13 Sunday Jan 2013
Posted in Uncategorized
up a little early and just spent half an hour on the balcony listening to the wind in the trees and looking at the amazing stars…
Long day yesterday which started at 2:30 am… made it to the airport safely, no problems getting through security and the boys handled the wait very we’ll… fun plane ride and then a slow entry into the resort but last night Cyndi and Ron arrived and we we finally all together…
Have a lovely room and look forward to some great times…
11 Friday Jan 2013
Posted in Uncategorized
well, we’re down to the last few hours… as long as the blizzard behaves itself we will be leaving at 6:30 am…
the great news is that Crystal realized we are leaving at 6:30 and not 6:00 am, so I called and had the limo change from a 2:30 pick-up to a 3:00 am one, so we get an extra half hour of sleep… although, most people who know me will expect me to be up much earlier than that…
view number 1…
the boys are asleep, and the big kids are playing games on their phones… Kyler and I gathered up some goodies and put in baggies for additional treats to keep us all happy on the plane… they are now piling everything up so I can take a picture, woo hoo…
going out for a hot tub… with company for a change…
second view, couldn’t get it all in…
I hope to post blogs while we are away, if we have Wi-Fi at the hotel… so maybe I will write tomorrow… otherwise, see you in a week…
10 Thursday Jan 2013
Posted in Uncategorized
Tags
bags are packed, crunch time, family vacation, Grandpa, kids excited, Mexico, missing George, pedicures, photo book, Quarks, sandals
its coming down to crunch time… just a few days left before I leave on my family vacation… bags are almost packed and last minute items have been purchased and slipped in somewhere… today was my last day at work and by four I had accomplished about 95% of what I had hoped for…
the exciting news is that my sandals arrived from Quarks online store, so my feet will be very happy as they wander all around the resort and on excursions…
great ECCO sandals for comfortable walking wherever we are…
the kids, big and little, are all excited too… I think the last time we were all on vacation together was the summer of 2008 when we all went out to visit Cyndi and Ron when they moved… at that time there were only two little boys… this time, there are three little boys, but no Grandpa…
after work tonight Crystal and I went and had pedicures and then we popped over to the mall to get a few final things… came home and had a lovely chat with Cyndi as she waited for Ron to arrive in Calgary…
toes all painted and ready to go…
I am excited but also missing George… it is thanks to him that we can afford to take this trip… I would rather have him than the trip, but since that isn’t going to happen, I will make the best of it… I am planning to take pictures, and with the girls, produce a lovely photo book of our time, so that will be lots of fun…
and really, how bad can a week in Mexico be, lol…
09 Wednesday Jan 2013
Posted in Uncategorized
been quite an evening… so far, I have talked to three different people at MTS about my internet service… none of the waits were very long, but it is a good example of how technology can or cannot work…
first time I called was to do with the password for the Wi-Fi… there wasn’t anything wrong with any of the equipment but when they installed the PVR back in early December I got a new password… something like 12 or 13 numbers… there is not a chance that I would remember that, so I asked if it could be changed back to what it was before, which I could usually remember…
I was told all I had to do was call MTS and they would fix that up right away… a few days later my daughter was over and said we could do it ourselves online… so she tried… she did get the name changed, but the password piece wouldn’t cooperate… so finally, tonight I called to have it fixed…
I spoke with a lovely young man who was very helpful… of course I had two or three other questions and he was very good about changing the password and helping with the other issues… so, I hung up, and then tried to use my phone to look something up on the internet… you guessed it, didn’t work…
so I called again, and after a short wait, spoke with a lovely woman who had to ask all the same questions over again to verify that it was really me… then she checked and we discovered that the lovely young man had misspelled the password… she fixed it and my phone connecting right away and this time I stayed on the line while checking to see that it would work…
I watched a bit of TV, had a short nap and came downstairs to write a blog post… and guess what… my internet wouldn’t connect… by now I had the number memorized, and when the second lovely young man answered the phone, rattled off all the information that the first two people had requested… he just laughed and said I had given him more than enough information… we did a few things and, I know this is going to be hard to believe, it worked…
happily working now…
I asked all three about the fact that my Kodak Pulse frame won’t connect but none of them had any ideas other than to contact Kodak about that… I also asked all three about the fact that with the new PVR system I am supposed to be able to get Facebook on the TV, but they didn’t really think that was working just yet…
electronic picture frame next on the list to sort out…
all of this reminded me that this morning when I presented a Tech Tip to my colleagues at our staff meeting, it didn’t really go as planned and everyone was brainstorming with me to see if we could figure out the glitch – which we did… sometimes I think that is a great accident, because everyone feels connected with the process and no one is likely to forget the tip either…
on top of that, my phone hasn’t connected with the Wi-Fi at work for the last three days, although after my round of calls tonight I might have a solution… so I think that is enough technology for one day…
I really do love technology, particularly when it is working seamlessly… and sometimes it is even fun when it is offering little roadblocks to keep a person on their toes…
08 Tuesday Jan 2013
Posted in Uncategorized
Tags
discussion, honest, in the moment, laughed and cried together, on the journey, ReImagining, sharing, vulnerable, wonderful life
had a lovely evening with my ReImagining friends…
we have been gathering as a group every 4 to 6 weeks since 1993… an amazing group of women, we have studied, learned, struggled, laughed and cried together for twenty years… the group has been as large as 20 and as small as 6…
we gather at one of our homes, share dinner – which might have been homemade, but often is purchased – check-in and either have a program, read a book or watch a video, and then finish up with a discussion…
some of us are homemakers, some are business women, some are retired, but we all look forward to our gatherings… some very rarely get to be with us, but will still think of us when we are together…
the hands of the women who know my heart…
we have been reading an excellent book – Through the Woods: Making Sense of Your Spiritual Path, by Clark Saunders – and are nearly finished it… the sharing we do in the process is quite remarkable… we know one another very well and are not afraid to be honest and vulnerable…
on Monday we had a lovely homemade stew with wonderful bread to soak up the juice… and for dessert we enjoyed After Eight mints, strawberries and grapes… we almost always have some form of chocolate, a very important food group… what a treat to be able to spend an evening with such special people… being with them always reminds me of what a spectacular circle of friends I have…
delicious stew…
we spent a bit of time talking about being in the moment, and reveling in that moment… that is often difficult to do…
I am looking forward to many special moments when I am with my children and grandchildren in Mexico and, more than ever, realize what a wonderful life I lead…
07 Monday Jan 2013
Posted in Uncategorized
was reading a blog about how, when this person looks at a park bench, they see love…
made me think about a picture that the Cyndi took of George and I the day of Crystal and Jeff’s wedding…
George and I looking out over the water…
Jeff’s good friend and neighbour came up to us and said he thought it was wonderful that folks who had been married for so long could still cuddle on a park bench, and how seeing us in that moment helped make the day especially meaningful for him…
I had just been out of the hospital for a while, and was still feeling quite tired when I did too much… so we were taking a little break during the photographic extravaganza, and had sat down on the bench and were enjoying the view of the river…
I dug up the photo (thanks Ron for sending it!)… I think I will use it for my office coaster, which has been craving a new picture…
it also reminded me of one of the things that I miss most… holding George’s hand when walking down the street, through a store, or wherever… we always held hands and I really miss that…
it used to make the girls giggle in an embarassed way, but as they grew older, it made them giggle in a “how cute is that” way…
when I think about how much I miss my beloved, I am reminded of what an amazing life I had with him and how special that was…
I know the the future will be different, but I will always have him with me in my heart…
06 Sunday Jan 2013
Posted in Uncategorized
Tags
chat, last things, lovely hot tub, pack for Mexico, play on the plane, shots, suitcases, took down ornaments
I’ve had a lovely, restFULL day… didn’t wake up too early, and started my day with a lovely hot tub – wasn’t even cold out there… I read and watched TV and took down Christmas ornaments… I also organized a small roast for tonight’s dinner with the kids…
Cyndi called a few times and we had a lovely chat… it is getting pretty exciting now that the trip is so close…
I have been gathering items to pack for Mexico, and yesterday picked up what I think are the last things… got a number of bits and pieces to entertain the boys on the plane, as 5 hours sounds like a very long time if there aren’t activities…
my cold seems to be getting better and my eye is coming along nicely… I plan to do a job or two each night so that when I start my vacation on Friday, I won’t be exhausted…
we made it through the shots very well on Saturday afternoon… Tavin didn’t even cry, although Gray did… this time my arm doesn’t hurt at all… I am wondering if it was the tetanus shot that caused the pain last time…
Gray’s needle…
Jeff arrived before Crystal and the boys, and we spent a while talking about suitcases because I’ve been in a quandary whether to take two small ones or one large one… thanks to having him to brainstorm with – where is George when I need him – I have decided to take a big one and a small one, so will bring them upstairs later to start packing… one might be filled with the snorkels and masks I am taking for everyone…
clothes all lined up…
thinking how George would have been packing like a fiend, and would then have two or three additional piles of stuff that would have to be jammed in… it was always fun to watch him pack a suitcase, although he was the best car packer I have ever seen…
05 Saturday Jan 2013
Posted in Uncategorized
Tags
Advent, creativity, Dobby the kitchen elf, godly play, green hand, hospitality, humour, nativity, organized fridge and freezer, scroll saw, snacks, wooden figures
I was talking with my friend last night… I call her Dobby, after the kitchen elf in Harry Potter… she is a wonderful friend…
she came and looked after me for the first week following my surgery and she was amazing… she could find the most wonderful little snacks to encourage me to eat, at any time of the day… she organized my fridge and freezer, and found just the right electric kettle that I could lift – I went through six weeks of not being able to lift anything over five pounds, and let me tell you, that means you can’t lift anything…
we were talking about the wooden figures that George had made for a number of folks with his scroll saw, and her patterns… the figures and other items he made were beautiful… he used various hardwoods which he searched out all over the city… we would think something up, she would draw a pattern, and George would produce it in no time at all, having found an appropriate wood, cut and then sanded and stained the pieces… he always had to make at least two of each design (and sometimes three, one for another friend) so that I would have one and so would Dobby…
some of the wooden figures made by George…
during Advent she had been setting up the wooden figures for church and thought about George each time she picked one up… tonight I called her because I couldn’t find any pictures of the pieces and while we chatted she sent the picture above…
his favourite comment to her was “I used to like you” referring to the fact that she was always coming up with new things for him to make… which, in fact, he loved to do, but not without some ribbing…
this was the first year that I hadn’t put out that particular nativity… usually I have 4 or 5 set up around the house, but only put out the stained glass set this time…
it also reminded me of the wonderful stories that she and Deborah told at George’s memorial service… once I asked them to lead the service, I was able to let it go completely, as they knew exactly what George and I would appreciate…
they talked about the various pieces of George’s life – his hospitality, his green hand, his creativity (including stories about the wooden figures) and his humour and love…
it was a wonderful send off for a very special person…
04 Friday Jan 2013
Posted in Uncategorized
this morning I received a phone call at 7:36 am… I was a bit worried when I answered it – usually phone calls that early don’t bode well… it was a woman from Canada Employment Insurance who I had been playing telephone tag with for a few weeks…
I had received a letter from her a number of weeks ago, stating that I had not provided correct information about how much CPP I was collecting while I was on EI following my surgery in July… the letter had felt rather threatening, mentioning they might grab back a portion of what they had paid me while I was off work…
she had left a message during our tag game and it sounded like she was saying that, in fact, they had underpaid me, but that didn’t seem to go with the letter so I was confused…
usually I wouldn’t be home at 7:36, but because I had a 9 am doctor’s appointment I was still here… she advised that they really did owe me money – $10 to be exact, and she would do all the necessary paperwork and a cheque would be sent, in due course… which means in a number of weeks…
it brought back memories of July, 2010, when I ended up in the hospital with pancreatitis and then had my gall bladder removed… we were planning to head to BC to visit Cyndi and Ron for our vacation the day after I landed in the hospital…
it was a very stress-filled time and George used his whole vacation time to sit by my bed and try to help me any way he could… I was very sick and for six weeks couldn’t eat or drink anything and was throwing up all the time… not really much fun to be around… finally I was well enough to have the gall bladder surgery and a few days after the surgery it was our 40th wedding anniversary…
my beloved brought me 40 roses in a beautiful arrangement… I have just searched the computer but can’t find pictures of them… (6Jan13 – Cyndi sent me some pics of the flowers and I am added them here!).
the Kleenex box shows how big the basket was…
all of that made me think back to the EI process we went through then… I had used up all my sick leave, vacation time and overtime before I applied for EI and got it fairly soon after applying… it came in very handy as I was off work for nearly three months and toward the end of that time Crystal got married…
this time when I knew I was going to have surgery I had been in touch with the EI folks and got instructions on what to do ahead of time… so, like they told me, I applied for EI the day I went on sick leave and completed the necessary online forms… nothing went right from that moment… each time I would speak to someone, or complete a form, I would be advised to call… I would call only to get a recording saying call back, which I did, many times… when I would finally get a human on the other end of the phone, they would say to do something completely different than the previous person had advised… this went on throughout the whole time I was off and trying to collect the EI… to make it even more confusing I was getting CPP as a survivor and then began collecting myself…
whew… so it was good to have this woman contact me with the information that I hadn’t done anything wrong, or entered incorrect information… it was their little mistake…
so I will watch the mail for that $10 cheque…
40 roses to celebrate 40 years…
03 Thursday Jan 2013
Posted in Uncategorized
Tags
angel, beautiful snow, eye, eye drops, laugh, missing George, post cataract surgery, specialist, under the weather
the very last picture I took of George was of his eye… he was a week post cataract surgery and I had put drops in his eye for him and took a few close ups of the eye which he could now see perfectly with… he found getting the drops very difficult and it made me laugh because I’ve been putting drops in my eyes for over a year and didn’t jump every time like he did…
tonight I am wishing he was here to look after me… I have had an eye infection for about 10 days now and have been giving myself drops for a number of those days… today I went to the doctor again, because the infection appears to be coming back…
he is sending me to see a specialist from the hospital where George had his eye surgery…
on top of that I am struggling with a cold and feeling under the weather… if George were here, he would have brought me something warm to drink, made sure I had something to eat and tucked me in…
so, I am going to bed with a hot drink and will see the specialist in the morning… we don’t have many days before we leave for Mexico so I better start feeling well very soon…
angel tree…
this picture is one we took the day before George died… we drove around the Park and neighbourhood so that I could get some pictures of the beautiful snow, and came across this tree which reminded both of us of an angel…
