all right, with a blog name like Bloggie McGee. .it would be rather remiss of me NOT to have something about the Simpsons!!! I love the show. .REALLY do! it makes me laugh excessively, which is something that i just love doing. . yes, i'm one of the those people who laughs longer than anyone else in the room. If i had to list my hobbies, which I suppose I did for this blog?! LAUGHING would be right up there. Not that i'm a laughing ninny, it has to be funny, i don't have nervous laughter and i don't laugh unless it strikes me , but when it is. . . oh man i'll just blurt it right out! Do you ever marvel at the different laughs people have? i do! there's the 'asthmatic ' kind of laugh. .almost soundless wheezing, the machine gun style laugh. . hehehehehehehe. . the squealing girlie laugh, the booming trucker laugh, the snorting pig laugh (which i confess to when i really get going) there's the 'i'm-up-way-past-my-bedtime' laugh! you know the one. . . the one that goes all goofy about things that would never pass for funny when you're well rested!!!
Now the Simpsons. . . that show triggers the belly laughing (when the writing's good that is). Rob, when he laughs at the Simpsons and other funny things. . he falls out of his chair and pounds his hands on the floor. He's embarrassing to go to the theatre with, i must confess. I sometimes have to remind him that we are NOT in our rec room and that there are 200 others in the room with us! He has trouble controlling himself. . now i do when we're home, but out in public i try to reign it in!!
Here's a little info for you. . . (if you are interested) It seems the Simpsons are celebrating a milestone. . . http://g.msn.com/0US!s6.73430_734763/95.a7393/4??cm=eSmallPic if you want to check it out the Simpsons website. .. http://www.theSimpsons.com
Not everyone will appreciate this show and I totally respect your opinion. So, obviously you will not need to click the links. I think i love the show so much because its such a parody. .i love how it calls everything into question, really its such a cultural mirror. .okay, maybe a bit on the 'fun house' side with exaggeration and/or distortion. . .but it more often that not hits the nail on the head! The irreverence is scathing at times, hilarious at other times. There is no issue that the show has not addressed. The writers have obviously used 'religion' as one of their prime targets! Those are my favourite segments! As for political satire, you'd be hard pressed to find it any more biting than here. There are forays into environmentalism, the cult of celebrity, professional sports, the gender gap, the generation gap, nuclear energy, the public school system, the private school system, gifted children, illiteracy, the music industry, organized crime, gambling, homosexuality, adultery, divorce. . . LIFE! I know this awesome Salvation Army officer who used to use Simpsons episodes for his preaches. Norm was da bomb!
Anyway, I'm probably preaching to the choir here!!! But some of you who visit may not share my enthusiasm for this show, never mind TV!!! There seems to be a growing movement among Christians to shut off or get rid of the 'idiot box'. I have no such inclination. SCANDALOUS! I like TV! I don't shlump around with the remote in my hand for hour upon vacant hour, i enjoy TV. Sure I could watch less. . but then again i could watch more. TV can be really great. . i can see things that are very helpful, inspiring, beneficial. If i totally tune out, do i tune out society to a small degree? I mean after all. . the people i work, my sisters, my family, my friends, they all watch TV! We all talk about the shows, Survivor, The Amazing Race, ER, Extreme Home Makeover, The Simpsons!!! Conversations are sparked, laughs are shared. . i enjoy that and so do my friends. I would lose things to talk about with them if everything they did i said "Oh, i don't do that." Sometimes i find the most inspiration in the least likely places. . TV, magazines, work, the hair salon, the grocery store. . this is where its 'real'. . I am growing increasing uncomfortable with 'organized religion'. . Rob knows a lady at work who has many of her own children, and has taken in countless foster children. She has holiday 'celebrations' every year with her humungous blended family! Even though they grow up and move out of the woman's home, they all come back together for these wonderful family gatherings. What a big heart this woman has. She isn't a Christian. I am. . . have i done what she has? not even close. . see what i mean? unlikely places are the best ones. oh, i'm off on another of my many tangents. . my mind wanders. . forgive me, please?!
anyway, getting back to the Simpsons. . . for the next few Sunday nights we have back to back new episodes!! laughs are on the horizon. . woo hoo!!!
Friday, April 29, 2005
FRIDAY!!!
oh TGIF. . i'm working now, but i'm just jotting this little thing down, cuz my brain is so tired of terminology!!! i always feel kinda overloaded by the time Fridays roll around. They put up a great little quote today on the 'inter-office' email: "There are no short cuts to any place worth going." -- Beverly Sills Isn't that great? Do you find that the more succinct the quote, the better absorbed by your brain? I do. That's a meaty little truth there, eh? Applies to everything, across the board! I'll resist the temptation to preach here, cuz that's only so valuable, but what i think of when i think of my own 'place worth going'. . is getting to know God better, in daily increments, sometimes even hourly ones! Not cuz i want to have a cushy spot in Heaven, though I can't wait to go there and I want to. . but because I want to know God and know what its like to live with the pursuit of knowing Him and really, honestly loving Him with more than a tiny little shred of my heart - but with the whole thing. And there is no short cut for that, just like there's no short cut for any relationship - you have to put in the time, you have to be there, you have to listen, you have to care and you have to serve. I love that quote! Man, that's one that I would like to remember. Fridays are great, cuz i get out of my pleasant, green cage and I actually get to go outside!!! the air feels strange on my skin! the troll is out from under the bridge!! can't wait!!! Meantime i listen to doctors describe illness and i look at the barely majestic branches of the black walnut outside my window and i bide my time. . . 2 hours and 10 minutes and counting!!!
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Wednesday, April 27, 2005
picture worth a thousand words? well!!!
they say a picture is worth a thousand words? Well, I have amassed probably thousands of pictures!!! *probably a whole big, fat novel's worth of words!*
i have pictures out the wazoo . . . whoever coined that phrase?! i really do though. .they're sitting around my house -- in closets, in pretty well every room on all 3 levels of this place! I think that perhaps if i keep clicking that shutter that my home may soon resemble the homes of those 'crazy' people who store up heaps and piles of newspapers, or magazines. .until these become their furniture!! The local photo lab has probably bought new developers just with my business. I know that i'm going to have to get tough and start maybe throwing out the less than great ones. . keeping only the best, maybe figuring out how to put some on here for starters?!
My camera is like my right arm. I love taking pictures - therefore I'm seldom in any of them! all right by me! My 2 fave subjects are my grandkiddies!!! i love to take pix of them. . they're so CUTE!
well, Rob just bellowed "Its on!" so i'll talk to ya later. . . We're watching the 'religoseries' "Revelations" -- its a tad PREPOSTEROUS, but still watchable. last week the 'baby antiChrist' was just discovered. . ooh. . should be weird!
i have pictures out the wazoo . . . whoever coined that phrase?! i really do though. .they're sitting around my house -- in closets, in pretty well every room on all 3 levels of this place! I think that perhaps if i keep clicking that shutter that my home may soon resemble the homes of those 'crazy' people who store up heaps and piles of newspapers, or magazines. .until these become their furniture!! The local photo lab has probably bought new developers just with my business. I know that i'm going to have to get tough and start maybe throwing out the less than great ones. . keeping only the best, maybe figuring out how to put some on here for starters?!
My camera is like my right arm. I love taking pictures - therefore I'm seldom in any of them! all right by me! My 2 fave subjects are my grandkiddies!!! i love to take pix of them. . they're so CUTE!
well, Rob just bellowed "Its on!" so i'll talk to ya later. . . We're watching the 'religoseries' "Revelations" -- its a tad PREPOSTEROUS, but still watchable. last week the 'baby antiChrist' was just discovered. . ooh. . should be weird!
Monday, April 25, 2005
blech
i promise this will be the last moody post. . at least for this week!!! i'm feeling moody so i'm gonna write moody. I usually try to use cloaking devices when i talk to people, when i'm around them, when i email ppl. . but sometimes i've got to let that shield down and be authentically moody or angry or whatever. . .
sometimes i get depressed, sometimes it lasts for a while, sometimes its just a day or two - let's hope this time its the latter. the thing that i hate about it is its joy-sucking qualities. . everything is grey when you're depressed, if i smile, i'm faking it and if i talk, i'm masking it - unless its someone whom i can be myself with. The odd time i have to just stop pretending and let it be what it is and claw my way out of it! i find that isolation is a big problem with me. I work from my home - i am alone when i do this. I have no co-workers, except in 'cyber world' (the work place email) its how ppl 'in house' and 'remote' communicate to work together. . its also a LIFELINE. I've been doing this gig for several years now. yeah, it seems sweet. . work in PJs, no getting ready to go out, listen to your own music when you work, throw laundry in on your break, use my flex time to do whatever and make my hours up earlier or later. Thing is, it cuts you off from human contact. I've start to become a hermit, truly. When i'm are around people, i can become overwhelmed, agitated (in a larger setting) i become so used to quietness, that anything else is chaotic.
anyway, that's that. There is some relationship turmoil to add to the mix -- parents -- long story. . you'd be surprised how growing up damaged affects you for your entire life. . It even gets WORSE as you get older - cuz for some reason i blocked it out when it was all happening, but when the reality sets well and truly in, i find that i am scarred and almost haunted, maybe 'hollow', like there's a hole in my life. Any other additional b.s. just compounds things. *i won't detail it except to say that its church politics type stuff, disillusionment with authority, being lied about and feeling disgusted by hypocrisy, not feeling like i can believe in anything any more, questioning everything that i thought was right and true. . wanting to just quit and drop out of the stupid little world that i used to belong to *
Tonight I decided to get tough with myself! I've learned how to deal with this sh**. I wrote everything out in my journal -- everything single cruddy feeling, every detail, every piece of it. . it didn't do the trick. I'm alone again tonight, Rob's working OT at work. . . Kk's gone out -- so as i went my third way through the channels " click - pause, click, pause - click, click, click. . . I got off my sorry you know what and i just started kind of jogging, moving around. . did this for probably 1/2 hour and you know what? I started to feel a bit less foggy and blank -must be the endorphins. Thank God for endorphins.
well, Rob's home now and wants to go for a walk -- good. more endorphins. maybe when i wake up 2morrow the fog will be gone?
sometimes i get depressed, sometimes it lasts for a while, sometimes its just a day or two - let's hope this time its the latter. the thing that i hate about it is its joy-sucking qualities. . everything is grey when you're depressed, if i smile, i'm faking it and if i talk, i'm masking it - unless its someone whom i can be myself with. The odd time i have to just stop pretending and let it be what it is and claw my way out of it! i find that isolation is a big problem with me. I work from my home - i am alone when i do this. I have no co-workers, except in 'cyber world' (the work place email) its how ppl 'in house' and 'remote' communicate to work together. . its also a LIFELINE. I've been doing this gig for several years now. yeah, it seems sweet. . work in PJs, no getting ready to go out, listen to your own music when you work, throw laundry in on your break, use my flex time to do whatever and make my hours up earlier or later. Thing is, it cuts you off from human contact. I've start to become a hermit, truly. When i'm are around people, i can become overwhelmed, agitated (in a larger setting) i become so used to quietness, that anything else is chaotic.
anyway, that's that. There is some relationship turmoil to add to the mix -- parents -- long story. . you'd be surprised how growing up damaged affects you for your entire life. . It even gets WORSE as you get older - cuz for some reason i blocked it out when it was all happening, but when the reality sets well and truly in, i find that i am scarred and almost haunted, maybe 'hollow', like there's a hole in my life. Any other additional b.s. just compounds things. *i won't detail it except to say that its church politics type stuff, disillusionment with authority, being lied about and feeling disgusted by hypocrisy, not feeling like i can believe in anything any more, questioning everything that i thought was right and true. . wanting to just quit and drop out of the stupid little world that i used to belong to *
Tonight I decided to get tough with myself! I've learned how to deal with this sh**. I wrote everything out in my journal -- everything single cruddy feeling, every detail, every piece of it. . it didn't do the trick. I'm alone again tonight, Rob's working OT at work. . . Kk's gone out -- so as i went my third way through the channels " click - pause, click, pause - click, click, click. . . I got off my sorry you know what and i just started kind of jogging, moving around. . did this for probably 1/2 hour and you know what? I started to feel a bit less foggy and blank -must be the endorphins. Thank God for endorphins.
well, Rob's home now and wants to go for a walk -- good. more endorphins. maybe when i wake up 2morrow the fog will be gone?
Sunday, April 24, 2005
blah
this will be a short one, cuz i'm not feeling especially chatty today. *are you relieved?!* heh heh. . .. . i guess my current fuzzy mood might have something to do with waking up to snow this morning? the obscene white ground covering has pretty much melted into icky, cold puddles and there's a fine, misting drizzle coming from the greyish sky. Clouds are cool, no doubt. The cloud coverage is total in this region on this day. Isn't it cool how clouds work? genius. . . i bought this book a while ago at a warehouse clearance store -- "Fact Finder Guide 'Weather' " Fascinating stuff-- its like this compendium of 'Everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-weather-but-were-afraid-to ask' I love the 'cloud section' cirrus, cumulus and stratus are the 3 main types of formation . . cirrus clouds look 'fibrous' cumulus are 'puffier' and stratus have distinct layers. tack on prefixes like 'alto' (high) , 'cirro' which means whisp of hair, 'cumulus' (mass) and 'stratus' (strewn). . classify by low, middle, high and you have the term 'stratiform'. Today's cloud cover is "Nimbostratus"!!! woo hoo!!! "A dark grey sheet-like cloud type with a flat base found at low altitudes. Usually associated with unsettled weather, they are the chief precipitation-bringing cloud in many frontal systems. " Bet you're glad to know that?! I'm sick of nimbostratus today. . i would prefer some nice, puffy, guess the object type of cloud today! this stinks! ".. . but now they only block the sun, they rain and snow on everyone. . "
oh well. . whaddya gonna do? curl up, watch a movie, read a book, sleep! I find it fascinating how weather affects people's moods. Do you find that weather affects your own moods? a lot? or a little? I'm in the ' a lot' category. My bones have always responded to the weather. . (runs in the family -- see http://valkyriegrl.blogspot.com (Read "Salespeople - GRRRRR") i often have to endure really painful joints at times, sometimes quite severe. I can 'predict' weather changes. I get headaches from weather changes, my daughter Lindsay suffers the same problem. We always commiserate about our "barometric pressure headache" my spirit seems 'bleh' when the weather is gross and my emotions are definitely depressed and subdued. . my whole self responds to the weather. its interesting.
oh, there's stuff that i could say. . but it can wait. I hope that wherever you are that you're having a good day?! and if not, you'll eventually fall asleep and when you wake up you have another shot at having a great one!
oh well. . whaddya gonna do? curl up, watch a movie, read a book, sleep! I find it fascinating how weather affects people's moods. Do you find that weather affects your own moods? a lot? or a little? I'm in the ' a lot' category. My bones have always responded to the weather. . (runs in the family -- see http://valkyriegrl.blogspot.com (Read "Salespeople - GRRRRR") i often have to endure really painful joints at times, sometimes quite severe. I can 'predict' weather changes. I get headaches from weather changes, my daughter Lindsay suffers the same problem. We always commiserate about our "barometric pressure headache" my spirit seems 'bleh' when the weather is gross and my emotions are definitely depressed and subdued. . my whole self responds to the weather. its interesting.
oh, there's stuff that i could say. . but it can wait. I hope that wherever you are that you're having a good day?! and if not, you'll eventually fall asleep and when you wake up you have another shot at having a great one!
Friday, April 22, 2005
home sweet home!
our lovely youngest daughter, KK is now living with us again!!! yay!!! her first year at university is DONE! exams -- DONE! food plan -- DONE! (we went on a spending frenzy in the Commons today, after we checked her out of her res. . .and got all her luggage and 'stuff' into the van. . We bought silly things - chocolatey things and pretzels, mints, gum, candy, salsa and salsa con queso. . stuff like that to use up the last few dollars of her food plan! if you don't use it, you lose it. . of course she bought 2 more bags of beef jerky for her b/f, Joel. YUCK! beef jerky.. .
We let her choose supper -- we sat in our rec room and watched CSI as we ate our gooey cheese, pepperoni, green pepper and mushroom pizza. She said the grace and thanked God for her first year at school, and thanked Him for safety and great learning times, friends and the privilege to attend her school. Its nice to have her home again. .
she's been unpacking, and is still at it as i'm typing this. It was emotional for her saying goodbye to her friends. . all the way home she kept saying 'this is so weird'.. . She starts her job training on Monday!! no time wasted there! she has full time hours for 4 full months - so she figures she'll have more than enough for next year's rent cheques and expenses, maybe even some to pay down her school debt?!
Rob's downstairs doing more trim in the bathroom. Tomorrow we're having Rob's mom for her birthday supper! I'm cooking. . I did the coconut cream pie tonight, homemade ginger cookie crust, coconut custard and real whipped cream on the top! last time i made it she LOVED it, so we are having a birthday PIE for her!
Supper will be:
turkey milanese (panfried thin, breaded turkey cutlets topped with chopped, ripe tomatoes and fresh, torn basil leaves, with a splash of fresh lemon juice)
orange scented jasmine rice
glazed carrots and fresh green beans with olive oil and chopped herbs!
CAN'T WAIT! Happy birthday to Mom! must decorate house!!!
we really must get our taxes done. . can you believe we still haven't done them???? oh dear!
After work today, Rob and I left to get KK.. . of course we gassed up the van. . i sat and waited as he took care of that. . I saw a man sitting on the cement curb of the variety store/gas bar. It was kinda cold and i'm sure he was chilly. He looked like he had no place to go, but wasn't too rumpled or really obviously without shelter - still ragged around the edges though. i wondered about what life is like for him. Rob came back from paying for the gas, popped the hood to check the oil and the man started talking to Rob, while remaining seated on the curb. He wanted some money - Rob gave him some and we pulled away and drove off. He stayed there. . probably needed more cash. i felt bad that he had to be cold and needed to rely on the kindness of strangers. I hope he's okay? some people say that you should offer to buy people a meal, or whatever so that they don't misuse any money that they do receive. How sweet are the things that we might forget about -- a bed, a sink with running water and a shower. . a toilet, blankets, toothpaste, soap, a pillow. . a mirror, dental floss -- how would we feel without these essentials? never mind the big things like a job! or a drug plan, a family doctor, a house, a vehicle. . I can't imagine.
i'm so thankful to have a home and did i say that KK's home?! SHE'S HOME! and she gets to sleep in her 'beautiful bed' every night for the next 4 months! no more dorm bed with its thin, little, uncomfortable 'mattress'!
We let her choose supper -- we sat in our rec room and watched CSI as we ate our gooey cheese, pepperoni, green pepper and mushroom pizza. She said the grace and thanked God for her first year at school, and thanked Him for safety and great learning times, friends and the privilege to attend her school. Its nice to have her home again. .
she's been unpacking, and is still at it as i'm typing this. It was emotional for her saying goodbye to her friends. . all the way home she kept saying 'this is so weird'.. . She starts her job training on Monday!! no time wasted there! she has full time hours for 4 full months - so she figures she'll have more than enough for next year's rent cheques and expenses, maybe even some to pay down her school debt?!
Rob's downstairs doing more trim in the bathroom. Tomorrow we're having Rob's mom for her birthday supper! I'm cooking. . I did the coconut cream pie tonight, homemade ginger cookie crust, coconut custard and real whipped cream on the top! last time i made it she LOVED it, so we are having a birthday PIE for her!
Supper will be:
turkey milanese (panfried thin, breaded turkey cutlets topped with chopped, ripe tomatoes and fresh, torn basil leaves, with a splash of fresh lemon juice)
orange scented jasmine rice
glazed carrots and fresh green beans with olive oil and chopped herbs!
CAN'T WAIT! Happy birthday to Mom! must decorate house!!!
we really must get our taxes done. . can you believe we still haven't done them???? oh dear!
After work today, Rob and I left to get KK.. . of course we gassed up the van. . i sat and waited as he took care of that. . I saw a man sitting on the cement curb of the variety store/gas bar. It was kinda cold and i'm sure he was chilly. He looked like he had no place to go, but wasn't too rumpled or really obviously without shelter - still ragged around the edges though. i wondered about what life is like for him. Rob came back from paying for the gas, popped the hood to check the oil and the man started talking to Rob, while remaining seated on the curb. He wanted some money - Rob gave him some and we pulled away and drove off. He stayed there. . probably needed more cash. i felt bad that he had to be cold and needed to rely on the kindness of strangers. I hope he's okay? some people say that you should offer to buy people a meal, or whatever so that they don't misuse any money that they do receive. How sweet are the things that we might forget about -- a bed, a sink with running water and a shower. . a toilet, blankets, toothpaste, soap, a pillow. . a mirror, dental floss -- how would we feel without these essentials? never mind the big things like a job! or a drug plan, a family doctor, a house, a vehicle. . I can't imagine.
i'm so thankful to have a home and did i say that KK's home?! SHE'S HOME! and she gets to sleep in her 'beautiful bed' every night for the next 4 months! no more dorm bed with its thin, little, uncomfortable 'mattress'!
Thursday, April 21, 2005
ahhh rhymes with 'spa'
I just had the best day!!! I worked my full shift. . so that wasn't fabulous - and this week i'm working on the 'old work'. . as i mentioned in my first post - i am a medical transcriptionist and my job is to listen to doctors all day long, as they speak of all their findings on all the patients they see in the course of a day. We have all kinds of doctors, so i do all kinds of documenting. . .its a learn 10 things new every day kind of job!!! and it can be stressful, cuz there is a production aspect to it and an urgency to a lot of the work, sometimes other staff are waiting for the stuff we must transcribe.. not to mention the technical nature of the stuff. By the time my shift is done every day my poor brain is fried!
Soo, this past Valentine's Day!!! (i'm a huge V-day freak!!!) My Robbie bought for me a 'spa package'. . . which is just this gift that keeps on giving! i LOVE it! You go there several times, each time receiving some kind of beauteous pampering -- facials, massages, exfoliation, hydrating, cleansing, hair cut and highlighting, pedicure, manicure!!! High maintenance girlie stuff!!! (not a lifestyle i'm terribly familiar with!) So, yeah, i was at the spa today for my facial - oh it was very lovely.. . the 1890 house has been converted into this gorgeous retreat, with huge, overstuffed brocade chesterfields and exposed stone interior walls, candles burning and natural light spilling over an antique polished wood floor, winding staircases, plaster statues, I never want to leave once i get there!
Today the little spa pixie put me in the "Lavender Room". . which it itself was very tranquil with potted lavender, lavender toule draped from one corner of the pure white ceiling to the opposing bay window corner. The dropped antique chandelier chain was wound with lovely purple and moss green vine and the bed in the centre of the room was just the place to be after a long day on the job!! After being offered a terry robe, I was literally tucked into bed!!!! and scrubbed and steamed and washed. . the smells were lovely and clean, the coolness of the products on my skin was refreshing - and best thing was i got to lay down, close my eyes and let someone else take care of me!!! Wow - what's that like??? I'll tell ya what its like:
H E A V E N!!!!! (or what i would imagine Heaven to be. . . lying in bed in a lavender room with soothing music, having my face massaged and washed and having nothing to do but sigh and breathe deeply!!! )
I felt almost guilty, you know. . . some people don't even have a home to go to or food to eat, some people are treated with cruelty and falsely imprisoned. . some people have endured devastation and loss untold in freak storms or earthquake or wars, some people are grieving or lonely, suicidal even. . and i'm lying in a beautiful spa, relaxed, well treated. I think that's why i would never buy spa time for myself, cuz i don't think that's something i should be spending my money on. . but you know, it was a beautifully thoughtful gift from someone very dear to me *who knows very well that i would never get it for myself* and i when i leave the spa, the world with its multiplicity of problems will still be there, and I will once again have the chance to be kind to others, to give of my time, my money, myself, to pray, to do whatever is in my power to help in even the smallest ways.
After 'spa time'. . I went to dinner with my dear co-workers and had the most wonderful time actually seeing them face to face!!! (like i said, I work from my house. . so am alone most of the time - unless my kids or grandkids are here for a visit - or my sister comes for lunch with my nieces in tow). So, tonight, we women ate pasta and laughed and talked and bonded. . (none of us ate dessert - how virtuous!!!) Barb was retiring TODAY!! We who are still working 40 hours a week are green with jealousy!!! and she is giddy with anticipation of her 'new life'!!! Good for her!!! she's earned it!
I gave my friend, Peta a lift home. . we had a great gab - just like old times, when we would car pool to work in the evenings when our kiddies were small. . Now we're both grannies!!! ha ha!!! but i think we look pretty darn cute and not at all like we could have grandkids!!! heh heh..
I hope that you guys reading had a good day?? Why don't you tell me about it?
Thanks, God for life, and good things. Today was a great gift -- thank you . . all my love, Kathy.
Soo, this past Valentine's Day!!! (i'm a huge V-day freak!!!) My Robbie bought for me a 'spa package'. . . which is just this gift that keeps on giving! i LOVE it! You go there several times, each time receiving some kind of beauteous pampering -- facials, massages, exfoliation, hydrating, cleansing, hair cut and highlighting, pedicure, manicure!!! High maintenance girlie stuff!!! (not a lifestyle i'm terribly familiar with!) So, yeah, i was at the spa today for my facial - oh it was very lovely.. . the 1890 house has been converted into this gorgeous retreat, with huge, overstuffed brocade chesterfields and exposed stone interior walls, candles burning and natural light spilling over an antique polished wood floor, winding staircases, plaster statues, I never want to leave once i get there!
Today the little spa pixie put me in the "Lavender Room". . which it itself was very tranquil with potted lavender, lavender toule draped from one corner of the pure white ceiling to the opposing bay window corner. The dropped antique chandelier chain was wound with lovely purple and moss green vine and the bed in the centre of the room was just the place to be after a long day on the job!! After being offered a terry robe, I was literally tucked into bed!!!! and scrubbed and steamed and washed. . the smells were lovely and clean, the coolness of the products on my skin was refreshing - and best thing was i got to lay down, close my eyes and let someone else take care of me!!! Wow - what's that like??? I'll tell ya what its like:
H E A V E N!!!!! (or what i would imagine Heaven to be. . . lying in bed in a lavender room with soothing music, having my face massaged and washed and having nothing to do but sigh and breathe deeply!!! )
I felt almost guilty, you know. . . some people don't even have a home to go to or food to eat, some people are treated with cruelty and falsely imprisoned. . some people have endured devastation and loss untold in freak storms or earthquake or wars, some people are grieving or lonely, suicidal even. . and i'm lying in a beautiful spa, relaxed, well treated. I think that's why i would never buy spa time for myself, cuz i don't think that's something i should be spending my money on. . but you know, it was a beautifully thoughtful gift from someone very dear to me *who knows very well that i would never get it for myself* and i when i leave the spa, the world with its multiplicity of problems will still be there, and I will once again have the chance to be kind to others, to give of my time, my money, myself, to pray, to do whatever is in my power to help in even the smallest ways.
After 'spa time'. . I went to dinner with my dear co-workers and had the most wonderful time actually seeing them face to face!!! (like i said, I work from my house. . so am alone most of the time - unless my kids or grandkids are here for a visit - or my sister comes for lunch with my nieces in tow). So, tonight, we women ate pasta and laughed and talked and bonded. . (none of us ate dessert - how virtuous!!!) Barb was retiring TODAY!! We who are still working 40 hours a week are green with jealousy!!! and she is giddy with anticipation of her 'new life'!!! Good for her!!! she's earned it!
I gave my friend, Peta a lift home. . we had a great gab - just like old times, when we would car pool to work in the evenings when our kiddies were small. . Now we're both grannies!!! ha ha!!! but i think we look pretty darn cute and not at all like we could have grandkids!!! heh heh..
I hope that you guys reading had a good day?? Why don't you tell me about it?
Thanks, God for life, and good things. Today was a great gift -- thank you . . all my love, Kathy.
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
digbees!!! they're so cute!!!
well, I've got to say the internet is pretty fabulous. Who needs Encylopedia Brittanicas anymore? No more grocery store encyclopedia gift sets - like they had in the 60s and 70s. . strange, I know, but they sold them that way! No more encyclopedia salespeople pounding the pavement. No more gilt-edged pages and embossed fake leather hard-covered volumes that took up so much precious space! Now we have computers! the world is in our homes. . how wonderfully frightening!! These days when anyone says that they wonder about something, i always say: "Look it up online". When I want a recipe, or help with something that didn't turn out - like the FLOP of a genoise sponge cake that I made for a special lemon mousse cake. . i went online to http://www.baking911.com and that's only 1 piddly example of how much is at our fingertips!!!
So anyway, yeah, today I was making a salad and Rob was looking out the kitchen window into the backyard. "Look! those bees are back again." sez Rob . I took a look. . sure enough the bees were back but these are no ordinary bees - they always come out of our grass! If you look, you will see all kinds of little, bee-sized holes in the lawn. . with little, baby bees hovering over the new tufts of grass. So, Rob's wondering out loud just what kinda bees are these? Guess what i said? "Look it up online" and he did!!!
These are 'digger bees' aka "native bees" or 'sand bees'. They hatch individually and burrow their way out. http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/nativebee.html COOL! I've always wondered what these ankle buzzers were!!! (they really do buzz around your ankles for a few days) we've only had them appear every flippin' spring and we've never known if they really were bees or what the heck was going on?! They don't seem to bother anyone. . I often worry about letting Maggie out in 'bee hatching time'. . but she's never been stung and her pooping grounds are at the back of the yard and the bee zone is at the front of the yard, so phew!!! Hey! these homely bees are among the most prolific pollinators around! yay for them! in the bee world, i'd say they'd never win any beauty*I could do a bee pun with that word, but i'm not gonna touch it!* contests. The flashy, stylin' little yellow and black ones would get all the glory, but which is more important? to look good or to 'bee' *couldn't resist that one!* good?! ha ha ha ha ha !!! yes, its gettin' late i apologize sincerely.
the internet and digger bees. . . who'd think they go together? but in my mind everything goes together, people!!! sleep tight! i'm headin' up the wooden hill early. . its only 12:40 a.m.!!!
So anyway, yeah, today I was making a salad and Rob was looking out the kitchen window into the backyard. "Look! those bees are back again." sez Rob . I took a look. . sure enough the bees were back but these are no ordinary bees - they always come out of our grass! If you look, you will see all kinds of little, bee-sized holes in the lawn. . with little, baby bees hovering over the new tufts of grass. So, Rob's wondering out loud just what kinda bees are these? Guess what i said? "Look it up online" and he did!!!
These are 'digger bees' aka "native bees" or 'sand bees'. They hatch individually and burrow their way out. http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/nativebee.html COOL! I've always wondered what these ankle buzzers were!!! (they really do buzz around your ankles for a few days) we've only had them appear every flippin' spring and we've never known if they really were bees or what the heck was going on?! They don't seem to bother anyone. . I often worry about letting Maggie out in 'bee hatching time'. . but she's never been stung and her pooping grounds are at the back of the yard and the bee zone is at the front of the yard, so phew!!! Hey! these homely bees are among the most prolific pollinators around! yay for them! in the bee world, i'd say they'd never win any beauty*I could do a bee pun with that word, but i'm not gonna touch it!* contests. The flashy, stylin' little yellow and black ones would get all the glory, but which is more important? to look good or to 'bee' *couldn't resist that one!* good?! ha ha ha ha ha !!! yes, its gettin' late i apologize sincerely.
the internet and digger bees. . . who'd think they go together? but in my mind everything goes together, people!!! sleep tight! i'm headin' up the wooden hill early. . its only 12:40 a.m.!!!
Monday, April 18, 2005
smoke signals
hey! Happy Monday!! blech. . i'm not entirely genuine when i wish you a Happy Monday, cuz Mondays. . .ugh. I remember a song in the 80s, i think Geldoff's "Boomtown Rats" penned it! "I Don't Like Mondays" . . i'm not THAT averse to them that i'd want to shoot anyone or anything. . they're just so icky. Have you ever heard that you shouldn't buy a vehicle made on a Monday or a Friday?. . Mondays everyone's not wanting to end their w/e, and Fridays they can't wait to start their w/e!!! But this is a "Monday post" so, let's stick with the first day of the week. I'm in favour of having a "double weekend", Anyone else? My friend Bruce used to get philosophical and say that his life was just nothing but "5 and 2, Kathy, 5 and 2 -- what's it all about?" *5 days of work - 2 days of unpaid work!* Ever feel like your weekend is a 'marathon' to cram all the stuff you need to do all week but can't get to cuz you have to work?!!! And if you're a church-going person, you only have a 1 day weekend. . so you have half the time in which to do ALL THOSE THINGS! and its super crammed full of 'stuff' and usually UNFUN stuff. . . cleaning, grocery shopping, laundry, errands. Bruce is right, life can sure feel like 5 and 2!!!
But you know, i'm looking out of my sliding glass door into my back yard as i write this. . . the sky is this beautiful pastel blue. . i can see the evidence of a couple of jets' recent journeys there and i'm wishin' i was on one!!! (back to counting the blessings here. . focus! ) i see my grandkids' toys scattered around the lawn and think of their visit yesterday!! CUTIES! i had some great home made spaghetti and meatballs for supper, my dog got a haircut Saturday and she looks like a million doggie bucks!! *pretty Maggie!* its almost canoe season *yes, i'm looking at my canoe out here!! * Plus, an old friend dropped me an email today, Everybody Loves Raymond was very funny just now - i have a fresh case of Diet Coke with Lime in the fridge!!! and yeah, its Monday and yet all these good things?!! Hey! maybe i should make it a Monday habit to 'count my blessings'. . sounds hokey but seems to do the trick!!! Actually, i may seem irreverent, but counting blessings is something that i am sometimes challenged to do by others, or i will just make it a point to do it at other times; either way its always a great help with perspective and makes me a lot less whiny and a lot more grateful to God for all of life . . . even Mondays!!!
Now for something completely different. . . . Read this! (selection of the new Pope)
http://g.msn.com/0US!s6.73430_734763/2.b7371/1??cm=CTVNews
I know very little about Catholic ways, so if i seem stunned, its cuz i am!!! So, all these cardinals (interesting that their robes are red like cardinal birds!) BAH! they're in their conclave. . .is that kind of like an enclave?? and they're going through the election process and the debate is: (pardon the oversimplistic summarizing) Do we stay traditional or do we get with the times? don't get me started on THAT one!!!! oh boy. . . (that's another post to do with my former denomination) So, when the day is done and the vote results are in they send smoke signals to those on the outside, to let them know the outcome!!!!??? I've never heard that. . i've only been alive for over 4 decades, yet i had no clue. It kinda struck me funny, I don't know why!!! in this day of technology overload, the Vatican sends out smoke signals?!!! ha ha!!! Not only is the smoke signal thing unsual, but the COLOUR of the smoke means certain things. . . Today it was "dark smoke". . . which means back to the drawing board!!! Did anyone know about this 'pope picking process'? oooh, i can certainly alliterate, fancy shmantzy!!! heh heh. . (actually i hate when people overuse literary devices!!!)
oh boy. . anyway, i'll close for now. I feel like my mind is jumping all over the place today! even moreso than usual. i'll blame it on the diet coke and the brownie!
But you know, i'm looking out of my sliding glass door into my back yard as i write this. . . the sky is this beautiful pastel blue. . i can see the evidence of a couple of jets' recent journeys there and i'm wishin' i was on one!!! (back to counting the blessings here. . focus! ) i see my grandkids' toys scattered around the lawn and think of their visit yesterday!! CUTIES! i had some great home made spaghetti and meatballs for supper, my dog got a haircut Saturday and she looks like a million doggie bucks!! *pretty Maggie!* its almost canoe season *yes, i'm looking at my canoe out here!! * Plus, an old friend dropped me an email today, Everybody Loves Raymond was very funny just now - i have a fresh case of Diet Coke with Lime in the fridge!!! and yeah, its Monday and yet all these good things?!! Hey! maybe i should make it a Monday habit to 'count my blessings'. . sounds hokey but seems to do the trick!!! Actually, i may seem irreverent, but counting blessings is something that i am sometimes challenged to do by others, or i will just make it a point to do it at other times; either way its always a great help with perspective and makes me a lot less whiny and a lot more grateful to God for all of life . . . even Mondays!!!
Now for something completely different. . . . Read this! (selection of the new Pope)
http://g.msn.com/0US!s6.73430_734763/2.b7371/1??cm=CTVNews
I know very little about Catholic ways, so if i seem stunned, its cuz i am!!! So, all these cardinals (interesting that their robes are red like cardinal birds!) BAH! they're in their conclave. . .is that kind of like an enclave?? and they're going through the election process and the debate is: (pardon the oversimplistic summarizing) Do we stay traditional or do we get with the times? don't get me started on THAT one!!!! oh boy. . . (that's another post to do with my former denomination) So, when the day is done and the vote results are in they send smoke signals to those on the outside, to let them know the outcome!!!!??? I've never heard that. . i've only been alive for over 4 decades, yet i had no clue. It kinda struck me funny, I don't know why!!! in this day of technology overload, the Vatican sends out smoke signals?!!! ha ha!!! Not only is the smoke signal thing unsual, but the COLOUR of the smoke means certain things. . . Today it was "dark smoke". . . which means back to the drawing board!!! Did anyone know about this 'pope picking process'? oooh, i can certainly alliterate, fancy shmantzy!!! heh heh. . (actually i hate when people overuse literary devices!!!)
oh boy. . anyway, i'll close for now. I feel like my mind is jumping all over the place today! even moreso than usual. i'll blame it on the diet coke and the brownie!
Friday, April 15, 2005
talking Jesus doll!!
Yes, just when you thought you'd seen it all. . . we now have this:
http://news.crossmap.com/story/what-would-talking-jesus-doll-say/2242.htm
Yes, Beverly Hills Teddy Company is bringing the world a foot high, pull the string in his back, plastic Jesus! I don't know what he says. . CURIOUS THOUGH!!! I don't know how I feel about this? do you? He looks very caucasian! A lot of us in the West have been fed that 'image' of Jesus, eh? flowing locks, piercing blue, maybe green eyes? perfect white teeth. At least Mel Gibson's movie "The Passion of the Christ" portrayed Jesus as looking somewhat swarthy. I had this childhood Bible that had a picture of Jesus seated on a 'stump' of some sort, a carpet of lush, green grass and beautiful flowers under his feet with a laughing child on each knee, a throng of joyous toddlers around and birds flying overhead. wow. . I wonder what He really looked like??
My first actual thought on this whole Jesus doll thing was: "Rod and Tod Flanders" would each have one!!!! ha ha. . . . I love the Simpsons!
Whaddya think about this doll? Apparently there is a "Messengers of Faith" series of foot-high talking dolls! Mary, Joseph, Moses, I don't know who all else. .
on that note, its time for bed. . .
http://news.crossmap.com/story/what-would-talking-jesus-doll-say/2242.htm
Yes, Beverly Hills Teddy Company is bringing the world a foot high, pull the string in his back, plastic Jesus! I don't know what he says. . CURIOUS THOUGH!!! I don't know how I feel about this? do you? He looks very caucasian! A lot of us in the West have been fed that 'image' of Jesus, eh? flowing locks, piercing blue, maybe green eyes? perfect white teeth. At least Mel Gibson's movie "The Passion of the Christ" portrayed Jesus as looking somewhat swarthy. I had this childhood Bible that had a picture of Jesus seated on a 'stump' of some sort, a carpet of lush, green grass and beautiful flowers under his feet with a laughing child on each knee, a throng of joyous toddlers around and birds flying overhead. wow. . I wonder what He really looked like??
My first actual thought on this whole Jesus doll thing was: "Rod and Tod Flanders" would each have one!!!! ha ha. . . . I love the Simpsons!
Whaddya think about this doll? Apparently there is a "Messengers of Faith" series of foot-high talking dolls! Mary, Joseph, Moses, I don't know who all else. .
on that note, its time for bed. . .
Thursday, April 14, 2005
food!
oh my. . my family thinks that i am a food snob!!! Now i don't really see it that way, but i suppose that I can see where they're coming from?! i like different things than they do. . I like reggiano cheese, gruyere, i like angel hair pasta, i like coconut milk, i like balsmic vinegar on my strawberries, i like to make vanilla sugar! I like good things! things with flavour. I like real vanilla, vanilla beans are even better! But i think my current *perceived* snobbiness just is a developing appreciation for cooking! and it goes WAAAAY back. Since I was a child i've been fascinated with watching people cook!!! Back in the 60s and early 70s there weren't a whole lot of cooking shows like there are now. . . http://www.foodnetwork.ca * and yes, I am a 'food network' freak! *
I used to watch Julia Child's show "The French Chef". . I was all of 7, 8 years old and here i'm watching this french-trained chef make bernaise sauce, crepes, puff pastry, paella, duck confit.. boeuf bourginon, you get the picture! I just loved watching the camera close-ups on the bowl, the pot, the pan, I loved watching her cut up the food, cook it. Hers wasn't the only show - there was Graham Kerr's "Galloping Gourmet". . well he did more wine pouring and drinking that cooking, but he was cool to watch in his tacky 70s bellbottoms and wide collared shirts! I also used to love the "Kraft" commercials on CBC (Canadian TV network) They would show quick cooking ideas and 'how to's. The voiceover man's ear-friendly words were so familiar and comforting. The commercials never showed a person doing the cooking, only a pair of hands! bizarre, eh? I loved it!
Naturally I was very anxious to get busy in the kitchen and i had free run of the place! with the proviso that i clean up what i mess up. I went NUTS! With my mother's '5 Roses' cookbook, I began to do my best Julia Child impersonation! I made my first cake from scratch at the age of 8!!! Cakes were easier than my next project.. . pie pastry and fillings! I made my first pie at the age of 9-- I fed a slice to my dad, and he spared my feelings, told me it was 'delicious'. . . it was like shoeleather!!! (he told me many years later when i had landed safely in the 'flaky pastry' league) My first batch of cookies? DON'T ASK!! They weren't individual cookies so much as one ginormous, thin, brittle rectangle of wasted ingredients!! blech! I got better!!!
My great grandma. . all i remember of her kitchen is the old gas stove. I used to watch her light that thing. I can still see how now, striking the match and putting it under the burner ring, I could hear the hissing of the gas, and the 'whoosh' of the blue flame. Entrancing! She made the most BEAUTIFUL shortbread . . . she used this old cookie press. . we had one like it at home too. . . I never saw her actually make the cookies but i sure ate them when we came to visit!!! They were little, rectangular, scalloped- edged masterpieces flooded with white icing, onto which she placed dainty, little sugar flowers. Nana says that Great Grandma used to sell these cookies to EVERYONE. . she was in great demand, especially at Christmas time!
I have her recipe, but of course mine taste nothing like hers did! No wonder my Nana was a wonderful cook and pastry chef! She had a great teacher! I can't remember the number of times I would sit behind my grandmother's kitchen counter on my orange stool (each of us girls had one) and would watch her work. She was a whiz. I learned so much just observing. I loved the way she even made the simplest things like porridge! sounds boring, yeah, but i've never tasted better. It was kinda thick, a wee bit salty. . I can see us girls eating our porridge now.. Nana would pour the milk over top of the porridge, and we'd pile on the brown sugar. She always used the 'old fashioned' oats, i can still see her at the stove, stirring. I asked her how much of the oats to put in, she said "oh, 5 handfuls or so." .. but i never did get it right, cuz she had little hands, and mine were twice as big. Nana used to come to our place when our parents worked afternoons. . . she made our supper and sat through all our retarded TV shows!!! Brady Bunch, Partridge Family, she was a saint! I don't suppose we always appreciated all her work, cuz we were young and fussy then. . When I got to be old enough to work the oven by myself, i assumed the role of 'cook' in our family when our mother worked afternoon shift. . I would come home from school and cook the supper. I loved it. Sure beat our dad's notion of supper -- burned french fries and fish sticks! UGH. .
Come a long way since then. . STILL get the biggest thrill out of watching people cook, or cooking myself. . Its so fun. I get teased by my husband and now even my daughters and their boyfriends join in the teasing. . their chief target? my fave cook -- Ina Garten who has this awesome show called "The Barefoot Contessa". . . http://www.barefootcontessa.com
When I printed some of her recipes. . Rob crossed out "Contessa" and wrote in "Fatessa"!!! I don't care! I love her!! As Joel (KK's b/f) wisely says "never trust a skinny cook"!
I love this show.. i've learned to do things that go way beyond the women cooks in my family, who wouldn't have known 'pancetta' if they fell over it! or fresh basil if it fall into their laps. . my mother's culinary version of the "holy trinity" was salt, pepper and paprika! I don't think that she evern knew what fresh herbs were! I LOVE fresh herbs. . tarragon. basil, thyme, rosemary, parsley, chives, dill. . . I've learned how to make garlic paste using kosher salt, I know how to strip the leaves off a stem of thyme. . i know how to peel fresh ginger, i've learned how to use roasted red peppers, i'm an extra virgin olive oil fool! i can make REAL fettucine alfredo. . DROOL. . I've learned how to buy a good knife, how to sear meat properly, how to do roast fruit with honey and vanilla bean. . I'm telling you, if you watch Food Network you too can do all this amazing stuff. . . its FUN!
I used to watch Julia Child's show "The French Chef". . I was all of 7, 8 years old and here i'm watching this french-trained chef make bernaise sauce, crepes, puff pastry, paella, duck confit.. boeuf bourginon, you get the picture! I just loved watching the camera close-ups on the bowl, the pot, the pan, I loved watching her cut up the food, cook it. Hers wasn't the only show - there was Graham Kerr's "Galloping Gourmet". . well he did more wine pouring and drinking that cooking, but he was cool to watch in his tacky 70s bellbottoms and wide collared shirts! I also used to love the "Kraft" commercials on CBC (Canadian TV network) They would show quick cooking ideas and 'how to's. The voiceover man's ear-friendly words were so familiar and comforting. The commercials never showed a person doing the cooking, only a pair of hands! bizarre, eh? I loved it!
Naturally I was very anxious to get busy in the kitchen and i had free run of the place! with the proviso that i clean up what i mess up. I went NUTS! With my mother's '5 Roses' cookbook, I began to do my best Julia Child impersonation! I made my first cake from scratch at the age of 8!!! Cakes were easier than my next project.. . pie pastry and fillings! I made my first pie at the age of 9-- I fed a slice to my dad, and he spared my feelings, told me it was 'delicious'. . . it was like shoeleather!!! (he told me many years later when i had landed safely in the 'flaky pastry' league) My first batch of cookies? DON'T ASK!! They weren't individual cookies so much as one ginormous, thin, brittle rectangle of wasted ingredients!! blech! I got better!!!
My great grandma. . all i remember of her kitchen is the old gas stove. I used to watch her light that thing. I can still see how now, striking the match and putting it under the burner ring, I could hear the hissing of the gas, and the 'whoosh' of the blue flame. Entrancing! She made the most BEAUTIFUL shortbread . . . she used this old cookie press. . we had one like it at home too. . . I never saw her actually make the cookies but i sure ate them when we came to visit!!! They were little, rectangular, scalloped- edged masterpieces flooded with white icing, onto which she placed dainty, little sugar flowers. Nana says that Great Grandma used to sell these cookies to EVERYONE. . she was in great demand, especially at Christmas time!
I have her recipe, but of course mine taste nothing like hers did! No wonder my Nana was a wonderful cook and pastry chef! She had a great teacher! I can't remember the number of times I would sit behind my grandmother's kitchen counter on my orange stool (each of us girls had one) and would watch her work. She was a whiz. I learned so much just observing. I loved the way she even made the simplest things like porridge! sounds boring, yeah, but i've never tasted better. It was kinda thick, a wee bit salty. . I can see us girls eating our porridge now.. Nana would pour the milk over top of the porridge, and we'd pile on the brown sugar. She always used the 'old fashioned' oats, i can still see her at the stove, stirring. I asked her how much of the oats to put in, she said "oh, 5 handfuls or so." .. but i never did get it right, cuz she had little hands, and mine were twice as big. Nana used to come to our place when our parents worked afternoons. . . she made our supper and sat through all our retarded TV shows!!! Brady Bunch, Partridge Family, she was a saint! I don't suppose we always appreciated all her work, cuz we were young and fussy then. . When I got to be old enough to work the oven by myself, i assumed the role of 'cook' in our family when our mother worked afternoon shift. . I would come home from school and cook the supper. I loved it. Sure beat our dad's notion of supper -- burned french fries and fish sticks! UGH. .
Come a long way since then. . STILL get the biggest thrill out of watching people cook, or cooking myself. . Its so fun. I get teased by my husband and now even my daughters and their boyfriends join in the teasing. . their chief target? my fave cook -- Ina Garten who has this awesome show called "The Barefoot Contessa". . . http://www.barefootcontessa.com
When I printed some of her recipes. . Rob crossed out "Contessa" and wrote in "Fatessa"!!! I don't care! I love her!! As Joel (KK's b/f) wisely says "never trust a skinny cook"!
I love this show.. i've learned to do things that go way beyond the women cooks in my family, who wouldn't have known 'pancetta' if they fell over it! or fresh basil if it fall into their laps. . my mother's culinary version of the "holy trinity" was salt, pepper and paprika! I don't think that she evern knew what fresh herbs were! I LOVE fresh herbs. . tarragon. basil, thyme, rosemary, parsley, chives, dill. . . I've learned how to make garlic paste using kosher salt, I know how to strip the leaves off a stem of thyme. . i know how to peel fresh ginger, i've learned how to use roasted red peppers, i'm an extra virgin olive oil fool! i can make REAL fettucine alfredo. . DROOL. . I've learned how to buy a good knife, how to sear meat properly, how to do roast fruit with honey and vanilla bean. . I'm telling you, if you watch Food Network you too can do all this amazing stuff. . . its FUN!
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Possible global pandemic averted!!!
phew!!! man, what a shocker. I first heard of H2N2 this morning. My daughter, Lindsay asked me if i'd heard about the 'almost' potential pandemic. I hadn't at that point - but on watching CTV News tonight.. *Hey, remember that South Park movie song "Blame Canada" the one that Robin Williams sang on the Oscars a few years back?! Well, that tune was going around in my head just now as i watched the late night news. . and the words were slightly different: THANK CANADA! * Yes, a Canadian lab saved 18 countries and 4000 laboratories in those 18 countries from distributing a deadly Asian flu virus. Here's a link for you, http://www.ctvnews.ca Have a read and wipe your brow and thank God that He helped a Canadian lab to discover this dreadful and potentially hugely fatal mistake. When you read the article, some seem to downplay the 'deadliness' potential here.. .yet the headline alarms us " . . Killer virus"! Well, which is it?! threat or no threat? Maybe a moot point now, but we will never know what might have been, will we?
They say that anyone born after 1968 would likely have little immunity against H2N2. I would have been safe, so would Rob. . .possibly not so for several of you who are reading this blog. That's a sobering thought. It seems that the CDC in Atlanta http://www.cdc.gov was involved in this, as I suspected. I'd seen a documentary several years ago on the work done at the CDC; they really do such important work there. .among other things, predicting flu trends and formulating vaccines. Indeed, I think it was from there that these 'test kit' shipments were shipped world wide. Of the 20 Canadian labs that received the deadly stuff, all samples have been destroyed - by superheating.
It must have been a shock for the techs to identify a virus from 1957!!!! Apparently these boxes that went around the world were not labeled!!! ???? Of course the reporter brought up the bioterrorism fears that lurk in our minds when it comes to a mistake of that magnitude. How exactly did this happen? I'm not sure if they've really determined that. I'll have to do some more reading, see what else is being discovered. Quite the world wake up call! and now i'm gonna sign off. .i'm getting a call, a 'sleep now' call!!! weird. . . i slept well last night, completely ignorant of the several months of work that went into averting this disaster - a time line reveals investigation, backtracking, pinpointing what and to which source. . and i'll sleep well tonight, again unaware of other narrow misses and potential disasters averted somewhere else by someone else! ignorance really is bliss??
They say that anyone born after 1968 would likely have little immunity against H2N2. I would have been safe, so would Rob. . .possibly not so for several of you who are reading this blog. That's a sobering thought. It seems that the CDC in Atlanta http://www.cdc.gov was involved in this, as I suspected. I'd seen a documentary several years ago on the work done at the CDC; they really do such important work there. .among other things, predicting flu trends and formulating vaccines. Indeed, I think it was from there that these 'test kit' shipments were shipped world wide. Of the 20 Canadian labs that received the deadly stuff, all samples have been destroyed - by superheating.
It must have been a shock for the techs to identify a virus from 1957!!!! Apparently these boxes that went around the world were not labeled!!! ???? Of course the reporter brought up the bioterrorism fears that lurk in our minds when it comes to a mistake of that magnitude. How exactly did this happen? I'm not sure if they've really determined that. I'll have to do some more reading, see what else is being discovered. Quite the world wake up call! and now i'm gonna sign off. .i'm getting a call, a 'sleep now' call!!! weird. . . i slept well last night, completely ignorant of the several months of work that went into averting this disaster - a time line reveals investigation, backtracking, pinpointing what and to which source. . and i'll sleep well tonight, again unaware of other narrow misses and potential disasters averted somewhere else by someone else! ignorance really is bliss??
soap and water
ever notice how when you're needing a shower you feel worse about everything? You don't look great. . you might even smell bad. Do you sometimes get up and you are pressed for time and don't have the chance to get your shower in, and isn't your whole day just not quite as good, cuz you're feeling icky? Do you ever feel less attractive when your hair isn't fresh and you didn't have your Zestfully clean experience? Do you even have less confidence when you're not fresh? And you can BET that on the day you look rumpled and greasy, THAT is the day you will run into people you know! Why is it that? You're having a break out, or you have an unsightly mark on your face -- THAT'S when someone comes to your door and wants to visit with you!!! ahhhhh!!!! You can be sure that when you feel your grossest, slimiest, UGLIEST. . . that's when you'll be looked at!!! You never run into ppl when you have a GREAT hair day! nobody sees that except you -- or maybe your cat? Who sees you when you feel confident and look fabulous?!!! Nobody!!! WHY???!!!!
The shower, the bath. . . ahhhhh, its almost a spiritual thing!! warm water. . .ahhhhh. . . fragrant soap. . .. waking you up. . making you feel human again! restoring your dignity! shampoo.. massing your scalp with that billowy lather. . nothing nicer. If you're a 'smell' person you will love your shower more than the average person - cuz you'll be in 'smell Heaven'!!!
You know, i think one of the best sermons i ever heard in any church was about comparing what its like to be forgiven of all the bad stuff you've ever done in your life to having a shower when you're filthy and having all your grime rinsed off your body -- very cool. That was said 30 years ago and I still remember it!! why? cuz i could RELATE!! who can't relate?? there's nothing like being clean.
I've always hated baths!!! well okay not ALWAYS. . I remember when I was a little kid. . .i was made to take baths, esp. Sat. night - cuz Sunday morning was sunday school and church. . blah.. anyway, back to the bath. I got to bathe alone, cuz i was the oldest! my younger sisters had to share a tub- ha ha! I LOVED my bath then !!! I'd play around, try to get a whirlpool thing happening. .pretend i was swimming, i'd submerge and hold my breath, let my hair kinda float out behind me, like billowing seaweed in the ocean current. . i'd sit up and put my wet washcloth on my head and pretend it was 'hair'. i'd float the soap. .i LOVE soap. One day I saw an Irish Spring commercial on TV where this really macho guy in a fisherman's cable sweater took a pocket knife and deftly peeled a hunk of soap off of the Irish Spring bar, to reveal the stripes !!! Then this lady would run up to him grab the soap and coo "Manly, yes, but I like it too!" So, yeah, i had to try that trick with a butter knife out of the kitchen drawer. . but i wasn't nearly so good at it and i made a huge mess on the floor and destroyed my dad's soap and my mother yelled "What on EARTH are you doing?!" One memorable tub time I lathered up my hands with soap and decided to wash my eyes. . . wow, that was idiotic. the stinging was unbelievable! soap on the bare eyeballs! kids are dumb. what can i say? Anyway, i used to view the bath tub as a watery playground. . i'd give my dolls a shower under the tap.. . i'd sing, i'd wash my stupid eyeballs, i'd pretend to be a nun or a mermaid. . But ONE DAY I became aware of soap scummy dirt in the water!!!! i tried to splash it away from where i was sitting. . it would come right back again. . i sat at the very back of the tub hoping to keep my distance, that didn't work. I stood up, screaming! "There's dirt in the water!" I never played in the tub again.. i was too young for showers so i became the 3 minute bath child!!! no more whirlpools or eye washing. In and out, Bob's your uncle. Every parent's dream, eh?! I can't remember the last time I took a bath!!! the THOUGHT of soaking in my own filth. . . *shudder!*
The shower, the bath. . . ahhhhh, its almost a spiritual thing!! warm water. . .ahhhhh. . . fragrant soap. . .. waking you up. . making you feel human again! restoring your dignity! shampoo.. massing your scalp with that billowy lather. . nothing nicer. If you're a 'smell' person you will love your shower more than the average person - cuz you'll be in 'smell Heaven'!!!
You know, i think one of the best sermons i ever heard in any church was about comparing what its like to be forgiven of all the bad stuff you've ever done in your life to having a shower when you're filthy and having all your grime rinsed off your body -- very cool. That was said 30 years ago and I still remember it!! why? cuz i could RELATE!! who can't relate?? there's nothing like being clean.
I've always hated baths!!! well okay not ALWAYS. . I remember when I was a little kid. . .i was made to take baths, esp. Sat. night - cuz Sunday morning was sunday school and church. . blah.. anyway, back to the bath. I got to bathe alone, cuz i was the oldest! my younger sisters had to share a tub- ha ha! I LOVED my bath then !!! I'd play around, try to get a whirlpool thing happening. .pretend i was swimming, i'd submerge and hold my breath, let my hair kinda float out behind me, like billowing seaweed in the ocean current. . i'd sit up and put my wet washcloth on my head and pretend it was 'hair'. i'd float the soap. .i LOVE soap. One day I saw an Irish Spring commercial on TV where this really macho guy in a fisherman's cable sweater took a pocket knife and deftly peeled a hunk of soap off of the Irish Spring bar, to reveal the stripes !!! Then this lady would run up to him grab the soap and coo "Manly, yes, but I like it too!" So, yeah, i had to try that trick with a butter knife out of the kitchen drawer. . but i wasn't nearly so good at it and i made a huge mess on the floor and destroyed my dad's soap and my mother yelled "What on EARTH are you doing?!" One memorable tub time I lathered up my hands with soap and decided to wash my eyes. . . wow, that was idiotic. the stinging was unbelievable! soap on the bare eyeballs! kids are dumb. what can i say? Anyway, i used to view the bath tub as a watery playground. . i'd give my dolls a shower under the tap.. . i'd sing, i'd wash my stupid eyeballs, i'd pretend to be a nun or a mermaid. . But ONE DAY I became aware of soap scummy dirt in the water!!!! i tried to splash it away from where i was sitting. . it would come right back again. . i sat at the very back of the tub hoping to keep my distance, that didn't work. I stood up, screaming! "There's dirt in the water!" I never played in the tub again.. i was too young for showers so i became the 3 minute bath child!!! no more whirlpools or eye washing. In and out, Bob's your uncle. Every parent's dream, eh?! I can't remember the last time I took a bath!!! the THOUGHT of soaking in my own filth. . . *shudder!*
Monday, April 11, 2005
a little night blogging
its 11:05 p.m., 2305 hours - the time change is still buggin' me! i'm more tired than i rightfully should be - seeing how nighthawky i am by nature. don't know what i'm really in the mood to say, should it be heavy or light? maybe something in between?! maybe just some some free form thinking?!
Rob's watching a tv show on a expensive, experimental 'floating laboratory' some sort of research vessel that ran on power generated by force of the ocean currents.. . this lab was apparently 'lost at sea'! ha ha. . . and years later they found it in a Vancouver scrap yard. yeah, it sounds intriguing, but i've seen enough tv for one night.
the dog has been walked and did her 'piddle and business' as my mom in law daintily puts it! This is also a woman who is too shy to tell people that she needs to excuse herself to use the facilities, so she cryptically tells them that she needs to see Auntie Jane (#1) or Ebeneezer (#2) LOL!!! HA HA HA. . oh my she's a funny lady. We laugh a lot when she talks, cuz she's so darned amusing; only she doesn't get why we're laughing, so she tends to get a tad bit upset. oh my. really, she's a dear.
We used to go for these drives sometimes with Rob's mom, dad and his Oma - 'the country' was a 5 minute drive from where Rob lived - that was a LONG time ago. . . . we were still teenagers! We'd pile into the beige "Reliant" station wagon. . and drive below the speed limit. .for some reason Rob's dad would shimmy that steering wheel back and forth repeatedly as he drove.. 'eh uh, eh uh'.. we don't know where he picked up that method there.. must have been hard on the car's alignment!? so we're in the country driving 40 km/hr in an 80 zone everyone's passing us. . its so funny. The windows are down, which suddenly becomes a bad thing as the pungent aroma of manure greets our nostrils. The two older women start clucking their tongues, exclaming "Oh! that smell!" So what does Rob's mom do? She grabs for her purse, extracts a bottle of cologne and a tissue - sprays the tissue with cologne and places it OVER HER NOSE and inhales through her 'emergency filter'. GREAT! Now the car smells like Estee Lauder and cow crap and dad is put putting along, herky jerky with the steering wheel and Mom's getting high in the passenger seat and Oma's, well, i don't even know what Oma's doing, maybe she was knocked out by the fumes?! I don't know.. . Rob and I are laughing. . and the whole time i'm thinking "okay, why are we driving in the country in 'field fertilizing' season?? oh my. . and after this we go for ice cream!! i swear i could smell that disgusting combination of odours for days after. . .
oh that was fun going back there in my mind. Dad and Oma are gone now. . Dad was this deadpan, razor-witted, crusty old Scotsman who had this uncanny knack for distilling a person's character down to an eerily accurate phrase or even word! I miss him - he was often misunderstood by people as grouchy and gruff. . but i thought he was great. I used to laugh out loud when he would say grace over the meals that Mom would cook - droning out: "We thank thee Lord for SMALL mercies. . . AH-men." He was always saying these hilarious things to Mom, who would become incensed and would disgustedly utter her famous "Oh, George!"
Oma, she was SHORT! must have been all of 4' 11" . . .i was almost a foot taller!!! a sweeter woman never existed -- okay, maybe Mother Theresa. Oma had this long, long snow white hair that mom would always take great care of. . i can still see her doing Oma's hair, brushing it all out braiding it and winding it into a tidy bun. Oma called Rob her "wee Georgie".. *Rob's first name is George!! after his Dad*. When she met me for the first time she hugged me and remarked on my 'beauty' and gave me this delicate, flowered handkerchief. I still have it almost 30 years later! She was such a cute, little woman, so prayerful and full of faith in God, so encouraging.
So now Rob and I are middle aged! oh my! Mom's positively geriatric now - though she's increasingly feisty and as Norwegianly stubborn as ever!! Our own kids are both adults and we have 2 grandkids!!! Wow, where have the years gone? and now where has the time gone?! i've been at this entry a while, so i'll close and say thanx for reading. don't know why i thought of that 'country drive' memory, but it was fun!!! Aren't memories the best? *the good ones, that is!*
over and out!
Rob's watching a tv show on a expensive, experimental 'floating laboratory' some sort of research vessel that ran on power generated by force of the ocean currents.. . this lab was apparently 'lost at sea'! ha ha. . . and years later they found it in a Vancouver scrap yard. yeah, it sounds intriguing, but i've seen enough tv for one night.
the dog has been walked and did her 'piddle and business' as my mom in law daintily puts it! This is also a woman who is too shy to tell people that she needs to excuse herself to use the facilities, so she cryptically tells them that she needs to see Auntie Jane (#1) or Ebeneezer (#2) LOL!!! HA HA HA. . oh my she's a funny lady. We laugh a lot when she talks, cuz she's so darned amusing; only she doesn't get why we're laughing, so she tends to get a tad bit upset. oh my. really, she's a dear.
We used to go for these drives sometimes with Rob's mom, dad and his Oma - 'the country' was a 5 minute drive from where Rob lived - that was a LONG time ago. . . . we were still teenagers! We'd pile into the beige "Reliant" station wagon. . and drive below the speed limit. .for some reason Rob's dad would shimmy that steering wheel back and forth repeatedly as he drove.. 'eh uh, eh uh'.. we don't know where he picked up that method there.. must have been hard on the car's alignment!? so we're in the country driving 40 km/hr in an 80 zone everyone's passing us. . its so funny. The windows are down, which suddenly becomes a bad thing as the pungent aroma of manure greets our nostrils. The two older women start clucking their tongues, exclaming "Oh! that smell!" So what does Rob's mom do? She grabs for her purse, extracts a bottle of cologne and a tissue - sprays the tissue with cologne and places it OVER HER NOSE and inhales through her 'emergency filter'. GREAT! Now the car smells like Estee Lauder and cow crap and dad is put putting along, herky jerky with the steering wheel and Mom's getting high in the passenger seat and Oma's, well, i don't even know what Oma's doing, maybe she was knocked out by the fumes?! I don't know.. . Rob and I are laughing. . and the whole time i'm thinking "okay, why are we driving in the country in 'field fertilizing' season?? oh my. . and after this we go for ice cream!! i swear i could smell that disgusting combination of odours for days after. . .
oh that was fun going back there in my mind. Dad and Oma are gone now. . Dad was this deadpan, razor-witted, crusty old Scotsman who had this uncanny knack for distilling a person's character down to an eerily accurate phrase or even word! I miss him - he was often misunderstood by people as grouchy and gruff. . but i thought he was great. I used to laugh out loud when he would say grace over the meals that Mom would cook - droning out: "We thank thee Lord for SMALL mercies. . . AH-men." He was always saying these hilarious things to Mom, who would become incensed and would disgustedly utter her famous "Oh, George!"
Oma, she was SHORT! must have been all of 4' 11" . . .i was almost a foot taller!!! a sweeter woman never existed -- okay, maybe Mother Theresa. Oma had this long, long snow white hair that mom would always take great care of. . i can still see her doing Oma's hair, brushing it all out braiding it and winding it into a tidy bun. Oma called Rob her "wee Georgie".. *Rob's first name is George!! after his Dad*. When she met me for the first time she hugged me and remarked on my 'beauty' and gave me this delicate, flowered handkerchief. I still have it almost 30 years later! She was such a cute, little woman, so prayerful and full of faith in God, so encouraging.
So now Rob and I are middle aged! oh my! Mom's positively geriatric now - though she's increasingly feisty and as Norwegianly stubborn as ever!! Our own kids are both adults and we have 2 grandkids!!! Wow, where have the years gone? and now where has the time gone?! i've been at this entry a while, so i'll close and say thanx for reading. don't know why i thought of that 'country drive' memory, but it was fun!!! Aren't memories the best? *the good ones, that is!*
over and out!
What are Christians really like?
*sigh* i watched a TV preacher as i was flippin' through channels 2nite. His greying hair was immacutely styled, his suit was custom made, he sported cuff links and a rolex-like timepiece on his left wrist. He postured well. . . thoughtfully placing his fingertips together in a triangle of sincerity, eyes engaging the camera - speech cadences measured and meticulous, playing with speed and syllables - at times pressured, other times d r a w n o u t ; it was masterful, really. All the while he preached the televangelist's 'gospel de jour' - "Prosperity"!!! "Call into being whatsoever you desire and it will come to you. You have the POWAH to call into being that which HATH no SUBstance and if you have FAY-eth the size of a mustard SEEd, you can say to that mountain: 'Be CAST! into the sea' and it WILL be cast. *he went on. . * "If you need a car, SPEAK! it into existence. If you need MON-EH, you can speak and it will BE!" Rob came down the stairs to see this man assuring the world watching that this is the way it really is.. and Rob and are both Christians and we get very upset at this sort of thing. I switched the channel - I knew where the guy was headed.. . "if you'll donate to this MINISTREH. . . " BAH!!!!!
Sometimes I wonder, what DOES it mean to know God? how does it look to those watching, when they see people like this guy? How does that make them feel? I think they must feel how i feel. disgusted.
I know a tiny, tiny bit of what it means to love God. My feet are sooo made of clay that i'm surprised i can lift them to walk. . But the tiny, tiny bit of me that loves the One I can't see loves Him with honesty and real feeling. I don't want to be rich with 'stuff'. . I want to be rich with real love, not what passes for love. I want to PROVE that I am real and when i screw up i want to own up to it and when I see people i want to care about them and make them feel like they're special. Some people are harder to do this for. . but that's where real vs. fake comes into view. i could hang my head the number of times i failed that test! oi.. .
I'd like to 'disappear' - not in the sense that I am lost and fade into the landscape, but with myself intact, be someone that God can transform from someone hopelessly given to badness into someone who lets good/God be visible in them and doesn't try to squelch it, mutate it or manipulate it, own it as if it emanated from themself, cuz it doesn't. I know that - I have felt the badness that i was born with. It is always there, waiting to unfold itself. . waiting to take over. Some days I understand this TRANSFORMING process that Christianity is all about and let it happen. . . other days i fail. I think its amazing that this One who is so great and huge and holy can allow me the privilege to know Him and show Him -- not on a television screen, but in looks, gestures, words, actions, kisses, hugs, acts of charity, prayers, emails, blogs, cooking, cleaning, celebrating, encouraging, helping, using my talents, spending my hours, living life.
Sometimes I wonder, what DOES it mean to know God? how does it look to those watching, when they see people like this guy? How does that make them feel? I think they must feel how i feel. disgusted.
I know a tiny, tiny bit of what it means to love God. My feet are sooo made of clay that i'm surprised i can lift them to walk. . But the tiny, tiny bit of me that loves the One I can't see loves Him with honesty and real feeling. I don't want to be rich with 'stuff'. . I want to be rich with real love, not what passes for love. I want to PROVE that I am real and when i screw up i want to own up to it and when I see people i want to care about them and make them feel like they're special. Some people are harder to do this for. . but that's where real vs. fake comes into view. i could hang my head the number of times i failed that test! oi.. .
I'd like to 'disappear' - not in the sense that I am lost and fade into the landscape, but with myself intact, be someone that God can transform from someone hopelessly given to badness into someone who lets good/God be visible in them and doesn't try to squelch it, mutate it or manipulate it, own it as if it emanated from themself, cuz it doesn't. I know that - I have felt the badness that i was born with. It is always there, waiting to unfold itself. . waiting to take over. Some days I understand this TRANSFORMING process that Christianity is all about and let it happen. . . other days i fail. I think its amazing that this One who is so great and huge and holy can allow me the privilege to know Him and show Him -- not on a television screen, but in looks, gestures, words, actions, kisses, hugs, acts of charity, prayers, emails, blogs, cooking, cleaning, celebrating, encouraging, helping, using my talents, spending my hours, living life.
Sunday, April 10, 2005
101 Reasons Why Women Should Become . . . .
101 reasons why women should become lesbians.
Okay, i realize that sounds a bit funny, but hear me out. This is a longstanding joke with me and Rob. This is how it goes -- We're watching TV or we're listening to music. . .I ask him something and he does this : "hmmmm? uh huh. . " OR he doesn't say anything, and just stares open-mouthed at whatever's got his attention.. he's tuning me out. He tunes me out fairly frequently. . so way back when, while miffed, I said to him "That's a reason why women become lesbians." He looked at me like i was nuts. I explained "women understand women." I don't want to even go anywhere else with this other than the understanding part! This has become a 24 year and counting, running joke between us. He won't talk to me when we're lying in bed at the end of the day and yeah, that's when i want to talk - but he's a man, so as soon as you turn out lights and eyes close, his brain shuts down. . . so i'll foolishly say something under these conditions and he, of course, will not respond cuz he isn't conscious and i'll disgustedly flip over and say "that's another reason. . ." Then there's the "facial hair" issue. . Rob is like a chia pet. . . he grows hair like there's no tomorrow!! So, he can shave in the a.m. and by the p.m. he's as rough as 20 grit sandpaper!!! and he thinks that i don't mind this??! well, by this time he knows that i hate it! so, if he comes at me to bug me with his scratchy face, I scream 'That's another one!" He also has this habit of wanting to hug me when i'm at the chopping block with my santoku knife!!! OUCH! This is not only annoying cuz i'm cooking and trying to do something here. . its dangerous!!! so, i'll testily announce: "Another reason!" Then there's the 'gas issue'. . . i don't want to seem indelicate.. . so let's just say that men are strange creatures. . . when they fart they want to celebrate! "WOOH!" or "Aaaah" or they have to lift up a cheek whilst seated. . or they let it rip then yell this primal yell of triumph. . . i don't get it?! So, for these and many, many other reasons, we have decided that a book should be written. . and now when i get annoyed with his 'manisms'.. . we BOTH say "Another one for the book!"
Okay, i realize that sounds a bit funny, but hear me out. This is a longstanding joke with me and Rob. This is how it goes -- We're watching TV or we're listening to music. . .I ask him something and he does this : "hmmmm? uh huh. . " OR he doesn't say anything, and just stares open-mouthed at whatever's got his attention.. he's tuning me out. He tunes me out fairly frequently. . so way back when, while miffed, I said to him "That's a reason why women become lesbians." He looked at me like i was nuts. I explained "women understand women." I don't want to even go anywhere else with this other than the understanding part! This has become a 24 year and counting, running joke between us. He won't talk to me when we're lying in bed at the end of the day and yeah, that's when i want to talk - but he's a man, so as soon as you turn out lights and eyes close, his brain shuts down. . . so i'll foolishly say something under these conditions and he, of course, will not respond cuz he isn't conscious and i'll disgustedly flip over and say "that's another reason. . ." Then there's the "facial hair" issue. . Rob is like a chia pet. . . he grows hair like there's no tomorrow!! So, he can shave in the a.m. and by the p.m. he's as rough as 20 grit sandpaper!!! and he thinks that i don't mind this??! well, by this time he knows that i hate it! so, if he comes at me to bug me with his scratchy face, I scream 'That's another one!" He also has this habit of wanting to hug me when i'm at the chopping block with my santoku knife!!! OUCH! This is not only annoying cuz i'm cooking and trying to do something here. . its dangerous!!! so, i'll testily announce: "Another reason!" Then there's the 'gas issue'. . . i don't want to seem indelicate.. . so let's just say that men are strange creatures. . . when they fart they want to celebrate! "WOOH!" or "Aaaah" or they have to lift up a cheek whilst seated. . or they let it rip then yell this primal yell of triumph. . . i don't get it?! So, for these and many, many other reasons, we have decided that a book should be written. . and now when i get annoyed with his 'manisms'.. . we BOTH say "Another one for the book!"
Friday, April 08, 2005
blogger blues
| oh man! yesterday i was feeling so bloggy and I wrote this joyous, little blog entry and when i went to publish, pffhhhhhtt - it disappeared! grr.. okay, now these things happen - so i had some supper and watched a bit of TV, hung out with my family . . then tried again a few hours later. . guess what??? same thing happened!!! so, now i don't really have the time. . but I will settle down later - after 'date night' with Rob! (we're goin' out to eat, then catching "Sahara" in the big screen). so, to quote "Ahnold" (still freaks me out that he's the Governor of California) "I'll be back." ta ta! |
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
WORLD OF HONEY
all i wanted was some 'orange blossom honey', some tomato paste in a tube, some 'challah' (egg bread) for my turkey stuffing, some mascarpone cheese (that stuff is DELICIOUS!), some fresh carots and celery, fresh berries and goodies. . so me and Rob had a rare Thursday off and we decided to check out the http://www.stlawrencemarket.com Toronto. Only the South Market is open during the week in the 'off season', but that was enough for us!
It was a great drive in - we always drive the Lake Shore cuz we love to see the water. The lake was grey and dull, but still great to see! We lucked out and got a pretty cheap parking lot, really close to the market - so that was cool!!!
We entered at the lower level and found ourselves not knowing where to look first!!! The smells, the colours of all the foods, the people. . . Rob is so patient in crowds - i am NOT! I actually feel compelled to race through crowds. . even if i'm not in a hurry - i don't understand it, but yet i do it every time! Anyway, we poked through little, tiny shops and saw some cute 'bunny' cakes and cookies for Jimmy and Eri! we saw these GORGEOUS strawberries, pyramid stacked, beautiful, deep red, humungous berries - $3.99 for a quart! eek!!! Rob thought that they had been genetically modified - so he wouldn't go for them! I was kinda pouty for a while - especially when we ran into Mom and Alexis!!! (whom we didn't expect to meet) Alexis bought some of the wonder berries and was raving about their sweetness and that of course made me more pouty! I never did get any! we did grab a couple of fried apple rings -- YUM!
So, now we get to the sweet part of the story. . . after checking out the historical part of the complex - an exhibition on the top floor - very interesting - blueprints, architectural drawings, furniture, architectural models etc. We decided to go out the way we came in, and take in the lower level before we called it a day. Bought my precious braided challah, a very nice loaf!! got my tomato paste in a tube!! mission accomplished -- all except for the honey.
I saw a sign that said "Honey World". 'Wow', i thought, 'if i can't get orange blossom honey there, i won't get it!' The shop was so crowded. I'd never seen so much honey in my life!!! I love honey - it is so delicious. I could not wait to try some of the more exotic varities. The quiet man behind the counter told me that he had some of what I was seeking, but that it had crystalized. I kinda shrugged and said "can i still use it?" He said sure, just warm it up - so i was going to just buy it, but then Mr. Mild Mannered Honey Guy went into 'hypersampling mode'!!!!! He showed me some New Zealand "Tawari" honey and asked if we'd like a sample? We said "sure". Well, that was a HUGE mistake - cuz this little man must have given us 20 samples each of all these kinds of honey, pine tree honey, leatherwood honey, the Queen's favourite honey, Manuka honey, we were getting all honey buzzed and feeling kinda woozy! Rob had to finally say 'I think that's enough honey for one day.' I actually was feeling a bit weird!!!
Oh, it was FUNNY! We laughed after we were an appropriate distance from Mr. Honey World - cuz we didn't want to hurt his feelings! *he was such a honey!* (GROAN!) I couldn't resist - sorry!!! I bought some delicious, delicious "Tawari" honey, which has a really butterscotchy taste. check this out http://www.nzhoney.co.nz That was a great day - a great outing with Rob and got all my food to make a great family meal, not to mention the yummiest honey that i've ever tasted (and enough samples to qualify as a meal for two!!!) Every time i have my toast and i get the jar of honey from the cupboard i laugh and think of Mr. Honey World! We'll probably go back again when i run out!!!
It was a great drive in - we always drive the Lake Shore cuz we love to see the water. The lake was grey and dull, but still great to see! We lucked out and got a pretty cheap parking lot, really close to the market - so that was cool!!!
We entered at the lower level and found ourselves not knowing where to look first!!! The smells, the colours of all the foods, the people. . . Rob is so patient in crowds - i am NOT! I actually feel compelled to race through crowds. . even if i'm not in a hurry - i don't understand it, but yet i do it every time! Anyway, we poked through little, tiny shops and saw some cute 'bunny' cakes and cookies for Jimmy and Eri! we saw these GORGEOUS strawberries, pyramid stacked, beautiful, deep red, humungous berries - $3.99 for a quart! eek!!! Rob thought that they had been genetically modified - so he wouldn't go for them! I was kinda pouty for a while - especially when we ran into Mom and Alexis!!! (whom we didn't expect to meet) Alexis bought some of the wonder berries and was raving about their sweetness and that of course made me more pouty! I never did get any! we did grab a couple of fried apple rings -- YUM!
So, now we get to the sweet part of the story. . . after checking out the historical part of the complex - an exhibition on the top floor - very interesting - blueprints, architectural drawings, furniture, architectural models etc. We decided to go out the way we came in, and take in the lower level before we called it a day. Bought my precious braided challah, a very nice loaf!! got my tomato paste in a tube!! mission accomplished -- all except for the honey.
I saw a sign that said "Honey World". 'Wow', i thought, 'if i can't get orange blossom honey there, i won't get it!' The shop was so crowded. I'd never seen so much honey in my life!!! I love honey - it is so delicious. I could not wait to try some of the more exotic varities. The quiet man behind the counter told me that he had some of what I was seeking, but that it had crystalized. I kinda shrugged and said "can i still use it?" He said sure, just warm it up - so i was going to just buy it, but then Mr. Mild Mannered Honey Guy went into 'hypersampling mode'!!!!! He showed me some New Zealand "Tawari" honey and asked if we'd like a sample? We said "sure". Well, that was a HUGE mistake - cuz this little man must have given us 20 samples each of all these kinds of honey, pine tree honey, leatherwood honey, the Queen's favourite honey, Manuka honey, we were getting all honey buzzed and feeling kinda woozy! Rob had to finally say 'I think that's enough honey for one day.' I actually was feeling a bit weird!!!
Oh, it was FUNNY! We laughed after we were an appropriate distance from Mr. Honey World - cuz we didn't want to hurt his feelings! *he was such a honey!* (GROAN!) I couldn't resist - sorry!!! I bought some delicious, delicious "Tawari" honey, which has a really butterscotchy taste. check this out http://www.nzhoney.co.nz That was a great day - a great outing with Rob and got all my food to make a great family meal, not to mention the yummiest honey that i've ever tasted (and enough samples to qualify as a meal for two!!!) Every time i have my toast and i get the jar of honey from the cupboard i laugh and think of Mr. Honey World! We'll probably go back again when i run out!!!
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
SHORTS! Are you ready?
Spring is on the way!!! woo hoo! I walked my grandson to school today - a rare treat! Linds wasn't up to the walk this a.m. and wanted me to give Jimmy a lift to school. Well, Rob was on the way out the door to work, taking the car and our often-in-the- shop van ('miracle on wheels!) was where else?-- in the shop! So, i had to walk - but it was a great way to start the day, compared to the usual roll out of bed and get going on the computer for 8 hours!
On the way over to get Jimmy my eyes were jolted by a neon sign at the local "Curves" fitness centre for women "SHORTS! Are you ready?" Wow, not a nice thought first thing in the a.m., and i felt a bit of urgency, must have been the huge letters! When i see stuff like that it does one of 2 things to me: 1. It makes me want to become a marathon runner so that i can wear even booty shorts and LAUGH at fat and cellulite! 2. It makes me want to eat some cheesecake, cuz its depressing having it be an issue! is that twisted? probably! Some ppl can eat anything they want and drive past the Curves sign and not even notice it. D'oh! Good thing at the time i saw the sign was that i was walking briskly, so i felt kind of okay about things!
Gettin' back to our walk to school -- Jimmy was skippy and cute. . . We held hands and walked past school buses, cars, tow trucks. He talked to me the whole way about houses that he liked to look at, shadows, manhole covers with 'bells' on them (Bell Canada), the fire station, the birds chirping, the school crossing signs - his buddy walking on the other side of the street with his mom and sister. . We had lots of fun!
We got to the school yard just as the bell went, and I took him to the line, and he filed in with all the other 4 1/2 year olds. . I had a little moment where i thought "Wow, he's almost 5! I'd better not kiss and hug him goodbye in front of all these kids! He'd probably be embarrassed." Too bad they have to grow up so fast! He went in the door unkissed and unhugged, but i 'got him' later when they came over for a quick visit after school!
well, that's it for today. . . if you'll excuse me, i'm gonna go work out!!! (that neon "shameavation" works!) Thanx for the reality check, Curves!!!
On the way over to get Jimmy my eyes were jolted by a neon sign at the local "Curves" fitness centre for women "SHORTS! Are you ready?" Wow, not a nice thought first thing in the a.m., and i felt a bit of urgency, must have been the huge letters! When i see stuff like that it does one of 2 things to me: 1. It makes me want to become a marathon runner so that i can wear even booty shorts and LAUGH at fat and cellulite! 2. It makes me want to eat some cheesecake, cuz its depressing having it be an issue! is that twisted? probably! Some ppl can eat anything they want and drive past the Curves sign and not even notice it. D'oh! Good thing at the time i saw the sign was that i was walking briskly, so i felt kind of okay about things!
Gettin' back to our walk to school -- Jimmy was skippy and cute. . . We held hands and walked past school buses, cars, tow trucks. He talked to me the whole way about houses that he liked to look at, shadows, manhole covers with 'bells' on them (Bell Canada), the fire station, the birds chirping, the school crossing signs - his buddy walking on the other side of the street with his mom and sister. . We had lots of fun!
We got to the school yard just as the bell went, and I took him to the line, and he filed in with all the other 4 1/2 year olds. . I had a little moment where i thought "Wow, he's almost 5! I'd better not kiss and hug him goodbye in front of all these kids! He'd probably be embarrassed." Too bad they have to grow up so fast! He went in the door unkissed and unhugged, but i 'got him' later when they came over for a quick visit after school!
well, that's it for today. . . if you'll excuse me, i'm gonna go work out!!! (that neon "shameavation" works!) Thanx for the reality check, Curves!!!
Monday, April 04, 2005
Here goes!
I'm jumping in! ahhh!!! Yes, this is my brand new blog and I'm kinda scared. I don't really know why!!! Hi, I'm Kathy/aka Bloggie McGee. (Yes, I'm a Simpson's fan as some of you may have guessed from the title) *Homer to Dad: "Oh Dad, if it was up to me you'd live forever! But try telling that to "Killie McGee" up there." * For someone usually never at a loss for words, I suddenly feel like I am! Some friends are blogging away and I really enjoy reading their blogs and commenting, so i finally decided to give it a try.
Today has been a good day. I worked. I went to the dentist for a cleaning and had the hygienist from hell, with her scrapey hooks and pointy instruments! Ow!!! I wonder what hygienists think.. . like they can see up your nose, right? and hopefully most people keep that area clean when they go some place where someone's gonna be looking up it?! and they smell all kinds of gross mouth smells. . I thoughtfully thought twice before having feta, garlic and oregano dressing on my veggies at lunch! and they see all kinds of different 'conditions' of mouths. . *shudder* not the job for me! Hair dressers, they see things too. . just had my hair cut the other day, so i'm thinking of what they might see too. . . for starters they can see inside your ears. . so yeah, that could be an adventure for them? I have a friend who cuts hair - she notices people's zits! ha ha!!! oh, i'm not at such a loss anymore, eh? Enough about occupational hazards for one day.
My oldest daughter, Linds and my grandkids, Jimmy and Eri came over for a lunch time visit! Any day when they're here is a great day!! Once I get goin' i'll post a picture or two if i can manage the technology?!!!
My husband, Rob was off work today, doing the trim for our downstairs washroom. I hate working when he's not! Misery loves company!!! Rob's a man who can fix anything. . he's in the maintenance field - works at the hospital here in town -- vehicle mechanics, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling, you name it he does it! So, he saves us a TON of money by doing almost everything we need around this house and with our 2 vehicles.
I work from home - on my computer - I'm a medical transcriptionist. Fancy word for 'typist'! I work for an entire city full of physicians at our local hospital here. So, yeah, my brain is perpetually full of latin, and drug names and protocols, surgical terms, body systems, diseases, diagnoses, etc. . but i'm not gonna say any more about that - cuz by the end of the day i've had it "up to here" with 4 syllable words and I just want to NOT think!!!-- maybe watch a movie (cuz Rob and me are movie freaks!) , read my Bible, talk to God, walk the dog, see a friend, exercise, have a piece of chocolate.. YUM! Our youngest daughter, KK, is away at school -- but she's almost done. . once her exams are finished she's home again!!! can't wait! We've missed her sooo much; she comes home every w/e, but the weeks can be long without her. We have a dog, Maggie. . a Bichon/miniature poodle cross and what a little quirky thing she is! i'll introduce her in future posts. . like I will with everyone else in my family!
I'd just like to type/think about little everyday things in this blog, big things, important things, fun things, life!! So welcome and thanx for stopping by! I'd love to hear from you too so feel free to talk to me!
Today has been a good day. I worked. I went to the dentist for a cleaning and had the hygienist from hell, with her scrapey hooks and pointy instruments! Ow!!! I wonder what hygienists think.. . like they can see up your nose, right? and hopefully most people keep that area clean when they go some place where someone's gonna be looking up it?! and they smell all kinds of gross mouth smells. . I thoughtfully thought twice before having feta, garlic and oregano dressing on my veggies at lunch! and they see all kinds of different 'conditions' of mouths. . *shudder* not the job for me! Hair dressers, they see things too. . just had my hair cut the other day, so i'm thinking of what they might see too. . . for starters they can see inside your ears. . so yeah, that could be an adventure for them? I have a friend who cuts hair - she notices people's zits! ha ha!!! oh, i'm not at such a loss anymore, eh? Enough about occupational hazards for one day.
My oldest daughter, Linds and my grandkids, Jimmy and Eri came over for a lunch time visit! Any day when they're here is a great day!! Once I get goin' i'll post a picture or two if i can manage the technology?!!!
My husband, Rob was off work today, doing the trim for our downstairs washroom. I hate working when he's not! Misery loves company!!! Rob's a man who can fix anything. . he's in the maintenance field - works at the hospital here in town -- vehicle mechanics, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling, you name it he does it! So, he saves us a TON of money by doing almost everything we need around this house and with our 2 vehicles.
I work from home - on my computer - I'm a medical transcriptionist. Fancy word for 'typist'! I work for an entire city full of physicians at our local hospital here. So, yeah, my brain is perpetually full of latin, and drug names and protocols, surgical terms, body systems, diseases, diagnoses, etc. . but i'm not gonna say any more about that - cuz by the end of the day i've had it "up to here" with 4 syllable words and I just want to NOT think!!!-- maybe watch a movie (cuz Rob and me are movie freaks!) , read my Bible, talk to God, walk the dog, see a friend, exercise, have a piece of chocolate.. YUM! Our youngest daughter, KK, is away at school -- but she's almost done. . once her exams are finished she's home again!!! can't wait! We've missed her sooo much; she comes home every w/e, but the weeks can be long without her. We have a dog, Maggie. . a Bichon/miniature poodle cross and what a little quirky thing she is! i'll introduce her in future posts. . like I will with everyone else in my family!
I'd just like to type/think about little everyday things in this blog, big things, important things, fun things, life!! So welcome and thanx for stopping by! I'd love to hear from you too so feel free to talk to me!
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