Friday, October 31, 2008

WAHOO !!!!!

Wahoo !!! It's HALLOWE'EN !! It's sunny !! We put the puking pumpkin out on the step. I delivered sticky caramel apples this morning and have passed out licorice treats at the store. Tonight we will pick up our sweet baboos for TRICK or TREATING and make the rounds. I may wear a CAPE. ( love that cape - makes me feel fierce ...)
THIS IS THE FREAKIN' LIFE !!!!
I LOVE HALLOWE'EN !!!!

Thursday, October 30, 2008

SCARY STUFF ....

Yeah, it is scary .... not Hallowe'en but the fact that it is almost November, then December, then the year is done ! Wowsers !!! Now, I am not freaked out about Christmas - it comes & goes whether we are ready or not so I don't care - but I AM freaked out that another year has flown by. No make that RUSHED by at BREAKNECK SPEED !!! Where the heck did it go ???
But why am I worried ? Did I have an assignment to pass in ? Are my goals and projects going to
be verified by some big task master and I'll fail 2008 because I was too busy HAVING FUN ??? Who cares then ?! Yes, I did have tons of fun ... I believe that the ordinary day to day can always be left til later but the chance to see a friend , go on an adventure, or do something really fun ... those things are fleeting. The opportunity comes & goes, the laundry or dishes will always be there. So I have no regrets but I want time to slow down - I enjoy every day so much that I don't want them to spin crazily past ... SLOW DOWN !!! Let me savour you !!!
P.S. Here's something exciting ... chance of flurries tonight !!! I LOVE the first snow .... and the second, and the third .....
Happy Hallowe'en all you lovely spooky ghoulies !!!

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Whew !!

Wow !! What a WHIRLWIND of WONDERFUL !!! My birthday was 3 days long preceded by a Hallowe'en party - is that AWESOME or WHAT ??!!! One would have thought that Sunday was really enough but no ... there was more !!! Skully & I were going to go out for a lunch but that too was a decoy. It was actually a surprise lunch at Spoonsters with Skully, Hattie Bit, and "Susan". There was delish soup,desserts, and even more presents ... talk about SPOILED !!! We had a great afternoon laughing & JUST PLAIN BEING !
Then dinner at the folks with more cake, presents, ... Lovely. So the birthday comes to an end but it was all wonderful.
So last night was our Bead & Eat ... a group of us get together once a month to bead, eat, and chat. Okay, chat, bead, and eat. More like it. I have to admit that I have had the same bracelet on my tray for the last 3 B&Es... last night I held it up many times, stretched it out, pretended to work on it ... but I actually just wanted to be there with all these wonderful people & enjoy their company. I had no beading goals. But, I digress ( what's new ??!) . Anyway, when snack time came, I heard the refrains of the Happy Birthday song ... and VOILA ! a carrot cake with candles appeared. How wonderful are these people ??? Anyway, another great evening with great people.
Tonight I hope to make candy apples for my pals and chill a bit . The pace has been fast but oh, so exciting !!
MY LIFE ROCKS !!!

Monday, October 27, 2008

ABSOLUTE PERFECTION !!!



That is what this weekend was . Perfect. Absolutely perfect.


Saturday night was our Annual Pumpkin Carving party ( done it twice in a row, that makes it annual...). Our friends gathered to carve pumpkins & decorate cakes all in pursuit of the fabulously valuable and much coveted medals. The ages ranged from 7 to ...older ... But age meant nothing !! The pumpkins were carved - and oh, my ! The bar was raised this year ! - and the cakes were coated with icing & then mounded with candies, sprinkles, and sugar. We had a few new people to the contest this year - and one totally new to all of us - and they joined in like old pros . They even came prepared (okay, the second trip...) with templates, hair and teeth. Food was served, prizes were awarded,there was some vote fixing..., a birthday cake & wishes were served to our friend Bao, and then .... A PERFORMANCE BY THE BAND ... with guest members. So much laughing - an excellent singing & playing. We are definitely at THE TOP OF OUR GAME !!!


It was such a great evening - being with these people that we love and just having fun.


Then came Sunday ... what were we going to do on this warm October day ... not sure. Charlie said he had to give Arnie a hand with something so off we went. SURPRISE !!! It was actually a road trip ... oh, and such a good one ! Six of us piled in the truck and we were off. Six of my favourite people in the whole world and we had the whole day ahead of us. We went to see the wonderful, magical, storybook stone houses. It really felt like a splendid Lilliput village. I would not have been one bit surprised to see an Oompa Loompa come out of any door. Inside they were again truly storybook - red gingham & calico, tiny round chairs, dishes all in bright colours, ... "Alice ?? Are you and the Mad Hatter in there ?" MAGICAL !!!


But the day did not end there. We went to the BARN !!! I have never been, always wanted to go. WISH GRANTED !!! Paulette was so kind to open up so we could go in ... and to feed the hungry Charlie ... She has beautiful things & I came home with a little pile of special treasures. An album was added to the pile as a free gift so that will be the basis for my "Perfect Weekend" book. THEN, MORE ... off to The Port for an excellent dinner . Then back to Myleta & Arnie's for cake and presents. THE CAKE - yummy real true old fashioned vanilla cake with pink frosting. Now THAT'S a birthday cake !!! And the presents - such wonderful thoughtful and hysterically funny gifts !! I am not going to be one of these people who say presents don't matter - who doesn't really love a great present ? And these were awesome - they were all so well made or so well chosen and each one meant so much. I LOVE them !!


So , see what I mean about the perfect weekend ? My days were filled with activity, exploration, creativity, and laughter. I spent the whole time with Charlie who fills me with happiness and all these special friends. It really doesn't get any better. My life is so great & each day is only better . I cannot ask for more !

Friday, October 24, 2008

Toast ... does it know how good it's got it ?

Last night we made a little journey to New Minas. Hunter/Gatherers that we are, we came home with a bunch of stuff. Great stuff .... cork tiles to make a bulletin board, a pink file box, pecans, mascara, a CD player for our travelling gigs, a reading lamp with elephants on the base ... you know, the NECCESSITIES . But we got a little something SPECIAL ... a new electric blanket !
We have very little (ok, none!) heat in our bedroom so we have an electric blanket that we turn on an hour or so before we snuggle down to dreamland ... But they really only seem to last about a year & then they are really just an ugly coloured blanket that has a bit of strange stiffness. No heat. No snuggle power. So a new one it is !!!
So last night we put the lovely new navy blanket on the bed, put on clean flannel sheets, set it on high and wandered off to watch TV. About 1 am we toddle off to bed, slip in ... and ......... Ahhhhh.
I began to think "This must be what bread feels when it slips into the toaster". Does bread know how good it's life is ? I doubt bread has ever thought about it - but it should !
That's all .

Thursday, October 23, 2008

okay ... here's a little thought ....

I was watching my favourite show last night ( or my "family" as Charlie calls them ...) John & Kate +8 and I had an epiphany ... well , maybe not an epiphany, but a real AHA moment. Kate said that they needed to try to parent more from love than from anger. Hmmm ... think about that. Instead of reacting to what annoys you, you should train yourself to react to what makes you happy, soothes you, pleases you, etc ... ( well that was my take on it anyway!) Now I am not trying to tell anyone how to parent since it isn't something I have ever taken on, nor have I wanted to. But I have been trying to be like this in my life without really having it put into words. Thank you, Kate !!
I have always complimented parents on well behaved children because I think that is so important. But lately I have been really living every day this way myself ... or at least trying. I savour the happy moments & the relationships that create them. I thank people for their kindness. I tell people that I love them. I send notes (emails...) to say how great something was. This isn't to be some freaky Emily Post - this is to relive the happiness & make sure others know what they do for me and what they mean to me. I want to leave this world with all those that I care about knowing that I care about them. No grey area. There is no better time than now to tell others that you care & to reflect on all the GOOD in your life. It seems to magnify it by , oh I don't know, at least a GAZILLION !!!
Now I'm also not saying that people & things don't PISS ME OFF but I am trying to not let that have the same importance as the people & things that make me blissfully happy - because why should they get as much airplay ??!!! Would you rather eat the food that you hate or the food that you love ?? Well, same thing ... spend the time on the happy bits and give the cold shoulder to the yucky bits.
Its all a work in progress but I can honestly say that my life is profoundly different now - and I thank Kate for putting into words why !

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

aah, It's a Mermaid's Life !


Oh, what a fun evening ! The first ever Mermaid Cocktail party was held on Saturday night.
We decorated Hattie Bit's house in a mermaid theme - sea shells, glittery blues & greens, mermaids, flickering candles, sea-sparkly fabrics, fish lights, ... It was beautiful !!
Then we made pitchers of drinks - all based on colour of course !- and set up the bar with little umbrellas ( Because life is too short to not have little umbrellas, says the magnet on my fridge ...) and fluffy fruit picks thanks to Mona & Bonnie. The food was then piled on the table & the guests began to arrive. Fifteen of us in total !!
Some of them brought instruments, some made instruments, some had made special jewelry ... it was lovely !!
We served drinks, played a few fun games, laughed, ate , drank , and then we ENTERTAINED ! That may be a loose term for what we did but we ourselves were certainly entertained !! There's something very liberating about a long flowing PURPLE wig !!!
Sadly the evening came to an end. We passed out free passes to the "Feel Good Bus" as the mermaids went out the door. It was so much fun to spend an evening getting to know other women who have that same zest for life. Women got so involved in working, careers, and doing "it all" that we seem to have forgotten to have friends and just enjoy. So forget all that other stuff ... take a good look at your life, make a concerted effort to make some friends, and schedule in a little fun ... you will love yourself for it !!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

THANKSgiving Weekend














What a lovely weekend ... truly something to give thanks for .... the weather was AMAZING. It was that beautiful warm, sun dappled, golden kind of weekend that makes fall so special. You know you HAVE to be outside to soak it up and that there is a limit to how many of these beautiful days that will be left. It was heavenly !!

I am thankful for these things from this weekend :
* the gorgeous sun & warmth
* the beautiful treasure of coloured leaves. More beautiful than jewels!
* mango gelato at Cara Mia
* some great finds while shopping - clear glass balls, great glitter, some super little spangles for
our party "cupcakes", a WHOLE FREAKIN BAG of cake decorations for Hallowe'en.
* the Pumpkin Regatta at Windsor & running in to our lovely friends there !!
* the beautiful cookies made by the lady from Windsor - they feed your soul as much as they
do your tummy !
* did I mention the weather ???
* a day of puttering. Blissful !!

And , on a sadder note, I learned this morning that we lost from this world a very special person named Dena. I met Dena years ago when she was receiving treatment for cancer and a customer & mutual friend thought she might enjoy cross stitching to fill the time. She was a lovely person & I rooted for her in her fight against cancer. Every time I saw her & she seemed well, my heart did a little happy dance. She had a few more battles but won them. She was just a lovely person & full of life. I would see her now & again (cross stitch wasn't the great solution ...) and was always thrilled to see her & to see her doing so well. By this time she had taken up beading & was getting ready for a craft sale & asked to borrow my display forms. When she returned them, she apologized for being late but explained that she had just been diagnosed again but that there was no solution or hope. I don't think I will ever forget that day - us standing in the store hugging & crying and , really, her being the strongest one. I marvelled at her. Then came an invitation to her 40th birthday party, the one doctors said she would never have. We went & it was maybe the most beautiful party I've ever been to. There was food & cake, Elvis impersonators, a band, dancing, balloons, flowers, presents, wine, fireworks, and PINK everywhere. It was Dena's favourite colour. As favours, she passed out little cards with a poem she had written & a message. The message was that if you were there you had touched her life in some way & she thanked you. She also wanted you to live every day to its best , enjoy life, and that she would see us all again someday. That was a year ago. Although I only met her about 5 or 6 years ago, and I didn't know lots about her, she was an inspiration to me. I was humbled when I saw her because she was so "Dena". She made it clear to me that we all have to love & live to the fullest. And she did. Her life was an amazing example of how to do that. Thank you Dena & may you be at peace.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

OKAY ... 2nd post in one day. But ENOUGH ALREADY !!!

Okay, I think I have a fish stink curse or something today .... I come to work to my find a hole in my store window. A NUT ( like nut&bolt nut) was through the window. So ... sorry profit ... won't be seeing you this week. Then I realize that I didn't bring any lunch for us. But there is a loaf of bread so we're okay. BUT there is a fruit fly in the bread bag. Charlie doesn't care but I do. He can eat fruit fly sandwiches if he wants but not me. So I opt for another bowl of yogurt & granola. Somehow my hand FREAKS out and I dump the WHOLE BOWL towards the floor. I say towards because not much of it actually fell on the floor. It instead glopped on all the power cords, plugs, phone lines, speaker wires, and spare phones that are on that section of floor. WHAT A MESS !!!
I wipe it all up, get the vacuum and promptly suck up a loose piece of carpet thread and the vacuum is STUCK to the floor. Sheesh !
In the midst of this I wait on a customer who tells me to have a nice day. I thank her & return the sentiment but IN MY HEAD I am thinking this : "Thanks, but I thought it over this morning, and I opted for a totally f*cked up day instead. But maybe tomorrow."
But ... I had a lovely time with my band this morning & I didn't get electrocuted cleaning yogurt off plugs & adaptors so I refuse to see this as a bad day !! BUT GO AWAY FISH STINK CURSE !!!!

FISHY WISHY makes my stomach SQUISHY

Okay, I don't like seafood. EXCEPT ... haddie bits & haddock fish&chips in thin batter/crumb. That I LOVE !!! But every few years I go crazy or senile or just plain stupid and think that maybe I secretly do like fish and I am going to cook some. Now how I am keeping that secret from myself, I don't know & I really SHOULD question that part - but I don't.
So there is a perfectly lovely fish man who sets up beside the store every other Wednesday. His truck is like a little store & VERY CLEAN. NO SMELL. This all played into my DELUSION. I bought haddock last night to cook for supper. Then he gave Charlie a sturgeon steak. Again, NO SMELL. Home we go ( after many delays & side tracks - story of my life !) . I dredge the fish in an egg, dip in Panko crumbs (love those little crispy suckers !!) and lemon pepper. I fry it until golden brown - still no smell. It looks yummy. I put the UGLY sturgeon steak in the pan & it begins to cook ... and SMELL !!!! Now, don't get me wrong, not a bad fishy smell but a sea smell like I was out on the SS Minnow ... but it is a smell none the less. And , as most people know, I am a smeller - I smell everything ...paper, food, clothes, my hands, other people's hands, my cats, ... I have to sniff it all. And, not bragging, but I have en excellent sense of smell ... I am almost a freakin' robot when it comes to smells. So smells are a huge part of my sensory perception and anything a weeeeee bit strong or not-enjoyable-by-me is TOO MUCH. I was gagging but decided that I was being a baby and, anyway, I wasn't eating that shit ...oops STURGEON. So I plate up my food (after washing the flipper and before Charlie could touch the ugly with it). I sit down , take one bite, I HATE FISH. I made KD for me.
Then the NIGHT OF LONG SMELLS began. The house smelled, my hands smelled, my shirt smelled, my water bottle smelled, ugh .... I sprayed Fabreeze, I lit a candle, I sprayed that old toxic -make your eyes water- bathroom spray. Charlie said "Well, our eyes will soon be burnt out". "At least we won't be able to see the stink" was my very clever retort. He had to go to town at 9pm so I happily went to breathe fresh un-stunk-up air. When I came back, the wall of stink misery hit me. Charlie says he couldn't even smell it. I am desperately hoping that the stink will be gone by our Hallowe'en party in 16 days ...
Later I looked in the fridge for my water. Not there. I asked Charlie if he knew where it was. Comedian that he is, he answered "Oh, I didn't put it away because I didn't want to stink up the whole fridge." hahahaha... He doesn't understand the curse of the gifted sniffer.
So I have realized something ... I still don't like fish.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

My, How The Days Fly By .....


Hello !! It's been several days since I posted. Time flies by ... and posts do not fly onto the computer when you are AT HOME with dial up.
We did make the voyage to the big city on Saturday & had a lovely day. Got some things for the Hallowe'en Party and the Mermaid Party. Super !! All in all, a nice day !!
We stopped on the way home to make sure everything was a go with the Hallowe'en Party - had to consult with my "Co-Planner" Brandon. Yes, it was a go ... so let the prep begin !
The next day was a great day at home - puttering, reading, cooking, then a little trip out into the real world. Then BLISSFUL MONDAY !!! I stayed home again & it was awesome. I read, watched some great Hallowe'en party TV, organized my craft room, measured for shelves & racks, played with the kittens, typed up stuff, planned a few projects, and just plain revelled in being HOME. These photos show you what a day at home looks like ... can't you feel the BLISS ???
I am really loving all the people speaking out these days with the ABC campaign (Anyone But Conservative) ... Danny Williams of Nfld has led the charge, now David Suzuki is advocating the same type of voting, a group of musicians including Sarah Harmer & Ed from Bare Naked Ladies have done a song for it, and the list goes on & on ... I LOVE Canada and have always been soooo proud to be Canadian. But I am dismayed & sometimes embarrassed to say so these days ... Canada is not what it was. We are in a war , we are sacrificing soldiers in a battle that goes nowhere, we are not leading the charge to make the world a better place, and we are talking about environmental targets in 2050. Come on ! This is not the glorious red & white maple leaf forever Canada that I love. So I too am on the ABC bandwagon - always have been. If you know me, you know that I wear a pin of Stephen Harper with devil horns ... and THAT I AM proud of !!
Have a great day ... and give some thought to what kind of Canada you want to live in.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Week ... GONE IN A BLUR ... Weekend Approaching

Wow, where has the week gone ? I remember a shiny Tuesday when I stayed home ... and read ... but the rest is a blur. There was a fun party planning evening with some of the Mermaids ... there were several nights getting home from work at 9:30 PM... but where is the rest of it ? And where are the witty stories about what was done ??? Nowhere. Hmm.

Oh well ... the weekend is approaching. Some of my pals are off on a FAB weekend of paper/friend bliss and I am so thrilled for them. They will fill up their creative souls, I am sure.
I am SORT OF planning or hoping for a Saturday afternoon in Halifax. I am jonesing for a little wander through Carsand Mosher's aisles of loveliness .... don't need anything but when did that ever matter ?! And then a stroll through Michael's for Hallowe'en items. Never can have too many !! And Home Sense ( our adoption agency for GARGOYLES !) always has AWESOME stuff. And I need a cardigan because I feel WONDERFUL FALL CRISPNESS out there. Lovely.

oooh phone just rang ... warning call from my beloved ... "Do NOT go to the greencart"
me : "Maggots ?" Beloved : "Balls & balls of them. Thousands. DO NOT GO".
You know you're loved when you get THE WARNING. Thanks Hon !!

Back to my plans ... here's a secret plan for next week ... I am going to try to stay home AGAIN ... maybe 2 days !!! WAHOO !!! I am wondering where we (women) went wrong. "Oh, I want to work" and " I need to work outside the home to be fulfilled" Yeah ... fulfilled up to the exhaustion mark !! To make me feel whole & fulfilled , I need time at home doing things I love to do. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the store & my customers. And it is a job of my own creation - lots of people work at bad jobs & I've done that too - so I am grateful. But I am saying that it eats up 6 days of my week ... and last time I checked, there were only 7 . So that leaves very little .... So this winter it changes !! I will work harder & smarter when I am there and build in this time at home to satisfy my inner "creator" ... she's tired of being on permanent hiatus !!
Have a great MAGGOT FREE weekend !!!

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

A day at HOME !!!

Yesterday I stayed home. I worked really hard on Monday and STAYED HOME TUESDAY !! That's big for me. I plan to do it more this winter. I really LOVE IT !!!
I got up at 8am and got showered & dressed - I hate to sleep in - to me that seems like I am wasting my precious time !! Then my wonderful stay-at-home day started. I did some householdy type things then made breakfast. I decided to read after breakfast. It was the first thing on my mental list of "Luxurious Stay-at-Home Stuff". I was reading "The Friday Night Knitting Club" and had been really enjoying it. I read ALL MORNING. Then I had lunch, called a pal, and decided I would read a bit more ... Then the book took a DRAMATIC I-NEVER-SAW-IT-COMING moment. I was hooked. I read on and on. I wept, I wailed, I threw my head back & sobbed .... oh my. Then I made dinner. The day was done. I had read all day !!! But, oh, it was delicious !!
The book, by the way, is really good. EMOTIONAL but good. I love stories about people ... and these are the kind of people I like. The characters are a group of women who hold each other up and make each other better. There are women who need help and women who are strong. And eventually those who are strong also realize they need help too. And the ones who need help become strong when needed . It was very much like real life & I loved those women , warts and all. It made me think of my lovely supportive circle of friends and the gratitude & love I have for them all.
Later that night, I watched Oprah which I rarely ever do. But I saw that it was about Christina Applegate & her breast cancer fight. I admire her very much. So I watched it and I saw Nancy Brinker (I believe) who started the Susan G Komen fund in honour of her sister. That is the organization that started the whole thing - the pink movement, the Walk/Run for the Cure, and the huge movement of women supporting women. More tears. (Weepy day !) But it was an honour to see the woman who I feel created a huge "sisterhood" of hope, love, and support. Amazing.
So , all in all, a GREAT day of reading, reflection, and utter gratitude. Here's to the women of the world !!

... a few of my favourite things ...