My Thoughts on Fall

September 30, 2009 – Day 273

My fuchsia is still doing quite well considering how bitterly cold and windy it’s been the last few days. My vanilla marigolds in the back are also doing surprisingly well. I continue to water all of my plants and cling to the hope that the simple act of giving them moisture will somehow be enough to keep them alive, perhaps forever. Yet I know their ultimate fate – and they may not have much longer. Some people love fall but I find it depressing. It’s sad to watch the flowers, leaves and grass die, to see the geese begin to fly south for the winter and to feel the darkness creep into our day earlier in the evening and cling tenaciously to the morning.

Back When

September 29, 2009 – Day 272

At lunchtime today, I walked to a little shop (Sunclip Express) just north of Grant MacEwan. It’s a place that makes custom sunglass clips for your glasses while you wait; I got a pair made for my new glasses (that I picked up from Costco last Friday).

Along the way, I walked past a few old buildings. They always fascinate me and I can’t help but wonder what life was like when these stores were actively doing business. Every now and then I would love to be able to go back and spend a day in those times.

Memory Lane

September 28, 2009 – Day 271

I didn’t leave the house today but I took many pictures and had a hard time choosing only one for my picture of the day. It was so windy that our barbeque and propane tank blew over and the handle on the barbeque broke; I made my friend Jen’s recipe for Italian pasta sauce (the kind that you simmer on the stove for hours) with ribs, pasta and broccoli for supper; we got the estimate from the vet’s office for Little Bear’s surgery on the 8th (between $2434.00 – $2904.00 (OUCH!)); I reached the end of the game (level 34) on Farm Town and bought a $1 million mansion for my virtual farm. I’ll decorate the farm more in the days ahead – and sure wish I could cash in some of my $4 million for the vet bill!

I also finished a project that Ashley asked me do for a PowerPoint presentation/assignment she’s doing for school. I had to answer 18 questions about my life when I was her age (15) and send her a few pictures of me when I was a teenager. I started the assignment last week and finished today. The pictures I have of myself as a teenager are few and far between and none of them are in very good shape – but this assignment was a fun stroll down memory lane.

Fall Leaves

September 27, 2009 – Day 270

I’ve been thinking about designing a fall kit to add to the store so when Ken went out for his walk with Little Bear today, he brought me back some coloured leaves that he thought I’d be able to use in the kit. He’s so thoughtful, even in the small things. :-)

New Shoes

September 26, 2009 – Day 269

I went shoe shopping yesterday. I’m usually lucky if I find one pair that I like in my size but I found 3 pairs to buy! You can tell by the picture that my shoe style is: basic black, tie-up, flats. My favorite store to buy shoes is Naturalizer; the shoes are good quality and they specialize in wide widths, which I need and which can’t be found just anywhere. Naturalizer has a store in Londonderry mall and that’s where I go. The shoes are a bit pricey so I prefer to go when there’s a sale. Some of the shoes were already on sale, plus there was a sale for 25% off the second pair and I also had a coupon (that came in the mail) worth 25% off my entire purchase! Between the two deals, I’m sure I saved at least $100 on my new shoes.

Little Bear's Assessment

September 25, 2009 – Day 268

Little Bear went for his surgery assessment today. I felt so sorry for him - but I know he's in good hands.

They scheduled his surgery for Thursday, October 8th but the tech that does the estimates was busy and couldn’t give us a quote tonight; the surgeon said the tech will send it to us sometime next week. This follow-up visit was supposed to be free of charge but they wanted to do a blood test and that cost $66.98 which I’m sure is nothing compared to what’s ahead. The vet said it’s going to be a “complicated surgery” so I’m expecting this will be the most expensive vet bill we’ve ever had. Doesn’t matter though – as long as they can make it “better” for Little Bear.

Clean

September 24, 2009 – Day 267

One thing I really appreciate having is - a dishwasher.

Bus Problems

September 23, 2009 – Day 266

Our bus broke down on the way to work this morning. We all had to pile out and transfer but it didn’t take very long for a couple more buses to show up and get everyone on their way once again. I normally would have arrived at work 10 – 15 minutes early on the bus I was on and I was still on time in spite of the mechanical problems of the bus and the transfer I had to make.

We reached a record breaking 34C today but thankfully I didn’t have to ride home in the oven of a bus; Jen drove and offered me a ride home in her air conditioned car. I am so grateful!

A Book to Read

September 22, 2009 – Day 265

My coworker Stacey (the bookwormiest bookworm I know), loaned me a book to read today. I prefer to read stories based on true life events and this is a novel - but Stacey is sure I’ll enjoy it so I’m going to give it a try. I’ve been wishing for another book to read lately so the timing is good.

No Doubt About It

September 21, 2009 – Day 264

I decided to make lasagna for supper today. I didn’t have a couple of the ingredients on hand so I went for a walk to Save On Foods (our nearest grocery store) to get the items I needed. Along the way, I realized that, even though we’ve had record breaking temperatures in the high twenties and even low thirties lately, it is fall. The dead leaves scattered on the ground left no room for doubt.

The View - September

September 20, 2009 – Day 263

This is the view through our bonus room window in September.

Basment Renos Continued

September 19, 2009 – Day 262

Ken keeps working away on the basement. He built up the sides to make this little wall and is going to put closet doors on the openings to “hide” our storage and furnace.

Sitting Pretty

September 18, 2009 – Day 261

Little Bear is always happy to “sit pretty” for a treat. Although he is his normal happy self these days, I feel so sad for him, and so guilty, because he doesn’t have a clue what’s ahead – but I do. We have to take him in to have surgery, to have the lump on the right side of his chest removed. Further to the appointment we took him to with our regular vet on September 9th, we have an appointment with the surgeon/vet next Friday for an assessment and we’ll more than likely be booking surgery for him that day. Poor Little Bear.

New Mother Cups #3 and #4

September 17, 2009 – Day 260

Today after work, Adam and Michael were waiting at home for me with a surprise. They had each bought me a new “mother” cup! After taking my January 28th Project 365 picture of the Mother cup Christine bought me 27 years ago I thought it would be nice to have a new cup from my kids so I asked each of my them if they would buy me a “mother” or “mom” cup sometime during the year. These cups from Adam and Michael complete my collection; I now have a new cup from each of them. Thank you Christine, Travis, Adam and Michael – my new cups are very special to me!

Four Years Ago Today

September 16, 2009 – Day 259

Four years ago today, our realtor (Frank) gave us the keys to our new home. Ken was at work but I took the day off and met Frank at the new place around noon. Before returning to the rental house to continue packing, I spent some time wandering through and enjoying the house, even though it was empty and hollow sounding. We brought a few things over that night, including our bed and Little Bear and only returned to the old house to pack, move out and clean up.

A couple weeks later we met with the landlord to do a walk through and hand in our keys, closing the door to that chapter in our lives.

A New Chalkboard Message

September 15, 2009 – Day 258

Ian had to be in the city for a late morning appointment today. Christine and Austin came with him for the ride and for a bit of shopping for Austin’s birthday party coming up in October. Ken and I were both working but I invited them to drop by the house and have a piece of the dessert I made yesterday. A whole cake is a lot for Ken and me, so I was glad that they were able to stop in and enjoy a taste of it. They had already left by the time we were home from work (as I knew they probably would have) but they left behind this note on the chalkboard. I probably wouldn’t have noticed it right away but Michael stopped in for a visit tonight and from where I was sitting in the living room (where I don’t normally sit unless I have company), the note caught my eye.

New Recipes

September 14, 2009 – Day 257

I had fun trying a couple new recipes today. They’re new to me but they are favourite recipes of other family members and will be included in the collection of recipes that I’m putting together. The Chicken Lasagna recipe is from my cousin Randi (my uncle Garry’s daughter) and the Black Forest Cake is a combination of two similar Quick Black Forest Cake recipes. One is from my aunt Gladys (my dad’s sister) and the other is from my aunt Joan (my mom’s sister).

The lasagna doesn’t taste anything like traditional tomato based lasagna but Ken and I both loved it and I will definitely make it again. The cake looks delicious too but we haven’t tried it yet.

All The Better to See You With

September 13, 2009 – Day 256

Ken and I went for eye exams at Costco this morning. After the exam, Ken tried on a few frames but he’s hoping to find a 2 for 1 sale so he’ll look for glasses elsewhere. I found a pair that I really like in Costco’s optical department so I went ahead and ordered them; they’ll be ready in two to three weeks.

Company...Biker Style

September 12, 2009 – Day 255

One of our neighbours across the street had company last night. They each have a bike and their company arrived on bikes. I thought it looked cool to see all four bikes lined up in the garage.

This is My Spot

September 10, 2009 – Day 253

We only have one TV and it’s located in the bonus room. We don’t watch it often but we’ve been keeping up with Big Brother this season and we enjoy watching movies on the weekends. Ken watches TV more than I do; he likes to catch the news every day and a show here and there throughout the week.

We have our favourite “spots” when we watch a show or a movie – and this is my spot. This is also my favourite blanket to curl up with on cool nights. Ken’s spot is on the other end of the couch and Little Bear gets the loveseat (which we keep covered with a special pet blanket that repels animal hair).

Funny...the lyrics to "My Town" were running through my head when I did the journalling for this picture. :-)

Cha~Ching

September 9, 2009 – Day 252

Little Bear had an appointment to see his doctor today because I was finally able to convince Ken that the muscle on the right side of Little Bear’s chest might be a lump and not simply an enlarged muscle! However, even as we sat in the waiting room, waiting for the vet to call us in, Ken was still determined that Little Bear’s right chest muscle was just more developed than his left chest muscle.

When we went into the examining room, Doctor Keeler gave Little Bear a quick check up, ending with his chest. He knew immediately that it was a lump – and not an enlarged muscle. He told us that these lumps can grow to be as large as a basketball and that this one is in a bad spot, growing into Little Bear’s armpit. He added that if it continues to grow, it might eventually leave Little Bear a three-legged dog because it could interfere that severely with the use of his front right leg.

Ultimately, it sounds certain that Little Bear is going to need surgery to have the lump removed but the doctor said it would be better for them to have some idea what they’re going in after before they actually go in. He recommended we take things one step at a time and begin with a fine needle aspirate. There was a tech on site and she was able to do the procedure immediately.

While Ken and I were back in the waiting room, waiting for the procedure to be finished and Little Bear to be returned to us, Ken said to me, “So I guess you were right”. In this case, I would have preferred to be wrong but I don’t get a chance to hear him say those words often – so they need to be recorded!

We’re supposed to have the results of the fine needle aspirate no later than Monday and Little Bear is worth whatever this is going to cost but here’s the start of it (today’s visit):

Office call $75.23
Fine needle aspirate $33.03
Cytology – WCVM lab $80.00
GST $9.41

Total $197.67

Don't Look Down!

September 8, 2009 – Day 251

Several people rappelled down the side of the Sutton Place Hotel today. They were already going strong when I got to work this morning and still going at it when I left at the end of the day. Some Superheroes were involved but I missed all of them except one. The pictures I have of Batman rappelling down the side of the building were taken from my desk on the 20th floor of the tower I work in but they didn’t have the same “feel” as the pictures I took from this angle. I’m afraid of heights so I would never be able to do something like this; I felt dizzy enough looking up at this angle as I watched these girls come down, I really had to brace my feet to hold my camera steady!

This was a charity event with proceeds going to Easter Seals.

Big Brother

September 7, 2009 – Day 250

I spend my free time on the computer so I generally don’t watch any TV; however, I took an interest in Big Brother this summer. Ken and I have been watching it together and when we went to watch it last night, we were disappointed to discover that it wasn’t on! I don’t know if it was on earlier than we expected or if it was bumped for another show – do they do that sometimes?

Ken was on his computer this afternoon and found the episode we missed last night on YouTube so we were able to watch it! Ken and I were both hoping Jeff would win the game but he went home last week. Of the four remaining contestants, we are both hoping that Jordan (pictured here) will win.

Hair!

September 6, 2009 – Day 249

Ken went to Value Village to look for some work clothes today and he came back with – HAIR! lol! (He did manage to find 2 bags of clothes for work as well.) :-)

I Love to Cook

September 5, 2009 – Day 248

2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese

Pasta...mmmy favourite!

September 4, 2009 – Day 247

For supper tonight I made tortellini with meat sauce topped with Swiss, Cheddar and Parmesan cheese (broiled for a few minutes at the end to brown the cheese). Pasta is one of my absolute favourite foods.

Busted

September 3, 2009 – Day 246

It got up to 32 degrees today but thankfully I didn’t have to endure the stifling hot bus ride home at the end of my work day. Jen drove today - and offered me a ride, which I gladly accepted! Riding home in her air conditioned car was awesome!

We were about 10 minutes out of the downtown core when, right in front of us, the police stopped a truck and immediately handcuffed the two men and one woman that were in the vehicle. The arrest took place in a traffic circle during bumper-to bumper rush hour traffic.

Late

September 2, 2009 – Day 245

The bus ride home after work today was almost unbearable. Even though every window of the bus was open, they’re so small and so high above the seats that not much of a breeze flows into the bus. On top of the 29 degree outdoor temperature, the body heat of approximately 50 people packed together like sardines in a tin can pushed the temperature even higher. It felt like it was 40 degrees on the bus. In addition to the extreme heat, we were caught behind an unusually heavy flow of traffic out of the downtown core; heavy traffic that continued for about half the ride home. Thankfully, my friend Jen was on the bus and chatting helped to pass the time but when she made a comment about just how hot it was and just how slow we were crawling along, I almost wanted to panic! :-) It seemed to take forever to get home and my regular 45 minute bus ride home was an hour long. It felt wonderful to finally walk through the front door - even if it was 15 minutes later than usual.

And tomorrow is going to be another hot one!

Back to School

September 1, 2009 – Day 244

Signs of fall, and back to school, are everywhere. Leaves are beginning to change color; it’s dark at 9:00 p.m., nights are cooler, and today I noticed that city buses are busier and yellow school buses are on the roads again.

Three of my grandchildren started a new school year yesterday: Ashley started High School, grade 10; Faith goes to grade 4 and Hannah, grade 1. Hope started grade 9 today and Owen and Austin will both begin preschool in the days ahead. If preschool kids count as “school aged” then that means all my grandchildren are of school age; something that didn’t dawn on me until doing this journalling! I will likely have more grandchildren one day because both Adam and Michael wish to have families in the future, but I can’t believe how fast the grandchildren I have now are all growing up! I pray that each of them will have a wonderfully happy and successful school year!