandmother's apron. She died more than 28 years ago and it was old then. I decided to make her a new apron and here she is opening it and modelling it.

Connor does not like clothes. He wears the same 3 shirts in rotation even though he has a drawer full of different ones. Part of the reason he chose the Catholic high school was so he didn't have to think about what to wear - they have a uniform. I bought him this "dress" shirt to help him out on Sundays.

Still Digging Out

2010-12-17T18:36:00.000-08:00

The last few days have been beautiful. Warm and just a dusting of snow and enough sun to start melting the snow where there were little bits of pavement showing. Good thing I didn't have to shovel much. My hand started spasming after a few minutes of shoveling yesterday. And every muscle in my body is still recovering. You don't realize how much of your body is involved in shoveling until you overdo it. And amazingly Connor hurts in the same spots!

Wasaga Beach has borrowed plows, giant snow blowers, graders and front end loaders from 4! other towns and townships to finish the clean up. As I write this at 10 pm they are still working in our neighbourhood clearing the roads. They have been here for more than 10 hours. There are still some of the small "cottage" lanes that haven't seen a plow for more than a week because the drifts are 10 feet tall and they had to wait for the giant snow blowers to deal with it. Much of our main street is still single laned while they try to figure out where to put all the snow they need to remove. They figure it will take another 5 days before things are back to normal (unless we get more snow!) We don't have to dream of a White Christmas. And I don't want to hear "Let it Snow".

The three days we were housebound felt like I was living in another time - you know like the Ingalls family in The Long Winter. Cabin Fever was settling in quickly, I don't know how pioneers made it through months of isolation and confinement. And we had phone and internet to help us "escape". We were fine for food but I did call friends I knew were more trapped than us. One ran out of bread (and flour), the other was out of cat food. It must have been extremely difficult to plan for 5 or so months. We are so lucky to live in this country at this time.

2010-12-15T14:15:00.000-08:00

At one point today Connor just fell backwards into the snowbank. Thankfully it is light, dry snow so there was a big whoosh of powder and he practically disappeared.

I took this just to give you an idea how high our snowbanks are. Marcus is 6 foot 3 inches. I ache everywhere from throwing the snow over my shoulders for hours.

Shasta playing "King of the Castle". Usually we don't let her off leash in the front because she is very unpredictable. Between the deep snow and the ice on or driveway she can't travel very far or very fast so she is enjoying a lot of freedom.

A Common Sight Today

2010-12-15T13:54:00.000-08:00

We live on a corner. Every time I came in this morning I didn't even have time to get my boots off before another vehicle was stuck in the intersection. Believe me it was tempting just to leave them there since the police were telling everyone to stay off the roads and no plows had been through. That was because the plow was stuck down the road.

Usually one vehicle would get stuck, block the others and before you knew it there was a real mess. There were 4 other vehicles stuck within a few driveways at the same time I took the shot below.
This little car was stuck down the road when the first picture was taken. After he was freed he tried to turn when we were all yelling for him to keep going straight. We had freed the burgundy Ford by this point but he could only go a few cars lengths because another vehicle was stuck a few driveways down. The Ford was blocking the road to the right so I have no idea where this man was trying to go. You can still see the hood of the white van. He was there for well over an hour before being snowblowed out.
Then a bus got stuck. Why the bus was on the road on a snow day in the first place was beyond me. This contractor's truck tried to push the bus to no avail. Connor and Marcus and another stopped driver pushed the truck back, then they all pushed the bus forward. The truck got out on it's own as did the other two vehicles shown in the bottom picture.

Usually I have "fairweather" neighbours (I don't see them from first snow until spring thaw) but this storm brought everyone out to help. David across the road blew out our driveway. Then we freed 20 or more vehicles. The contractor (I don't know him as he has only lived here a short time) went to the gas station to pick up some gas for an elderly neighbour's snow blower. People gave each other sand, shovels and gloves as needed. I really was appreciative of the way everyone worked together.

What a Day!

2010-12-15T13:39:00.000-08:00

I woke up at 6 and took a peek outside. The first thing I saw was our bbq. From the amount of snow on top of it I determined it was yet another snow day. Clever, huh? I was outside shoveling by 6:30. The doors barely opened and the dogs needed to pee.You can see how deep the snow is when 60 pound dogs disappear. Here they are searching for treats I threw in the snow. It keeps them busy (and quiet) while I shovel.

A few more shots to show the depth of the snow. My truck looks like a super-raised monster truck and the snow is up past my knees.

Yes, I know we Canadians should expect snow. I have lived through many big storms but I have never seen so much for so long. Usually you get a break between big storms or shovel a few inches a day, not feet every day for weeks. Remember I have lived in Alberta, Manitoba and Labrador, the latter noted for record snow falls.

When I went in, I finished this puzzle while I was waiting for breakfast.

Boo Hoo!!!

2010-12-15T03:42:00.000-08:00

More later, but the buses are off the road for the sixth day in two weeks, the Base is on minimum manning, many local roads are still closed by the OPP and we got at least another 19 inches of snow between midnight and 6 am.

I will post again, but right now I have to shovel out the back doorway so the dogs can get out onto the deck which is covered with 3 feet plus of snow - so they can find the ramp down to take care of business.

Digging Out

2010-12-14T05:43:00.000-08:00

I have always enjoyed snow days (when the buses are cancelled but schools are generally still open). They were like a gift of time. All your plans, all the things you felt had to be done were put on hold. After the shoveling was done, the whole day was fun. We would play in the snow, play board games, bake - just spend time together. We usually have one or two snow days a year. One year the last day of school before Christmas break and the first scheduled day back were snow days and the kids enjoyed an extra long break.

For those of you who don't live in the beautiful Georgian Triangle and don't follow our news I thought I would update you on our last week or so. In the 10 years we have lived here we have never experienced anything like this. We have had 5 and 6 week stretches where it snows an inch or two a day but not 6 inches or more a day.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday - all Snow Days. Over the 3 days a variety of closures occurred. Georgian college was closed several days. Our town buses were taken off the road early. One of the schools was closed because the doors were drifted over. The Honda plant cancelled a shift (first time I remember). The base was pretty much closed because the plows couldn't keep up with the snowfall. Again, that was a first. Connor spent most of his time at the toboggan hill. Areas south of us had more snow - I feel sorry for them.

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday - still snowing but activities back to normal.

Monday - Snow Day again and colder. Winds caused several road closures and Kevin had to take a very circuitous route home from work.

Tuesday - Buses cancelled. Schools all closed. Many roads closed. Production line at Honda cancelled because the parts they are waiting for can't get through. Township plows have been pulled off the roads. Poor visibility and many cars stuck. And - the real clincher that explains how bad things are here - Blue Mountain is closed! We are getting off easy compared to our western neighbours. But tomorrow looks the same!

I am not looking forward to going to shovel today. There is a wicked windchill and blowing snow. Part of the driveway has snowbanks too high for me to throw on top of anymore so I have to move it down the drive. It isn't even winter yet! Where are we going to put the snow for the next 3 months? I have had enough snow days. I have cleaned the whole house and used all the butter so I can't bake anything else. I am waiting for 4 parcels that are held up somewhere because of the weather much of central North America is experiencing. Enough already!

A walk in the Woods

2010-12-06T15:43:00.001-08:00

My sister came up from New York on the American Thanksgiving weekend. We went for a walk Saturday afternoon. This is actually the cross country ski centre 2 blocks from our house and is now out of bounds for walking now since we have received a major amount of snow in the last 2 days with more to come. Now you can see faces! Emily, (niece), Lynda (sister) and Amanda (friend and dogwalker) are on the trail. The green speck in the woods on the left is Connor.
Here we are at the shelter. Why is everyone looking up?

Because Connor is on the roof. Why? Because it was there. Are you noticing a theme here? This boy has major issues with boundaries.

But underneath all that rebel exterior there is a little angel.

My son, the artist

2010-12-03T16:08:00.000-08:00

Connor has learned a very impressive skill from my dad. He makes flowers. This is highly useful in restaurants when you are bored while waiting for your food to arrive. Before attempting this yourself you must be prepared to drink a lot of coffee or have several little ones with you who are willing to drink the milk and cream.

Does anyone need step by step instructions?

Getting caught up

2010-12-03T15:48:00.000-08:00

I have been very remiss in my blogging. Now that the yard is blanketed in snow I can get caught up on the last month. To add a little colour to your white world today here is my last garden pictures for 2010.

This year I planted very colourful vegetables. These are Purple Haze carrots

and "blue" potatoes.
I turned this colourful bowl of vegetables and parsley

into lots and lots of freezer salsa.
I also grew little purple eggplants. This one is Hagar.

2010-12-03T15:43:00.000-08:00

We went apple picking. Just Kevin and I. It isn't nearly as much fun without a crowd of kids and family. The apples this year were amazing. I have never seen so many giant apples.I made an amazing pumpkin trifle. Mmm!

Newfie Night

2010-11-07T13:55:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I heard that a local church was having a fundraiser for our new youth centre. The senior pastor and the youth pastor are both from Newfoundland. Since my dad has always loved Newfie music and humour and my parents toured Newfoundland years ago and loved it, I invited them. And I invited Kevin's mom because she wants to go on a bus tour in the spring. They served 125 people last year and turned away 40. This year they rented the RecPlex - big enough for 250 and it was packed.

When we arrived we went to the sample tables and had squid rings (like eating rubber), Fish'n Brewis (not bad), fish cakes (not bad), cod tongues (chewy), cod cheeks (pretty good) and Newfie Steak (fried bologna). The buffet meal was roast beef, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, turnip and pease pudding and salt beef. Good as well. The dessert was partridge berry pudding with lemon sauce. The skits were good and there was a 15 year old fiddler who step danced later and Highland dancers.

The end of the evening was a "sacred" ceremony called screeching in. This involves drinking screech and kissing a cod. In order to be screeched in people had to cough up $20 to nominate you. My loving family and "friends" did so behind my back and as the ringleader tried to drag me up to the stage, the "cod cops" told her she had been picked as well. Ah - sweet justice - she suffered with me. Since it was run by a church our screech was purity syrup. It was like drinking red sugar water - gross. Then I kissed the cod and became an honorary newfie. My parents were screeched in on their tour. Kevin was screeched in at the mess when we lived in Labrador (using coca-cola since we don't drink). How many of you have had the pleasure of becoming an honorary newfie?

I won a jar of partridgeberry jam as a door prize and also a dining package in the silent auction. And I got to keep the ball cap I was screeched in wearing. We had a great time and hope to go again next year.

What I woke up to

2010-10-22T18:24:00.000-07:00

Three or four inches of snow!! We were told to expect some wet snow but this is crazy. We had to shovel and the plows came around!

This is a lilac bush. There was a fair number of broken trees around and you can see why.

And here is a before and after of the corner garden. In the first shot you wouldn't even recognize the standard hydrangea. Two hours later it has emerged from it's snow cocoon. In both shots the spireas and potentillas are flattened by the snow's weight.

Here is a shot of my Bridalwreath spireas that are taller than I am. The branches are just beginning to free themselves. They are coming up one at a time like little catapults.
Not only were we shocked by the snow, there was a town wide power outage from about 7 until 8. Just as everybody was trying to get out the door! There wasn't much I could do in the garden so I didn't meander into work until 10:30. It was actually warm and I enjoyed working in the snow.

What about you? Did you get snow?

Miss me?

2010-10-18T13:24:00.000-07:00

I wish I had a great excuse for not blogging - like a tropical vacation - but nothing so exciting. My laptop was out of commission for 3 weeks and I have been very busy at work. This is the most exciting thing I have done lately - the fall activities at Brooks Farms when we went down to my sister's in Newmarket. Can you identify the 3 aliens?

If you guessed Connor, me and Alec you are right! Isn't Connor the cutest little alien pig you have ever seen? I am still confused about the connection between corn, pumpkins and aliens so I can't enlighten you. We were very happy to have Alec home with us for Thanksgiving when he was sent on a last minute course to Kingston. Here's a few more pics of me and the boys.

And my niece exhibiting her amazing zip-line technique!

Cat Sandwich

2010-09-15T17:28:00.000-07:00

She might have been happier tied up in blind cords.

Cat's Cradle

2010-09-15T03:54:00.000-07:00

Spending Time with Earl and Dan and Dorothy

2010-09-13T15:27:00.000-07:00

For the last few days of our trip the airwaves were full of talk about Hurricane Earl. The category one hurricane was supposed to be centered over Sackville at the time we planned to leave. We had limited tv and internet access so it was very difficult to know exactly what was coming.

We had a hard time deciding what to do. Stay and hope for the best? Desert Tori and the roomates? Her landlord is a firefighter and reassured us that Sackville was well equipped to weather the storm. The town is high and the tide was going to be out. The water is gravity fed so it wouldn't be affected. We were a little concerned that both front and back lawns were covered in lumber because he is in the middle of rebuilding both entrance decks. One of the roomates boyfriends couldn't understand what we were worried about. He spent most of his life in Mauritius where they get spinoff tornados several times a year. But we don't so it was a big deal. I remember my dad's stories about Hurricane Hazel. Kevin's aunt is still traumatized by Hazel. It is not something we deal with often in Canada. The internet worked for a few hours so we could start looking for hotels out of the danger zone. They were all booked already by people more decisive than us. The one we found had been increased 60% so we decided to stay and leave early in the morning and race Earl. Then my boss' husband called. His daughter also lives in Sackville (small world) and he spent 3 years counselling Hurricane Katrina survivors and he was very concerned. At that point there wasn't much we could do. We had nowhere to go and it was 5 pm.

The next morning we got up at 5 and were out the door at 5:45. Shortly before we left I glanced out the window. I was startled to see a big cat. I had hoped most pets had taken in. Then I realized how BIG a cat it was. I was thinking it was a bobcat then it turned and I got a good look at it's tail. It was a cougar, meandering down the main street of town. It was about the size of my dogs so not full grown. I figure it is a baby from this spring just cut loose and trying to find it's way in the world. This is undoubtedly something I will never forget.

The drive to Oromocto was eerily quiet. We only saw two other cars in the first 2 hours. We arrived in Oromocto just before 8. We had intended to visit friends on the way to Sackville but we were late (sorting out Tori's financing). We didn't call so they weren't expecting us. We cruised by their house and saw a light on so knocked and surprised them at breakfast. Here is Dan and Dorothy.
We have known them since Caitlin and Alec were born. Dan (he's the one on the left) was a helicopter mechanic at the Search and Rescue flight were Kevin was and Dorothy and I hit it off at the twin's shower. We had two years together in Goose Bay, then encountered them again when we lived in NB. Dan became our car and small engine mechanic (he can fix anything and makes awesome first beds for all the grandkids). Connor loved playing at Dorothy's when he was a toddler. Dorothy makes amazing quilts to grace the beds Dan makes. We have met all their children and grandchildren. It was good to see them after 10 years. But remember we were racing a hurricane and didn't have time to dilly dally. Off to Edmundston, near the border of Quebec, where we had tried to seek refuge the night before. Surprise - the worst weather was in Edmundston. The forecast had been 50-70 mm rain in Sackville, 40-50 in Fredricton and 20-40 in Edmundston. It turned out to be exactly backwards (Oh, I love weathermen!). The rain was very heavy here. It was the only place we had to slow down and we saw a car that hydroplaned into the guardrail.

The rest of the drive was uneventful, just long. We hate driving through Montreal. We had 3 maps and none of them had highway numbers that matched the actual road signs. We had supper in Brockville at 9. We got home about 2:30 after 20 hours of driving. That is a new record for us. We used to drive straight from Oromocto to Newmarket but we have set a new record. And Kevin did all the driving. I read. The kids slept.

The End

2010-09-12T14:24:00.000-07:00

Sackville is almost a town time forgot. It is centred around the old stone university buildings and a quaint main street. And of course there is a rustic train station.And there is a huge waterfowl park with a maze of boardwalks.

Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion of our trip tomorrow.

Sackville carvings

2010-09-12T13:54:00.000-07:00

We spent the last day in Sackville exploring by bike. In one area of Sackville there are several beautiful wood carvings made from giant stumps of trees that had been cut down. If you enlarge the first picture you will see that the tree right behind the bitterns has orange lines drawn on the branches. It looks like they are going to do another carving. I love the perfect wood grain, especially on the ladies dress. Some people are so talented ... and patient.

What we found at the Beach

2010-09-10T13:40:00.000-07:00

Tori is demonstrating to Connor and I how to find microscopic sealife in the tidal pools.

She has always had amazing eyesight. When I went on hikes with her classes the teacher would ask "Who can find a _______________? Tori was always the first. Eventually she would be asked to give the other kids a chance. The first picture is a hermit crab. The second a regular crab that was half the size of her pinky nail.

After all that fresh air we needed lunch. Look where we ate! It was excellent - both the food and the service.
After lunch we went to a beach north of Amherst and had a nice swim. It took us longer to find the beach than we actually swam but we had the whole beach to ourselves. I guess everyone else had problems with the directions and lack of signs too. A few seals joined us but kept their distance. Connor has a waterproof camera but didn't bring it so blame him for the lack of pictures.

Connor's Shoes

2010-09-08T14:22:00.000-07:00

Before you look at the pictures you need to know a few things about Connor.

Connor does not wear sandals or flip flops.

Connor does not wear dress shoes.

Connor will not even wear running shoes.

Or winter boots.

Connor wears skateboard shoes. Period.

Connor wears brand new shoes biking. And in the snow and rain. Connor canoes and mows the lawn in brand new shoes. He will not wear his old shoes once he gets new ones.

He goes through shoes very quickly. Mom will not pay for his shoes any more.

Therefore he usually has only one pair.

He brought one pair of shoes on vacation with us.

I am sure you can already see where this is going.

There were spots on the Fundy Shore that looked like red rock. It wasn't. The smooth shiny surface was very deceptive. It was thick, gluey mud. People with sandals (me) or people with extra shoes (Kevin and Tori) could "walk" on the "rock". Not such a good idea for Connor.

He made the best of a bad situation. He used some of the coal deposits to put toe protectors on his new workboots. (The shoes were previously black, orange and bright blue - double click on picture to get a closer look)

We went shoe shopping as soon as we got back.

Exploring

2010-09-08T14:05:00.000-07:00

Sackville is only 10 or 15 minutes from Nova Scotia so we went there on a day trip. When we got there it was low tide so we went to the nearest "beach" to explore tide pools. I love, love, love exploring tide pools. We went to Joggins Fossil Cliffs. None of us are into fossils but it was close. I actually didn't even look at the cliffs - just the ground. I nevertheless found a few fossils. I have no idea what the first one could be - snakeskin? fishscales? The second one is obviously a section of a petrified tree.

The waves were quite angry.

This is one of the many coal seams in the area.

The colorful one plays pirate.

A sidetrip

2010-09-07T18:39:00.000-07:00

We lived in New Brunswick for 4 years before we moved to Ontario. We took a little detour from the highway to see our old house. Here it is, sitting in the middle of 1.37 acres. It hasn't changed much. There is a fence on the right side now and the septic tank has recently been dug up. We never had any trouble with the well or septic but the new owners phoned us a few years after buying it and apparently they had had a lot of trouble. They wanted our help in complaining to the builder and the township but we really couldn't help them out. There were 6 of us and if that didn't cause septic trouble I don't know what would.

New Brunswick is a scenic province and we enjoyed exploring the forests, rivers and coastline and many other attractions. This bridge is a 5 minute bike ride (downhill) from our old place. Pretty isn't it?

The Trip to Sackville

2010-09-07T13:15:00.000-07:00

The long drive to Sackville to take Tori to Mount Allison University was uneventful.

Very uneventful.
Maybe even boring.
Yup, most definitely boring.

The highlight was another visit with our good friends the Sylvester's in Kingston. Laurie fed us lunch (again). Thanks Laurie.

Kevin's shirt says "PADDLE FASTER - I hear banjo music". Just in case you cared.

Before we went

2010-09-06T05:14:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we had a family gathering/farewell to Tori/celebration of August birthdays at the beautiful Springwater Park in Barrie. We don't go there nearly often enough. Springwater has lots of natural beauty, hiking/biking trails and a small wildlife exhibit. And there are several large playgrounds too. Something for the whole family. In the middle of dinner there was a bit of water fight.

Tori got the worst of it.
Our good friend Linda made this cake. It is hard to see here but there is a line drawn from Wasaga Beach to Sackville with the mileage and the balloons are for all the August birthdays in our family. It was a huge cake and there is still lots in the freezer.

Road Trip!

2010-09-05T11:04:00.000-07:00

1713 km to get there. Can you guess where we went (and why?)

Beaver River

2010-08-21T18:33:00.000-07:00

Kevin likes paddling on lakes so he can go swimming. I prefer rivers because there is less wind and there are surprises around each bend. Since we moved here I have wanted to paddle the Beaver River. Kevin thought it was too shallow except early in the spring and we could never fit it into our schedules then so we never made it. This year he found it was navigable all year so we finally made it last Saturday! Here are the "kid's canoes" as seen from the bridge at the launch. In the boy's canoe are Connor and his shadow Marcus. In the girl's canoe are Tori and Toni, my right hand "man" for the last 3 years.Tori cutting it close under the bridge.
This canoe was given to us by a neighbour a few years ago. He is too old to use it and his kids don't want it. He is very happy it is valued again. It is a cedar strip he got when he was working at Sears many, many years ago. It was mispriced and he scooped it up. It needed a lot of work when we got it and has spent months in a local paddle maker's shop being restored by the two of them. Kevin was itching to get his heritage canoe in the water. This is it's inaugural trip. He was so excited to get it he forfeited the downpayment for the new vehicle he wants to pay for the repairs.

And here we go!
About halfway through our paddle we hit a submerged rock going through a swift and heard a crunch. So it has been christened. Then it got dinged being put back on the canoe trailer. Kevin spent several hours Sunday repairing it.

In case anybody is interested this brings our watercraft fleet to 7 (not counting the loaners and the unusable). We have the 3 red canoes shown here, 1 white tripping canoe, Kevin's bluish whitewater canoe, Connor's red whitewater kayak (and sometimes Dalton's whitewater kayak), an extra kayak and 2 kayaks and a canoe on sawhorses waiting for repairs. We also have one he picked up to find a home for from someone who doesn't want it and a mold to make your own.

Can you guess what we tell people who are coming to visit?

2010-08-21T18:22:00.000-07:00

After the paddle we headed to nearby Walter's Falls. Here is the happy group on the bridge overlooking the falls. From left to right - Marcus, Connor, Tori, Toni and Kevin.And this is what they got to see!

Mystery solved

2010-08-20T18:52:00.000-07:00

The yellow mystery item is indeed a yellow zucchini. Everyone else grows the green zucchini. At this time of year people you don't even know offer you tough green zucchini big enough to bathe a baby in. I prefer yellow. They are not as tough, a vibrant colour and tastes the same to me.The other item is a tomato. Myt first Speckled Roma tomato to be precise. I thought it so beautiful I had to share.
It didn't taste as good as it looked. But I ate it raw so I will have to try it again in a sauce.

The answer and another puzzles

2010-08-19T13:44:00.000-07:00

For those of you that noticed I had mismatched sandals - you win. Keep watching your mail box for the great prize I will be sending your way. We were in a hurry to go so I just grabbed the back straps and did them up without looking. I was glad to hear that I wasn't the only one who has done this!

You know that as we age, we must keep our brains active, so here is another challenge for you. What is this?

What I promised you

2010-08-17T15:06:00.000-07:00

In my weather rant I promised a cheery post next so here it is.

A week or so ago Kevin and I went for a bike ride. It was a beautiful evening, dusk approaching. See the picture below for proof. Kevin asked if I wanted to go to a friend's ice cream parlour. I declined. Can you figure out why? Click on picture to enlarge if you need help.

Enough Already (A Rant)

2010-08-15T14:59:00.000-07:00

I work outside. Rain, shine, cloudy, sunny - sort of like the postman getting the mail delivered - we get the gardens done. This is by far the most miserable summer in the years I have gardened. I love the moderate temperatures in the spring and fall. I am not a summer person. I head for the shady gardens (thank goodness my helpers like the sun). The last several days I feel absolutely drained. And we don't have air conditioning. Most years there are only 3 or 4 days where we wish we had a/c and we are not putting it in for various reasons. Remember how much I love my truck? I really love it now because it is the only cool I get.

Now onto the real rant part. I am beginning to detest weathermen. Every day last week rain was in the forecast for the next day when I went to bed. I would go to sleep dreaming of a rain day, sleeping in and cool temperatures. I would wake up in the morning disappointed. The rain had been moved to the next day and the temperature was back into the 30's. The only day we got a 10 minute downpour there was zero rain in the forecast. Today's forecast was nice (by my definition). It was to be 21 to 23 degrees and chance of rain. Depending on which station I use it is now 30 or 31 degrees. Close don't you think? Only off by a few degrees. And no rain yet! How come weathermen are getting less accurate as they get more access to technology? I have noticed that a lot of days now they are forecasting "sunny with cloudy breaks" or "cloudy with a chance of showers". Trying to cover all bases. Maybe I will stop looking at the forecasts and go back to methods used by our forefathers. "Red sky at night, sailor's delight, red sky in morning, sailors take warning". I think the accuracy would be as good as the weather man. Or perhaps I could offer the dog a choice of two biscuits. If she picks the right hand, I will dress for rain, the left - it will be a good day. Can't be any worse.

Now I know most of you aren't as affected by the weather, so if you made it all the way to the end of this post, thanks for sticking with me. I promise something cheery next.

Special Visitors

2010-08-06T17:20:00.000-07:00

Last week we had some very welcome guests. It has been 4 years since I have seen Stephanie and Susan and the first time I have met Ireland and Kaden. What beautiful kids! It still sounds so funny to hear them call Susan granny! We hung around the house for a while then went to a nearby park for a picnic.Susan challenged herself on the rock wall.

And Oliver proved to be quite agile. He jumped up on this beam all by himself several times and walked along it. Our dogs have been to agility and they wouldn't do this! They will go through tunnels, up ramps and teeter totters but this beam is much narrower. I was impressed.

Then we walked to the candy store where Tori works so she could see them. Then we headed home. I pulled out the Duplo and Mr. Potato Head (I have held on to a few of our favorite toys). Mr. Potato Head was a big hit with everyone.

It was a great day. I hope 4 more years don't pass before we get together again.

Happy Birthday Mom!

2010-07-31T17:33:00.000-07:00

Today is my mom's birthday. My parents were at their timeshare (Carriage Hills at Horseshoe Valley) this week. My niece stayed with them the whole time. My sister Lynda and her family came for most of the time. My sister Leanne visited for a day. Connor stayed for a few days and enjoyed the activities at the Adventure Park (mini-golf, zip-lining, zorbing and tree-top trekking (I challenge you to say that 3 times fast). Victoria picked all the girls up, took them to the drive-in then brought them here for a sleep over (my mom breathed a giant sigh of relief for a quiet night). Kevin took Lynda, Mike and David to the marine railway then canoeing. They played in rapids and whirlpools and had a picnic. Tori and the girls went to the beach. We visited 2 nights. On one of those nights we surprised my mom with a birthday cake. It was lemon - her favourite. It was rather plain so I brought my cake decorating odds and ends and candles and gave the cake and decorations to the kids in the other room and told them to decorate it. They used every single decoration! What an interesting mix of baby shower, juvenile birthday, Christmas and New Years. See?

My mom was definitely surprised!

Elvis!

2010-07-31T17:16:00.000-07:00

We have lived here almost 10 years and have never been to the world-famous Collingwood Elvis Festival. Mostly because we don't like crowds. This year I decided it was time to experience it so Kevin and I went for a few hours. It was just as much fun watching the Elvis fans dancing and wearing sunglasses with fake sideburns as it was listening to the impersonators. I would go again but maybe go to some of the paid events (and plan better so we can see who we want to).

Anywhere there were tribute artists wandering, fans were trying to get photographed with them. Little kids, whole families and lots of ladies waiting impatiently for their turn with the King. I have no idea what the "hair" of the impersonator on the right is made of.

This artist was quite interesting. He would strike a pose and freeze while people took his picture.

More Garden Discoveries

2010-07-31T16:37:00.000-07:00

The picture doesn't do justice to this insect. He is actually quite golden and the red markings are very vivid (click for a better look). Unfortunately, I have no idea what it is - my best guess would be a leafhopper but I can't find any others that look like this little beauty.

This little frog was quite entertaining. He gulped and blinked and scratched the whole time we watched him. Note the impressive slime running from his neck to "hand", "paw" or whatever frogs have. Sometimes it is hard to work when there are so many entertaining things in the garden!

Garden Tour - Keppel Croft

2010-07-01T06:55:00.000-07:00

After visiting Larkwhistle we had a lovely buffet lunch at the historic Wiarton Inn. Yummy!

Then we headed to the second garden. It is in the rocky Keppel township - hence the name. This is a Wollen Pine. An ancient tree only recently rediscovered in Australia. It was the first time I had seen one.

Red hot poker blooms. The stems couldn't support the blooms so it looks like they are growing out of the rocks. Keppel Croft is situated on an old gravel pit and they have made good use of all the stones they dig up as they plant. They use them as mulch, paths and various other projects.

I have no idea how they did this.

A snake in the biggest pond. The pond was filled with minnows and bullfrog tadpoles. I think this is a very happy snake.

And that is it for the living things.

This garden puts huge emphasis on hardscaping or Art Installations. They really are the highlight of the gardens. The paths are well constructed and laid out and lead you to many surprises as you will see if you scroll down.

2010-07-01T06:51:00.000-07:00

Two shots of the dry river bed. I love dry river beds.

2010-07-01T06:43:00.000-07:00

These two projects were intense. They involved daily marking of the sun, even in the winter!

A close up of the henge - their millenium project.

And the analemmatic sundial. Each stone has a number on it from one to 12. If you stand on the month with your back to the sun, your shadow marks the time. It was about 3:30 when we were there.

2010-07-01T06:34:00.000-07:00

2010-07-01T06:26:00.000-07:00

A stork and it's nest.
And me.

2010-07-01T06:15:00.000-07:00

I loved this family! I do not feel very creative after seeing this place.
This nest was at their feet.

An elegant spot to enjoy your picnic.

I just liked the colour contrast of all their bedding blowing in the breeze.

2010-07-01T06:08:00.000-07:00

And last, but certainly not least, the "splendid" outhouse. That is what they call it. It is a composting toilet and when you were inside it was just like being in an old cottage bathroom with linoleum and wooden walls, compete with pictures. It truly was splendid - totally unexpected when you open the door.

Garden Tour - Larkwhistle

2010-06-30T18:08:00.000-07:00

About a month ago I did a gardening talk for one of the senior's groups in town. When I found out they were going on a garden tour to Larkwhistle I begged to be allowed to go as well. Since they had room on the bus, I got to go. Larkwhistle is owned by Patrick Lima and John Scanlan. I have wanted to go there for many years. If you like gardening look for their book The Art of Perennial Gardening - it is very inspiring. I took a record number of pictures. Here are a few.

An opium poppy

A yellow flower.
A close up of spiny sea holly

Two different kinds of hybrid mullein. They are a relative of those tall yellow weeds common in southern Ontario but these ones are much prettier and don't spread.

Keep going - there are two more posts.

2010-06-30T18:01:00.000-07:00

They also had vegetables. Look at these huge cabbages. They are colder than us yet the vegetables are way ahead.

This peony is stunning but I don't know the name of it.

I love the ponds. They are really holding tanks to water the gardens. Note the watering can. The top pond is the only one with fish. There are frogs in the picture too. Can you find them?

2010-06-30T17:53:00.000-07:00

Many of the perennials are very tall. You can see the monkshood (blue flower in the back) and mullein in the foreground are at least 6 feet.

A foxtail lily.

This is the first time I have seen Jerusalem Sage.

The flowers look like little bananas.

We went to another garden as well. More pictures to come soon.

Take Me Out To The Ball Game

2010-06-06T18:12:00.000-07:00

For the first time! Can you believe it? I played baseball in school and with church and work, but I have never watched a real live pro baseball game.

My parents bought 20 tickets and pretty much the whole family went (except my dad who hurt his leg and wasn't up to the walking). We watched the Blue Jays play the Yankees. Appropriate since my sister and her family live in New York. The Yankees won but they deserved it. We were up in the nosebleeds as you can see but still enjoyed it. I am not going to buy season tickets but it was fun. But loud, way too loud.

And on the way home we were reminded why we go to Toronto so rarely. Too crowded. Too much traffic. We are not city people. Though I do enjoy people watching on the subway.

Last night we went to the drive in for the first time this season. So it has been a busy weekend. Off to bed now.

Cool or what?

2010-06-01T14:29:00.000-07:00

I saw this swan today when I was working on a riverside garden. A bonus of being a gardener is all the plant and animal discoveries you make. But usually they are terrestrial.

I texted Kevin and told him. He replied "way kool".

I texted Caitlin and she replied "cool".

When I got home from work I told Connor. Can you guess what he said?

Yup - "cool". Apparently my family only knows one adjective.

The smells of spring

2010-05-24T10:31:00.001-07:00

It has been so hot the last few days that it feels more like summer but nonetheless these are the smells of spring. Most people plant gardens for appearance but I love to plant for fragrance too. The plants are even more fragrant at night when it is too dark to see what they look like so it is double the enjoyment. Obviously the smell most people associate with spring and gardens are lilacs so we will start with that. See how many blooms you get if you prune your lilac after the flowers die? And if it looks good, think of how good it smells!
Obviously the best place to plant fragrant plants is where you will smell them often so this Northern Lights Azalea is right outside my front door.
This is the only "orange" plant in my garden because I am not a big fan of orange but I love the subtle shades.
And last (but it blooms first) is a close up of my Burkwood Viburnum. It is about 8 feet from the front door. It smells heavenly. Not a perfumey overpowering smell just really, really good.
What is your favourite smell of spring?

My Favourite Car - Part 2

2010-05-10T16:50:00.000-07:00

You have been very patient waiting for Part 2 - there was a reason you had to wait. My favourite vehicle is my 2004 Dodge Ram. My registration calls the colour red (?) but Chrysler calls it Molten Lava Red. There are lots of reasons I am fond of my truck. Six people can fit in it very comfortably. It is a working vehicle - I use it to haul tools and garden debris 5 days a week. So it has lots of scratches. It is my office too. I often do paperwork in it. I love all the storage under the seats and in the fold down centre seat armrest (which also serves as my desk). All those hiding spots mean my kleenex and wipes (necessary before lunch after a morning of playing in dirt), pens, sunglasses, phone charger, gardening gloves, small tools, sunscreen, bug spray etc all have a home.

I don't like the gas mileage but it is not our primary vehicle. I don't put on a lot of miles driving in our little town. It sucks in snow unless I - well Connor actually - puts lots of sandbags in the bed. It has 20 inch tires (most trucks have 16 or 17 inch). They are not common and therefore more expensive. I bought winter tires in the fall of 2008 and all season tires this spring. They were $1000 a set. Thanks to those expensive tires I use next to no windshield fluid as my windshield is higher than most other vehicles on the road. Does that make up for the extra gas?

Even when I am not working the truck is. It hauls Connor's bike (and usually his friend's bikes) places. It is so much easier than putting on the bike rack. It takes Connor (and friends) snowboarding. I am happy the wet snowboard goes in the bed. It helps people move and drives kids to college. It has made many trips to the dump with construction debris. And it is useful for jumping into snowbanks and holding onto when learning how to unicycle.

Today was a special day for my truck. As I pulled up to Connor's work the odometer hit 99,999 km. On the way home it hit this milestone (ignore the dust remember it is a working vehicle)

and it is now sitting in the driveway showing this:

It is a bittersweet day - I feel I should buy a cake and celebrate. It has been a great vehicle - the only work has been brakes and oil changes but the clock is ticking towards bigger repairs. And she has a little rust spot at the bottom of the tailgate. Sob.

Each of our other vehicles had a purpose and when we sold or outgrew it it was gone without a second thought (except for the Cutlass Ciera - I missed that one). I think this is the first vehicle I would be happy to own again. Though I hope that is many years away.

Mistakes

2010-05-06T04:25:00.000-07:00

Some people learn from the mistakes of others. Some people seem to enjoy making the mistakes themselves - over and over. Let's take a little trip down memory lane. Connor got a new bike late August 2009. On August 28th our nephew Dalton was visiting and did this on Connor's studded bike pedals and required 13 stitches.

September 23 Connor did this but didn't need stitches.

Last night Connor did this:
Kevin took him to the hospital. No stitches. In the past when my kids make a mistake they repeat it 3 times. So I expect one more attempt before he learns to wear his shin guards (or succeeds in his quest to better Dalton at the number of stitches).

My Favourite Car - Part 1

2010-05-05T14:43:00.001-07:00

My first car was a beautiful blue 210 hatchback. There is something special about a first car. We had some interesting times in that car after it carried us from Ontario to Edmonton. It was swallowed by a giant pothole when we stopped at a stop sign during a big storm. Later it was the last in a row of cars that was struck by a fire truck while we were in watching a movie with friends at the theatre. Both accidents occurred when we were not moving.

We bought an ancient Dodge Crew Cab from a co-worker of mine and sold Kevin's little Mazda truck. When we were unexpectedly posted to Goose Bay months later we sold it back to the original owner (he even paid for all the repairs we had put into it!) Then we traded in my car and bought a Nissan King cab - a beautiful bronze colour. Then we had twins. Guess what - you can't put 2 car seats in a vehicle with jump seats. So we bought an old Ford Granada which served us faithfully for the remaining 2 years in "the Goose".

Then we traded in the Nissan for a 1979 Chev Blazer. The Blazer is the only vehicle we took with us when we moved to Portage la Prairie in 1989. Then it came with us to Edmonton 4 years later. The Blazer took an intense dislike to me (handles and controls would break off in my hands and it wouldn't start). When I was pregnant with Connor we sold it because we needed another seat (again). 4 massive guys showed up to pick it up one Saturday. We had owned it for 9 years.

While in Portage we acquired an old, old van and started to rebuild it. It took us to the mountains and back with no problems. I can't remember why we sold it but we bought a silver 1989 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera. That was a great car. It went with us from Portage to Edmonton then to Gagetown, NB. A little squishy once Connor was born but doable. By the time we were posted from Gagetown the Ciera had almost 300,000 km on it and we scrapped it.

The Blazer was replaced by a Chev Beauville van (12 passenger). We had nothing but trouble with it. The windshield leaked, it stalled constantly and took years to figure out why. We did manage to make it from Edmonton to New Brunswick successfully then it had a tree fall on it in a thunderstorm while parked in our driveway and was repaired only to collide with a telephone pole and be written off. It was replaced with a 1997 GMC Safari. We moved to Ontario with only one vehicle. We didn't buy another for more than 6 months when we got a little commuter Saturn for Kevin and I drove the van (instead of walking everywhere). The Saturn was rear ended a few years later when we were pulled over on the side of the road (4th accident when we were not moving) and we bought a 2003 Ford Escape. When I started gardening it was difficult to use the Safari. The van was always full of spiders and smelled of rotting garden materials. We had to put the seats in and out constantly and vacuum the vehicle every week. The mileage was pushing 300,000 and it was not very reliable, the carpet was soaked with fluid from the rear heater, most of the doors were not working and one of the tires needed air every few days. When Kevin wanted to buy another canoe, I told him I would buy a truck if he bought the canoe. He did and I did.

If you followed all of that I am most impressed. I couldn't find a better way to document our vehicles and they overlap a lot. I wish I had pictures but I am too lazy to find them and scan them.

So which is my favourite? Whichever one I have at the time (except the Blazer - it was never my favourite - even when it was the only one). My first car I loved because it was a sign of adulthood and independence. The Nissan King Cab was so new and shiny and represented a move we were really looking forward too. I just really liked the Ciera and can't explain why. All the vans I loved because they could haul our kids spread out enough to limit fighting, had room for the dog and could pull a trailer. I loved the Saturn for it's low operating costs (remember for years we had driven full size vans). Funny that we never really owned or wanted a mini-van. For many it is an unwritten law - have kids, get mini-van. I like the SUV because it is easy to get in and out of but still economical (but it has cost us a lot of money lately). And my truck - I love my truck - but you'll have to wait a day or two for Part 2.

Niagara Falls

2010-05-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

Tori and I and her Dutch roomie spent 3 busy days in Niagara Falls. We had a great time and saw lots of attractions.
Tori and Jellien (ya/lean) enjoying some downtime.

The Laura Secord Homestead was closed so all we could do was peak in the windows. We also accidentally discovered her grave and it and the whole cemetery was in disrepair. It was a little disheartening that the history of the area is being forgotten while the shopping and casinos are promoted.

It is amazing how similar the girls look. Everyone understandably thought they were both my daughters. If Tori hadn't dyed her hair brown everyone would have thought they were twins. I can only post 5 pictures at a time so keep going for more pictures.

2010-05-02T11:46:00.000-07:00

The girls kept getting in trouble.

We hiked down the 300 or so steps to the Whirlpool.

And of course we saw the falls.

2010-05-02T11:18:00.000-07:00

We met lots of famous people.