The geriatric kitty

Ebony has taken a fancy to my new duvet cover. The poor old girl is finding it hard getting around lately. Carl thinks she is about 14 yrs old.

This look is.."No, you are not going to block that knitting on this bed!"

Vitamin D and birthday stuff.

I must be Vitamin D deprived. Lack of sunshine and too much snow. Yesterday morning I knocked some ice of the car and when it hit the drive it shattered like glass. Sounded like it too. That happens when it is minus 15 celcius. I warned everyone in November that the bitching was about to commence. I held off with just minor complaints all winter but I am at the end of my tether.
Enough already... I am so worn out from it. Work isn't busy enough to be challenging. The days are long and frustrating. My present knitting bores me..Uh Oh I feel some startitis come in. That's when knitters get the "urge" to begin a new project. It is a sign of spring...I hope.

This Saturday we will be 12 for luncheon...at Montana's Cookhouse. My eldest grand daughter, Taylor, just turned 12, my eldest daughter ( her Aunt) will be THIRTY-EIGHT!!! on St David's Day ( March 1)...and... Granny (my mother) will be at the party!! The women will out number the men 9 to 3.....lol poor guys.
The mandatory Birthday Hat willl be worn!

"the next day"

I started this last night but just didn't get it finished. I spent the evening making customized Birthday Cards for Taylor and Corinne. So much for getting my shawl blocked. I just wasn't in to it. Carl has been out long hours this week and as I have mentioned before we are far better together than apart. I miss his company.

What does your birthdate mean??

You Are a Traditionalist

You're a pretty traditional person. If it's lasted, it's probably good. You seek stability - both in your career and your romantic relationship. In return, you're very loyal and predictable. Which is usually a good thing. Without a partner, you feel lost. Being with someone is very important to you. Your strength: Your dependability Your weakness: You hate being alone Your power color: Midnight blue Your power symbol: Shell Your power month: April

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

I love the first line "if" it has lasted...lol

Pretty close except: I don't hate being alone.. A little alone time is a good thing. I just wouldn't be( and wasn't) happy alone all the time. Other than that not bad...as far as these silly things go...

Snowbeard..lol

Yesterday the lottery was $48,000,000. I didn't want that much.
I would have been happy with less.


We didn't win. Carl is "Snowbeard" instead of "Snowbird"*




*a canadian who flies south for the winter
( for my International readers)

The winds blew.

It was a snowy Saturday. I made an emergency run to the wool shop which of course is in the northwest corner of the city. I live in the south central. OMG driving was white knuckle all the way. I was relieved to arrive home unscathed. I used the 12x zoom on my camera to capture the cardinals in the tree in the back garden. There is a park behind us...that is the Library building. anyway they were all puffed up sitting there in the snow poor wee things.

Train Wreck TV

What can I say in my defence? It is winter in Canada? TV is pathetic? I confess, I have resorted to "Bachelor" watching. Well with score so far at 1 for a happy couple versus 11 for the rest suffering from some sort of attachment disorder. What ever happened to the studly from the UK and Fernando Lamas' grand daughter? As if that was going anywhere...snort...and then there was the Doctor, oh and the Italian."Prince".....geeze Chris almost curtsied every time he talked to the guy. I expected him to say "Your Grace" any moment.....

To the latest. The rumours are out. Google "Reality Steve : The truth" ( thank you Saundra). ABC has sunk to a new low this time. Jason, you weeny! Jillian : honey you be glad your back in Canada and let your grandmother go to northern Alberta and find you a nice Ukrainian you will be better off! ( gotta love Grandma , she was a hoot)

If this show doesn't get cancelled after this season I will be surprised. This one left a bad taste in my mouth.

It is all about RED

Today is Friday..... Support our Troops..... I am wearing a red shirt today and thinking about the Canadians who are living and working in danger and the families praying for their safe return.

The Spoon Theory

I just read THIS and I recommend it to everyone. What a wonderful insight. I am ashamed for my whining yesterday.

Mea culpa.

Looks like I wasn't the only one....

from: CTV.ca News Staff
18/02/2009 8:34:05 AM
Facebook cancels recent changes to terms of use after sparking outrage among many users, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg says he's reversing recent changes made to the social networking website's terms of use.
Facebook users were greeted to this 'Terms of Use Update' early Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009.
In an early morning blog posting Wednesday, Zuckerberg said his company has received a lot of questions and comments about the changes in the past couple of days.
"Based on this feedback, we have decided to return to our previous terms of use while we resolve the issues that people have raised," Zuckerberg said.
The contentious clause that caused the uproar reads as follows:
"You hereby grant Facebook an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense) to use, copy, publish, stream, store, retain, publicly perform or display, transmit, scan, reformat, modify, edit, frame, translate, excerpt, adapt, create derivative works and distribute (through multiple tiers), any User Content you (I) Post on or in connection with the Facebook Service..."
The new terms of use, which were posted to Facebook on February 4, gave the social networking site the right to hang onto information posted by users for as long as the site wants -- and even after that information is removed from a user's profile.
With more than 175 million people using Facebook, Zuckerberg said the document was not solely meant to protect the company's rights.
"It's the governing document for how the service is used by everyone across the world. Given its importance, we need to make sure the terms reflect the principles and values of the people using the service," he said.
He said the next version "will be written clearly in language everyone can understand" and that Facebook users will have a lot of input in crafting the terms.
"We expect to complete this in the next few weeks," Zuckerberg said.
Users who want to provide their input on the new terms can post questions, comments and requests in the group -- Facebook Bill of Rights and Responsibilities.
This is not the first time users have expressed concern about the social networking site.
In 2007, a tracking tool called Beacon angered users after they realized their shopping habits and activities at other websites were being broadcast.
Following the backlash, Facebook eventually allowed users to turn the tool off.

I opted out of Facebook...

CTV new had an interesting report yesterday on Facebook's altering of user rights, which led me to do some investigating. Last night I tried in vain to find the terms of agreement on the Facebook home page. Finally I had to resort to good old "google" to get my answer. I was able to delete the photo albums but not any information I had posted. According to the new terms effective Feb 4th 2009. Facebook owns everything I posted in perpetuity and can use, alter, sell, whatever on and on. It gave me a creepy "Big Brother is watching" feeling so I decided to delete my page. Can't be done. I can deactivate but it is still there in cyber limbo. Identity theft is not something I worry about, I don't have anything but the whole thing made me very uncomfortable. So there you go. It was nice keeping up with my children on a daily basis, now back to emails.

President Obama is coming to Ottawa. I think most Canadians are suffering from "President Envy" or "Leader Envy." "Harvey Milquetoast", our PM, ( catch the pun) has never engendered this kind of excitement. Oh that we had a leader that put our countries needs first. I think President Obama will be the best president the states has seen in a very long time. He will do what has to be done and hopefully we will benefit in the long run. In the meantime I think we are going to be the least of his worries. Our politicians are going to find out it was not good to ride on the backs of the Americans. It's that "all your eggs in one basket" syndrome. We have tough times ahead.

I am tired of working. I am getting old and I see no chance of retirement. It is frightening. I started working part time at 16 at the "Corner Store" for 65 cents an hour ( that was minimum wage). We sold milk, cigarettes (50 cents a pack for large), bread and newspapers, stuff like that and there was a little lunch counter. Since then I have, waitress ed, pumped gas and worked in a factory, an insurance company and Bell Telephone. I have sold Tupperware, and Sarah Coventry Jewellery. I have managed a video department, arranged flowers, made quilts,and designed and taught knitting and jewellery making. I have been an owner and an employee. I have been divorced and widowed and have seen 4 children grow to adult hood. I am worn out. At least I have health care and I'm debt free, 'nuf whining..... get back to work.

Expanding the mind..

This looked like an intriguing title. I was looking for something to listen to whilst I was knitting. I read and listen to a lot of fiction so I thought it was time to expand the mind.

Non fiction can be difficult to pick up and put down with ease so I thought what better time to be enlightened as when I knit or drive in traffic.

Big disappointment on every level. The title is a total misnomer. What "Mystery?" Elinor of Aquitaine and the Anchorite Hildegaard were incredible women for their time but "feminism?" Hardly. I have been to Assisi and the section on Francis of Assisi was very interesting as was the information on Giotto who, it is thought, painted the frescoes at Basilica of St Francis of Assisi. It was only as I have been to Assisi that I could relate. The fresos are amazing. All in all this was a flop. Thomas has excellent diction and should stick to reading someone elses work.

The art of conversation.

I was listening to the radio whilst I was driving this morning. There was interesting discussion on over worked phrases in the English language. This set me to thinking about how my use of "English" has changed over the years. Popular phrases indicate our advanced technology, "email me" would have been incomprehensible when I was a girl along with "microwave" ( as a noun and a verb). Carl is always decrying the loss of the adverb. You "do not feel bad" about such and such. You "do not feel badly." The aforementioned conversation became even more interesting when they got to the over worked phrases we hear every day. Do we really listen when someone speaks to us or are we all in such a hurry we rely on banal replies just to get on with it? Something to think about.
Here is my list, in no particular order, of phrases which grate on me:
"Have a nice day." Pleasant but banal. Totally inappropriate if you are on your way to a colonoscopy appointment. (lol) Can someone please come up with something else?
"Like" Like what like I don't know what to say next.. like....shudder
" with all due respect." ???? to whom??
" awesome" old very old
" no problem" If I thought it was a problem I wouldn't have asked whatever. A simple "your welcome" would have been much better.
"under the influence of...." Your are drunk or stoned ...Charles Dickens got paid by the word. Keep it short.
"employment is terminated" Your ass is fired
"fine" Do you know what that means: F*#@* up Insecure Neurotic & Emotionally unstable.
The next time someone says 'How are you?" Be honest. You are well, tired, upset whatever. It makes conversation so much more interesting.

Google ( now there is a new verb for you) "over worked phrases" you will be amazed at the list.

What phrase are you tired of hearing and what would you suggest as a replacement?

The Thirteenth Tale, a short book review

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Random House ISBN # 978-0-385-66285-7
408 pages

The heroine, Margaret, became my friend, a sister I never had, a loner, like me, who loves books, just like me. Margaret meets a famous author and learns a secret. Ff you are a clever reader you may just discern the answer before it dawns on her. Her curiosity, her loss, her confusion and most of all her realization of the truth is felt by the reader. The characters breath life from the very page. When you think you know it all something else comes along. Let me tell you something, the cover of the book is a clue. I very much enjoyed this experience. One of the joys of reading is placing a face to a character. This is what personalizes a novel for me. It is the advantage of age that I have met enough people I have a vast store to draw upon.

This is a story within a story. A tale of sisters lost and found, of mystery and of answers. I would recommend this book to banish the February Blahs!

I am not ready to start the next book yet I have to savour this one for a couple of days.

My rating is:

out of 10 .

Another dull winter day.....

Today I bring you the art of Diego Rivera, in honour of my oh so brief trip to Mexico. In this never ending Canadian winter I thought it would be nice to see some colour, feel the warmth of the sun and the aroma of the lily.

I would love this art on my office wall. It would certainly brighten the place up. As you may have noticed. I always add a picture or two or three to my posts. I am sorry people but I like visuals. And yes I am a voracious reader and there are no pictures in the books I read but none the less when I blog I like to stimulate all the visual areas of the brain.

Can you see the man behind the basket of callas? He is about to load this bouquet on her back. I love this picture. It says so much. When you think you are "tied" to your job and "burdened" down with responsibilities think of this painting. I wonder if she had the time to smell the flowers?

...and the snow continues to fall.