Just Magnolia ... Week 28

 I finally managed to sit and play a bit this weekend and completed another challenge on Just Magnolia . This week it was a sketch by Martine and was another fun card to make .

At the rate I am doing these challenges , I should have enough of my Christmas cards done before I have to start mailing them away ! Thanks to the DT on Just Magnolia for such  awesome challenges every week !

A card for week 27 ... Bright and Zippy

 This week on Just Magnolia the challenge was to use a Magnolia stamp and bright and zippy paper ! Well I think Edwin fits the  image just perfectly as he is a bright and zippy kinda fella ! LOL !

This was a fun challenge and a little outside the box of what I usually do ! Although most of it doesn't show , I actually wove the strips of paper .... the promptly put my tag there !  I did use one of my Atyou Spica pens ( a beautiful red ) on my tag !

 Wonder what the next challenge holds ? I am loving this as I am actually getting something done and not under time pressure because I HAVE to get a card in the mail . My ready made box is starting to fill up too !

October challenge

for Little Stamp Shoppehere . October is Breast Cancer awareness month so the challenge is to do a pink card . I love my little Magnolia Tilda stamp as she is just too sweet ! Not sure WHY she is called 60's Tilda though !

So here is my card . I photoed her with and without her white spots as I was curious as to what you think . Does she look unfinished without her white spot ?

  I think I have already found a home for this card as a friend rolled her truck on the Columbia Icefields early Saturday morning and walked away though her truck is toast ! She is one lucky lady with a guardian angel looking out for her . Her last accident was 40 years ago when she hit a train ...................... and spent 6 months in the hospital ! I hope her aches and bruised leave quickly and she feels 100 % soon !

 And being it October ladies , perhaps it is time to schedule a full exam with your Dr and a mammogram ! Pays to be safe especially when it may save your life !

Just Magnolia challenge week 26

I have decide to join in the fun on JUST MAGNOLIA http://justmagnolia.blogspot.com/ again this week with  their sketch challenge for week 26 .I just love these cute stamps ( it has been said I am addicted to them and the Copics that I used to color Tilda and puppy with ! Who Me .... addicted ? LOL )

So grab your Magnolia stamps and your coloring tools ( doesn't have to be Copic markers ) and come join the fun ... you never know when you will get picked to win a prize ! Of course , I am always hoping I win it too .... so GAME ON !!!

 By the way , I used Tilda and puppy Magnolia stamp , Copics , Prima flowers and leaves , Martha Stewart lace punch , SU patterned paper , Bazzill cardstock , Peggy's Pretties and Stickles on my card !

Happy Thanksgiving !

 This year has definately been a year of blessing for us and I find myself reflecting over the memories , good and bad . The biggest blessing is my Dh's health is slowly restoring itself so we can move on with our lives together and enjoy everything .......  yes we still argue but nothing serious ! LOL !

 Yesterday I cooked a huge meal of turkey and ham plus the trimmings . For some reason I didn't feel stressed about it either which is really odd ! Family and a friend joined us for the meal and today I have a yummy pot of split pea soup on the stove to go with all the leftovers ( which really wasn't much considering what I had cooked ! ) . Nice to be able to kick back for the rest of the weekend and not have to wonder what to cook ! Total relaxation ~

 Now I hope to get in my craft area and do some fun stuff . I am sure DH will find a football or a hockey game ( or two or three ! ) to watch or his eyelids as it may be ! LOL !

 Thank you to my family and my friends that have supported us emotionally through the past year .... you truly are a blessing !

Happy Thanksgiving everybody !

Mom's birthday card

A cute Magnolia Tilda with flowers and a home made flower adorn my my Mom's birthday card . The flower was fun to make as I airbrushed the back of the punched flower shapes with my Copic marker as the paper was white on the back then I sprayed front and back with Angel Glittermist , let dry then put it all together ! It is actually very sparkly to see ! Here are the Copic markers I used to color Tilda with ....... though I may have forgot one or two ! I also used a glaze pen on the yellow roses and the leaves of the bouquet .

 Now I really have to go get her parcel wrapped and ready to send if it is going to get there in time for her birthday !

Fall is officially here !

Fall 2009 is officiallly here with cool mornings and fog ! Our little Delaney and Leah maple tree ( the girls gave it to us out of their yard ) has grown quite a bit this year and is slowly starting to fill out  . The leaves are really starting to change colors too .... so pretty but I wish it was a bit bigger !  Oh well , give it 10 more years and I doubt I will be saying that ! October is also our wedding anniversary . 36 years !Amazing to say the least and after the year we have had , I am grateful that we are able to celebrte it . We went out for dinner with good friends and had a great evening . The motorhome is now officially under cover and put to rest for the winter . Sad that the camping season has come to an end but it was a long one for us and we got to enjoy the unit much more then  we thought at the start of the year . hopefully next season we will actually be able to travel in it as DH should be feeling a whole lot better ! Here is hoping ! today we have a very warm day here as it is 16 C ! Odd for here but we will take each warm , sunny day as winter is not that far away !

How true this is

Thanks Sandi for sharing this with me ...... yes , growing up was fun and dangerous . We raided her Mother's fridge on a regular basis for cheddar cheese and crackers , drank a ton of Kool-aid , ate eggs right from her Mom's chickens .... climbed Giant's Head Mountain without supervision .... before we were even near being teenagers and were even known to go tobogganing on things that were metal ( like an old truck hood ! OOPS ) ........................... and we lived to tell the tale ! LOL !


Here's to US!!!!

No matter what our kids and the new generation think about us,

WE ARE AWESOME !!!!

OUR LIFE IS LIVING PROOF !!!!









To Those of Us Born

1930 - 1979









At the end of this email is a quote of the month by Jay Leno.. If you don't read anything else, please





read what he said..





Very well stated, Mr. Leno.









TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE

1930's, 40's, 50's,

60's and 70's!!





First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.









They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can and didn't get tested for diabetes.





Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered

with bright colored lead-base paints.









We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes,

we had baseball caps

not helmets on our heads.









As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, no booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes.









Riding in the back of a pick- up truck on a warm day was always a special treat.





We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle.









We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one actually died from this.









We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon. We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar. And, we weren't overweight.. WHY?





Because we were always outside playing...that's why!





We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on..





No one was able to reach us all day. And, we were OKAY.









We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps

and then ride them down the hill,

only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.









We did not have Play stations, Nintendo's and X-boxes. There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's,

no surround-sound or CD's,

no cell phones,

no personal computers,

no Internet and no chat rooms.









WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!









We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.



We would get spankings with wooden spoons, switches, ping pong paddles, or just a bare hand and no one would call child services to report abuse.





We ate worms and mud pies

made from dirt, and

the worms did not live in us forever.





We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes..









We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them.









Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team.

Those who didn't had to learn

to deal with disappointment.

Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!





These generations have produced some of the best

risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever.





The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.





We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all..









If YOU are one of them, CONGRATULATIONS!





You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good.









While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave and lucky their parents were.









Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it ?





~

The quote of the month is by

Jay Leno:





'With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?'





For those that prefer to think that God is not watching over us...go ahead and delete this.

For the rest of us...pass this on.



Thanks for the memories !!!!

September Magnolia challenge

I am just getting in under the wire for this months challenge on Little Stamp Shoppe  http://stampshoppe.wordpress.com/ . I LOVE this site as it is Canadian and the Magnolia stamps are carried by Heidi ! Great customer service too :-)

My card was made with one of the 3 layouts on the challenge that were supplied by Page Maps ... a great way to get the mojo flowing after being stagnate for so long ! This is the EDWIN in a Cap Stamp with Edwin's Town though I cut out just one stamp from the three house image !Peggy's Pretty's , Memento ink , Copics , Bazzill edges and Bazzill paper were used to create my card . The stamped images are on Neenah paper .... also carried by Little Stamp Shoppe .

Holiday .......... continued !

Our second week of our September holiday went well . Having all the problems with the RV repaired made for a much more relaxing week . We changed plans and didn't go with our original holiday but headed back south to see DD & her family for a couple of days . We stayed in a campground as the RV wouldn't fit in their driveway . Was a good relaxing few days ... even if the camp spots are tight ( after camping at CCC all summer where the spots are HUGE ! ) . Was great to see the kids . Aiden has grown so much maybe not in height but he is so funny ! He did an impression of Grandpa that had us all in stitches ! What a little clown ! The weather was AMAZING !!! On Wednesday it hit 30 C ! Unheard of for this area .... the bad thing was it was super windy all day so we couldn't leave our awning out and we had no shade where we were camping ! Did end up using the AC though ! LOL !

 Thursday we headed back up the highway to Hixon to camp in our favorite campsite ... it felt like we were going home ! LOL ! This time we decided to try another spot instead of #1 ...... LOVE the spot we were in .... #4 ! It was HUGE and the dogs couldn't see everything that was happening in the park so they didn't bark as much ! The campground owners Merv & Kim brought supper over to our RV on Thursday night ! How sweet was that ? We had a great visit  ! Friday Dh & I walked the creek and  all that had happened there since early Spring . Amazing what nature can do .....and I forgot my camera in the RV !

Friday evening our good friends came in with their unit so we spent Friday evening enjoying our campsite with them . Saturday we went to the local pub for lunch ( it is right across from the campground ! ) . Always some colorful local characters there ! Saturday evening we ended up having a potluck supper with Merv , Kim , Denis & Kathleen ........ was a lot of fun and there were a few that REALLY enjoyed the wine a bit more then the others ! LOL ! The weather has changed to Fall , cool , crisp evenings and mornings .... -4 C on Sunday .... oh joy !!!

  Well , Sunday found us wandering back home and the RV is being emptied , winterized and getting ready for storage this weekend ! The 2009 camping season is definitely over for us but it was a great one all things considered ! We couldn't have asked for better weather either .... even with those horrible storms at the start !!!

Looking forward to Camping 2010 !!!!!

A quick stop at home

We made a mad dash out of here on Monday afternoon as we had to take the RV down to the Valley so it could get some warranty work done . We stayed with MIL while the Taj was in the hospital ..... for 2 1/2  LONG days !!! I did get to go out with my cousin Lorraine and her daughter ( my second cousin )  Shellie and her daughter ( my 3rd cousin ) . Was great to see all of them and finally meet Miss Savannah . She definitely has a twinkle in her eye and is she going to give her parents a run for their money in about 13 years ( she is 3 ! ) . I think it is about 11 years since I have seen them but I sure enjoyed visiting them ! I promise next time will be a lot sooner then 11 years ! Friday afternoon found us wandering up the road in the Taj as she was given a clean bill of health ... and we we were a few dollars lighter !

 Our next stop was in Salmon Arm where my friend Lisa met us later in the day with her son Brayden . We had a short visit then went out for some fabulous Greek food ..............  YUMMY !!! Saturday Lisa came by and played tour guide for us . She drove us all over the Shuswap Lake area so we could check out camp spots ! Thanks Lisa for a fabulous time ! Later that evening Lisa , her hubby and son came for a visit ...... all I can say is two men are up the " 40 Creek " and both were feeling NO PAIN when the night ended ! We had such an enjoyable evening ! I can hardly wait for the next meeting as I will be sure to have the Tylenol ready for the next morning ! LOL !

 We headed out on Sunday morning and went up the Yellowhead Highway rather then Highway 97 which is riddled with construction zones , dirt and bumps ! Valemount was our stop for the day and it was sunny and warm there .... unusual as we usually have it very cold and windy there . It definitely cooled off during the night though . We did get some rain today though and it was just as we hit home ! Fall is definitely here as the trees are turning color  but we had to get passed McBride before we really noticed it . Fall colors are late this year !

 Tomorrow we are heading out again but we are heading down to see the grandkids ( well 3 of them ) as we decided that a quick jaunt to Prince Rupert just really wasn't how we wanted to see that country  ....... another trip to plan for a later time !


On the road again ........................... to be continued !

How confused is this !

This is my lilac bush that is in my backyard .... the crazy thing is BLOOMING again !! Doesn`t it know it is September and not June ? We have had a great summer so maybe it is confused as it hasn't cooled down yet nor have we had frost ( Whoopy !!! )And these are the " kids " one morning last week when it did get down to 2 C ........ they were all laying in the bed in front of the fireplace .... which was on !!!

Totally crazy !!!!

Fun Blog Candy

 I was  blog hopping and they are giving away some great blog candy ..... that isn't fattening ! Squiggle Stamps has the cutest stamps too :-)

http://squigglestamps.blogspot.com/2009/09/squiggle-candy.html

Getting organized

and a whole lot spoiled ! I finally found a system that is going to work well for my room that will keep it fairly neat and organized !  3 years ago I bought a desk from Best Scrapbook Shelf .com . What started out as desk purchase has turned into a work in progress for my tiny room . I have since added a paper tower ( they have been changed in design since I bought mine ) and a great double tower that houses my stamps and some other goodies ! still , I found my room was in total disarray and I couldn't find my desktop most of the time with paper , stamps and ink caddy and my tool caddy ! I finally ordered the hutch for my desk last month ( bare ) and added my own setup of drawers and shelves . I just bought 6 3.5" drawers with the hutch then rearranged my setup ! I am so pleased with the whole setup but still was having trouble accessing my markers  and pens . I found this great storage system by Quickutz called a Magpie Storage System and it works perfect to store my Copic markers within reach !!! I have my SU markers in a CTMH marker tower and my Glitter pens , Souffle pens and other fun pens in a SU marker holder !!! Nothing like mixing up brands but hey it works ! LOL !  I also have a Clip-It up that is loaded to hilt to hold my rubons , glittery things and anything else I could get on it ! Too bad I am about an inch too short for reaching the top tier comfortably and spend a lot of time standing on a stool ! I also have an ancient wall unit section that houses more stamps , my albums and my pocketbooks that are waiting to be read !!! 

So this is my CRAPPY ROOM where I can hide from the sports and I get to do my own thing .......

By the way , the desk has been rearranged again since these photos were taken ........................ it is ano ongoing process ......... like the buying and stashing of my " goodies " ...............

More Magnolia Stamp Cards

How cute are these Magnolia stamps ? I find that I can't seem to get enough of them and am having so much fun creating with them ! Are you getting tired of them yet ?

 Ribbon , lace , Prima flowers and leaves , some brads and Peggy's Pretties along with my Copic markers are getting a good workout lately !!!

You never know what I am going to play with next !!!

I WON !!!

 A set of stamps and a gift certicate from PaperWorks Company http://paperworksco.com/ for posting their BLINKIE is my side panel that was to introduce their newest stamp set ! Go visit their site to see it !

 Now I am off to some retail therapy on their site as I wouldn't want that GC to go stale !!!!!!! LOL ! Look out Copics , here I come !!!!

And lets hear it for .....

 Johnny Reid and Victoria Banks !   Not the greats photos but my camera battery died right after I snapped these photos .... and we were sitting a fair distance away ! Johnny Reid put on a very energetic show and his music is wondeful ...... He had the crowd eating out of his hands immediately as he actually went into the crowd the first song ..... something you don't see here very darn often . My biggest complaint of the evening was that the evening was way too short ! With Johnny's Scottish accent and such a very exuberant crowd it was a fun evening ......................... I think I had his song " Dance With Me " in my head for days after !!!!

 Victoria Banks was a great opening act and she did the whole 1/2 hr accoustically ! She put on a great show as well !

Shall we try AGAIN ......

to get a new card or two posted ! These little Magnolia stamp images are just so addictive as are the Sugar Nellies ! Got to love an evening of sitting and relaxing with stamps , the smell of ink and the radio blaring some GOOD music !

Isn't Edwin just the cutest like guy ?

TGIF ..................

 Just a cute Magnolia stamp to start today ! It is another Friday and I haven't a clue where the past couple weeks have gone ! DH is back into the swing of work and has been on his first 3 day road trip up North on business . He survived quite well as did I ! ( Did I say how much I enjoy my " Me " time ? ) . He is off with a friend to go salmon fishing off the west coast tonight so I may head to the RV as it is going to be 30 C here all weekend ! May as well enjoy our last HOT blast of summer while I can .

This week found me decluttering my scrappy room . It was such a mess and I have to find a little better organization for in there so I can actually move ! Seems that the darn room keeps shrinking .... something like my pants !!! I think we both need a diet of some sort ! LOL ! Next week may find some changes in that room . I was almost able to lose the PC out of there as it had died .... again ..... but DH insisted on getting it repaired ( I have my laptop so didn't care ! ) so that is some space I can not utilize ! Whaaaaaa  !

Have a GREAT WEEKEND and enjoy the last rays of summer !!

Reality week !

DH has gone back to work after 9 weeks of being off . It has been a good week for both of us with more structure to our days . .... more housework , dirty laundry and more noise ! We have some road construction going on behind our house on one of the busiest intersections ( and one with a high crash zone ! ) that is going on 24/7 !!!

But the best part of the week is I got to sit in my crappy room and actually play with some of the cutest stamps I have ever bought ! They are Magnolia stamps and I bought them at an online Canadian store called Little Stamp Shop at http://www.stampshoppe.ca/ .... Great service and a great collection of Magnolia stamps and Copic markers ....... another of my addictions ! LOL ! I have discovered that you can not have too many Magnolia stamps or Copic markers as there is always just one or two more you HAVE to have ! LOL ! But SHHHHHHHHHH ..... that is mine and your secret and DH doesn't need to know that one !

It is also hard to believe that summer is coming to an end so quickly . We are heading off to the RV tomorrow afternoon for the weekend . Hopefully the rain holds off as we are expecting company on Saturday and they are planning on tenting . Our RV is nice but crowded with extras staying in it . We will do what we have to though !

Enjoy your weekend and Happy crafting for those of you that are " HOOKED "

Timing is everything ......................

Thanks to Louise for this one ..... the timing couldn't be better .......... now we can laugh about the last few months !


ABOUT THE WRITER Dave Barry is a Pulitzer Prize-winning humor columnist for the Miami Herald.


Colonoscopy Journal: I called my friend Andy Sable, a gastroenterologist, to make an appointment for a colonoscopy.
A few days later, in his office, Andy showed me a color diagram of the colon, a lengthy organ that appears to go all over the place, at one point passing briefly through Minneapolis.
Then Andy explained the colonoscopy procedure to me in a thorough, reassuring and patient manner..
I nodded thoughtfully, but I didn't really hear anything he said, because my brain was shrieking, 'HE'S GOING TO STICK A TUBE 17,000 FEET UP YOUR BEHIND!'
I left Andy's office with some written instructions, and a prescription for a product called 'MoviPrep,' which comes in a box large enough to hold a microwave oven. I will discuss MoviPrep in detail later; for now suffice it to say that we must never allow it to fall into the hands of America's enemies.
I spent the next several days productively sitting around being nervous.
Then, on the day before my colonoscopy, I began my preparation. In accordance with my instructions, I didn't eat any solid food that day; all I had was chicken broth, which is basically water, only with less flavor.
Then, in the evening, I took the MoviPrep. You mix two packets of powder together in a one-liter plastic jug, then you fill it with lukewarm water. (For those unfamiliar with the metric system, a liter is about 32 gallons). Then you have to drink the whole jug. This takes about an hour, because MoviPrep tastes - and here I am being kind - like a mixture of goat spit and urinal cleanser, with just a hint of lemon.
The instructions for MoviPrep, clearly written by somebody with a great sense of humor, state that after you drink it, 'a loose, watery bowel movement may result.'
This is kind of like saying that after you jump off your roof, you may experience contact with the ground.
MoviPrep is a nuclear laxative. I don't want to be too graphic, here, but, have you ever seen a space-shuttle launch? This is pretty much the MoviPrep experience, with you as the shuttle. There are times when you wish the commode had a seat belt. You spend several hours pretty much confined to the bathroom, spurting violently. You eliminate everything. And then, when you figure you must be totally empty, you have to drink another liter of MoviPrep, at which point, as far as I can tell, your bowels travel into the future and start eliminating food that you have not even eaten yet.
After an action-packed evening, I finally got to sleep.
The next morning my wife drove me to the clinic. I was very nervous. Not only was I worried about the procedure, but I had been experiencing occasional return bouts of MoviPrep spurtage. I was thinking, 'What if I spurt on Andy?' How do you apologize to a friend for something like that? Flowers would not be enough.
At the clinic I had to sign many forms acknowledging that I understood and totally agreed with whatever the heck the forms said. Then they led me to a room full of other colonoscopy people, where I went inside a little curtained space and took off my clothes and put on one of those hospital garments designed by sadist perverts, the kind that, when you put it on, makes you feel even more naked than when you are actually naked..
Then a nurse named Eddie put a little needle in a vein in my left hand. Ordinarily I would have fainted, but Eddie was very good, and I was already lying down. Eddie also told me that some people put vodka in their MoviPrep. At first I was ticked off that I hadn't thought of this, but then I pondered what would happen if you got yourself too tipsy to make it to the bathroom, so you were staggering around in full Fire Hose Mode. You would have no choice but to burn your house.
When everything was ready, Eddie wheeled me into the procedure room, where Andy was waiting with a nurse and an anesthesiologist. I did not see the 17,000-foot tube, but I knew Andy had it hidden around there somewhere. I was seriously nervous at this point.
Andy had me roll over on my left side, and the anesthesiologist began hooking something up to the needle in my hand.
There was music playing in the room, and I realized that the song was 'Dancing Queen' by ABBA. I remarked to Andy that, of all the songs that could be playing during this particular procedure, 'Dancing Queen' had to be the least appropriate.
'You want me to turn it up?' said Andy, from somewhere behind me.
'Ha ha,' I said. And then it was time, the moment I had been dreading for more than a decade. If you are squeamish, prepare yourself, because I am going to tell you, in explicit detail, exactly what it was like.
I have no idea. Really. I slept through it. One moment, ABBA was yelling 'Dancing Queen, feel the beat of the tambourine,' and the next moment, I was back in the other room, waking up in a very mellow mood.
Andy was looking down at me and asking me how I felt. I felt excellent.. I felt even more excellent when Andy told me that It was all over, and that my colon had passed with flying colors. I have never been prouder of an internal organ.
On the subject of Colonoscopies... Colonoscopies are no joke, but these comments during the exam were quite humorous..... A physician claimed that the following are actual comments made by his patients (predominately male) while he was performing their colonoscopies:
1. 'Take it easy, Doc. You're boldly going where no man has gone before!'
2. 'Find Amelia Earhart yet?'
3. 'Can you hear me NOW?'
4. 'Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?'
5. 'You know, in Arkansas , we're now legally married.'
6. 'Any sign of the trapped miners, Chief?'
7. 'You put your left hand in, you take your left hand out...'
8. 'Hey! Now I know how a Muppet feels!'
9. 'If your hand doesn't fit, you must quit!'
10. 'Hey Doc, let me know if you find my dignity.'
11. 'You used to be an executive at Enron, didn't you?'

And the best one of all:

12. 'Could you write a note for my wife saying that my head is not up there?'


Now really , isn't it time to have your checkup ! Colon cancer is no laughing matter !!!!!

August already ?

I am not sure how this happened but August is here already ! Crazy !!!! Well after that crazy rainstorm we had in July and windstorm that went through a week later that knocked a few trees over in the campround ( thank heavens not on anything but the side of the highway and over a few paths and nobody was hurt ! ) summer arrived with a vengence ! Not since the 1880's has the North seen temperatures like we have seen for the past few weeks ..... + 30 C and higher ! No rain either so everything is tinder dry ! Scary if we get a thunder and lightening storm go through ! We are on a no campfire ban all over the province . As we just had a long weekend here , the campground was full all weekend . Only one idiot tried to have a " small " fire and got a blast from a fire extinquisher and evicted from the campground ! He didn't even plead that he was " ignorant " to the fact but said he figured it was a " small " fire so what did it it matter !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bet those people that have lost homes and businesses to a forest fire could give him a lecture ! SHEESH ! STUPID !

One thing about DH still being off recouperating , we have got to use the AC in the motorhome and be comfortable .... at least for a couple hours a day when the shade was almost non-existent around here . DH is recovering and is actually looking forward to returning to work on August 17th ......... and holidays soon after ! LOL ! ( Though I am sure those may get changed after the guilt sets in about all the work on his desk ! ) . Lots of changes happening with the company he works for as well so there may be some major changes happening there as well ........... we will roll with the changes whichever way they may go ! We have been through this 3 or 4 times already with the company over the past 30 years . What will happen , will happen !

Not sure when life will return to " normal " but we plan on relaxing here until the 16th of August then I may or may not stay on until after Labour Day . I may need some " ME " time ! LOL ! We have had a few trips in to home but not in any hurry to return for good either ! Winter was far too long and not that far away so we will just play this out as long as we can !

Enjoy the sun , play safe , travel safe and relax as summer is moving far to quickly !

Crazy Rain .................

Crazy weather hit July 5th , 2009 where we are camping . Thunder and lightening built around us all day and at 4 pm the sky opened up over us and let us know who was the BOSS ! For over an hour we had torrential downpouring with some hail thrown in for good measure ! It was crazy ! The owners flowerbeds were under water and we knicknamed it Canyon Creek Campround Lake .... even some crazy Canadian Geese with 3 goslings were going to check it out untill Momma Goose headed them all back into the creek when something scared here .

At the end of the storm the ski cleared off and by the weekend we were back into the 20 c degree weather and sun . We have never seen it rain so much here while we camped but the flowers all survived and they are no worse for wear other then some holey leaves from the hail and a few knocked off flowers .

A little rain and hail with thunder and lightening made for an interesting day and at least it wasn't a tornedo or hurricane or snow ................................ LOL !

Never underestimate Mother Nature !

Yikes !!!!!

Where is the time going ? DH had his surgery almost 5 weeks ago ( one month and 3 days ) and every day is a better day as he is getting stronger . Still fighting the infection in one of his staple sites but it is slowly clearing ........... not fast enough for his liking though ! He did get the okay to drive again though so we now have our vehicle at the campsite for our use ...... not that we are going far but it is the feeling of independence that brought a smile to DH ! We did take a quick trip down the road to get some groceries on Saturday and to visit the kids in Quesnel for a couple of hours . DH was completely exhausted by the time we got home though . It is times like this that make me wish I had been pushed at an earlier age to get my driver's license though . ( I am the world's worst passenger though and very uncomfortable at the thought of being another idiot driver on the road so I can't see it ever happening either ! ) .

We are enjoying our time at the campsite and are not looking forward to the reality of being home any time soon . Not sure how many more weeks we can sit here before DH gets the okay to go back to work but he sees the specialist on Monday next for a checkup and we may have a better idea when " normal " life returns . We have had a tremendous amount of company here though ! It is amazing the amount of people that just stop by on their way home from holidays or just pop down for a coffee ! We appreciate all the visits :-) Shannon brought some yummy goodies on Sunday when they stopped by and Rick & Afroulla brought us a container of Maine Maple Syrup today on their way home from their cross country trip to P.E.I . ................ tomorrow it will be sampled on our pancakes ! Thanks again everybody !

Our weather has been a real mixture of hot summer days to rain , coast like weather . We have had some fascinating thunder and lightening storms ( along with the hail that came with it ! ) go through as well . Thanks heavens we have only had one night where it didn't really cool off much ! We have lots of nice evenings to sit out around a campfire but DH is played out early so most nights we just sit and sip a cup of tea then head in . WILD TV has become DH's friend but I am not wild about the channel as it is all hunting shows ( not porn .... LOL ! ) and seriously hunting turkeys and geese is rather annoying ! LOL ! Thank heavens I have my laptop and a lot of books with me ! Today I even baked a cake ............................ DH was laughing as I don't even make them at home ! I noticed he ate more then his fair share of it though :-)

Have a great week everybody and I hope the sun shines where you live and you get out and make some memories !

Baby steps forward ......

What a week but it is getting better :-) DH came down with an infection in his incision but the increase in his antibiotics have made a world of difference . Tuesday he saw our family Dr whom gave the okay for us to go to the motor home and relax . ........ although DH had to be in town for an early morning appointment with him this morning . Youngest DS has been playing taxi for us so brought us down and stayed until last night when he and DH went back home for the night ( a quick 45 minute trip ) . DS then took DH to the Dr and for a few groceries and as DH got the okay to stay out here and not have to go on IV antibiotics , we will be here for awhile with just quick trips in to town for groceries and Dr appointments . DS brought him back down then went home again so after 3 weeks , DH and I actually have a few minutes alone with no family or " roommates " hovering or listening to what is being said ! Or we can just sit in silence and enjoy just knowing that we are there for each other ............... " in sickness and in health " . I have been playing nurse maid but am finding I don't mind the roll at all . I just do what has to be done .... with a little ( okay , a LOT ) of nagging :-) . DS will come back next week and taxi DH to the Dr and hopefully DH will feel strong enough to drive and get the okay to do so just so we have our truck here .

It is nice to see our kids have kicked in and been there when we have needed them the most . Oldest DS visited DH in the hospital at least twice a day and made a point of the evening visit to last a couple hours after everybody had left .... helped DH's evening move along . He has actually been by the house more then once since DH got home and makes a point of calling too . He is stopping by tomorrow morning just to bring DH something he forgot at home . DD was my shoulder and rock the first few days DH was in the hospital and she and her family brightened DH's Father's Days by being at the hospital before heading home after the girls swim meet . She calls every day to make sure things are okay . Youngest DS has been a big help by just being where we need him and when we do ............ guess that can be reversed too as he does live with us and is having his own health issues to contend with . Still, it is nice to have somebody that can drive us around ! ( yes , I still do not drive ! ) . Thanks to my Mother and Brother for phoning and keeping up on the happenings in our household .

The sun has shone and the temperature is rising here so hopefully we will see some summer over the next month or so . Not sure when DH is supposed to go back to work but he has to be strong enough before he even thinks about it ! Tomorrow night the owner of the campground is putting on fireworks for Canada Day ( July 1st ) and July 4th .......................... more because July 1st fell on a Wednesday and more people are here for the weekend ! As a matter of fact , the campground is full so it will be a busy weekend here . There are kids and dogs everywhere that my yappy Yorkies seem to think they need to bark at !!! Grrrr ! Little buggers ! LOL ! Mind you , the neighbor has 2 big dogs that bark just as much and then mine start ....... or the campground owners 2 Shelties get everybodies dogs barking !!! I can hardly wait for Monday and quiet ! LOL !

Hope everybody see some sunshine this weekend and enjoys life to the fullest !

Keeping the Faith

16 days since this all began with DH and his surgery and each day he grows a little stronger . Today we managed a short walk up the street and back . He is getting restless already so I can see some duct tape may come in handy to keep him down before too long ! Hopefully the monsoon rains leave as well so we can see the sun and some heat again so we can relax on the deck instead of being confined in the house . He has a Dr appointment later in the week and he is hoping to get the okay to go relax at the MH ..... at least he will be away from the temptation of doing something in the yard or with his truck . No word as to when he will be able to drive again either but he definitely isn't strong enough right now . He has been " waiting " for friends that were coming to visit last night and then another couple to show tonight .... and neither couple showed up nor phoned . It makes for a very long day of waiting .......................

My heart goes out to an online friend in the United States whose 32 year old husband has just been diagnosed with colon cancer . Jill , I am thinking a lot of you and your family and sending prayers that Jeremy comes through treatment with flying colors and that the two of you lead a long and happy life together raising you wonderful little sons . I know your faith will get you through this .

Seems that life takes a strange turn sometimes and it seems that just when you think life is rough for you then you find out that life for somebody else is even worse . Be thankful for your life , live for today , treasure yesterday and see tomorrow as a gift !

Just a few creations

Birthday and grad cards have filled in a bit of relaxing time . I can hardly wait to get back at it once things settle down here !

I love Penny Black stamps and these cute Sugar Nellie stamps I bought out of England .........

What a couple of weeks we have had .......

Sorry for not posting sooner but it has been a hairy couple of weeks here as DH went into the hospital for his surgery . It was a rough and rocking ride for him the past few weeks but he is on the mend . The Dr ended up taking 3/4 of his colon and reconnecting the leftover pieces which is awesome as he wouldn't have to have a bag .................. such a relief for him ! He did have a few complications post surgery and they were debating about going in and redoing the surgery ..... fortunately a CT scan ruled that out as the leak they figure he had healed itself . A few tense days to say the least but some very strong medications have made a huge difference and he is on the mend . A few more days and he should be seeing the EXIT sign on the hospital ..........

And the best news is the pathology report came back which showed no CANCER anywhere which is what our biggest fear was being DH's family history . His Father died of colon cancer 26 years ago . Medicine has come a long way !!

Once DH is strong enough we will head down to the MH ( which has been sitting waiting patiently for us to return ) and we will both recouperate and enjoy some down time .

Thanks for all the well wishes and support from my family and friends . I could not have survived without your shoulders when things got rough .

Life is good :-)

A night to remember

Thanks Kathleen
I lie awake waiting for you.>
As I lie on my bed, thinking about you, I feel this strong urge to grab you and squeeze you, because I can't forget last night. You came to me unexpectedly during the balmy and calm night, and what happened in my bed still leaves a tingling sensation in me. You appeared from nowhere and shamelessly, without any reservations, you lay on my naked body...
You sensed my indifference, so you applied your hungry mouth to me without any guilt or humiliation, and you nearly drove me crazy while you drained me.
Finally I went to sleep.
Today when I woke up, you were gone. I searched for you but to no avail, only the sheets bore witness to last night's events. My body still bears faint marks of your enthusiastic ravishing, making it harder to forget you. Tonight I will remain awake waiting for you......

… you frigging mosquito.


No mosquitos were hurt during this post ! DAMN !!!!

If you are reading this .......

then please leave a comment :-) LOL ! Cousin C on the Island ......... this means YOU !!!! Drop me a note and let me know how you and your family are !

My blog is my blog , a way to pass on news and share my crafting ..... it is not intended as a downer to anybody .... just my person thoughts . I am not great at keeping my BLOG up to date nor am I computer sauvy enough to make it pretty or change it in any shape or form ! It is what it is !!!! Seriously , I love the fancy BLOGS and would love one with the scrap paper , flowers and ribbons but have no idea how to go about changing this thing so will just have to go back to playing with real paper ! Heck , I can't even figure out how to digi-scrap which is pathetic considering I have digi kits , books and the photo editing program for it ! Sheesh .............

Well that is my whine of the week ..................................................

CHEERS !!!

Camping and a countdown .....

Dh was on holidays for a week after our Victoria Day long weekend . Being as he hasn't been well with the Chrone's Disease we decided just to go to our favorite close camping spot at Canyon Creek Campground . Our oldest came down and dropped the truck off so we could leave our motorhome parked for the summer . While there , our granddaughter Courteney got the most comfortable seat in the house and ended up with 2 dogs on her for the duration . Ryder is a Momma's boy and sat on me as he is very shy ! Not Mandy nor Tucker , they just made themselves at home where it was warm ...........................

The week brought a mixed bag of weather , rain , cool nights and just a mile up the road and in PG .... SNOW !!! Hard to believe it is MAY !!! By the end of the week the sky had cleared and we had some warm weather and sun ..... still cool at night though ! We had planned on another campsite but being as we planned on setting up the satellite dish ended up in the same spot as last year ...... and after much frustration , managed to catch the satellite so DH will have his TV all summmer .

Now I know you are asking why one would own a motorhome and end up parking it for the summer and WHY would we worry about TV when we are camping ..... well , first off , this is NOT how we had planned to spend our summer vacation parked just south of home ! BUT DH has a date for his surgery ... June 11th .......... so once he is home and feeling well enough , we are packing up the dogs and heading to motorhome so he can recouperate .... hence the TV ! He will relax away from home far better then being at home where he will want to work in the yard , wash his truck and go to work ! He will have anywhere from 6-12 weeks off work and in that time , he will NOT be able to lift anything ! Guess that leaves me to setting up camp ( though most is done with the MH already parked ) , haul in the laundry and the groceries ! Aught to be a delight :-) LOL ! Am looking forward to June and July just being over ............. not that I really want it over ... just the stress and the unknown ! Please send positive thoughts that this surgery is the answer and that by this time we can make those trips we had planned with the MH this year !!! I think life is going to change around here again ..................................... hopefully for the better !!!

Dh came home from holidays sick again and spent 2 days in bed . i think his staff is beginning to think he just likes extra time off ........ they don't know him very well if they think that ! This is the guy that leaves for work at 3:30 am every morning and works until 5 or 6 pm every night ..... and takes calls at home when he isn't in the office ! Could be why he is sick !!!!! I sure hope this changes after he has his surgery as otherwise he could end up sick again ! I keep telling him that it is the time in his life to start slowing down and getting ready for retirement .Maybe we can call this a trial retirement period !

We are heading down to the camp after work tomorrow for the weekend and I may stay for a day or two after . I don`t mind staying by myself and think I had better get some ME time while I can ......... LOL ! Maybe I will actually find time to read a book or two as I haven`t read one in over a month !!! That has to be a record as I love to read !

time to go relax as Tucker is !

Have a great week !!!! And don`t forget to send positive thoughts :-)

A few bumps to get over

This past couple weeks have been another challenge around here but the sun has come out , the snow has melted and the trees are almost in leaf ! I even have managed to do some cards while trying to relax ! Not an easy task so I have found out . I went to the Dr over my wrist and knee from that nasty fall I took in March and have been suffering from a sprained ( actually resprained as it was the same wrist I hurt when I fell on the ice in January ! ) wrist and I have pulled some ligaments and tendons under my knee and now have inflammation under my kneecap . Physio therapy seems to be helping but dang , I didn't realize how bad a shape I am in as simple exercises are hard to do ......... not from the pain but because I have no strength or muscle tone from being inactive for a long while !!!! It is a Catch 22 as too much walking on the leg after the fall helped it stay mobile but could have done damage because I was on it too much ! Oh well , I will get better . Don't have a choice as camping season is starting this weekend !

We got the motor home back from having the pre-season service done . We spent a lot of the weekend loading and organizing as we plan on spending a lot of DH's recouperation in it at our favorite campground . I put some toilet chemical in the toilet and went to flush the toilet ........ NO water !!!! All the switches were in the right position and there was water in the holding tank ! Dh tried everything to get it working but NOTHING !!! Finally we called a mobile RV guy in to come see what he could figure out as we have had nothing but problems with the business that did the preseason work ( and some warranty work ) . Doug came and fiddled around and was not getting anywhere getting water running inside the coach ! Finally we discussed exactly what the other business had done for dewinterizing when I remembered that the water filter had been removed and then replaced . Doug takes the filter out of the holder , turns it upside down and puts it back in the holder and back on the filtration system. I went in the coach , turned on the tap and VOILA !!!! WATER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The flipping filter was installed wrong which in turn shut down the whole water system ! Lesson learned and something we will definitely remember next time !!!! So Doug said to me that was a KISS project .................. KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL ! It is always the last place you look !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well now that DH has calmed down and the other business is getting a NICE bill .... they already have a piece of DH's mind and tongue ! ....... for this little repair , we are really looking forward to camping this weekend ! LOL !

Still nothing concrete about a surgery date for DH . Waiting sucks and he has had a bad week ! Worrying about the MH and when he will get called doesn't help !

Well that's all folks and until next time .............................. keep smiling , happy crafting and wish for some nice Spring weather !