Gangsta Granny

My sister sent me this picture of my mom and her shenanigans at Christmas. This really makes me laugh as I can just see the grandkids getting gramma to pose for this pic. My mom really likes to have a good time and is very young at heart. You go granny T!

Under the Bunyan Tree

When the kids were little we lived in a place called Port Hardy on the very north tip of Vancouver Island, isolated and very beautiful. Our first Christmas, we decided to join the ranks of the locals and get out there and cut down our own Christmas tree. I was rather excited at the prospect of tree cutting as I had grown up in southern Alberta where there wasn’t a tree for miles, so going into the forest was a whole new experience for me. My husband, well he was just revved up being able to spark up his chain saw. The kids being only 2 and 4 just did what we told them with the enticement of hot chocolate with marshmallows when we got home. Wish that were still true.

We hit the logging road in our 1964 Chevy truck, minus intact floor boards, on a bright, sunny Sunday on our first Christmas tree cutting expedition. Finding a good spot along the hydro lines, not that far from home, we decided it was a good place to look for a tree, either that or Neil had to pee, I’m not sure which came first. At any rate we all piled out dressed in our toques and heavy coats to get down to some serious tree cutting. Finding the perfect tree in the tree lot is daunting at best, but in the middle of the forest, not an easy task. The kids were busy picking up pine cones and tossing them at one another while Bill and I sized up the trees. Our criteria was stiff as we eliminated tree after tree. We had found a couple of reasonable candidates, which had been marked appropriately, when my eyes widened. Our excitement mounted as we ticked off each of our specifications. I could see Bill’s fingers itching to crank up the chain saw. We decided this was it and amongst yells of “tim…ber” saw our first, real forest tree fall to the ground.

After much grunting, hauling and dragging of our prize, we finally got loaded back into the truck and heading towards home with complaints of cold feet and empty tummies. I fed and watered the kids while Bill squared off the bottom of the tree for the stand and dug out the decorations from under the house. The kids waited anxiously in the living room, having already picked out the perfect location. I went to the garage to see what was keeping my favorite lumber jack only to find him looking from tree to stand after discovering it would only hold about one-third of the base of our fresh cut pine. I dispatched him to town after tossing “Rudolph” into the VCR to amuse the kids for another half-hour.

Anticipating the problems of regular stands being much too miniature for local loggers, Home Hardware had a fine array of large stands that would hold our tree steady for the next couple of weeks. The kids were happy to see daddy home with the new one and helped him steer the base through the ring and tighten the bolts to hold things nice and sturdy. Running back inside, jumping up and down the wait seemed endless and Bill and I pushed and prodded flipping branches through the front door and on completion slowly tilted the tree upright near its spot by the fireplace. Heads tilted up, no words could pass our stretched necks. Mouths agape we all just stood and looked up, way up. The top of the tree was bent over about a foot and-a-half, which meant the tree was close to 27 feet tall. It had looked much smaller in the forest than it did in the middle of our living room. I am not sure who started but the first giggles were followed by laughter to full on belly laughs and tears rolling down our cheeks as we gazed at the gigantic tree in the middle of our house.

At this point I knew we would never have enough decorations to complete the project so once again Bill was dispatched to town while the kids and I made a batch of shortbread cookies waiting for his return. The rest of the decorating went without a hitch but I am pretty sure Home Hardware had to restock after our visit to the store. It really was a beautiful tree and a memory not easily forgotten and one of the first of many forays into the bush for Christmas trees. Not only did we not get a Charlie Brown tree that year, but we got a tree Paul Bunyan would have been mighty proud of.



As you can see by the tree, we had to cut about 2 feet off the bottom so it didn't hit the ceiling and also so it was a little more stable.

A Rare Moment

I am so happy I captured this rare moment in time when my children aren't bickering, or arguing about politics, hockey or homelessness and they are just enjoying each other and sharin' the love.

My Photo Book

I am totally excited!!! Yesterday in the mail I received the book I had made for my mom for Christmas and it is more than I could have hoped for. I decided that I would put all my best photos into a book and give them to my mom for Christmas, as she doesn't have wall space to hang photos, and it was too hard for me to pick just 1 or 2 that she would have liked. So I tried out Shutterfly and it is so EASY to create a photo book, I am not sure why I haven't done it before. The finished product is so professional with a cover photo, spine title, back cover photo, and all the photos are printed on heavy, glossy black paper. Absolutely fantastic! I hope she is as excited about it as I am. After Christmas when I have extra $ I am going to order one for myself.

I have 1 week to get all my Christmas shopping done. Thanks the gods for internet shopping! What would I do without it?

The Deck

As promised, a picture of my neck deck. The progression was interesting and sure as hell took a long time! I am looking forward to the spring when I can do some planting and get everything all cozy and earthy.

Sail Away

It is a rather, chilly, dull day here, so I thought I would warm it up with a shot of this colourful sailboat on the beach. I edited this photo so it would have that 60s feel to it.

Cosmos Yet Again

Here are some more Cosmos. These are the same bunch of flowers as before just a different angle and used some different settings. I like the darkness of the shadows. I hope that my pictures of flowers don't bore. Donna thinks I take too many! I disagree.

Perched at Jericho Beach

I love how these seagulls were all lined up on these posts. Donna wheeled her chair crazily towards them honking her horn and then all took off. Luckily - I got this shot before she took hers!

Sunny Sunflower

I thought this was an appropriate photo for a very grey, rainy day. Maybe it will cheer us up!

Happy Thanksgiving

This weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving. I am looking forward to spending a quiet day with my children, cooking and eating turkey and engaging in lively conversation. It would be nice to have more people around to cook for, but that's the way it goes when you don't live near family. We will however enjoy ourselves. So - to all my Canadian pals out there, Happy Thanksgiving!

I took this photo the other day on my walk about and thought it looked very thanksgivingy...

Cosmos

I decided it was time to get back to posting photos. I haven't had as much time to take photos as I would like lately, but I do have a few in reserve that I managed to get edited today.

Most Alien Place on Earth

Hey peeps! A quick update while I take a break from typing doctor speak!

This week has been super productive for me, so I MUST be feeling better. My visit to the doctor indicated that my TSH is indeed returning to more normal levels. YEAH! I am going to continue on the meds for another two months and then have another recheck just to see how things are going. Yoga and change in diet are definitely a factor as well, as I have lost many inches as well. YEAH AGAIN!

Yesterday I went to Costco to pick up my card and get my photo taken. God that place is so ginormous! I didn't buy anything but wandered around checking things out for my next shopping trip. Neil, Brenna and I are going on a "family" shopping day to buy in bulk and then divide them by 3. Sounds like a plan.

Then, I took a trip to Ikea to buy Donna two new dressers for her room so I can get her shiznit organized. That girl has so many clothes, nicnacs and medical supplies that somebody needs to organize her ass. That person - is me. Hopefully by next week there will be some order to her chaos and I can get everything OUT of my room that is supposed to go in hers! That will be triumphant.

Neil and Brenna were both over yesterday and were both full of interesting information. Neil showed us this super cool island, which is located off the coast of Africa that is older than Methusela and labeled "The Most Alien Place on Earth". It is super cool and a definite MUST see. Check it here:
http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html

On that note I am off to complete my day's work. Peace out!

Mini Vacay

I need to update. I am not sure when life became so busy, and I have no more time for blogging, because it really seems like nothing has changed in my life. However, I do spend far less time here than I used to.

At any rate. Donna is going in for her surgery on Sept 8 for her feeding tube. It is a small procedure so I am pretty confident all should go well. However, because she has been undernourished for so long she will have to stay in the hospital for a full week, to make sure her body tolerates the feeds, I know how to work the pump, and the staff is confident we can do everything at home. Not really excited about the week's stay, but there isn't much that can be done about that. Also, the ward she will be staying in at the hospital, is not equipped to handle a ventilated patient so if Donna wants to have this procedure done, then I have to sign a waiver, and be her 24-hour care during her stay. Now most certainly I don't mind doing that, because I know she feels much more confident knowing I will be there to care for her, but why aren't nurses trained in the simple art of suctioning??? It's really not all that complicated. However, I shall not bitch and I am looking at this hospital stay as a mini vacation. I wish the accommodations were a bit more luxurious than hospital drab, but I will do anything to make Donna more comfortable!

I have to take a week off work, so we decided to make our time enjoyable and ordered Season 1 and 2 of Wires to watch on DVD, bought some yarn to knit a sweater and Donna is going to do a cross-stitch. I am hoping to get home for a shower every day as the caregiver can stay with D for a couple of hours. So, although the accommodations aren't 5-star, they are free, I don't have to cook, clean or work, and I should get some nap time in the afternoon, barring visitors.

On that note, I am off to complete my day's work and hopefully get in an hour of yoga as well. I have been popping around to read everyone's blogs, but often I do not have time to comment.

Peace out!

I will be sure to update after it's all over with the outcome of the surgery etc.

Slowly Getting Better

I am slowly starting to feel better day by day, although I do still get tired if I do too much. My brain fog is clearing a little bit at a time, and I can hold a thought for more than 60 seconds now! LOL...Naps have been reduced to one about every 3 days instead of 4 per day, so that is a definite improvement! Hashimoto's is not going to get the best of me!

I have been walking a lot this last 10 days logging in about 25 miles or so. It feels good to have the energy to make it past the end of the street for sure! The first few days Donna drug me behind her wheelchair, with me clinging on for dear life - but I have managed now to let go and I can walk up the BIG hill on my own.

After 6 years of constant bitching, the management of my building finally started work on my deck. Had they done something 6 years ago, they would have just had to paint - however now, after the deck has been left virtually exposed to all elements it now has to be completely torn out and rebuilt! Fine by me! Now I get a brand new beautiful deck! Franco and Lynn (the builders) assure me that the deck will be so wonderful I will spend more time outside than in. Not hard - as that is almost the case now! Anyway - when it is complete I will post pictures so you can all enjoy it!

Donna and I went to see the gastroenterologist yesterday. She has been losing weight over the past 3-4 years and it is starting to become a serious issue. It is so difficult for her to eat, as raising her arms up to her mouth is a chore, chewing is getting harder and eating just isn't joyful for her. She decided she wanted to get a feeding tube in order to supplement her diet, up her calorie intake, and see if she can get up to 90 pounds again. Right now I would say she is hovering around 65 or so and being 5' 9" means she is damn skinny! At any rate, the appointment went well and it looks as though we are going to go ahead, hopefully come September. it is going to be a load off her mind for sure, and I can tell she felt relief when she left the appointment. This will be one more thing for me to learn about and make sure all is running well, but I am sure I am up for the challenge.

All in all, things are going well.

Kinni - the Cynic

Oh my God! I cannot stand it! I think Donna's caregiver must be in love or something. I can hear her in the kitchen singing "love" songs. Gag me! She is singing the theme from Titanic! Pllleeeeeaaaaassseeeee make it stopppppppppppppp!!!!! I know she is dating a new guy so maybe they sealed the deal on the weekend or something. BBBLLLLLAAAAHHH...I'm too cynical for this! LOL.....

Weekend update

It somehow feels odd for me to write here, as this has always been my photo journal, but I think it is something I am going to have to get used to. I would rather stay here at my stable blog site than have to start over again. At this point, I don't have the time, energy or initiative to start something new. So, that being said - this is where you can find me.

I think the medication may be slowly kicking in. I am down to two naps a day most days, and sometimes even one. I am keeping a "health diary" in order to keep track of how I am feeling so that when I go for my six-week checkup I will have something concrete to pass on to my physician. Donna, bless her little heart, has been helping me with my exercise program. She makes me walk with her everyday and so far this week we have logged in about 15 miles. I have practiced my yoga twice only, but will probably do more of that next week after one more session with my instructor on Monday. I have to force myself to walk and hopefully soon, I will want to rather than have to!

Friday night we went out to a birthday party. Scotty and Amanda (who are dating) have their birthdays on the same day - which we have always thought kind of cute. Anyway - Scotty turned 21, Amanda 19, and we had a great time with family and friends. I met Amanda's parents for the first time and found them to be extremely interesting people. We were told to be on our best behavior and were not allowed to say "fuck"! I wasn't sure why the hell they invited me if we were supposed to be on good behavior, because I am usually not, but Barb said I was there for my witty reparte! LOL..I believe I held up my end of the conversation and didn't say fuck once! The rest of the gang I have known since the beginning of time it seems - but in actual fact only 32 years. We always have a great time together and delight in seeing how far our adult conversation will actually go in grossing the kids out. This time we told them a tale of Mitzi the stripper, ping pong balls and a flute. I had always thought this an urban legend, but it seems there was at least one person in our midst who had actually seen her performance! Much to the dismay of our children, we continued on this tangent until they declared they didn't want to hear anymore of Mitzi's exploits as it were! Sadly - Mitzi doesn't dance any more, but she was one talented stripper! LOL....

I plan on keeping the week fairly low key as we have guests this weekend. A girls weekend out - so I have to be in top form to keep up with the young ones! I am twice as old as they are! Actually though, if the birthday party was any indication as to who can outlast who - I was the last one to bed, with Scotty and Amanda falling asleep on the couch well before midnight, BJ heading to bed soon after. I actually didn't hit the sheets until about 2 a.m. Wimps - the whole lot of them!

I am here my fellow EFXers!

I will be posting here at this blog as it seems EFX2 has totally died. I usually just post photos here, but this will now become my permanent home. I don't have time to maintain two blogs and I know there are many of you over at Vox. I will be in touch with those folks over there to let them know where I am and I will try to get around to each of you here at blogger as well. If I don't have you listed on the side and linked please put your link in the comment section!

Peace out!

Garden Delight

The front garden at my apartment has beautiful peony bushes. I just had to snap this on my way out for my walk this morning.

Cool Tranquility

This is actually a photo I took quite a while ago, but I was thinking about it yesterday and decided to post it. I often think of being able to sit on a rock here on a hot day sheltered from the sun, in the cool shadows of the big trees and listening to the trickle of the water.

Crescent Beach

I took this photo a few weeks ago on a trip down to Crescent Beach in White Rock. It was an absolutely glorious day and the smell of the ocean was invigorating. I have to do this way more often!

I have not posted for a very long time due to lack of time, and definitely not lack of interest. I haven't taken any new photos for a while either, so it is definitely time to get back into the groove!

Hidden bridge

This was taken in the park right beside the Marine Museum down at Kits. I thought this was rather pretty. Imagine it will be much prettier once the trees all have their leaves.

Calm

This boat looked so calm and peaceful sitting at the dock. It was the first day I had been down to the beach in a long while and the fresh sea air did me a world of good.

Steamy Morning

I took this from my deck the other morning after we had some snow. Thankfully it didn't last long, and was gone within the houre. I did love the steam coming off the rooftops.

Reindeer Trees

This totally caught my eye when I was out for my walk yesterday. A young man nearby waiting for the bus just couldn't see what I saw and thought I was totally nuts!
What do you think?

Gerber and Mum

I bought these flowers last week and they were getting a bit haggard looking. I decided to stick them in some bubbly water and take a picture. I think it turned out okay.

New Hair cut

Took this photo to show off Donna's new cute hair cut.

My Niece

I took this photo of my niece a couple of years ago, and always thought it would look good as a sketch. I finally got around to processing it that way. I am going to send it to her as a gift. She is so cute!

Work to do...

While the rest of the country huddles under a blanket of snow, we on the west coast are enjoying some nice spring days. I happened upon this scene the other day on my walk. The smell of freshly turned dirt hit my nose long before I saw someone had been working in the yard.

Computer

This amused me yesterday. It gives a whole new meaning to the words mobile office.

Tiger Lily

I saw this beautiful lily today at the market on the corner. Spring is just around the corner and the bright colours of this flower were just what I needed to brighten my day.

Shortlisted

I just received an e-mail notification that this photo has been shortlisted for Schmap.com. Kind of exciting - even to be shortlisted. I am not sure if they will use it or not, but I am flattered enough that someone even considered it!

Stadium Roof

I like the light and contours of the roof of BC Place - that is when it isn't collapsed.

Cuppa Joe

Donna gave me a mild frother for Christmas and some little templates to decorate my coffee. Doesn't it look great?

Puppy Pals

Aren't these little guys adorable? I miss my puppies!

Rose

There is something about a black and white photo that I really love. It seems to capture the subtle nuances and shades just a little differently.

Happy New Year!

I have no idea what is going on over at EFX2, but the site seems to be up and down yet again. I can ALWAYS be found here. Hopefully I will have a little more time to post my photos here on a more regular basis. The last few months have been too sporadic! Keep in touch!