The end of an era

This morning it's raining, but mild. My nose is still quite stuffed up but the body aches and chills are gone. I do however have four patches of exzema that are very sore, one badly infected. So I will try to get in to the walk in clinic this afternoon to get a prescription for some antibiotics. Okay, enough whining!
Yesterday, in between naps, I met Brenda up at the store. I hadn't thought about the fact that it was the second last day for it to be open. We had coffee and several people were there, some came and some went. Many people in the community drop in several times a day for coffee - and who can blame them. There's always someone to talk to, there are chairs to sit down on, and the coffee is only a quarter. But more than that, it serves as the social centre of the community. A lot of people are really going to miss this place. Today's drab weather just seems to add to the melancholy I know will be about the place today. I almost wished I needed gas today just to drop in and buy some for the last time.

When Brenda and I were there in the morning, Bernie called from Stratford Auto. Seems he needed a ride home as the car was in for service and needed more done than expected. So I went with Brenda for the drive. When we got back the three of us went inside for another coffee.
I then went home and had a three hour nap. When I woke up I felt a little better so I decided it was a good time to take the truck into town and get rid of the garbage in the back. I consistently miss my recycling day, and there was all the scraps from putting in the floors. I headed out and just as I passed the store, I saw Brenda going towards the store, so I turned around and went in and had yet another coffee. It was a little sad to be there at that point, as the fellow came in to take back the milk and dairy products that were not going to be sold. It just brought home the fact that it really is happening. I felt fortunate to have the opportunity to experience it one more time.
I had the opportunity to meet Dave's wife yesterday. I hadn't met her before. I know Dave is looking forward to his retirement and being able to do some traveling. Susan is looking for a job, but I'm sure she'll have no trouble.
Just don't be surprised to see the odd person sitting out on the bench on a sunny summer afternoon, just out of habit!

Thank you Dave, Susan and Thomas. I don't know any of you really well, but I wish you all the best.

I tried to run, but it caught me.

Every morning I wake up with a stuffed up nose, and sometimes accompanied by sneezing. It usually goes away by mid morning. I've been told it's something called 'chronic rhinitis' and I've had this now for a little over 30 years, so I'm pretty much used to it. The only trouble I have is determining if I have a cold. Yesterday it didn't go away mid morning as per usual, and when I went out at lunch I stopped into Shoppers Drug Mart and picked up some Neo Citron. Back to the office for a nice hot lemon drink, which helped considerably.
Fast forward to this morning and I woke up around 3:00 and I couldn't breathe out of my nose at all. By 8:00 I now know it's a cold - I feel like crap.
So it's a sick day for me. I feel guilty taking a sick day, as I'm only temporary but I really shouldn't worry about it. We have another person in our department who started the day before me, and I think he's probably been out sick 20 times, and no one seems to mind, so I guess I won't sweat it too much.

I've taken some more drugs and I'm going to meet Brenda up at the store. This will be the last time she can go there as she leaves for Toronto tomorrow. Tomorrow is the last day the store will be open. I was in last night to pay for my gas, and it's pretty empty inside. It will be a sad day for our little community as so many people congregate there on a daily basis to socialize, catch up on the news, and just to get out of the house. It really is unfortunate that they didn't find a buyer but it has some issues, and it would be tough for someone new to take it over. It's certainly going to be missed.

The community is planning a party for Dave and it's going to be on April 17th at the Fort Augustus Rec Centre. Brenda is working with a group of ladies to organize things. That's the day that Jana arrives so it will be entertaining for her, to see how we do things like that out here.

Yesterday I spoke with my quilting instructor and we have a class this Saturday. It's not a regular class, as last Saturday was the last class for this project. This one is a UFO class - UnfinishedObjects - a chance to bring in anything you're working on that you need help with. So I'll get the rest of the instructions for my project. While I was talking with her she asked if I had finished my first quilt, the yellow and purple one. I said no, it still needed the borders. She asked if I would bring it in to show some of the girls from her week day class. Some of them were a little hesitant to start the machine quilting on it and she was telling them all about mine, so she wants me to bring it on Saturday. I thought that was quite a compliment because she said she was telling the girls how beautiful mine turned out. But as I told her, it's just a reflection of the quality of the teacher. But I was pleased just the same.

I'm off to the store now, and then coming back and I think it will be time for a nap!

Back to work

I'm getting used to these long weekends. It seems I've had more than my fair share of Fridays off lately and this week will be no exception. I'm hoping the weather is a little milder so I can get outside and do some picking up around the yard. There are lots and lots of small branches that fell or blew off the trees over the winter and they're all over the place. It would be nice to be able to pile them all up and have a bonfire to get rid of them. Something about the nice weather just makes you want to get out there and do some cleaning up. This Saturday I need to take the truck in to town and drop off garbage at Island Waste Management. I consistently miss the recylcling pick up and have several bags of that stuff, as well as all the stuff from when Lloyd was here doing the floors. It will be nice to be rid of all that garbage as well.

I'm not sure if I have a quilting class on Saturday or not, I'll have to call Janice today and find out. Yesterday I finished all of my blocks. They turned out really great. Certainly not as dramatic as some of the others in our group, as my fabric was a little less contrasty, but I'm really pleased with the results. Now I need to find out how to proceed from here.

Over the long weekend I have some stuff to do inside, perhaps a little spring cleaning. I might also work on Meghan's quilt and get it finished. I have lots of things to keep me busy while Brenda is away and I have no one to go out and play with. But then again, we can't go skiing and it's way too cold to kayak yet, so I'd best get the cleaning stuff done before we have more interesting things to do. If the weather is good, I may take the dog out to the beach - he loves to go out there and run around and explore. It's great this time of year as no one is usually there.

Yesterday was a pretty lazy day for me. After getting the party stuff done in the morning, I spent four hours working on my quilt blocks. After that I had a little nap, then put some laundry in and spent about 5 hours catching up on missed episodes of Private Practice. Now I'm all up to date. It was a total waste of a late afternoon/evening but that's one of the pleasures of living alone. You can do totally self indulgent things like that.

My French Women eating habits took a bit of a beating this weekend. So now I'm starting over again. I had an egg and an english muffin and a bit of cheese for breakfast and I'll pick up a salad for lunch at the Superstore. I've taken a chicken breast out of the freezer for my dinner tonight.

I have a question that puzzled me over the weekend. How on earth do houses and forests burn down? Why is it they go up in smoke with one little spark, while you can have 4 inches of red hot coals piled under several pieces of dry wood, in an ideally contained environment and they won't burn? It makes no sense to me. I put wood into the stove on Friday night and when I got up on Saturday morning, every piece I put in was still completely in tact. So I got it going again, and when I got home from town on Saturday afternoon, it was still all there. Now, I've had no problem starting the fire or keeping it going all winter long, but this weekend it just didn't want to cooperate. I did finally get it going and have since kept it going, but it just made me wonder how exactly do things burn down?

I expect I may hear from Helen this morning regarding the crop day that I missed yesterday. I hope all had a good time. I must admit I haven't done a lot of scrapbooking since I've been here. I did cards at Christmas time but not much else. I need to get started on a project to jump start the creativity. Perhaps this weekend. I need to get some photos printed so I can work on some projects. I need to update my PEI book as I've not put in anything yet about buying the house. That seems like a good place to start.

Listen to me, it's early Monday morning and all I can think about so far this morning is the up coming long weekend!

Finally it's Sunday - the day of rest!

What a busy few says it's been. As I write this, I am sitting at my kitchen table, sipping on a cappuccino, listening to music and looking out at a beautiful frosty, but sunny morning view that I don't think I will ever get tired of. Did I mention it's 7:30 am and I've been up since 4:30? But it hasn't been wasted time. My kitchen is now all cleaned up, party dishes are all put away, and all is well.

Friday was a very busy pre-party day. I was up at 5:00 and had mini burger buns in the bread machine by 5:30. I worked all day on food for the party and was finished by 2:30. This gave me time to relax in a nice hot bath before dressing in my best 60's garb and heading out. I started loading the car at 5:00 and stopped by to pick up Brenda aka June Cleaver right after.
A very creative idea from her, who pointed out "Not everyone in the 60's was a dope smoking hippy" She looked great, with her dress, cardigan and pearls.

When we got to Tracey's house, we unloaded everything and got organized. You can imagine my surprise when Tracey opened her door and she was wearing the pair of jeans I saw on the wall at Froggy's. She said "You won't believe it, I walked into Froggy's and there was this pair of jeans on the wall". I unveiled mine from my long coat and said "I know, they wouldn't fit me" So we had quite a laugh about it when I told her I had taken a photo of them so I could copy them for mine.

Slowly people arrived and it's amazing how many people think of the sixties as the time of 'dope smoking hippies'. It seemed to be the predominant theme.

There was wine, games, food and lots of laughter and conversation. The food was well received but in all honesty it would have been a much more difficult job without Brenda there to help. She was amazing. She knew just what to do when and we worked together like we'd been doing this for a very long time. I felt bad that she ended up working so much but she says she enjoyed having something to do as she didn't know anyone. Once again she got home later than Ethan, around 12:30.

Then we dragged our sorry butts out of bed to go to the farmers market on Saturday morning. She called me around 8:20, she had just woken up and so had I and I picked her up shortly before 9:00 and headed to town. I didn't go to my quilting class as I didn't have any of my homework done and there was really no point in going. I'll touch base with Janice later when I get my blocks done. We actually have another day coming up when people can come in with unfinished projects and get help with them if needed.

After a tour of the market, a trip to Sobey's and then a stop at Timothy's for a quick coffee. On the way home, it was decided that I should stay for lunch. Saturday afternoon the boys are usually at home helping their dad, and Brenda's bus driving teacher was there as well, so that was their big meal for the day. Lloyd would have loved it - liver and bacon and onions. It was delicious, the conversation was great and it was all in all a really nice time. When we were finished the dishes and cleaning up, I headed home for a little nap - I had another party to go to on Satarday night.

I laid down on the couch around 2:30 and slept till 4:00 and didn't really get up till 4:30. Then I decided to check the email message regarding the time for the party, figuring it's 7 or 7:30 ish. Turns out it's 6:00. By now it's 4:45 and I have basil pinwheels to bake and a Caesar Salad to make. So I made the salad and while the pinwheels were baking I ran upstairs and got changed. I arrived at Rosie's a little after 6:30 so I wasn't too late. The pinwheels were devoured then we moved on to Spaghetti, salad, garlic bread, followed by birthday cake for one of the guests.

I enjoyed many conversations with some interesting people. Sarah works for Immigration and has just come back from spending a month in Haiti. She had some interesting stories. Rosie has another friend named Lorna whom I'd met last time but didn't really have the opportunity to chat with This time we talked quite and learned we have a bit in common, especially when it comes to ex husbands and that whole experience. I'm sure we'll continue the conversation at the next party.

I didn't stay too late, and got home around 10:30. Unfortunately I'd had a coffee at Rosie's so ended up staying awake till midnight watching "The First Wive's Club". I've seen it a couple of times, but it still makes me laugh.

This morinng I woke up at 4:00 for absolutely no reason what so ever, and when I was still awake at 4:30 I decided I might as well get up. I think there might be an afternoon nap in my future, but for now, I will haul out my quilting stuff and try to get some of my homework done!

One last note. My old scrapbooking gang are getting together today to work and just socialize. A big hello to all of you. I miss you guys and wish I could be there. Have a great day!

Back to the sixties

Tomorrow night is our staff party. Last night I planned the menu and made the shopping list. Today on my way home I will do the shopping then I can start food first thing in the morning. My biggest challenge was trying to come up with something to wear. I had decided to tie dye a t-shirt. But I don't have any dye, and I don't have a plain white t-shirt. So I went off in search of supplies after work. I didn't find any dye, and I couldn't find a plain white t-shirt. I went to Froggy's thinking they would have something and I found a tie dyed shirt of sorts, with some sort of advertising on it. But it would work. Not to mention the fact that it set me back $2.95. At Froggy's there was a pair of jeans hanging on the wall, with things drawn all over them. They were too small for me but I did have my camera with me so I took a picture of them. I've got a couple of pairs of jeans at home I never wear anymore (they don't stretch, a quality I desire in jeans these days). So I got one pair out of the closet and set to work with Meghan's markers. They turned out not too bad. I'll get someone to take a picture at the party tomorrow night. Then early this morning I woke up and remembered I had a Haight-Ashbury Park t-shirt that I bought in San Francisco. I think I may wear that instead. But I'll see when I get dressed, which one will work best.

This morning I am again volunteering with the Aboriginal Cultural event at UPEI. I was there yesterday from 12 till 2, then ended up spending another 45 minutes as someone didn't show up to man one of the draw tables. It was interesting to watch some of the dancing and drumming. But most of that was not in the area we were stationed. I was helping serve the food to the volunteers and performers. The mother of one of the native students made big pots of vegetable beef soup, and it was served along with bannock. I have to admit I did eat more than my share of the bannock, so none for me today.

This afternoon is my blood donor clinic at the sports centre. Not a lot of work is going to get done at my desk again today, and tomorrow I'm off!

I should also mention that I am invited to dine this evening at Chez Van Gaal when I get home from shopping, always a treat to have someone else cook for me. Then I may do a couple of things for the party tonight when I get home. The more I can do ahead, the better, but I have my list of what to prep ahead of time and what will need to be done at the party.

I have to admit I don't have my homework done for my quilting class on Saturday. The past two weeks have just been too busy. So I will have to watch and make notes of what to do to finish my project. I know Janice is NOT going to be pleased with me, but that's life.

More about French Women...

Yesterday I went out very far on that limb and announced that I am changing the way I eat. I knew that by making my intention public, I am now committed. Somehow it seems easier (okay, it's only been two days) knowing that people will be watching my progress. But I'm really going to give it a try. I'm quite intriqued by this whole notion. I had a healthy lunch at work yesterday, followed by a healthy supper, actually sitting at the table, with a very small glass of wine to accompany it. ( those French may be on to something!) I didn't feel the need to snack later in the evening, something I started doing over the winter, that was never my usual habit before. Today I have a healthy lunch packed, and we'll see where it goes from there.

This afternoon I am volunteering at a function at the University. The call came out through Campus Notices for volunteers for a Native Celebration that's taking place over the next two days. Tracey, my boss, told me they encourage staff to volunteer for things on campus, even it if means being away from your desk. So, I'm signed up for two hours today, and two hours again tomorrow. When I finish there tomorrow I head over to the Sports Centre to the blood donor clinic. It's been many years since I last donated blood, and I need to start doing that again. I saw a sign for an apherisis program here but when I called, they told me they no longer take plasma or platelets from any who has ever been pregnant. Not sure why that is, but that's a new ruling in the past few years. That's too bad, because I donated a lot of plasma and platelets in the past.

Friday is our staff social, and it was meant to be a murder/mystery. Unfortunately we've had a couple of people back out so we don't have enough to fill all the roles, so we are just doing a 60's themed party instead. It's at Tracey's house and she was stressing yesterday about the food, so I came up with a brilliant suggestion. Give me the day off, I'll do all the food, and then bring it to the party. She said she had thought of asking me earlier but didn't want to as it was my staff party too. I told her I totally didn't mind at all and would be happy to do it. So that's the plan. She's giving me the department credit card to do the shopping and I will be good to go. I had asked if I could invite a friend, since my spouse isn't available, and she said yes, so Brenda is coming to the party with me. It will be a fitting way to celebrate the end of her training. Then I have a party to go to at Rosie's on Saturday night. It's going to be a busy weekend.


Now more on those French Women:

Here is the list of what French women do and don't do.
If I can adapt even a few of these ideas, it will be an improvement to
my health and my lifestyle.

French women eat three meals a day.
French women adore fashion.
French women are stubborn individuals and don't follow mass movements.
French women avoid anything that demands too much effort for too little pleasure.
French women balance their food, drink, and movement on a week-by-week basis.
French women care enormously about the presentation of food. It matters to them how you look at it.
French women choose their own indulgences and compensations. They understand that little things count, both additions and subtractions, and that as an adult everyone is the keeper of her own equilibrium.
French women don't care for hard liquor.
French women don't diet.
French women don't eat "fat-free," "sugar-free," or anything artificially stripped of natural flavor. They go for the real thing in moderation.
French women don't get fat.
French women don't often weigh themselves, preferring to keep track with their hands, eyes, and clothes: "zipper syndrome."
French women don't snack all the time.
French women don’t watch much TV.
French women will dress to take out the garbage (you never know….)
French women drink water all day long.
French women eat and serve what's in season, for maximum flavor and value, and know availability does not equal quality.
French women eat for pleasure.
French women eat with all five senses, allowing less to seem like more.
French women enjoy going to market.
French women do enjoy wine regularly, but with meals and only a glass (or maybe two).
French women eschew extreme temperatures in what they consume, and enjoy fruits and vegetables bursting with flavor at room temperature, at which they prefer their water, too.
French women get a kick from Champagne, as an aperitif or with food, and don't need a special occasion to open a bottle.
French women typically think about good things to eat. American women typically worry about bad things to eat.
French women know one can go far with a great haircut, a bottle of Champagne and a divine perfume.
French women honor mealtime rituals and never eat standing up or on the run. Or in front of the TV.
French women love to sit at a café and do nothing but enjoy the moment

French women love bread and would never consider a life without carbs.
French women love chocolate, especially the dark, slightly bitter, silky stuff with its nutty aroma.
French women love to discover new flavors and are always experimenting with herbs, spices, and citrus juices to make a familiar dish seem new.
French women love to entertain at home.
French women love to laugh.
French women never let themselves be hungry.
French women never let themselves feel stuffed.
French women plan meals in advance and think in terms of menus (a list of little dishes) even at home).
French women eat smaller portions of more things. American women eat larger portions of fewer things.
French women take the stairs whenever possible.

French women think dining in is as sexy as dining out.
French women train their taste buds, and those of their young, from an early age.
French women eat more vegetables.
French women walk everywhere they can.

It's a long list, but a lot of these things really make sense to me. We'll see how it goes. The bonus part is, it doesn't say anything about actually having to speak French !

A new 'do'

Cooper has a new haircut. Let's just say there won't be any massive hair balls forming under the beds for quite some time. Yesterday I went to pick him up at the kennel and he was almost bald! He looks so funny when you first see him without his thick wooly coat. I was concerned that he may have put on weight over the winter but underneath all that hair, is a sleek, slim running machine! As soon as we drove in the driveway, Scoobi from next door was right there. He bounded out of the car and they spent the next 20 minutes racing around and around the house. When I went inside, every so often you would see a streak of movement go past the living room window, as the two of them raced around. I think they really missed each other. Scoobi had come over on Sunday night when I got home and I felt bad telling him that his buddy wasn't home. The house sure felt strange that night, without him there. It amazes me how much they factor into your daily routine. When I got to bed at night, he snuggles up beside me for a little cuddle, then he goes off and sleeps on the end of the bed for the rest of the night. Then in the morning, as soon as he senses that you're away, he comes back up beside you and has a little pat before I get up. Then it's downstairs to let him out, fill the wood stove then let him back in. Without that routine, your morning seems really out of wack. But then last night I sat and watched a bit of TV and he was in his spot on the couch with his head on my lap. Everything is back as it should be.

While I was away, I read a book I'd picked up at the used bookstore when Patti and I went there with the kids. It's a few years old, and I've seen it for a long time and always meant to read it, but just never did. Now seemed like a good time. It's called "French Women Don't Get Fat". It deals with the paradox that are French women. How can a society who dines mostly on butter, cream, rich sauces, lots of great cheeses, wonderful bread and fabulous wine, all be so slim. It's not earth shattering, but it was an interesting read, and a great motivator. Sitting in airports for hours on end with no distractions, gives you time to really look at things and realize where you can easily make some changes. It's hard cooking for one person. It shouldn't be, but a lot of the time you just don't bother. This book gives you a different spin on food. It was something I could really relate to on a lot of levels. I tend to throw something together, park myself in front of the TV and eat way too much food. When we were in the apartment, we rarely did that. Most of our meals were eaten at the table, with a table cloth, candles and music playing, and usually a glass of wine. Every meal was an event and you enjoyed it all. I need it to be that way again.
I need to eat more fruits and vegetables, and more fish than I do. Now that I've gone out on a limb and written this all down, it's out there for all to read, so now there is no turning back.

There is a list of things that French women do, and don't do, and I'd like that lifestyle. for example, they would never join a gym. They find that notion totally repulsive. Instead they do sit ups at home, and walk everywhere. They don't drink pop, or a lot of juice, prefering instead to drink lots and lots of water. They eat small meals, but they never go hungry, as they have little snacks in between - but snacks that we don't usually consider - a good piece of cheese, a small handful of nuts (full of antioxidants). They have a small glass of wine daily, but never by itself, always with a meal. I'll add to that list tomorrow. For today, I had a simple omelet for breakfast, I have brought my lunch of a salad, and a peeled and sliced orange, drizzled with a bit of honey (I had that Sunday night and it was delicious), a small piece of cheese and a handful of almonds for snacks. I have to go to a meeting tonight at a restaurant, so I will try to find something on the menu that is both healthy, and delicious. There is no counting calories, fat grams, carbs, nothing. Just healthy eating in moderation. Part of the problem is that I got on the scales at Lloyds (I don't have any) and I was horrified at what I weigh. So, it's time to make some changes to my lifestyle. It will take a while to adjust, but I need to think more about what I put into my body. I'm not getting any younger! But it's never too late.

My challenge now is to make Friday Feasts very healthy, so we can enjoy them without feeling guilty!

...And it's another Gold Medal for Canada....

...okay Cambridge. But what an exciting couple of days for one nine year old boy!

Saturday morning, Lloyd and I met with his airport buddies for an early breakfast, followed by a quick visit to Heather and Kim in Kitchener, then off to Newmarket for the Annual Regional Ability / Masters' Championships at the Magna Centre. Skaters were there from as far away as Thunder Bay, hosted by the Newmarket Speedskating Club. James is a member of the Cambridge club.

I am the first to admit I know nothing about speedskating and how it's scored, and Patti did try to explain a little. It isn't just who's fastest. There are several heats and your points are totaled at the end.

We arrived a little after lunch time to learn that he had come in second in the first heat of the Bantam boys. After each heat, you wait a long time till he skates again, so it was quality time with the kids, because lets face it, who wants to watch a bunch of kids (and adults) you don't know! I was surprised at the ages of some of those skaters. There were men and women on the ice who I'm sure were older than me. It's not the thought of getting on the ice, although that's scary enough, it's the idea of squeezing into one of those skin tight outfits and actually going out in public!
We were there for the second heat and it was very close, but he came in second again. Then another wait for a long time till the third and final heat. This one was a longer distance and my gosh it was exciting. He was back in about 3rd spot till near the end, then he made his move, and overtook second place, then first. He's a fast little skater, and if he can get into the lead, he's hard to catch. Sure enough, that's what he did. Well, let me tell you, there was a lot of screaming and cheering from our section of the stands. It was just too exciting to watch him cross that finish line first.

At that point he was done for the day, so Patti and Greg and the kids headed off to the Holiday Inn, and Lloyd and I met our friends Judi and Gail for dinner. A lovely time was had by all, with promises to meet next on the island.

Sunday I was flying home so was not able to attend the skating again, although I wish I'd been there. He had one more race, a much longer one, and he was a bit nervous about it. He came in third but the points he already had were enough to win him the gold medal in his age class. I called Patti on my way home from the airport on Sunday night and when I asked how the skating went, she said, "Here's James, he can tell you". What a thrill to have him tell me he won a gold medal! If he never wins another thing, it will still be a great memory for him. But I suspect he will be doing this again next year. Patti ordered a CD with photos that were taken during the event so I can't wait to see those. You were not allowed to take flash photos when the skaters were on the ice, so I had to take his picture up in the stands. But he was ever so happy to strike his best skater pose for me.

It's so funny to see this tiny, little kid out there on the ice. He's not very tall, and is very skinny. That skin tight suit you see them wearing, is baggy on James. But I suppose he'll grow into it.
I was disappointed to have missed it but I'm glad I was there for the one race that he did finish first.

Now it's Monday morning, and there is fresh snow on the ground. Not a lot, but just enough to make everything white again. But we are supposed to get rain later today, so hopefully that will take care of the new stuff and what's still left of the old snowbanks. I guess it's Mother Nature's way of letting us know is it still just March.

It was around 8:30 when I got home last night, so I haven't picked up the dog yet. I'll do that this afternoon. It felt really empty at the house last night without him there.
Once again Brenda bailed me out. I left the piece of paper with the name and phone number of the kennel in the car at the airport in Charlottetown. Of course the kennel isn't listed by the kennel name in the phone book and I only know the lady's first name is Lisa. I tried everything - internet at the airport, directory assistance, I called another kennel to see if they knew the name, I called Southport Animal Hospital and got the answering service. They said they would take my message but no one would be in till Monday. Then I called Brenda to see if by chance she might know - and of course she had the answer. It seems there's a poster at the store, so she called Thomas at the store, got the number, then she called the kennel for me to say I wouldn't be picking him up till Monday. Again, thank you Brenda. I should have learned by now that my first call should be to her.

Now it's back to work, after a busy but fun filled 3 days away.

The end of an era

Yesterday we said good bye to Frank Balnar, and like the man, it was with great style. The day dawned beautiful and sunny and warm. More like a day in May than one in mid-March. Lloyd and I arrived at the church at about 9:15 and some key people were already there in the parking lot, or just arriving. Kay and Steve, Jackie and Randy, Mike Mitton and his family, quickly followed by many familiar faces. We chatted outside for a few minutes then decided to make our way into the church. Neither of us had ever been inside Church of our lady, and it truly is a remarkable sight inside. As more and more people arrived, there were lots of conversations going on around us, people sharing their thoughts about what a wonderful man Frank was and what a difference he'd made in peoples lives. Everybody had a Frank story or two to share.

Finally the service started, and the procession slowly made it's way up the aisle to the front of the church. I tried not to cry, but Kristi was the one who pushed me over the edge. She was crying and looked so profoundly sad. You could plainly see from the faces of all the family, just how much he is going to be missed.

The service was lovely, in spite of most of us not quite knowing the proper way of doing things, and when to do them, but we made it through. Once it was over, and the procession made it's way outside, the family got into cars to follow the casket to Woodlawn Cemetery, for a private family burial. Everyone else was instructed to immediately go to the Cutten Club for the reception. I learned later that the procession of cars, made it's way past Queen and Palmer, the first building Frank and Grace bought, then in and around Twin Towers, the first building under the Balnar Management umbrella. I can't imagine anything more fitting.

Back at the Cutten Club, as was usual for any Balnar party, there was ample food and lots to drink. The chef at the Cutten Club has known the family for many years and really did an amazing job. The food was great and the presentation was fabulous. Frank would have loved it. After they arrived, Jana and Mike both spoke about their father, and a lot of us learned a few more things about Frank that we hadn't known. We all finished with a toast to Frank with shots of his favorite Scotch - Johnny Walker Blue Label.

It was a lovely afternoon, and one Frank would have deemed to be a total success. For me it was a chance to reconnect with some people and get to know some a little better. I had a lovely conversation with Irene Blachford, and spent quite some time chatting with Ineka (probably not spelled right) - George's wife. They had flown in from Halifax. In fact, she gave me her card and I am going to email her. I think Brenda and I will try and get together with them for coffee or something (George suggested a bowl of chowder - even better than coffee) when she and I are in Halifax in April.

We had arrived at the Club a little after 11:30 and didn't leave until around 4:00. I helped collect a few things at the end, pictures that were on display, etc. and put some of them into Lloyd's van when he got there ( unfortunately for him he had to go to work right after the service, so missed the entire reception).

After leaving there we headed out to Fran and Walt's for supper. A delicious turkey dinner with Pat and George and a visit later in the evening by Marlene Hawkins. Then finally back to Jana and Scott's to drop off the pictures and have a drink before saying good bye. It had been a very long day for them and I know we overstayed our welcome, but it was nice to just sit for a bit and chat about the day with Jana. But she's coming out to the island in April so we'll have lots of time to catch up then.

All in all, it was a lovely day, albeit a sad one, but a fitting way to say goodbye to a man who will be truly missed. As Jana said, he's probably up there already figuring out how to re-finance heaven!

It's going to be a busy day today

It's Friday morning at 6:30 Ontario time and Frank's funeral is in a few hours. Last night Lloyd and I went to the funeral home and it was very busy. We can only imagine how many people will be at the service today. Besides the family who were there, I saw several Balnar employees. Today there will literally be hundreds, as most will likely bring their spouses as well. It will be a very 'huggy' day. Everyone I met last night told me how good I looked, how relaxed, and that life on the east coast must really agree with me. Makes me wonder, how bad did I look when I was here? I saw Jana's mother in law, and she said the same thing, then added, "Jana must have worked you too hard". I assured her that wasn't the case. But what really surprised me, is that it's only been one year (really about 10 1/2 months since I actually left) and already there are faces I can't put a name to, that I should be able to.

There were so many flowers at the chapel, it was truly an indication of how much Frank was loved and respected. We made our way through the line of family, starting with Scott, Helen and Frank, then on to Mike and his family, Ryan and Kristi, then we got to Grace. She saw me and gave me a big hug and seemed genuinely glad to see me. Then I got to Jana, and as she hugged me, she whispered to me that I was the only person Grace had hugged - it had just been hand shakes for everyone. I'm not sure what that meant, but maybe by the fact that I'm now gone, somehow, in some small way, I represent a bit of the past. Maybe,for a brief moment, it was a way of connecting with that. Whatever it was, I will always remember that moment, and the fact that Jana pointed it out.

When we left the funeral home, we went out to a pub for a beer. Lloyd has become somewhat of a regular at Shakespeare Arms. But that led to reflections of past times at the Old Copper Kettle in Fergus, where we were more than a fixture. At one point in time, we were more like part of the decor, we were there so often. But as we reflected last night, the best part of the place was the fact that you could bring in your own beer mug, and Mike kept them on hooks above the bar. So whenever you came into the bar, he just reached up and got your mug and had your favorite beer poured before you even sat down. There was something very comforting in that familiarity, that sense of belonging, of being a part of something bigger.

I feel that about Balnar Management. I didn't get to look around at the dozens of pictures that were on display at the funeral home, but Lloyd did, and he mentioned later that I was in quite a few of them, and he was also in some. It's not till later on in our lives, I suppose, that we can reflect back and realize that maybe we did have some small impact on the lives of others.

I know today will be a day for lots of reflection and reconnecting. Everyone is curious about how things have turned out for me. I know more than a few were either jealous of my new adventure, but some also thought I was totally crazy. While I've seen the office staff once since I left, I've not seen any of the other staff, and a lot of them turned out for my going away party this time last year.

It's going to be a busy day.

Yesterday I left home a little later than usual and took Cooper to the kennel. He's not been to this one, but there were lots of dogs there, and even another Cocker Spaniel in the cage next to him. I left him with a new bone and a hug and I'm sure he'll be fine.
My morning was quite busy at work, and when I looked at the loads for my flight, the one open seat that was there the night before was now gone and the flight is over sold by one. Not good, so I went back in and chose another route, through Ottawa. This one was leaving 2 hours earlier and would get me into Toronto at about the same time as the later direct flight. So I changed my ticket and off I went. No problem getting on the first leg, and I had an assigned seat for the second. So I called Lloyd and told him I would be there for sure at 5:07. I had an hour and a half to wait in Ottawa, so after a trip to the ladies room, upon arrival in Ottawa, I came out into the hallway to hear them announcing final boarding call for the flight to Toronto. I raced down the hall (fortunately not that far) and got to the gate. I pulled out my boarding pass only to discover that this was flight 457 and my pass was for 459. So I asked if there was any room on this flight? Since I only had carry on luggage, she was able to put me on. Now I'll be in Toronto at 4:00. Quick call to Lloyd as I'm getting on to let him know, since the flight is only 40 minutes long, and it could take him longer than that to get to the airport from where ever he might be in the city. I was just getting off the plane, literally, when he called to say he was out front. Now that's timing.

We decided that since it's now close to rush hour, we would be best to go somewhere close by and have something to eat. We found a Montana's just down Airport road, where the food was hot, the beer was cold, and all was well. Not to mention the fact that it was 18 degrees outside.
Just a little taste of what we'll soon have at home. I can hardly wait, because Brenda and I would have been out kayaking in that (or she would at least be out on her bike!)

Spring arrives this weekend!!!!!!!

Another chapter of my life comes to a close

Tomorrow I will be flying to Ontario to attend Frank's funeral. It is almost one year since I moved away, and slowly chapters of my past life are closing as new ones open.

I remember the day I had my interview with Balnar Management. I was in Jana's office with Jana, Mike Mitton and Jackie. I felt I had answered all questions satisfactorily. But, there was one more hurdle to clear. Frank was away on vacation and I could not be hired until he met me and gave his approval. I was so intimidated, and nervous that this unknown man might not like me. I had felt so comfortable with everyone else in the company that I had met, but I still had to face 'the president'.

When we did finally meet, it was fine. He was very gracious, although quite blunt, as was his way. One thing with Frank, you always knew where you stood. He certainly didn't mince words and you always knew what he was feeling. I remember taking the vacancy report up to him on Tuesday mornings, and when it was bad news, I would hope that he was away from his desk, or I would try to drop it really quickly on his desk and make my get away, but he was shrewd, and it took a fraction of a second for his one good eye to zero in on the one number on the whole page that mattered to him. Then he would roar "What? This is bad" before I could navigate the 4 steps from his large, imposing desk, to the door. I know it wasn't aimed at me personally, but I now know the meaning of the term "Don't shoot the messenger".

Friday morning breakfasts were always my favorite. We would sit around the table in the kitchen and he would tell stories, and sometimes he'd have a joke or two. He loved to laugh, and he had a big booming laugh that you couldn't mistake. I remember one night Lloyd and I were at the movies in Guelph. It was a comedy, and at one particularly funny spot, the audience was all laughing and in the midst of the crowd, one laugh was unmistakable. I looked at Lloyd and I said, that's Frank Balnar. So I looked around the packed theatre and there he was, a few rows over. He was a presence wherever he was, even without being seen.

I consider myself to have been very fortunate to have shared a part of his life as well as his family. They were all so very good to me in the seven years I worked there. I started working there in November of 2001 and at Christmas time Mike Mitton called me into his office for a little 'sit down'. He informed me that I was getting a Christmas bonus. I was flabbergasted. I'd only been there little over a month but he told me that this was a great company, a very fair and generous company, and he was totally right. I had never worked for anyone like that before and I know I never will again. My experience level was not high when I took that job but they took a chance on me, and I learned so much. Balnar is a family business and when you work there, you truly feel like family. I'm not sure if everyone who works there realizes just how fortunate they are, but I know if they ever leave to go somewhere else, they will soon discover that not all employers are created the same.

I'm lucky, my new job is great and the people are wonderful, but it's not the same.
Back in the days when Frank was in the office everyday, usually at least once a month, he would come down and tell me to order in lunch for the office. It was a small thing, didn't really cost that much, but boy, what it did for team spirit. It's those little things that can really make a difference in an employees life.

Many times I came in to work to find just a sticky note on my desk from Jana, with a simple "Thank You" for some little thing I'd done. I don't know that she knows how much those little things mean to a person on an everyday basis. I had the pleasure of introducing Jana to scrapbooking. I'll always remember the time we worked on the scrap book for George and Kathy's 50th anniversary. We had stuff laid out all over the house it seems, and we would finish, 'just one more page' until it was way into the wee small hours of the morning. But we had a great time doing it and it was a memento that George and Kathy treasured.

Then there's Mike Balnar. Now, what can you say about Mike Balnar without laughing. I remember the first week I worked there, he introduced me to one of the contractors, as 'the glue that holds our office together'. That was truly the nicest thing anyone could ever say to someone in my position. The contractor in question asked me if I'd told Mike to F--- off yet. I told him I hadn't had that opportunity yet. And try as he might, I never had that chance in seven years.
When I think of Mike I remember the shopping trips at Christmas to pick up the alcohol and pop and supplies for the Christmas party. I will never, for the rest of my life, see a chocolate glazed donut without thinking of Mike.
Mike and I had a slightly different work relationship than most of the office. He would sometimes call me to come upstairs, and it was usually to show me a video or joke he'd received by email that, let's just say, would not be appropriate for the entire office.
And then who can ever forget the "New Kings on the Block" when Mike, Kay, Jan and I rappelled off the side of 55 King Street. It was an amazing experience, that both Kay and I really enjoyed, and we would never have done it if Mike hadn't got the ball rolling.

Frank's wife Grace, while not working in the office, was always part of the group. Many times she would come in with a special project for me. Whether it was typing up a letter, or doing place cards for her Christmas dinner or bridge club dinners, or even a friends wedding, I was always so happy to try to be of help. She's a very gracious lady and I think of her often. I received a really nice note from her at Christmas and I'm embarrassed that I haven't written back. I will make an effort to do that more often now, even just a note to say hello, how are things going. I know the past few years have not been easy ones for her and I can only hope that I could be as strong as her in a similar situation.

I have so many happy memories as I look over those seven years, and the opportunity I had to work with such a great group of people. I look forward to seeing everyone again at the funeral, as I know it will be a huge one. It's sad that as we get older, the only time we make an effort to get together, is at funerals. But I know Frank would want us all to be happy and have a laugh together.

So thank you Frank, for giving me that final seal of approval on that November day in 2001.

You will be greatly missed by a good many people.

It's time to say Good bye

It's been a very busy time but now it's time to say good bye.
Let's see, what have we done for the last couple of days. Sunday morning we were slow getting up but we had no real reason to be up early. Again it was beautiful and sunny. Greg calls every night to tell us that it's rainy and awful weather in Guelph. We had breakfast then headed out to Lakeside Beach. We were in search of some red sand for Meghan's teacher. It was quite chilly there and there's still lots of ice on the water - huge chunks that are washed right up onto the shore and a long way out into the water. We walked along the beach for a bit and looked for some shells. Unfortunately the sand at Lakeside isn't red. Contrary to what the advertisements might lead you to believe, not all the beaches have red sand. But we did find a really interesting piece of driftwood. It had been partially burned by someone attempting to have a bon fire on the beach, but one end is shaped a little like a seals head, and there's a knot in the wood right where the eye should be. Patti carried it to the car for me, and I'll put it into my flower garden when I make it this spring. That's one thing about this house that totally surprised me when I moved here - not a single flower bed on the place. But with moving in and getting settled last spring, I just didn't get to it, but for sure this spring.
Anyway, after we left Lakeside, we headed into town and Meghan and I went to see Alice in Wonderland at the movies, and Patti took James and Tristen swimming. When the movie, which was in 3-D, was over, we went and picked Patti and the boys up and went to The Old Triangle. It's an Irish Pub downtown on University Avenue. Every Sunday they have a jam session with traditional Irish music. It's all instrumental, lots of fiddles, etc, and it's very good. I thought it might be nice to expose the kids to something new. They loved it. We spent the afternoon there and didn't leave until almost 5:30. We had drinks, and food and the kids really seemed to enjoy the music.

On our way home, we saw Brenda walking down the road. She had spent the entire afternoon studying and was out for a walk to clear her head. We stopped and chatted with her, then we picked up another sled at her place. One of our crazy carpets seems to have gotten blown away at Christmas. The sharing of two carpets between three kids was not going so well. When I mentioned it to Brenda on Saturday night, she said she had two plastic sleds in her barn. Once again Van Gaal Sporting Goods has come to our rescue. (I had borrowed bicycles and kayaks from her in the summer when Petra was here from England). Now that the time had changed on Saturday night, the daylight lasts much longer. They went out in back somewhere. Meghan and Tristen didn't stay out too long but James was out for quite a while, with the dog.

Monday morning dawned, once again, bright and sunny. It was expected to be a little chillier and somewhat windier, but that was not the case early in the morning. It's been quite chilly first thing but it soon warms up.

Today was Cathy Lasby's birthday. She and I have known each other since public school at Brookville. I always try to call her on March 15th. We haven't talked since we had lunch before I moved here, so it was nice to catch up. She says she plans to make a visit to the island, and I really hope that happens. I'd love to share my new life with her.

After a leisurely morning, as we had no plans today, we finally headed out to Basin Head Beach in search of some 'singing sand'. It was quite vocal when Lloyd and I were there last September, but there was not a sound coming from it on Monday. I have no idea why, but we'll just have to go back again in the summer. The water on this part of the island has no ice whatsoever. The beach was totally deserted, as would be expected and we took a long walk. James found a sand dollar. I've been told that they are found here, but I've never seen one. When I mentioned it to Brenda, she said that she's never found one either. Apparently we have star fish as well, but we didn't find any of those.
After we left Basin Head, we drove along the north shore and made our way to Greenwich Beach. Patti and Greg had been to both beaches before when they were here but of course the kids wouldn't have remembered. She does remember that Basin Head was closed at the time due to some sort of construction.
Greenwich has a tower that you can climb up and the kids really enjoyed doing that. There's a wooden boardwalk out to the water, and unfortunately when we got to the end, it was closed off for the season. The end was barricaded off and the steps had been brought up from the shore, so you couldn't actually get down to the beach. So we headed out to go to town.

Once in town, our destination was a used bookstore on Queen Street. James has gotten into reading the Hardy Boys books. The older ones are out of print, and can only be found at used book store. He found two books and another Hardy Boys Detective Handbook. This one was quite a bit more expensive than the other two, but when we took it to the cash, she mentioned that it is quite rare, and they only get one in every three or four years. So we may have just found a treasure. It's interesting reading as it's really about fifty years old, and talks about police science being relatively new. Meghan and Tristen both got a book as well, and I found a couple for me. One was a book I've been meaning to get for some time called "French Women don't get fat" and explains why the French stay slim eating a diet heavy in cream and butter. (The key is moderation of course). But it also has some interesting recipes and a guide to eating better.
The second book is called "For my children's children" and it is a guide full of suggestions of how to start a journal that can be passed on to your grand children. It has lists of questions to answer, things that you would never think to write down, so that when you finish, there is a very comprehensive 'story' about who you really were - lots of tiny little details about you and your life. I thought it might be something fun to do. It's something you can just pick away at a little at a time.

From the bookstore to COWS - no trip to PEI is complete without a trip to COWS for ice cream. Needless to say, no one was going to be hungry any time soon (except Tristen, who's favorite saying is "I'm hungry", except of course for when he's "starving")

A quick stop at the grocery store, then to Froggy's then home.



Later in the evening, Meghan and I went over to Brenda's to return the sleds, and bring some cupcakes to Bernie. He told Meghan(2) that they could very well become good friends! Earlier in the day James had been looking through some pins I had, and I told him he could take any that he wanted. We found a Jaguar pin that I think I got from Mike Gibbs (that's a whole other story) and being as Brenda drives a Jag, we thought she should have that pin, so we took that as well. We had also found a cupcake kit at the book store that we thought Meghan(1) might like so we took that as well. It's quite cute, probably nothing new for her, but fun just the same. Meghan(2) thought that Meghan(1) would really like to have it.

Now it's Tuesday morning, and I'm on my way to work. They are flying out at 1:30 this afternoon, so I will meet them at the airport to say goodbye before they go. But I will be seeing them again on the weekend as it turns out. All in all, I think they enjoyed their stay here.

When I got home Monday afternoon, I got a call from Jana, who's in Mexico, telling me that her dad passed away that morning. I was very saddened to hear that and I immediately booked a flight out on Thursday afternoon. I can't not go to the funeral. The Balner family was so good to me when I worked there, you truly felt as though you were truly part of the family. Now it truly is a time to say good bye.

It's been a busy few days so far!

Thursday morning I went to Timothy's and for some unknown reason I was not able to hook up to the wireless internet. I was forced to just sit there and drink my coffee. I felt like I was wasting my entire morning. I was planning to help Sarah and Sjors hand out pizza to the students for their count down to convocation. Patti dropped James off and he helped, while she took the other two shopping. When we were done, I sent James across the parking lot to the pool to meet the others. After work, they all met me at work, and everyone wanted to drive home with me, so off Patti went, followed by me and three kids.

When we got home we all helped make supper garlic mashed potatoes, roast chicken thighs and corn. After supper was done and the dishes were washed, we sat down to a rousing game of 'Beatles Monopoly'. Unfortunately I lost my shirt, and James was the big winner.

Friday morning we got up early so we could have breakfast and head out to the beach. We were in search of red sand for Meghan's teacher. It was a bit chilly, but the sun was nice. Soon it was time to leave for the ski hill. We had made plans to go to Brookvale to try our hand at cross - country skiing. We rented skis for everyone. James had been once before so he was off and running on his own. Patti had Tristen and I had Meghan.

Unfortunately, the Olympics had been a huge influence on on her and what she thought cross country skiing should be. She was positive that you just stand there, and push with both poles at the same time and you miraculously go. No amount of suggesting alternate ways of doing things was going to work. Meghan can be very stubborn, and she was convinced she know best. But at the same time she was incredibly frustrated at not being able to get moving. We suggested to her several times that she didn't have to keep going, she could just wait for us to finish in the lodge, but she would have no part of that either. She was determined to learn to ski no matter how much she was hating it. Hopefully that perseverance will continue. She was very angry but she would not give up. " I hate cross country skiing, and I'm never doing it again in my whole life". "I wish I had a REAL teacher, instead of the two worst teachers in the whole world", "Why don't they call this cross country walking instead of skiing?". As you can see, it was not that much fun for Patti and I.

Then, when we were on a straight path, she and I were talking about why cross country skiing was invented. I explained to her about olden times when people needed to get from one place to another and the snow was too deep to walk on in the woods. And if a little girl wanted to go and visit her friend, who lived on the other side of the woods, she needed a way to get there. She thought about this for a bit and once she had some frame of reference it was like a light bulb went on. She is the kind of girl who needs to have explanations for things, to understand why something is the way it is. After that, she tried some of our suggestions, and suddenly it all fell into place. After a few minutes, she was zipping along the trails like she'd been doing this for ages.

After we finished skiing, we got some tubes and headed out to the sliding hill. We only had a short time there before it was time to go. On the way back to the car, Meghan was lamenting the fact that she couldn't go cross country skiing again today. I said I thought she didn't ever want to go again, and she just smiled and said "I loved it" .

Back into town, and a quick stop at Subway for something to eat, before we went home, as James and I had to head back to town right away to take in the PEI Rocket hockey game. Unfortunately they lost. But James did catch one of the frisbees that were being tossed out by the team mascot. And at intermission, he went to the gift shop and bought himself a pin. So the evening wasn't a total loss. After the game we stopped at Tim Horton's and had a hot chocolate and a donut.

Saturday morning dawned to yet another beautiful sunny day. I was up early to get ready for my full-day quilting class. I got away at 8:30 after making breakfast for James (2 sunnyside up eggs, with Hawaiian red salt and toast soldiers), an egg mcMuffin for Meghan, and one for me.

Patti and the kids went to Brookvale again this morning for down hill ski lessons at 10:30. When I got out of my class, and was at Sobey's Patti called to tell me they were on their way home.

Now, it's 8:00 pm and everyone as been fed, bathed and are getting ready for bed. Then it will be quiet at last!

They're here!!!

The troops have landed! And not quietly I might add. After spending the entire day travelling, they were a little wired. After picking them up at the airport, we headed to Stratford and a trip to the grocery store. While there we decided to make pizza for supper, so we picked up what we needed to make our own creations.

Second quick stop to Brenda and Bernie's to pick up the keys for the Neon, so Patti has a car to drive. I was able to transfer the insurance off the truck over to the car. Problem solved!

When we got home, we hauled the groceries and luggage into the house, amid dogs (Scoobie and Cooper) running and jumping everywhere, kids running and jumping everywhere, and general pandemonium!

Once inside, we all set to work helping make our pizza. Meghan sliced the mushrooms, James grated the cheese, Tristen spread the sauce on the crust, and mommy and Grandma pretty much just watched. James came up with a new rule for Grandma's house - if you don't help make dinner, you don't eat! We'll see how long that one lasts.

Ten minutes or so in the oven, and our dinner was ready. And what a dinner it was. We made two medium sized pizzas and there are only 3 small pieces left.

After dinner, Meghan and James got down the chess set and played a game while Tristen watched some kids shows we found on TV. Patti and I were looking at options for Lloyd to fly to South Africa. She's still working on that one.

By 10:00 everyone was exhausted so we all went off to bed. James slept in the hallway, in what he now calls "The Hockey Spot" because I put up a picture from the Globe and Mail of the Olympic hockey game. Tristen slept with his mom in the new room, and Meghan slept with me and Cooper.

I got up at 5:00 this morning and went downstairs and had my bath and got ready for work. Just as I was getting ready, Tristen came downstairs, so I turned on the TV for him and left him there. Everyone else was still asleep.

Later this morning Patti is dropping James off at UPEI and he's helping me hand out pizza to the students. We have a function going on in the Student Centre and he's going to help. Should be fun. The weaather is beautiful this morning. Bright sun, and promising to be above freezing for the next few days. I suspect if we are going to go to Brookvale, it better be tomorrow.

The excitement is mounting...

Last night I got a phone call - "Hello Grandma, it's me, Meghan". Seems we had to go on Skype so I could see her hamster. She's had Caramel for quite a while but now that she's coming down, it's critical that I see what her hamster looks like. They were quite excited about their trip today.
Then Tristen came on the phone. I asked him what he's doing tomorrow and he said "I'm going to visit my grandma". I asked him which grandma he was visiting and he replied "MY grandma" Then I asked if he was going to be visiting the grandma who lives in PEI and he said "Yes". I said,"THAT'S ME!" - then I think he finally made the connection. Then when we were on skype, he was very anxious to show me his new shirt. He's a funny little duck sometimes.
He's also a very laid back individual, as you can see from these pictures..

I think he's going to be the fashion critic in the family.
One day I was looking after them one morning and he was sick. He had been throwing up and was generally feeling very poorly. We were on the way to the bathroom, and you could tell he really didn't feel good, when he stopped in his tracks, turned around and looked at me and said very brightly "I like your shirt grandma". I was wearing a slightly different sweater but I was amazed that a three year old would make note of such a thing.

But then James has always been somewhat of a fashion critic as well. I was at a conference a couple of years ago and picked up a long denim jacket, with all kinds of bright colours on it. I really liked it and thought it looked quite attractive. One morning when the kids were over and I was driving them to school, I put on my new jacket, and James just looked me up and down then said "That's not a good look for you grandma". I guess I've been wearing mostly black for too long. That's all he's used to seeing me wear.

We have a busy time planned. The pool is open most days, there are two hockey games and the movies. James also wants to go cross country skiing as well. Brenda offered to let him try her boots as she has tiny little feet, so with some extra socks, we might get them to fit. We can also rent cross country skis at Brookvale. Hopefully the ski conditions will be good. It's still quite cold at night so I suspect they are still able to make snow. The snow should still be okay in the woods for while. I would love to be able to take him over to Dalvay, but we'll see.

It's a beautiful sunny morning this morning, though chilly, around minus 4, but it will go up to zero later today.

I didn't talk to Brenda last night, but I'll call her tonight and see how she's doing in her class. She's the only woman, so she has a slightly different slant on things than the men do. I know we won't be doing Friday Feast but maybe we can have her over one night and we can put the kids to bed early and the three of us can watch a movie or something.

We'll see how the week unfolds.

I thought I had it all figured out. I had a great plan where I was going to take the truck and leave her the car. It was a perfect plan until I was driving home from work last night, and it hit me like a ton of bricks - Patti can't drive a standard, and my new car is a standard. So much for planning! She'll have to use the truck, but that's okay, it does have the club cab so there are seats for everyone.

Earlier and earlier...

It's amazing to me how much of a difference the sunshine can make to your life. Now that the days are getting longer and the sun is coming up earlier, it really puts your morning off to a great start. Gone are the days when it's dark when you go to work, and dark when you get home. Now you can tell how bright a day it's going to be before you even get out of bed. There's something about the sun first thing in the morning that energizes you. You just want to get up and get to it (what ever 'it' might be). I get up around 5:00 and have my shower and by the time I go downstairs, and let the dog out, the sun is up and he's off exploring for at least a half hour or more. Even Cooper senses that Spring is in the air and he enjoys spending time outside. Don't get me wrong - he is totally all about keeping warm. All winter he lies on either of his two mats - one in front of the woodstove in the kitchen and one in front of the gas fireplace in the living room.
This past Sunday, it was lovely and warm in the sun, and when we got home from skiing, he was not the least bit interested in coming into the house. Instead he lay down on the patio stones by the back door and that's where he stayed until 5:15, when I had to coax him in with his supper. I know even he is really looking forward to warm spring weather.

I have learned about two more people who are reading this epic, from time to time. One is my friend Fran, who just got put onto it this past weekend when Lloyd was there for supper. The other one is my son-in-law, Greg, so welcome both of you! Patti tells me Greg sometimes gets home from work and will ask "Did you read what your mom wrote this morning?"
What a nice feeling to know that there are people out there who care about what I'm doing.

I have a message for a couple of people who were asking about becoming a follower and posting comments. After some trial and error one night, Brenda and I figured out you have to sign up to Google. On the main page, where the followers are shown, you just sign up as a Google friend. It only takes a minute, doesn't cost anything and it's a one time procedure. Once you have signed in, you can post yourself as a follower, and you can leave comments. I love reading the comments that people leave, so please feel free.

I talked to Patti last night, and told her that I have a quilting class all day on Saturday. But, I do have Friday and Monday off so that's not so bad. I need to spend a day finishing my quilt but I'm sure there will be the odd Saturday or Sunday between skiing and kayaking when I can get it done. I took it to class on Saturday and Janice held it up while I took a picture. Even without the borders on it yet, I'm still pretty pleased with it.

I'm not sure yet what we're doing while the kids are here. I'm going to check the pool schedule today, and I know Meghan wants to see the new Alice in Wonderland movie. I will probably take James to a PEI Rocket hockey game. They are playing on Friday night and again on Sunday afternoon.
we'll have to figure out which time works best for everyone. I'm not sure how much snow boarding or skiing will get done when they are here, but we'll see. If there's still snow on the side hill, that may work well for the crazy carpets. We had freezing rain last week and some places are quite slippery - ideal conditions for a sledding hill.


Only one more sleep till they get here!

A delightful evening at Chez Van Gaal!

What a wonderful evening! And Brenda did it all. I just browned the pork chops and provided the inspiration I suppose. I was in town on Saturday at my quilting class when I got a call from Brenda asking if I could bring over a table cloth if I had one big enough to fit her table. She also needed some tiny dishes for dips. Now I'm intrigued as there was also an inquiry into what to do with frozen puff pastry.

I went home, packed up my stuff, and headed over. She had made the filling for some sausage rolls that she saw on the CBC cooking show that she's been watching, and was rolling out the puff pastry when I got there. I have to say, these were far and away the best sausage rolls I've ever eaten.
She had the filling all prepared for the stuffed pork chops, the potatoes and vegetables were all prepped and ready to go on the stove.
There was nothing for me to do except marvel a what a great job she had done.
When the guests arrived, the table was set, the wine glasses polished, and everything looked so elegant.
Raymond and Marlene arrived and we baked and served the sausage rolls first. I can still taste those melt in your mouth little morsels!
The main course was the stuffed pork chops, garlic mashed potatoes, finished with a little sour cream, green onions and fresh parsley. Carrot and turnip sticks cooked then mixed together with a little butter, proved to be a hit as well. Marlene commented that it was as good, if not better, than meals they've had at the culinary institute.
Well done, Brenda!

I made a Rhubarb Bavarian for dessert, that was also well received. Meghan (1) I have included the recipe here for you as your mom says you really like rhubarb. It's easy to make and tastes really nice. It needs to set for a few hours so it's a great make ahead dessert. I did mine on Friday night.

Saturday's quilting class went well. I was planning to only make 3 squares but you can't do that with this pattern, so I may as well make an entire quilt. So this one will be for our bed, as we don't have one yet. I found a fabric I loved, with a dark background and a dark salmon pink flower and bright yellow dragon flies. I absolutely loved it. The contrasting fabric is a medium green that picks up some of the tones of the leaves in the floral print. I can't wait to see how the blocks come together.

Sunday dawned early, with bright sunshine streaming in my bedroom window at 6:30. It is such a motivator to wake up to that. I spent the morning doing laundry, tidying, etc to get ready for Patti and the kids. Then Brenda called around 10:00 and I got dressed and went over there for coffee and then we headed over to our property on Patti Lane, to ski. It was a bit of a challenge getting down to the river, but someone had been through before us pulling a sled or something, so we followed that pathway. It was just such a glorious day, it was too nice to stay inside all day. I took Cooper with me and he had a great time exploring all the wonders of the woods and the river. When we got back we stopped in to see Richard and Daralen. After a cup of tea, it was back home and back to work. But I must admit, I didn't accomplish nearly as much in the afternoon as I did in the morning, but I did get my homework done for next weeks quilting class.

This morning I've checked the weather network and they've taken the snow out of the forecast. Last wek it said we were in for 10 to 15 cms of snow on Tuesday, with another 5 to follow on Wednesday. Now that is gone, and replaced by a few flurries. It's not looking too great for James and his snowboard. But it is still cold at night so I think they might still be making snow out at the ski hill. We'll just have to take it a day at a time.

Here's the recipe for the Rhubarb Bavarian:

Base:
1 cup sifted flour ( I didn't bother)
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup softened butter or margarine

Topping:
4 cups diced rhubarb (I used frozen that was partially thawed)
1/4 cup water
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 envelopes unflavoured gelatin
1/3 cup cold water
red food colouring (optional - I didn't use)
1 cup whipping cream, whipped, or you could use whipped topping of your choice

Procedure: Base:
Combine dry ingredient. Cut in butter until mixture resembles course bread crumbs. Spread evenly in bottom of a greased 9 inch square pan (I actually used a 10 inch spring form pan with a sheet of parchment in the bottom and it worked great)
Bake at 350 ' until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Cool.
Topping:
Combine rhubarb,1/4 cup cold water, sugar and salt; simmer until rhubarb is tender, stirring occasionally. Soak gelatin in the 1/3 cup of water in a bowl. Add hot rhubarb. Stir until the gelatin is disolved. Add food colouring if desired. Chill until partially set, then fold in whipped cream. Spread onto base and chill until firm, at least 3 hours. I garnished mine with a little whipped cream but that too is optional.

It was firm enough I could easily remove the spring form pan sides, after running a paring knife around the sides. Then I put it onto a plate and I was able to carefully remove the parchment. But if you don't have a spring form pan, you could easily do it in the square pan. Meghan, if you don't have a spring form pan, please don't buy one. For some unknown reason, I have 3 - 10 inch pans, and I will gladly give you one the next time I see you.

Today is Brenda's first training day on her way to becoming a School Bus Driver. It was odd this morning driving by her place and not seeing her car. I look forward to hearing all about her day when I get home tonight!