And so the saga continues ..................

Farewell to Tigger the cat ! All 22 lbs of him . Unfortunately he went ballistic and tried to eat the son's leg and we were afraid he would turn on the dogs next . The son is on meds for the bites and scratches and the cat has gone over the rainbow bridge . We will miss him but not the cat hair ! All this while DH and I were taking a few days away ...... it is getting so we can't go away that something doesn't happen ! Uggg ! Dh & I went to Salmon Arm for a visit with my good friend Lisa and her husband . Unfortunately her husband had to head off to work out of town so we only visited briefly with him . We did have a nice visit with Lisa and Brayden and went to Boston Pizza for supper with them . Next time we head in that direction we hope to spend a bit more then 18 hours in the area ! Then on to visit MIL for a couple days . I think I was hoodwinked into going ............ with BIG promises of a holiday further south ( which we never made it that far ! ) ! DH wasn't feeling great so we actually headed up to Kamloops for a day to just do whatever . Their shopping sucks as bad as it does here though ................... never even bought anything :-( Was nice to get out of Winterland for a bit though ! We came back and a LOT of snow had melted though it will still be a few weeks before it is completely gone here . DH has spent the past few days in bed as the trip wasn't the best idea for him !

This morning DH had a meeting with the specialist and is being booked for surgery ( probably towards the end of May , early June ) . The surgery wouldn't be as evasive as we first thought but the recovery could still be up to 2 months or more .... depending on what they find when they get in there too ! Chrone's Disease sucks regardless to any way you look at it ! The good news is the drs feel the surgery will " cure " a lot of the pain and problems and may never reoccur ! I sure hope so as the past 2 years have been a nightmare . Maybe next year we will get on that BIG motorhome trip to the Yukon as all holiday plans have been cancelled as of today for this summer . I think we will just park the MH south of town for the summer .... far enough away from home to be relaxing ( though they are doing bridge and road work right there so it may NOT be quiet ! ) but close enough if we need to get home quickly .

I am trying to get refocused and do some of my hobbies . I have done a few cards but seem to be more sitting reading then anything ! I can hardly wait until it is warm enough to sit on the deck and read .... then I can use that as an excuse NOT to do anything inside ( because who wants to be inside when it is nice outside ? LOL )

Have a grat week and may the sun shine on you all week and make you smile !

Another year older

Another year has passed and I celebrated my birthday yesterday . What a crazy year it has been with lots of stress , some fun and a whole lot of love . Hopefully this year will find a whole lot of changes and all for the better . I am still not considered a senior so don't get any great deals anywhere either ! LOL !

So , as I start a new year , I thought it would be fun to reflect on a few past memories of my life so far !

I am the second daughter in my family . I have one living sister that is older and a younger living brother . We lost a sister in 1966 and that lost molded all our lives in a different direction then if she would have lived . But that is past history and nothing can be done to change that history ... yes , it still hurts to remember her but something we have learned to live with .One can not live on the " what if's " or the " if it had never happened " ........

I was named after my Uncle Donald Evan my name is Donna Elaine .... I was born on my Uncle Francis' birthday whom promised me a pink convertible when I turned 21 ... I am STILL waiting ! Wonder if he remembers saying that ! LOL ! Uncle Donald used to pop in to visit when I was little and being he was in the Canadian Armed Forces that could have been any time of the day or night and any time of the year . He never lived in our town when we were growing up but I remember seeing him at least a couple times of year . Mainly I remember his dark curly hair and that he wasn't much taller then my Mother ! Don't get me wrong , he isn't the only Uncle I have ...... there is my Uncle Jack and Uncle Francis on my Dad's side while on my Mom's side I had Uncle Bob ( who loved nothing better then feeding my kids chocolate marshmellow cookies ) and Uncle Gordon ( whom I knew to hide the liquor from REALLY well !!! LOL ) . They were all a part of growing up as were my aunts Edith & Toots ( plus my Uncle's wives ) .... and the kazillion cousins I have ! A few relatives have past on but I remember them with fond memories .

I met and married my husband when I was 18 and have been married to him for 35 years . We have 3 wondeful kids and between then we have been given 5 grandchildren ... all with beautiful brown eyes .... that have enriched our lives . I love to spoil them all so much !

Dh & I have always had a love for camping . We started out with a tent , have done the old travel trailer , tent trailer , new trailer and are now on to the bigger toy in a 30' motorhome . It is our mansion on wheels .... great for a weekend or a few weeks away ! Would I ever consider living in it fulltime ........ not on your LIFE !!!!!!!!!!!!! It is nice but still I like the comfort of my home . Do I like to travel ? .... NO , not really but I go and enjoy myself . I love to see different things , just don't like the drive to get there ! The motorhome is actually very comfortable to travel in .... I LOVE that I can see over the top of cars and see what is coming at us !!!!!! LOL ! Actually it is nice to be able to see things we miss travelling in the truck ... like the ditches or over the banks ........................................ Let's hope the snow melts really fast and we get to play in a month from now !

The main thing I have learned over all these years is to grasp life with both hands and hang on tight . Life isn't always the smooth ride we hoped for but it is full of curves and bumps . It is about falling and picking yourself up and keep moving forward not living in the past . It is remembering the day you got married , holding your children in your arms the very first time , their first smile , their first step , them giving you grandchildren and remember holding those children for the first time ........................ it is about birthdays and smiles ........................................ it is about LIVING !

SMILE ! Today is the first day of the rest of your life ......................... enjoy the ride !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bad Blogger :-)

Snow at Vancouver airport ...... only to arrive home to sun and -20 ! Sheesh it is March !

A quick trip to the coast to see family .... quite unexpected or planned but I flew down and spent a few days .... out of the snow and cold ! Well sort of ! Spent one day with my brother and we had a great day as we hit the neatst store in Vancouver called the Gourmet Warehouse , looks of food stuffs , kitchenware and gift ideas ! Too bad I didn't have a huge suitcase to fill and and unlimited credit card because I could have done a LOT of damage to it in that store ! Then we went down to catch the seabus over to Lonsdale Quay for a quick walk around and some lunch . We were lucky to be inside as it started raining ( It is North Vancouver after all ! ) . Back on the seabus to Vancouver and a tour of Gastown ....... but just a part of it as I wanted to go to Stanley Park and walk the seawall . The sun had come out and it was beautiful so wanted to enjoy the rest of the day outside . we stopped at the point and I discovered that I had a dead battery in my camera !!!! The charged one was in my suitcase which was not with us ! Uck !!! I can not believe the downfall from the windstorms there and the distruction it had caused . The parks board is cleaning and rebuilding as fast as they can though . Then off to Second Beach where we climbed down what felt like a kazillion steps to get to the seawall so we could walk over to Siwash Rock ..... only we didn't get there . Seems I am a bit of a klutz and walked off the path right onto my face .... face planted right onto the walking path !!!! So little brother and a nice man picked me up and got me to a bench ( Oh I was sooooooooooo embarassed ! ) where I gathered my brain together and took off my glasses which took the brunt of the fall .... they are toast but at least it wasn't my face ! ....... and I dinged my knee really well too ! So Brother got me back up those zillion steps and back to his place where I sat on the recliner for the rest of the evening with an ice pack on the swollen knee . The next day we headed up valley to my parents and sister's where I spent a couple days . loks of walking there ... or limping as the case may be as it was back and forth between one place and the other . I did manage to walk around Cultus Lake with my sister and BIL one afternoon . I have never been there and it was nice to see ........ between snowflakes ! We had a blizzard go through while we were up there ( what is it with the SNOW this year ? ) ... so we couldn't see across the lake or much of it actually ! LOL ! After a nice turkey dinner with all the family I headed back with Brother to his place and we walked in Colony Farms ........ what a nice place to walk even though there was ice on the ponds ....at least there was no snow .... at that point !!!! When I left Vancouver the next morning we sat on the tarmac for over an hour waiting to de-iced due to the snowstorm that went through !!!!!!!!!! YUCK !!!! I got home to COLD weather and a mound of dirty laundry !!!! Guess DH doesn't know HOW to do that job nor how to clean a bathroom sink !!!!!!!!!!!! YUCK !!!!!!!

Last week was spent cleaning the house and trying to organize a bit more ...... and reading as I am still pretty bruised and stiff in the knee . Our little grandson turned 2 on the 12th so we headed down to see him yesterday with his gifts .DH was in Ottawa for a couple days so we couldn't go sooner . We left here in a snowstorm and had crappy roads part of the way . They were clear for the trip home . Was nice to seee DD and her family and Aiden seemed to really enjoy the Thomas the Train stuff we gave him ! DH is home today as he is having another bad bout of Chrone's .............. this never seems to end !!!!!

Well that is my life in the past bit in a nutshell ................................... now it is time to get back to creating some cards and maybe even getting some srapbooking done !

What a week ...........................

and another one that promises to be busy !

Good news finally on DH from his specialist in Vancouver ................. all his tests came back clear and it looks like surgery is not going to have to happen this year ! Just a change in medication for now and watching what he eats and drinks should help . Time will tell though he seems to be his own worse enemy by sabbotaging the diet on a daily basis . Why is it when we know we can't have we think we can ...... and we eat it ! Ugggg , I have the same problem only that all goes on the hips , the thighs ........ well you get the idea ! LOL ! Work still seems to be a major stress for him and until he learns how to deligate some of his workload to his staff and actually allow them to do what they are hired to do , then he will continue to have problems . Good news though is he has about 75 days of holidays to use before the end of December ......... next problem is to get him to use them , after we get rid of the snow and cold ( it is -24 C here again ! ) so we can actually get at the motor home and some campgrounds and use those holidays . No concrete plans for holidays this year so I think it will be just pack-and-go type holidays this year ! Works for me as they sometimes are the most relaxing kind !

It was also a week of some sad news . DH's aunt passed away at 100 years old ! He did see her when we were back in Winnipeg and said his goodbye to her . Another very sad note of this week passing , SIL had her Mother pass away suddenly as well . That poor family is just coming to grips with their husband , father and grandpa's ( DH's brother ) passing in September 2008 . My heart goes out to all of them . Sometimes you do just have to ask " WHY " :-(

On another note , DH & I are getting ready to fly out to a pre-retirement seminar for 2 nights this week . There is homework involved and now I remember why I didn't like school ! LOL ! The two day event should hopefully give us some insight into the next few years before DH actually does retire ......................... One of the questions on the homework was about whether you had looked into working after retirement ...... my how times have changed as 20 years ago if you retired it was just that , the end of working and now they are asking if you are going to go back to work !!! YIKES !! Of course the joke here is that DH could go back to work on contract with his company and probably make way more money ( in today's economy I doubt it as we are lucky he is still working ..... period ! ) I don't even want to think about DH being retired fulltime as he has no hobbies and no real plans for anything other then camping , fishing and hunting ...................... and sleeping in his chair ! LOL ! At least I can disappear into my crappy room and lose myself in paper , ink and stamps ... or my computer or a book ........................
On that note , time to go read another chapter before heading to bed to start the new week ................................................ Have a great one everybody and may the sun shine where you live and you may see only smiles all week !

Love the one you are with !

I was hoping I would be able to play a bit this week but it hasn't happened with my wrist wrapped . I am glad I did manage to get these cards made before this happened ! This is a Congratulations on your Engagement card for DH's nephew Garrett and his girlfriend Stephanie . Such a nice Christmas surprize for a family that has had a rough time over the past few years !

Just a fun card for a friend stamped with a Penny Black stamp . How can you not smile when you see these cute little hedgehogs ! I just love them !

A cute Stampin' Up stamp that I have used many times . One of my very favorite stamps !

A new company called Our Craft Lounge makes this cute LOLA stamp .... and awesome Valentine's card .... or two !

And the Spellbinder Nestabilities are great for cutting the mats ! Can't forget the Copic markers for coloring , SU markers too and then the Stickles and the Atoya Spica Glitter pens .............. and yummy ribbons and embellishments !

All the things I LOVE to make cards for those that I LOVE !

Love the one you are with and bring a smile to their faces !

Happy Valentine's Day ...... and hug your loved ones !

I hit a bump ....................

well not a bump actually , more like a patch of smooth ice while trying to get out of our Toyota Tacoma ( and I hate that I am short so have to jump in order to clear the useless running boards ) needless to say , my feet hit the patch of ice that was on the gown and suddenly there I was , on my hinny hung up on the truck runners with my arms and sprawled for all of Tim Horton's to see !!! Yupe , had to make a grand entrance that Saturday morning . Fortunately DH was there to help me up ( no easy feat as I am no light weight :-) and brush me off ( yes , I think he was more worried about the mud and snow I got on my coat then the fact I could have actually hurt myself ! ) . He was kind enough to ask if I wanted to go home but I figured that everybody had already seen me land gracefully that I deserved a good cup of coffee . I hurt like H**** but figured I was moving so must be okay .... ........

Fast forward 2 weeks ahead , funny how I have discovered I had muscles I didn't know I had ! My shoulder took the brunt again ( why is it always my right shoulder ? LOL ) but some ice , heat and general being careful , it feels better . The bruises are clearing up on my back and ................ LOL ! Dang running boards ! Well last week my left wrist started bothering me .... badly .......took 3 days to get into our Dr as he is away ( again ) and just a locum covering 1/2 days . Should they X-ray or shouldn't they ..... Nope , just let's leave it and see how you make out over the weekend . Wrap it , ice it , elevate it , be careful .... rest............. SOOOOOOOOOOOO , today , my arm is sore ( but wrapped ) and I still don't know whether I broke a bone or sprained it or just bruised the darn thing ! Uggg , I can't seeing sitting in the ER for HOURS either so I will sit tight and suffer in silence ( well maybe whine a bit :-) and if it doesn't stop hurting then that is what I will have to do to get some answers ..................................

Hey , don't they know I am a crafter and can't just sit and not doing anything ..... but then it is my left arm so maybe I will be able to play regardless !!! And then again , maybe I will be able to catch up some of the 100 pocketbooks I have waiting to be read !!!!

Hope you all have a good week ! The sun is shining here after we had another dump of snow last night but the temperature is hovering around 5 so it is a good start to the week ....................... hopefully ! LOL !

They ARE my sunshine ....

The pictures say a thousand words ... my reason for being .

" Dance as though nobody is watching , Sing as though no one is listening , LOVE as if no one will get hurt "

* thanks Kathleen for the beautiful frame for my grandkids photos *

Got to LOVE relatives :-)

Guess it pays to ask whether you should stop blogging as you don't think anybody is reading it ! Well thank you to my dear relatives that have fired me off emails and one dear cousin that took the time to leave a beautiful comment on my blog .... so YES I will keep blogging ! C.P. , it is so nice to see you drop in and now I know that you and your family survived the snow that fell in your area in the past while ! Mind you , you grew up in Alberta so you should be used to the snow ..... and the nice part is , your winter will be over LONG before ours is !

So at noon this strange thing came out in the sky .... it is bright , has some warmth and oh so welcome ! Yes , we have been blessed with some sun .... a bright spot in a very dull , dismal week - both inside and out ! DH has had such a rough week that he was home in bed for 2 days - something so unheard of ! Next week he will have one more test then the Vancouver Dr will decide what the next step is but we know it will be surgery , just not the extent of it .Youngest DS also has 2 Dr appointments in the next month ... one over the head issues and one over the stomach issues - which caused the head issues to begin with ( or at least we found out there was a head issue ........ guess it doesn't really matter just that we did find out before anything really bad happened ! ) . He ( and his 2 cats , Frank and Miss Kitty ) is back living under our roof again and that has been an adjustment but being he is self-contained in the basement , we are coping quite well . It is actually good to know he is there as I feel better knowing at night that we are here if he needs us and he is here if we need him ...... 2009 is the year to just get these health issues under control and get on with life and hopefully by summer !!!!

With DS moving back home and taking over the basement as his living area , that means I have had to do a lot of decluttering and organizing ! Of course my crappy room ( craft room ! ) is going to get a major overhaul of decluttering ! It is just damn scarry as to what I have been stashing in that room since I started scrapping and now more into the stamping !!! I know some kids are going to be excited with all the paper they are going to be handed too :-) .... and then there are all the paperbacks I have as I am an avid reader as well ! Gosh what to do with all those books that I haven't read - just accumulated !!! OOPS ! Another addiction ! LOL !

Well that is my life in a nutshell this week so time to go back to my decluttering ........ or maybe I will just read one of those many books :-) Oh , guess some housework should be done before DH gets home from work too as that has been hit and more miss over the past couple of weeks ! It is too hard to do anything wwhen you have a sick DH at home ................ Welll ..... that is MY story and I am sticking too it ! LOl !

Have a good weekend everybody !

To blog or not to blog ....

And on to 2009 ......


Mandy is settling in just fine and is still trying to let the boys know she is the Princess of the house so therefore she rules ! All 2.7 lbs of her ! Today the dogs were all sleeping in a huddle on the couch so I think they are all friends now ......... As for whose dog she is ? Well I have come to the conclusion that she is my DH's and that is why he bought her for me ...... after all a MAN would never admit to wanting another little dog ! Last week DH wasn't well and spent the week at home on his chair with all 3 dogs on his lap ............ Hmmmmmmmmmmm , seems awfully suspicious to me !

It sometimes becomes apparent that doing some things may not be worth the effort as you wonder who cares ... or in this case who even reads this ! So the question is , to blog or not to blog , to throw in the towel and forget about telling my world about my life ..... as really who cares ? Then out of the blue somebody sends you a message that they do read the blog and that they actually do like to hear and see what you have been up too even if they don't make a comment ! So for now , a BLOGGING we will go !

As you see , winter has hit us with a vengence and it just keeps coming and coming . The snow is almost up to our 4' retaining wall in the backyard so we have had to dig runs for the Yorkies to run in . Our own little yellow brick road ....... ewwwwwwwwwww ! LOL ! For the first time in weeks it seems we have finally managed to hit temperatures above 0 C so maybe we are hitting a turning point in winter .... yes I know it is only January but who cares .... enough winter already !

With DH being sick all of last week I spent a lot of time just lazing on the couch reading or playing on the computer as I didn't want to disturb him ..... well it was a darn good excuse to be lazy ! The weather was so crappy outside that inside was a good place to be regardless ! I did manage to stamp and play with my Copic markers . After I play with them a bit and learn some of the proper techniques with them I will share some of my new cards .

Merry Christmas 2008

Well another Christmas is over and we are heading into a new year ! What will it bring ? Only time will tell but hopefully things will settle onto an even keal here and not be quit as stressful . Christmas was a lot of fun as we headed to our DD's with our youngest , 2 dogs and a truck full of presents . With 3 kidlets to spoil it wasn't hard to fill the truck box ! I got " surprized ...... AGAIN " by DD and Dh as they presented me with a beautiful little female Yorkshire Terrier on Christmas Eve afternoon . Her registered name is Teeny Tiny Honeysuckle but Honey didn't suit her so we have called her Mandy . We are now officially a zoo in our house with 3 Yorkies and a 22 lb cat ! The cat does not rule the house though strange as that may seem ! I'll write more about Mandy in a later post !

Christmas morning never started until after 7 am which is surprizing as there are 3 kids in that household ! Everybody got thoroughly spoiled and it was fun to watch all the antics of the kids . The little Guy got into opening his presents very quickly and the girls were thrilled with their Wii . It seemed to be a bit of a Hannah Montana Christmas for Grandaughter #3 ..... as I am sure it must have been in many households ! The turkey was yummy too so thank DD for such a wonderful meal and putting up with all the confussion in her house with 5 dogs , 2 cats , 3 kids and 5 adults !

The Christmas holidays has been pretty low keyed here as DH isn't feeling 100% . It will be nice to get some answers in the new year over his Crohn's and hopefully get some relief , whether it be new meds or surgery . It is time so we can get on with living and not letting this disease control our lives so much ........................... now if he would watch his diet better , it may help a bit too !

Well time to get this day going so I don't sit on this computer all day ! I have places to go , things to do and time to shop ! Ah ..... life is good ! LOL ! Mandy is camera shy and wouldn't look at the camera ! LOL !

Happy Birthday Dear Daughter

A Day early but better early then forgotten ! I can't believe that ? number of years has past since you were laid in my arms for the first time ! What a shock it was to have a daughter after being told on more then one occasion that GIRLS just didn't happen in this family ! You have proved on more then one occasion that you can hold your own to any boy this family has :-) You arrived in this world in a hurry after 3 hours of labor and nothing was going to stop you or stand in your way ! You stood in the middle of the floor at 9 months and proudly walked across the floor - no thinking about it , no holding on to anything , no trial run around the furniture , you just did it ..... and have been on the run ever since !
You beat your older brother to getting a driver's license and bought your first car not long after thanks to a job slinging pizza at Pizza Hut ! You meet the man you are now married to and through trials and tribulations have carved a life for your family . Tears of sadness and tears of joy have been such a part of your family but you perserved and have made a wonderful life for yourself . Some days I think you wonder where your youth went in such a flash but then you look into the eyes of your beautiful children and your husband ( and that is where they got those beautiful eyelashes ! LOL ) and youth was just a passing fancy for bigger and better things .
The joys of raising a family and the heartache and the joy that comes with it , makes this time in your life something to treasure as we treasured your youth . Did we ever wish it had been different ? Always , but you can't change the past and we did the best we could . You were and are loved and treasured . Each day of your life has been a blessing to us ( as are your brothers ) , the grandchildren you have given us are the sparkle in our eyes and the smile in our hearts . We love you and wish a very happy , long life . Make the best of these years as this is what memories are made of ............................ You are our pride and joy ! Happy Birthday Dear Daughter and my best friend ! " A son is a son until he take a wife , a daughter is a daughter for the rest of her life "

A month of birthdays and creating cards

One thing about birthdays , is the fact I actually sit and play with my stamps , paper and glue ! I enjoy making cards as I find it very relaxing .... and I like that each card are my own creations and hope the receiver of such enjoys them as much as I do creating them . This little farm scene is a stamp by PINK CAT STUDIOS and it was fun to work with .... even if it has been sitting unused since I bought it a long while ago ! Lisa's son Brayden received this card for his 6th birthday last week ... the same day as my husband's birthday ! Now I will never forget his birthday :-)

This card is also a stamp by PINK CAT STUDIO ( Lila ) and she is so adorable ! I just cut a circle out with my scalloped Nestabilities and then decorated it with the Martha Stewart twig punch ! Some stickles added and a few extra embellishments and my Granddaughter #2 received this for her 12th birthday today !

This is an acrylic card that I made for my daughter ( and yes her birthday isn't for a couple weeks but she got to open it early :-)

The main image is stamped on the acrylic card and rest stamped on cardstock that is held on by fancy brads . The back of this card is also stamped and is the background of the Lila card . This was a fun card to do !

This is a stamped imagine from Stampin'Up ...... I love this stamp and will be using it a LOT ! This card was for my husband :-)

I also made a card for my SIL but for some reason , it isn't showing ! It is another stamped card of a fisherman ....

all in all , it was a great few days of creating but now I need to find some time to get some Christmas cards made and sent ! Every year I figure I am going to start early and every year I am being pushed for time !

Happy stamping , happy creating makes for a happy and content lady !

New cards ...... a little relaxation !

Okay , if some of the have been posted before then I apologise ! Why is it that when you look in your files the ones you want always disappear ! Oh well , here are some of my creations using Stampin'Up , CTMH and Penny Black stamps ! There is another stamp used here but at the moment my brain is blank on the manufacturer ! LOL !

I am wondering if anybody reads this blog anyways ! ...................... LOL !

I am happy to say I have most of my December birthday cards made and ready to go and just DH's to be made ( have to wait for him to go back to work tomorrow after his holidays ! ) . I also have some Christmas cards made and a few more stamps I wnt to try out before I put the Christmas stamps away for another year ! I think I am ahead of myself as it isn't even December and I am not rushing to get them done ! Mindyou , I do have to sign all of them and address them .... and mail them too ! Guess I had better not but the cart before the horse :-)

Happy creating to those that are doing homemade !

Interesting read

I received this in an email today and thought it was very interesting and so true . My friend Lisa has also posted this on her blog .


-------Original Message-------

> An Obituary Printed In the London Times
> "Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, "Common Sense", who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:> Knowing when to come in out of the rain; why the early bird gets the worm; Life isn't always fair; and maybe it was my fault. > Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don"t spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge). > > His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouth wash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition. Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.> It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an Aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion. > > Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault. Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust. His wife, Discretion, his daughter, Responsibility, his son, Reason. He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights; I Want It Now; Someone Else Is To Blame; I"m A Victim. Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

Where DOES the time go to ?

Here we are already in the middle in November ! Things have been moving at a fast pace ( though somethings seem to be moving at a snail pace ! Waiting drives me crazy ! ) . Hunting season has been and gone and DH bagged a big fellow this year ..... a 20 point white tail deer . The antlers are non-typical so if I ever see a photo of them I will post them ! DH had a grin from ear to ear when he got back from their male bonding hunting week . All the guys bagged a big buck this year so for the next year I get to listen over and over about the BIG ONE ( only this year it wouldn't be a tale of woe about the one that got away ! ) Venison will be on the menu this winter .

I spent a quiet week at home and did start some Christmas cards .... just having real problems getting motivated though ! I have a couple other projects I have to complete but if they don't get done I am NOT going to worry about them . My friend Lisa has sold her online scrap business ...... Lisa's Scrap Shack ........ to anothe Lisa but I haven't even had the urge to spend any money on mpore supplies :-( Dh said Lisa selling will be like him getting a HUGE raise as I wouldn't be sneaking in pizzaboxes ( LOL ! That is what he thinks and we wouldn't tell him any different as there are OTHER places I ordered from like Irma with CTMH and Lori with SU .... both stamp companies ! ) So SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSShhhhhhhh , don't tell !!! That is my secret !

I did manage to go spend a few days with DD and her family . The little guy is so cute but he still isn't walking at 20 months..... no medical reason just doesn't want too ! He gets around so well on his butt or knees and if that doesn't get him where he wants to fo fast enough , he just gets up on one of his push cars and rides it in his room to get whatever toy he is looking to play with . He has it all figured out on how to transport things too ! The girls are growing up far too fast and are both going to be beauties . I can't believe the eyelashes those children have dark , long and lush ! Definitely did not inherit them from me !!!! I even spent a few evenings with #1 granddaughter in town while the guys were away . She is 13 going on 18 ..... scary !!!! LOL ! I am not sure when these kids stopped being babies .... must have been overnight !

Not much else to report here .... still waiting for Dr reports and tests on both DH and DS !!!!! Honestly I think that is the name of the game " Hurry Up and Wait !!! "

' til next time .........................

And life goes on .....

After a five day trip with the oldest DS to meet up with DH for his brother's funeral we flew home . What a sad occasion to have to attend for one so young and that had fought so hard . We did meet a few relatives we had never met before , a neice-in-law and possible a future one too ! A couple grand nephews and a baby bump ... what a legacy to leave behind . The funeral was hard but oh so necessary , the video was a reminder of days gone by .... too bad the CD wouldn't play on their sound system ( and that they would have checked the disc before the funeral ! ) Big & Rich singing " Holy Water " and " He stopped Loving her today " by George Jones were to have been played along with his favorite " Put Me in Coach ! " as Gary was such a baseball fan and coached for almost 30 years . The day following the funeral found the male relatives and a few male friends heading out to the " SHACK " where many days were spent plotting the demise of " the one that got away and didn't make it into the record books ! " . Their final farewell to Gary was one of stories , friendship and a toast given by one of his sons that brought them all to tears . He will truly be missed by all . The younger generation has promised to carry on at the " SHACK " and try get into that record book ! It was hard to leave his widow Judy but she has a loving family to help her through the next while and she has promised to stay in touch and come visit .

Things have been busy here since we have got home . DD came up for a night with our Little Man and it was so nice to have them here , even if it was a short visit ! We did some power shopping and the little man cooperated so good ! LOL ! Dh was only home for a couple of days before leaving on a business trip which has taken him away throughout this weekend . He is home one day before he heads west for a day or two then is back east for 2 days ! We are hoping to get away camping for a weekend as the season is just leaving far too quickly ! Fall is in the air and the maple tree shows how close it is ! Where did summer go ?

A fond farewell at the end of a rainbow

The end of our 12 day fishing trip found DH & I camped in a lovely spot called Dave's RV in Vanderhoof , BC . While out for a walk , we got caught in a brief rainstorm but the sun soon came out and the most amazing rainbow ( which actually was 3 in the making ) appeared in the sky . At the end of our walk , my cell phone rang and it was our DD telling us to contact Winnipeg as BIL was in a coma in the hospital and wasn't expected to live through the night . Within minutes our phone rang again telling us he had passed on . What a shock as he was doing so well ! After finding out DH couldn't fly out until the next evening we decided to stay put for the night and head home in the early morning . DH is now in Winnipeg and I and one DS will fly out later today for the week .

As for the rainbow .......... I wonder if it was a sign that Gary was saying good-bye to his brother They were totally different people , different personalities but they held such a bond that DH is going to feel like he is missing a part of himself . Gary is no longer in pain though and in a better place . He gave the fight of his life and the cancer finally took him .

Farewell Gary , thank you for all you have been to us , the support you gave us over the past 35 years when others made life hard , thank you for being your brother's rock and protector and know we will still be apart of your family's lives . You will be deeply missed and there will be a hole in our hearts . Rest in Peace .

Great weather , great sunsets

5 days of relaxation , beautiful sunsets , hot weather ( until the last evening ! ) , naps and weeds and few fish ! LOL ! Tachick Lake is beautiful and well worth the short trip .... under 1.5 hrs from our house to get there ! Was just the most remarkable place to get some wondeful photos ... even with my little Canon Powershot !

Too bad that Nature has let the Eurasian Milfoil weed to spread so rapidly through this wonderful little lake making fishing a real challenge . The first night we lucked out and caught 4 nice size troat ( which we released back into the lake ) ..... and they must have sent out signals not to eat our flies as we never caught another trout , just a few whitefish ! The pelicans were sure fun to watch though and the eagles plus the gulls and assorted ducks !

Just a nice , relaxing place to be !

A month of holidays !

Unfortunately they aren't all together so we headed out just south of town for 4 days last week . We had a good break and even managed to get DH to have a couple good naps ... much needed as he hasn't been well again ... or still ! As for the weather .... well it was a real mixed bag but we still managed to visit around the campfire most evenings ! One night the neighbour strung a tarp so we could enjoy the fire even though it was pouring rain . They lived in Prince Rupert on the coast of BC so know how to camp in any type of weather and go prepared ! Seemed funny to camp without our Kandi but the " boys " ended up sleeping with us most nights . Tucker did put himself to bed in his kennel one night and wouldn't come out so it was just Ryder that buried himself in our bed . At 5.5 lbs and 6 lbs they don't take up a whole lot of room ! LOL !

Dh decided he would work for the last 3 days of this week as he has been off sick so much lately and felt he needed to tie up some loose ends . Also the fact that his office is short staffed at the moment with people on holidays and didn't think it was fair to leave when they are so busy !!! That is who he is though and I will never change him ... unfortunately his health comes last with him and he pays for it ! However , on Sunday we will head out to try out a new lake ( no the lake isn't new , just new to us ! LOL ! ) and it is less then 2 hours away from us ! Plus they have cell phone coverage which is a must right now ! No , I am NOT taking my laptop though as this is going to be a holiday for sitting relaxing , napping and some fishing ! We are taking our small 12' aluminium boat and will be giving it a run before we come back for one week so DH can go to a meeting out of town ..... then we will head out again for almost 2 weeks of fishing and meet with friends ! August will be a busy month for sure !

" It never hurts your eyesight to look on the brightside of things Make each day count . "

It seems I have been amiss in updating ....

It seems I have been ignoring my blog ... not intentionally but who wants to always read about negtive things happening in our lives ! We did get away camping ( not far with the gas prices such as they are ! ) just 45 minutes south of our home . I spent 5 days just lazing around with the pups while K & Kandi came back home so he could go to work .... we also wanted to break the pups in gently for not having Kandi around as we knew the day was coming quickly . It was a welcomed break from all that has been going on here . July 1st fireworks at Canyon Creek Campground in Hixon , BC were spectacular . Thanks Merv & Kim for being such awesome campground owners ! We love it there to just kickback and enjoy the peace and quiet ! Not so peaceful this time though as we had a few campers that didn't know enough to give some relaxing time ! K had a heck of a time trying to get a nap in without being woke up ( though he and J did manage in this photo .... probably the one and only time ! We even managed to have 5 straight days of HOT weather ........................... though it definitely didn't stay around here ! The motor home is perfect for us as the layout inside is roomy enough to be comfortable for the 2 of us if we have to spend any time inside .... which we try NOT to do but sometimes it is the only way to have some quiet time ( and to get out of the rain ! LOL ) . We did find when the hide-a-bed got pulled out it definitely cramped up the space and made it almost impossible to get outside ! All the more reason not to bring family with us ! LOL ! A few gliches with the motor home though and it had it's first ( and hopefully only ) ride on the back of a tow truck ! Battery problems that hopefully are fixed ! We will find out soon enough as we leave on 2 weeks holidays .... don't know WHERE we are going but have wheels will travel ..... somewhere !

Good -Bye Kandi Girl

Kandi has gone and crossed the Rainbow Bridge as of July 14th , 2008 . She was 12.5 yrs old and the most laidback dog we have ever owned . She loved everybody and everything ..... especially food and the Yorkie pups ! The past 16 months she had defied all odds and out lived more health problems then we ever thought possible . The worst was last may when her liver shut down and we thought she wouldn't make it but she pulled out of that . Since then she had fought one infection after another , small strokes and then the last being mammery gland infections . She was even senile .... though she always thought it was time to eat !

Good-bye Kandi Girl and I hope your brother Buddy was waiting at the other side of the bridge waiting for you . Today I hope you are pain free and running through green meadows !

We will miss you girl and the boys will too ! Tigger , the cat has called for you but finally just curled up in your bed and gone to sleep !

" A dog's love is unconditional ........ R.I.P. Kandi "