It started off by me sleeping in until 11:10am, and missing church. Missing church was not an upsetting moment, but sleeping in so late was a bit of a surprise.
Another surprise came a little later. It is a habit that the hubby and I go out for breakfast/lunch after church on Sundays. We get a newspaper and enjoy a good breakfast at a local haunt. Yesterday was no different and we were just finishing our meal I began to look for our waitress to get the bill, but she seemed to be absent. I should also add that we had never seen this waitress before. A few minutes later out of the corner of my eye in a small secluded booth I spied her. She was visibly upset and crying while talking to another co-worker.
I'm not sure what compelled me to do it, but as we got up to depart I went over to her and gave her a hug. She began to apologize, but I shhh'd her and told her that its ok, and whatever was wrong was also going to be ok. She called me a 'Sweetheart', thanked me for the hug and we left.
I thought that the hubby would think my actions odd, but instead he asked why I did it. I explained that she was obviously upset and looked like she needed a good hug. He responded by telling me that me giving her the hug was a very nice thing to do.
Later that evening God gave me a hug, by showing me one of His summer creations - right in our back yard - it was a Doe (female deer) and she had her beautiful set of triplets with her. All three fawns still had their spots, and were completely adorable. Its a shame the little rotters eat my garden.
Sunday was a very blessed full day.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
I couldn't help myself
This is too cute not to post.
Please enjoy with my compliments.
Stop Motion Spaghetti Cooking - Watch more free videos
Please enjoy with my compliments.
Stop Motion Spaghetti Cooking - Watch more free videos
State of Mind
As I laid in bed last night with the usual babbling brook of thoughts running through my brain, that I had not been "present" when I posted yesterday's .... giggle. For anyone who may wander by this site (and this is a true test to see how many readers I actually have) you might have noticed a small mis-step in my titling and post from yesterday.
Can you see the discrepancy?
Just put it down to a snoozey, summer state of mind.
I promise to be more alert when next I post.
Can you see the discrepancy?
Just put it down to a snoozey, summer state of mind.
I promise to be more alert when next I post.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Down on the farm Part 1.5
Here are some pictures that I thought you might like to see.
I realized as I looked over my pictures that I completely forgot to tell you about "Howard" the 'house' cat. He weighs in at a hefty 22 pounds of purr, and dream of all dreams - he loves to be vacuumed (which he gets once a day).
Here is a new born calf - less than 12 hours old. His knees were still wobbly when I came in to see him. And because he was a "bull" he was just as large as his sisters in the barn who were 6 to 8 weeks of age. I felt sorry for him poor momma, this was her first calf.
And finally, this is "Tugger" one of the many barn cats. I was really trying to figure out a way to fit him in my suitcase and bring him home. He was so loving, and purred like there was no tomorrow. Most barn cats are feral, and not very approachable, but this little guy ..... he was ludicrously affectionate.
That's just a little sumpun'sumpun to tide you over until I find the next slot of time to update.
I realized as I looked over my pictures that I completely forgot to tell you about "Howard" the 'house' cat. He weighs in at a hefty 22 pounds of purr, and dream of all dreams - he loves to be vacuumed (which he gets once a day).
Here is a new born calf - less than 12 hours old. His knees were still wobbly when I came in to see him. And because he was a "bull" he was just as large as his sisters in the barn who were 6 to 8 weeks of age. I felt sorry for him poor momma, this was her first calf.
And finally, this is "Tugger" one of the many barn cats. I was really trying to figure out a way to fit him in my suitcase and bring him home. He was so loving, and purred like there was no tomorrow. Most barn cats are feral, and not very approachable, but this little guy ..... he was ludicrously affectionate.
That's just a little sumpun'sumpun to tide you over until I find the next slot of time to update.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Time away down on the farm - Part I
Oh my gosh! I can’t believe how quickly time has flown. I’ve been back from my week away for almost two weeks now, and I was gently reminded (thanks Lindzee) over the weekend that I had yet to write about my adventures.
So today, because I’m pretty much the only one who’s shown up for work, and lacking motivation to push myself, I’ll finely get back to business here. Tomorrow is July 1st and Canada day. Many folks decided to make it an extra long weekend. How unfair is that? However, that said – I get a chance, relatively unhindered, to update. Yippy!!
My time away - - - - was wonderful, witty, wild, wistful, wacky, warm (does not express the extreme humidity, but it was the only word I could come up with that began with “w”). To begin my journey I needed to be at the airport around 5:30 am. Not my or my husband’s best time of the day. Being that I was up so early in the day the beginning of the flight was subdued in temperament. I had the darndest time clearing my groggy brain. A recommendation to all that fly and enjoy a ‘good’ cup of coffee – don’t drink the coffee on the plane. It’s a waste of taste buds time. However, the highlight for the 4.5 hour trip between Victoria and Toronto was that each seat had its own individual tv screen to watch a selection of tv show episodes, movies, documentaries or news. I could barely contain my excited with my choices. I started out watching “The Other Boleyn Girl”, but found it too heavy a fare to view at 7:30 in the morning, and was very displeased with its lack of sticking with the book. So I quickly changed gears and moved over to the family friendly selection and watched “The Spiderwick Chronicles”. Entertaining, and easy on the brain.
This filled a couple of hours after which I channel surfed (so to speak) and ended up whiling away the hours with my Nintendo DS. Spongebob Rocks!!!
I had a slight 1.5 hours layover in Toronto before continuing on to London (Ontario). This gave me ample time to stretch my legs, send “miss you” text messages to my husband, and “almost there” ones to my waiting girlfriend. Once fitfully stretched I sat down and began playing Spongebob again. With earphones in …. I almost missed my connecting flight. It wasn’t until I heard “Paging Passenger Mugwhump” x 2 that I realized I had been oblivious to all surrounding. After a stressful few minutes I got on the plane and settled down for a quick 45 minute final leg of my flight plans.
The minute I got off of the plane in London the weight of the humidity hit me full force. We don’t tend to get this kind of humidity on the coast. We have too much in the way of ocean breeze for there to be much time for humidity to takes its toe hold. But my excitement was such that I was pretty much walking on air anyway. Mere steps away from one of my oldest and dearest friends!!
Kim and I met when I was in grade 5 (she in grade six, being she was one year older than me, almost to the day). My family (my parents and myself) had just moved down to a very very very very (did I say VERY?) small town in Southern Ontario – the heart of the (then) tobacco farming country of Canada. Kim’s town and my town were 5 miles apart, and neither village contained a four corner stop, let alone a stop light intersection. They were/are mere blips on the radar if you weren’t paying attention. Kim’s family and my family attended the same church, and being small town our paths had little choice but to cross.
This moved proved to be the beginning of three of the most horrid years of my youngish life. Difficult times within our household, and well as being considered an “outsider” in my school environment. The two places I had to spend the most time. However, a bright spot was spending time with Kim’s family on their working tobacco farm. I loved it, and didn’t realize the safe haven they gave me until much, much later in my adult life.
Back to reconnecting with Kim – although Kim and her husband had come out to visit us in Victoria a couple of years ago, I hadn’t set foot back in Ontario since her wedding over 25 years ago. Her adult life there was completely foreign to me, and her four grown boys were strangers - but not for long. Kim married a dairy farmer, and that is what life is all about for her. They live just north of London in a very dairy oriented area, and I fell in step with farm life pretty quickly – the quiet, the smell, the pace – all so very different than my life in the city. Yet I felt strangely at home. Kim and I have never lacked for words between us, and almost immediately launched into news and happenings in our lives. To be honest, I don’t think either one of us took much of a breath between my arrival on the Wednesday and departure the following Tuesday. But it was so wonderful and fun to just “be” with someone you had so much history with. Relaxed as it was, early June is a very busy time on a farm. It’s a time of harvesting the first cut of hay, getting it into the barn, and keeping up with the birthing of new calves. And I was reintroduced to the importance of following the weather from a farmer’s perspective. This turned into a lunch time ritual – who’da thunk the weather channel could be so engrossing?
I got a full tour of the barns. Met several barn cats – some friendly (“Tugger” can be seen on my Flickr page), some … not so much (they call him “Hitler”). I met the 8 or so new calves they have, ranging between the ages of 1 week to 8 weeks. Too cute! At least in this farm girls heart's opinion. Kim and family have 62 milking cows, plus an assortment of “dry” cows (cows that are presently pregnant) and heifers (female bovine under 2 years that haven’t been impregnated yet). You will not find a bull on the farm. Dairy farming is a society that does not think highly of the male of this ruminant species. Other than a well qualified sperm donor, there is no use for a bull on a dairy farm. This takes the expression “As useful as tits on a bull” to a whole new level. Artificial insemination is all these girls get, down on the farm. I suppose this way Daisy never has to plead a headache!
I digress ……
The milking process was very interesting (to me), it’s changed greatly since I was a kid visiting my Uncle’s and Aunt’s farms. It’s much more sterilized and stream lined than I’ve ever seen. And for most “producing” farms – did you know that cows never get to go outside anymore? For the most part cows are not pastured. Due to the strict regulations on the germ free and cleanliness factor of the milk, cows are kept in as sterile an environment as can be. This would mean well ventilated fresh air barns, machines that come along the alley’s of the barn to sweep away the ‘aftermath’ of the regulated feed, to name a few. It also means that you can’t have any other farm type animals on the property for fear of cross-contamination. So no horses, no chickens, no goats …. Etc. (Dogs and cats permitted of course)
With the exception of not being able to have a horse, I was quite enamored by the whole lifestyle. The Romantic side of farming ……
But there is also the not so romantic side – the continual manure, the 5am wake up calls, the potential for constantly muddy floors, you can only have dial-up for your computer – no such thing as wireless in the country, and finally (and probably my clincher to never being a dairy farmers wife) the cows have to be milked twice a day – at the same time - EVERY DAY - regardless of the day of the week, weather outside, holidays, shopping sprees, or birthdays.
I learned quite a lot about dairy farms in one week. And I think that about all I’m going to fill you in on my holidays – for now. I still need to tell you about going down to the township that Kim and I grew up in, seeing her mom, seeing my old house, meeting up again with another girlfriend that I hadn’t seen in 26 years ….. You’ll just have to stay tuned, and I’ll have to make sure I post about it.
Happy Canada all you Canuck’s out there. Happy 4th of July to all my American friends!! Stay safe.
So today, because I’m pretty much the only one who’s shown up for work, and lacking motivation to push myself, I’ll finely get back to business here. Tomorrow is July 1st and Canada day. Many folks decided to make it an extra long weekend. How unfair is that? However, that said – I get a chance, relatively unhindered, to update. Yippy!!
My time away - - - - was wonderful, witty, wild, wistful, wacky, warm (does not express the extreme humidity, but it was the only word I could come up with that began with “w”). To begin my journey I needed to be at the airport around 5:30 am. Not my or my husband’s best time of the day. Being that I was up so early in the day the beginning of the flight was subdued in temperament. I had the darndest time clearing my groggy brain. A recommendation to all that fly and enjoy a ‘good’ cup of coffee – don’t drink the coffee on the plane. It’s a waste of taste buds time. However, the highlight for the 4.5 hour trip between Victoria and Toronto was that each seat had its own individual tv screen to watch a selection of tv show episodes, movies, documentaries or news. I could barely contain my excited with my choices. I started out watching “The Other Boleyn Girl”, but found it too heavy a fare to view at 7:30 in the morning, and was very displeased with its lack of sticking with the book. So I quickly changed gears and moved over to the family friendly selection and watched “The Spiderwick Chronicles”. Entertaining, and easy on the brain.
This filled a couple of hours after which I channel surfed (so to speak) and ended up whiling away the hours with my Nintendo DS. Spongebob Rocks!!!
I had a slight 1.5 hours layover in Toronto before continuing on to London (Ontario). This gave me ample time to stretch my legs, send “miss you” text messages to my husband, and “almost there” ones to my waiting girlfriend. Once fitfully stretched I sat down and began playing Spongebob again. With earphones in …. I almost missed my connecting flight. It wasn’t until I heard “Paging Passenger Mugwhump” x 2 that I realized I had been oblivious to all surrounding. After a stressful few minutes I got on the plane and settled down for a quick 45 minute final leg of my flight plans.
The minute I got off of the plane in London the weight of the humidity hit me full force. We don’t tend to get this kind of humidity on the coast. We have too much in the way of ocean breeze for there to be much time for humidity to takes its toe hold. But my excitement was such that I was pretty much walking on air anyway. Mere steps away from one of my oldest and dearest friends!!
Kim and I met when I was in grade 5 (she in grade six, being she was one year older than me, almost to the day). My family (my parents and myself) had just moved down to a very very very very (did I say VERY?) small town in Southern Ontario – the heart of the (then) tobacco farming country of Canada. Kim’s town and my town were 5 miles apart, and neither village contained a four corner stop, let alone a stop light intersection. They were/are mere blips on the radar if you weren’t paying attention. Kim’s family and my family attended the same church, and being small town our paths had little choice but to cross.
This moved proved to be the beginning of three of the most horrid years of my youngish life. Difficult times within our household, and well as being considered an “outsider” in my school environment. The two places I had to spend the most time. However, a bright spot was spending time with Kim’s family on their working tobacco farm. I loved it, and didn’t realize the safe haven they gave me until much, much later in my adult life.
Back to reconnecting with Kim – although Kim and her husband had come out to visit us in Victoria a couple of years ago, I hadn’t set foot back in Ontario since her wedding over 25 years ago. Her adult life there was completely foreign to me, and her four grown boys were strangers - but not for long. Kim married a dairy farmer, and that is what life is all about for her. They live just north of London in a very dairy oriented area, and I fell in step with farm life pretty quickly – the quiet, the smell, the pace – all so very different than my life in the city. Yet I felt strangely at home. Kim and I have never lacked for words between us, and almost immediately launched into news and happenings in our lives. To be honest, I don’t think either one of us took much of a breath between my arrival on the Wednesday and departure the following Tuesday. But it was so wonderful and fun to just “be” with someone you had so much history with. Relaxed as it was, early June is a very busy time on a farm. It’s a time of harvesting the first cut of hay, getting it into the barn, and keeping up with the birthing of new calves. And I was reintroduced to the importance of following the weather from a farmer’s perspective. This turned into a lunch time ritual – who’da thunk the weather channel could be so engrossing?
I got a full tour of the barns. Met several barn cats – some friendly (“Tugger” can be seen on my Flickr page), some … not so much (they call him “Hitler”). I met the 8 or so new calves they have, ranging between the ages of 1 week to 8 weeks. Too cute! At least in this farm girls heart's opinion. Kim and family have 62 milking cows, plus an assortment of “dry” cows (cows that are presently pregnant) and heifers (female bovine under 2 years that haven’t been impregnated yet). You will not find a bull on the farm. Dairy farming is a society that does not think highly of the male of this ruminant species. Other than a well qualified sperm donor, there is no use for a bull on a dairy farm. This takes the expression “As useful as tits on a bull” to a whole new level. Artificial insemination is all these girls get, down on the farm. I suppose this way Daisy never has to plead a headache!
I digress ……
The milking process was very interesting (to me), it’s changed greatly since I was a kid visiting my Uncle’s and Aunt’s farms. It’s much more sterilized and stream lined than I’ve ever seen. And for most “producing” farms – did you know that cows never get to go outside anymore? For the most part cows are not pastured. Due to the strict regulations on the germ free and cleanliness factor of the milk, cows are kept in as sterile an environment as can be. This would mean well ventilated fresh air barns, machines that come along the alley’s of the barn to sweep away the ‘aftermath’ of the regulated feed, to name a few. It also means that you can’t have any other farm type animals on the property for fear of cross-contamination. So no horses, no chickens, no goats …. Etc. (Dogs and cats permitted of course)
With the exception of not being able to have a horse, I was quite enamored by the whole lifestyle. The Romantic side of farming ……
But there is also the not so romantic side – the continual manure, the 5am wake up calls, the potential for constantly muddy floors, you can only have dial-up for your computer – no such thing as wireless in the country, and finally (and probably my clincher to never being a dairy farmers wife) the cows have to be milked twice a day – at the same time - EVERY DAY - regardless of the day of the week, weather outside, holidays, shopping sprees, or birthdays.
I learned quite a lot about dairy farms in one week. And I think that about all I’m going to fill you in on my holidays – for now. I still need to tell you about going down to the township that Kim and I grew up in, seeing her mom, seeing my old house, meeting up again with another girlfriend that I hadn’t seen in 26 years ….. You’ll just have to stay tuned, and I’ll have to make sure I post about it.
Happy Canada all you Canuck’s out there. Happy 4th of July to all my American friends!! Stay safe.
Friday, June 20, 2008
A Friday Feast
I’m back from Ontario and am still trying to sort out my thoughts. The trip was wonderful, but childhood memories are frightful liars (more on that later). So, until I sort out said thoughts I will tease you with a Fridays Feast. Feel free to play along.
Appetizer
If you could live on another continent for 1 year, which one would you choose?
Europe – The “Mother Ship” for the company my husband works for is in Grenoble, France and further down his career line there is always the chance of being transferred. His other choice would be Laverne, Tennessee. No offense to Laverne, but France sounds way more exciting for a year.
Soup
Which browser do you use to surf the Internet?
Firefox - unless I click on the wrong button and then it’s Explorer. Matters not really, one is as good and confusing as another.
Salad
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how much do you know about the history of your country?
5 – Growing up we had a lot of American History shoved down our thoughts. I learned all the states and their capitals long before I learn our own Canadian Provinces/Territories and Capital. It’s a cryin’ shame.
Main Course
Finish this sentence: Love is…
Love IS having to say you’re sorry. It’s absolutely impossible to go through life without hurting someone you love. We don’t do it intentionally, but it happens and we need to say “I’m sorry” sometimes.
Dessert
Have you ever been in or near a tornado?
Not in the Wizard of Oz kind of way, but in the Prairies and in Ontario you get the kind of winds that bring tornados. I’ve often seen little teasers touchdown, the thanks be to God I’ve never experiences the full fledged sort.
Appetizer
If you could live on another continent for 1 year, which one would you choose?
Europe – The “Mother Ship” for the company my husband works for is in Grenoble, France and further down his career line there is always the chance of being transferred. His other choice would be Laverne, Tennessee. No offense to Laverne, but France sounds way more exciting for a year.
Soup
Which browser do you use to surf the Internet?
Firefox - unless I click on the wrong button and then it’s Explorer. Matters not really, one is as good and confusing as another.
Salad
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how much do you know about the history of your country?
5 – Growing up we had a lot of American History shoved down our thoughts. I learned all the states and their capitals long before I learn our own Canadian Provinces/Territories and Capital. It’s a cryin’ shame.
Main Course
Finish this sentence: Love is…
Love IS having to say you’re sorry. It’s absolutely impossible to go through life without hurting someone you love. We don’t do it intentionally, but it happens and we need to say “I’m sorry” sometimes.
Dessert
Have you ever been in or near a tornado?
Not in the Wizard of Oz kind of way, but in the Prairies and in Ontario you get the kind of winds that bring tornados. I’ve often seen little teasers touchdown, the thanks be to God I’ve never experiences the full fledged sort.
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