Chuckles and Chortles

Happy Monday, everyone, and happy Halloween! I hope you all had a lovely weekend. We sort of hibernated the past couple of days, because sometimes you need a little of that, but we did manage to go out for coffee and be part of civilization. Now that my battery is more or less fully charged, I will once again pick up the pace.

Lots of sunshine here today but a little cold. Thankfully there's no rain in the forecast, so the little witches and pirates and princesses and vampires can get out tonight and enjoy the holiday. They may have to bundle up but at least they won't have to carry umbrellas around. Or miss out completely. Some parents do not take the kids out if the weather is really bad.

Anyhow, here's some Halloween(y) humour for you.

Have a great day, everyone.

Another Week

This week zipped right by. It sure was a busy one. My younger daughter arrived Monday evening and stayed with us until last night. She has this week off from school and she was able to get a few days off from work. As soon as she confirmed that she was coming for sure, I did what I always do: I planned a whole day of cooking and baking. All that culinary madness took place on Monday. By the time we picked her up from the bus station at 8 PM that night, the fridge was full of lunches and dinners and desserts, and I had a meal to be placed in the slow cooker the next morning marinating in the fridge. I even packed a container full of white chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin muffins and lemon bread for my daughter to take back with her. All homemade goodies with healthy ingredients.

I don’t worry too much about her when it comes to nutrition because has good eating habits. She knows how to cook and bake, and she enjoys wholesome foods. Despite being busy with school, a job and a very active social life, she eats healthy. I love that she does this. With busy and hectic schedules, and a huge selection of processed foods available, it’s easy to eat badly. It’s frightening how many ‘food-like’ products are on supermarket shelves with very little – if any – nutritional value in them. When we eat that stuff, we are starving our bodies.

Moving on from lecturing...

We got to spend time together and catch up, which was wonderful. I enjoy listening to her voice her opinion on things and I always love hearing about her news. She is so grownup and yet whenever I look at her, I still see the baby I cuddled, the energetic toddler I chased after and the young child I put on the school bus. All that came and went and POOF suddenly she’s in high school. And that came and went and POOF she's off to university. POOF again and she’s moved to another city with her own apartment, attending the second year in university and holding down a part time job.

What??? When did this all happen? She’s the baby of the family. My older daughter already put me through this a few years ago and I was hoping the younger one would slow down a little. But the clock keeps ticking and time keeps rolling along, pushing us all foward.

Can you think of a song with the word time in it? The first one that comes to mind for me is Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time”, which was released in 1984. Coincidentally, I was my daughter’s age that year, only 19.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

Question Of The Day

Animal cruelty
Nosiness
Snobbishness
Discrimination
Bullying

What about you?

What I’ve Learned In My Life So Far

I've learned that...

Amazing, isn't it, how different perspectives can be? This applies to everything, including religion and politics, two topics of conversation that can - and oftentimes do - lead to disharmony. Insults are tossed back and forth, anger ensues and relationships are tested and sometimes destroyed when people don't see eye to eye. Haven't we all been guilty of this type of behavior at some point in our lives?

In my own circle, I have family members and friends whose views on many subjects compared to mine are so contrary that one wonders how on earth we could possibly get along. Well, we maintain a relationship as long there isn't nasty mudslinging and derogatory comments. A difference of opinion is fine. Name calling and belittling isn't.

What do you think?

Chuckles and Chortles

Happy Monday, blogging pals. How is everyone? I hope you all had a nice weekend. Ours was both busy and quiet. Projects, leisure time, projects and leisure time. That was our weekend. And we squeezed in a couple of movies. The night before we watched 'Cat Ballou' with Jane Fonda and Lee Marvin. It's an old comedy western musical. Meh. It was alright. I'm not the biggest fan of old movies. Some I like, some I don't. Then last night we watched the crappiest movie in the history of crappy movies. 'Trespass' starring Nicole Kidman and Nicolas Cage. There are so many flaws in it that it's both laughable and exasperating. Do. Not. Watch. It.

Guess what? I'm the proud owner of a slow cooker. Finally. We went shopping on Friday night and brought one home with us. Do any of you use a slow cooker? I have wanted one for ages. I don't know why I took so long to get one. And since bringing it home, I've already collected about 1,000 recipes to try. Tomorrow will be my first attempt at this beautiful machine. Wish me luck, I'm going in...

Okay, enough of the blah, blah, blah...here's some funny stuff for you.

Have a great day!

This Week

Here we are again. The end of another week. It's cold and gloomy and pouring rain outside as I write this. It's the side of the fall season that I don't like. Any day now the leaves on the trees will fall and the raking will begin. Or the mulching. We don't rake or bag or blow leaves; we mulch them into our lawn. And add some into the flower beds, as well. Good eatin' for the garden.

Have you watched any good movies lately? We've been watching some older ones. A few days ago we saw 'Brubaker' starring Robert Redford. It's a prison drama about newly arrived prison warden, Henry Brubaker, who attempts to clean up a corrupt and violent and abusive penal system. It's pretty good. I always enjoy films that Robert Redford is in; he's a good actor.

While watching 'Brubaker', the most amazing man in the world commented on how young Robert Redford is in this film. Of course he is. This movie dates back to 1980. I was young then, too. Only 15. I didn't have grey hair, a mortgage, children I worried about or any other grownup responsibilities. I wasn't dealing with menopause and all its madness. My vision hadn't begun to deteriorate, therefore I didn't have to hold reading material out at arms length (in bright light) or wear reading glasses daily or carry around a mini magnifying glass to read the fine print on products that at my age is one big blur. I didn't have to kick my metabolism in the ass (once upon a time it was a powerhouse) to keep it from spending the day napping. And my body didn't make creaking, popping and rattling sounds. Some of you know what I'm talking about. Some of you are still too young to understand all this but you'll get there one day!

Moving on...

I've been listening to a lot of music lately as I continue to paint furniture, which I'll share photos of eventually since some of you requested some. But not today. Today I will share the video below of the song Renegades by the band X Ambassadors. Maybe you'll like it, too. Or not. Doesn't matter. What does matter is that the weekend is here again and I'm going to wish you all a good one!

Happiness Is...

...this kitty snuggling up to me.

This is extra special because this is not my cat. It is my hospice client's cat. There are actually four cats - all rescues and all females - in the house and this is one of them.

When I first started volunteering with this family, only one of their cats acknowledged me from the get go. She would talk to me and I'd talk back. Yes, I speak cat. And she'd let me pet her. She actually insisted I do so. The other three kept their distance. In fact, I didn't get a glimpse of them for a very long time. They hid slept in the basement the whole time I was there.

Well, the weeks and months passed, and with my regular visits, (almost) all of them started getting used to my being there every Wednesday. Curiosity got the better of them and two of the three skeptics snuck a peek. From a safe distance.  A few weeks later the same two started sleeping nearby and a few weeks after that, they let me pet them. For a second or two.

Then yesterday, this one jumped on the couch, parked herself right next to me, placed a paw and her head on my leg and took a nap. She let me pet her for as long as I wanted and purred up a storm.

I'm in! I'm in the circle of trust. And it only took about a year. *snort*

Number four is still suspicious. But she did come up from the basement yesterday to glare look at me, so there's hope.

Fill In The Blank

...a personal cook.

Even though I enjoy cooking and baking, I could get used to someone preparing meals for me.

And by the way, when I was a kid, we actually had a personal cook that cooked for us seven days a week.

She went by the name of 'mom'.

Your turn!

Chuckles and Chortles

Happy Monday, blogging friends. Did you all have a nice weekend? I certainly  hope so. Our weather has been very mild for the past few days. It feels more like spring than fall. I can live with this.

Have you heard about the 'creepy clown craze'? I was recently reading about it. It began in Greenville, S.C., in the United States in August and has since gone global, with incidents reported in the United Kingdom, Australia and even my country, Canada. Total madness. Here's a link for those who have no idea what I'm talking about: Creepy clown craze sweeps the globe

Now let's get to the funny stuff.

Have a good one!

Friday Again

It's Friday again and here we are at the start of another weekend? Where did the week go? What's been keeping you busy? I've been - surprise! - painting. I'm working on an old bookcase right now, which has been around since the beginning of time. Well that's not true. It's actually been around since my kids were very young. And so was I. When I'm finished with it, it'll look so much more...I don't know...youthful. If only a simple thing like paint could turn back the clock for us, as well. A light sanding, a bit of primer, a couple of coats of a bright colour and - voilà - 20 years younger.

These painting projects are fun (minus the cleanup and preparation) and I've been tackling one at a time from my list of "old furniture that needs a new lease on life". To date I've completed two nightstands, a console table and a rocking chair. I've got three pieces to go, including the one I'm working on now, and then I'm going to walk around the house and see what else I can freshen up with paint. Or what else I can do. I've been visiting a lot of crafting blogs/sites and painting blogs/sites and renovation blogs/sites lately to learn as much as I can. There is no end to the amount of projects one can do when you head down this road. Trips to the hardware store are always a joy and I've even run out between coats of paint because "there's something I need for this job!". Yesterday it dawned on me that I'm becoming one of 'those' people. The DIY people. My dad would be proud, of course, since he was a cabinet maker and such a handyman in just about every type of renovation job. With the exception of electrical work. He never touched that.

Anyhow, that's what's going on with me lately. It's enjoyable and I've been singing while I've been working. Literally. Because there's always music playing. Like this song that has me dancing around my workspace with the paintbrush used as a microphone.



What's up with you? I'll wish you all a wonderful weekend while you answer that!

Question Of The Day

Yes. Even with people I don't want to share the universe with. In fact, I could be seated right next to or across from someone that gets under my skin and not bat an eye. I've actually been in these types of situations and survived them. I am able to ignore people I am not very fond of, taking no notice of them as if they are literally not there, even looking right through them if need be. There are rare occasions when I step out of that cocoon and voice an opinion or take a swipe at somebody, but that's only when that individual is saying something completely inappropriate or extremely offensive. I always choose my battles carefully. Otherwise, Mr. or Mrs. annoying just doesn't exist.

How about you?

My Tuesday...

...has been a whole lot of this:

What does your day look like?

(I'll be by to visit your blogs later today or tomorrow. )

Chuckles and Chortles

Happy Monday, everyone, and happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians! How did the weekend go? We spent most of it traveling and visiting and traveling and visiting. Saturday we drove to Ottawa to spend some time with my younger daughter. She couldn't come home for the long weekend because of her work schedule, so went to her instead. We caught up on news, took her for dinner and had a wonderful time. Yesterday we drove to Montreal, visited with my mother-in-law, my mom, my brother and sister in-law, and met up with the my husband's sisters, their partners, his great nephew and his father at a Japanese restaurant to celebrate my father-in-law's 90th birthday.

It was a full weekend and we enjoyed seeing everyone. The traveling has left us exhausted, so today we're going to do a whole lot of nothing!

Now let's get to the funny stuff...

Have a good one!

So Much To Be Thankful For

It is Thanksgiving weekend in Canada. I have so much to be thankful for that I don't know where to begin. At the top of the list are the people I love most in this world: my daughters, my husband, my mom and brother. I couldn't ask for a more amazing bunch.

Then there are the usual suspects like living in one of the most beautiful place in the world, not to mention one of the safest, and having a roof over my head, clean water to drink and plenty to eat.

And in addition to all these blessings, I end up coming home with a gift basket like this earlier this week that made my day:

It was given to me by the wife of my hospice client. He is an elderly man that I look after each Wednesday while his family is away. I've been volunteering with the local hospice organization for the past 18 months or so, and for over a year I've been assigned to this wonderful family. The wife is the sweetest, kindest lady on the planet and she is always trying to give me something as a gesture of gratitude. In the beginning, she tried giving me things like gas cards and money, which I promptly refused. I explained to her that we are not permitted to accept anything that didn't fall into the organization's motto, which goes something like this: "If you can't drink it, eat it or grow it, you can't accept it". I explained to her that if I broke this rule, I would be dismissed and couldn't help her family anymore. She understood but because she's the type of person that needs to show appreciation, she decided to work with that motto. Since then, I've been sent home, now and again, with things like jugs of milk, butter, cookies, bottles of Bailey's Irish Cream, fruit juices, fruits, chocolates, candy and so on. When her son takes her shopping, she sometimes picks up something for me. One week, papayas were on sale and she got one for me. I swear. I've told her many times that all this is not necessary and to please stop because I don't want her spending money. She waves this away, bags whatever she has for me and sends me on my way. She is adorable.

This week she stunned me with the fruit basket that is filled with all these edible and drinkable goodies. I couldn't believe it when I saw it. It felt like my heart was being hugged when she handed it to me and said "just a little something to show you how much we appreciate all you do for us." I'm tearing up just writing about this.

Yes, I have so much to be thankful for. I am truly blessed. Especially because of the incredible people that I cross paths with in life. Including all of you!

Have a lovely weekend, everyone. And Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Canucks!

Words Of Wisdom

Like we needed any more reasons to love Adele.

I grew up in a community where men were considered superior and women were expected to serve them. This was enforced in the households and in the churches we attended. For those of you who have followed my blog long enough, you just know that this nonsense didn't go over well with me and that I rebelled against it with every ounce of my being. It wasn't easy to stand against the status quo but it was necessary. I have no regrets and I would do it all over again if I had to.

Years later I was blessed with two daughters that I encouraged to expect nothing less than respect from the world around them, particularly from their partners. Equality was a common word in our household and sexism was a regular topic of discussion.

Both girls have grown up with a strong voice against a patriarchal society that, unfortunately, still exists today. But even though the fight for equality is not over yet, there are two young women that I've proudly brought into this world that are continuing to pave the road. And who do not respond to sexist, derogatory whistling; an objectification of women.

A terrific day to all!

Painting

The past couple of weeks have been busy. Mostly cooking type busy. I've prepared some old recipes and tried some new ones like the most delicious lemon bread in the history of delicious lemon breads and the most amazing brownies in the history of amazing brownies. And because it's autumn season, which means apple season, lots of applesauce and apple butter; two things that you should never buy store bought because they're ridiculously easy to make. Not to mention much healthier and tastier when homemade.

Yesterday I put down the wooden spoon and picked up a paint brush. I'm back to painting again. Not walls but furniture. This week's project includes two natural/maple-coloured nightstands (yawn) that are going to be sporting a bold yellowish shade (English Daisy by Behr) by tomorrow morning. Once that's done, I'm going to tackle a rocking chair, two bookcases and an office storage cabinet. All of them will get a colourful facelift. Then we'll see after that.

I love taking old stuff and giving it a brand new look. And pops of colour. The way IKEA (the best store in the history of best stores) does with some of its products. Painting is a wonderfully affordable way of getting new furniture into your home without actually buying anything. And because too much wood in the house makes me nuts, painting it away on some pieces will solve that problem. My preference in home décor is minimalistic, youthful, bright, bold and sleek. So something like this really appeals to me:

(source)

The most amazing man in the world, on the other hand, would have no problem at all with something like this:

(source)

I swear I would suffocate in a room like that. Even lose my mind. Much too dark and heavy.

How do two people with such differing tastes get along? Well, the most amazing man in the world doesn't really care. It's just not that important to him. And if painting something colourful and bright makes me happy, that's great. He even helps me choose punchy shades for my projects. He's amazing for so many reasons.

Have you been tackling any projects lately? Do you like painting (aside from preparation and cleanup, which totally sucks)?

Question Of The Day

We once had a landlord that was ‘a person of interest’ in a murder case. Yeah.

Your turn!

Chuckles and Chortles

Happy Monday, everyone, and happy October, too, since I haven't wished you that yet. It snuck up on us and here we are. October makes me think of pumpkins and Halloween and apples and Thanksgiving, which we celebrate next week here in Canada. The leaves change colour, the weather is just right and the aisles in stores are stocked with colourful candy and bite-sized chocolates. There is a certain joy to this month that you won't find any other time of year. I love it all. Except for the shortening of days. I don't love that. How about you? Do you like October?

Here's some funny stuff while you think about that...

Have a good one!