They also serve who only stand and wait.

Cottrell, J.E., Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps, Camp Borden, Ontario circa 1944
Davies, H., Canadian Women's Army Corps, Camp Borden, Ontario circa 1944

These are my parents. She was the Colonel's Secretary. They met on the base and when she was back in the office she checked his personnel file to see if he was married......

Memories.....
When I was a little girl my grandfather "Ernie" ( a veteran of WW I) took me to the Royal Canadian Legion in Toronto on Remembrance Day to see and hear

Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein

"I want you to remember this," he said to me. "Now, that is a great man, a bastard but a great man." All I really remember is a little man in battle dress uniform. But as I got older and learned what had happened I came to know why my grand father wanted me to be there.


They don't teach poetry in school as they did when I was a child. It is excellent training for the mind and some poems are never forgotten.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead.

Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved, and were loved,and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

— Lt.-Col. John McCrae

Prices at Hakim & Lenscrafters

O.K. here's the poop:

Lenscrafters has a "special" buy your frames and get your lenses at half price.

Hold onto your wallet! Here in London the price of the lenses, non glare, scratch resistant, progressive bifocal, $235.00 (reg $470.00!!!!!!!) PLUS the price of the frames. If you want them to be photo sensitive it is more. The glasses I liked would have cost me $564.00......gag Oh and if your lenses have a coating don't expect to have them in an hour. They have to send them out. It will be 10 days

Hakim advertises 2 pair of glasses starting at $199.00. Yeah right

Do the math $199.00 plus $50 for non glare coating plus $50 because they were rimless on the bottom plus $75 (if you want one to be sunglasses)plus $50 because the sunglasses pair had some crystals on the template, which by the way they will not stand behind if the crystals fallout, she said I would have to go to some amorphous jeweller who had moved she didn't know where... Are you adding? Then there was $90 I think that was for the plastic lenses. AND then the optician said I should have some other kind of lens because they were rimless on the bottom and they might chip????? add another you guessed it $50. BUT I could go online at home and print out a coupon for $40 and bring it back in.

I went to two other places and was about ready to slit my wrists with my old lenses.

Finally yesterday I went to a small family owned dispensing optician. Found a pair of stunning frames in 5 minutes. Was given the price upfront no razzmatazz. Glasses will be ready in 10 days! Support small independent businesses!

How do you blog a scream?

What a day!!! It seems I saved up all my stupids and had a party of one. I am exhausted. My efficiency rating is in the toilet. My weight is up instead of down. They are renovating the unit next door--hammer hammer bang bang --all frikin' day. One of the financial companies I deal with has a new online proceedure. What should have taken 10, 15 min tops I spent all afternoon

TRYING TO FIGURE OUT. Four phone calls later to get a human and I discover they are struggling as well.

AND to the idiot who kept calling my phone line with a fax machine ...go away...now!

Sigh.....it's enough to make you drink!

On the up side....

I found a pair of eye glasses that make me happy. God knows I needed a "happy" today. They were half way between what I wanted to spend and the Versace ones previously posted. Still the cheapest ones I could find that I can live with 24/7, or as I heard it refered to lately "31" ( you know 24+7 = 31...?) went to the grocery store....gag. Came home made a cup of tea and opened the wrong end of the arrowroot cookie box. Some days you just can't win.

What happened to Friday?

The weather has been "indescribably delicious" to quote an old phrase. How some ever in true Canadian optimism...we are going to pay for it. Sigh

I am such a whining sniveling git when the temperature drops. I am getting the outside wall of my office insulated. Yeah. While I was working at my desk yesterday the BOSS appeared in my door way and began taking measurements. Oh goody

Today I am going eye glasses shopping. My test has been done and I require a change in my prescription. Now, I have an answer for the recent head aches. Eye strain strikes again. Choosing glasses is such a chore..sigh.

It was in me to give and I did.....

Nothing much to say today. I went to the blood donor clinic after work. It was a piece of cake.
I haven't knit a stitch all week. I have been so busy at work I just come home and crash.

Neat lady bug.......eh?

" I have a dream...."

In the light of yesterday's election I could not but help remember this speech 45 years ago....

One of the advantages of being "my" generation is I was around the first time those words were spoken. They are as moving today as they were in 1963. Who would have thought that my lifetime would have seen a country mature from segregation to President Elect Barak Obama.

I hope the electorate doesn't expect things to happen overnight. The next four years will be interesting indeed. It is time for America to heal the old wounds, rebuild economically and morally and be strong again. There is so much potential there. Now, they have the leadership its time to see the change.

Five hours???????????????

I am watching CNN I can not believe people are standing in line for FIVE HOURS in order to cast their vote. I simply don't understand what the problem is. * shaking my head.*

While watching the young voters being interviewed I am reminded of when Pierre Trudeau ran for PM in Canada. His political machine appealed to the first time voter. On the way home from work I listed to another of Obama's speeches. I truely hope that the next four years will see the Change he envisions. North America is going to be deeply affected by what happens tonight.

I expect that if Obama is elected NAFTA will be scrapped. At least I hope so. OK back to the TV.

Relying on my genes....

Since I moved to London I have been using, in a slap dash manner, products from Premier Spa.



This is one of these open concept businesses in the White Oaks Mall. They jump out and nab you as you walk past. The first product I bought was the dead sea salt hand wash. OMG it is wonderful. Then I got a free (yeah called a "hook") facial and I spent too much money on skin care products. I have been blessed with good bones and good genes that have given me a lazy approach to skin care. Let's face it we live in a "beautiful" society and expectations are high for every woman. Actually I took better care of my skin when I was 30 than I do at 60. That has allowed me to become very blase. Until this past Saturday. There I was walking through the mall when I made the wrong turn and before me stepped this incredibly good looking man..... smooth talker.....I have children that age. He proceeds to tell me about the latest "biox"product. The next thing you know I am perched on a high stool and he is spreading cream on my face. Sigh. Then he leans in confidentially, after he has recoiled in horror when I say I only use moisturizer and water on my face, to tell me if I am not careful I will end up with "turkey neck!"

This is marketing?? Turkey Neck?? Are there any two words in the world that can horrify a woman more? Scare tactics! He should be ashamed. OK OK I bought the cream. Vanity, vanity!

Ontario: a have NOT province??

The news today is not good. Ontario was once the most prosperous province. Now it appears things are so bad we will be getting a hand out from the Feds!
Newfoundland and Labrador are on a much firmer financial footing than Ontario. Who would've thought it? Where's the Newfie jokes now? Eh?

Little Ole Doll Maker Me

It has been years since I made dolls. My favourites were called "Myfanwy," of course. They were victorian dolls and came with boned corsets, petticoats, bloomers and travelling costumes and even a brocade wedding dress. PITY, I do not have any pictures. No digital cameras then. Then there was "Jocelyn" a lovely doll with braids and skin the colour of a chocolate bar. One pregnant woman was so taken with her she named her baby after my doll.
I came across these books, which by the way, is only 34% off IF you order them online WITH a credit card! Which I do not have. So I had to pay FULL FRIGGIN price..sigh I got the second and third but the first one I have been unable to find. Except online. "Christmas hint!!!!!"
I haven't even had a chance to look through them but I have a "need to sew" coming on and winter is coming. So I rationalize everything.
AND.......
because I am 16 kinds of an idiot...it is NANOWRIMO after all ( my word count is 2904) I signed up for National Blog Every Day month. which is NOW of course. So look for my ramblings every day in November. Ijust signed up today.
AND......
I signed up for the November knitting challenge on Ravelry. I was the July winner. The theme is "FALL" and I had better not do that on my face.
Time to get dressed we are off to see 2 of the Grand daughters today... talk to you later,