I am Going to Become a Hermit

or maybe a hermitess. I don't want to go outside. The snow is falling or should I say coming in horizonally like frozen bullets. And it was -19C when I woke up. So far today I have done all my work stuff cyberly. I e-mailed, faxed, phoned, and researched on the net and I wasn't even dressed. By two o'clock I had torn my bedroom apart and cleaned and polished everything including the bathroom and the dog. I even vacuumed the mattress. I washed everything that wasn't on a hanger and even some of that too. 
Then I cleaned the kitchen.
I am looking forward to sitting around reading books until the weather breaks, it could be days, what luxury. Just stretching out on the couch by the window in front of the fireplace, under an afgan. I wonder how long it will take until I can't stand it any more, and need human companionship. Ah... never, I have a dog.I could stay here forever.
Oh no, I have a workshop rah rah meeting tomorrow. Oh no, I forgot about that. Oh what a waste, I should have spent the day reading in my messy house.

Ashley's new show

Ashley is participating in a new ceramic arts show at Arts on Atlantic. The show is called Turning the Tables. After the run of the show there will be a dinner party and each artist has sold a piece of their work accompanying the dinner ticket. At the end of the dinner party the guests will hopefully order the rest of the dinner set. The dinner sold out quickly so that tells me that people are either very interested in the food or the ceramics or both.

My Birthday in the Kananaskis

What a lovely day, the weather was warm when we left home...+14C and dropped to about +5 by the time we got to Kananaskis Lodge for brunch. We ate too much but drove down Hwy 40 to Hwy 541 and back home but along the way...

This was the first frost of winter, like a dusting of icing sugar.We were pretty high up but not yet at the highest point slong the road.

I love those ears, she can't hear a thing but it has been her job for all of her life to the the sentry. She loves her back seat, she has a lot of room back there, more than any other vehicle she has owned. Yes, it is true we get cars to fit the dog, it is all about her, this one has lots of windows and the back window on this one has a nice ledge to rest her chin upon.

This mountain sheep just stood there, he had been  posing  for the cars ahead of us and now he was just waiting to jump the rail and go down for a drink in the river.

I love this cloud, it just hung over this mountain and didn't move, a foreshadowing of winter.



This sheep just walked along the road, we couldn't pass him, he had been on the yellow line until I found the camera and then he moved just a tad. It was his road afterall.



And we're off

Once again we are going to a reunion. This time in the middle of December. Well,  many reunions and all in one locale. Firstly we are going to Buff to see the wee one,Kat.  We are looking forward to that, I miss her smile. She has a killer grin.

Then back to Upper Canada to a rural idyllic mill town to help decorate the Christmas tree with old friends, actually Bryan's best man and his family. They are inviting friends, old university pals to a Saturday night gathering. There will be so much BS and old stories told over and over and over ad nauseum. Ahhh lots of fun. Hmmm I am visualizing deep snow, sleigh bells, children ice skating on the mill pond, music in the parlour. No? Traffic and crowded malls?  Well, you are probably right.

Then on to Toronto to meet new business friends gathering for a dinner party, where we will finally meet in person as opposed to our e-mail relationships. Again, another event to look forward to.

I sure hope the predicted boat loads of snow hold off until we get home.

Snow before the end of October

We usually get snow before the end of the first week of November but it snowed here this morning Oct 25. Arghhh!
I wonder if this means a cold winter or just an anomoly. But it is only a skiff, just enough to warn us to get the furniture off the deck and put the unbrellas away.
Today is the day the Genny's head get changed out. Finally after waiting nearly 2 and 1/2 months, Hyundai finally called to tell us that the brains of \B's car has come in from Germany. Or at least that that is the story.
Will post later to let you know. Hope springs eternal.

I am still in my nightgown and its nearly noon.

Its been a miserable week. Got a call from the Bethany Lifeline people...my aunt was on the way to the hospital. Once more she had felt like she was going to pass out, we had been through this early in the week and I had gone racing up to her place and took her to the doctor with no resolution. This time she pressed the button, ems arrived and off she went. I got to the hospital shortly after she did, after trying to track her down, some bullshit about the Privacy Act and they couldn't tell me which hospital she had been taken to and blah bah blah. I said to the Patient Advocate (another trumped up provincial job with a pension and mandate to obfuscate) what would you do if you were me? and I bullied him into telling me where she was. And to boot I am on the list as a responder!! Jeeze. What a stupid system that is trying to protect us from ourselves.

She won't be going home, another family member bubbles to the surface with dementia. Dementia is such a creeping horrible disease or condition that at least in our family allows its victims to skillfully cover up their memory loss and confusion until one day the bubble pops and the only salvation is a trip to the hospital not to go home again. She is what they call in the system a "bed blocker". She cannot go home until a new home with memory care and dining service is found for her. Thank goodness her son has done the leg work, and h e has a goal in mind. Until then the system will do its thing and hopefully the transition will be smooth for her. Ha! Yeah right. But not for her son who is faced with the massive job of disposing of her stuff. It will be a huge job, but a hey day for the homeless (lots of socks to donate, and nail clippers and stuff stuff and more stuff.)

At the same time, Erin and Walter are having a horrible time as Walter's father is in heart failure, after 3 weeks of having one heart attack after another, he thought he had the flu, he drove himself to the hosptital and was given an immediate triple bypass. So far today, 3 days after the surgery, he has been shocked 7 times over night and  12 more times this morning and is occasionally conscious. We can only send him our thoughts and help the kids where we can. They are all terrified . And so sad. Bill squeezes their hands. Its the only thing he can do.
2010 is just a shitty year.

What are we Grateful for? What do we Appreciate?

This picture was taken about 7:30 AM  when the rainbow caught the early sun and geese flew over. The scene changed seconds later when the sun rose higher and caught the mountains in pink and stole the rainbow.



All the food was perfect, everybody brought a contribution and it was a delicious dinner. I laughed and laughed. I have the funniest family in the world.



Shelley, Gwenn and the Mexican wrestling Thanksgiving Turkey

Wee Willy Winkie ready for Bed