We are at the serious countdown...

Absolutely everyone I talk to, including myself, is hacking coughing and sneezing. We survived the holidays only to herald January with an infestation of the common cold. Too much over indulgence - raise your hand with me if you are guilty - and a deluge of icy rain, "Voila."  While I feel a little crappy I have decided that nothing will keep me from that plane on Saturday morning. If I have to drag my body across the tarmac by my bloody fingernails... OK, OK, I over exaggerate but you get the idea.
Today marks 5 more sleeps before we leave. If you want me to be completely accurate it is really 4 sleeps and a nap because we leave London at 1:00 AM Saturday morning to go to Toronto to catch the plane.

a teaser

I have downloaded books and magazines (and paid for same, after having a talk with my daughter about the morality of pirating literature off the web, bastards steal her books, Hurrumpf) onto my e Reader and the ipod is loaded with cd's and podcasts. Sunscreen, after sun, deodorant and hand sanitizer have been purchased. Paper has been cancelled and the mail is being held. So I guess once I do the laundry and pack we are "outtahere." By the time I pack the battery charger, batteries, assorted cables, digital camera, e reader, and ipod I will be lucky to have enough room for clothes....lol Carl has to worry about the computer plus "accoutrement."
...off to the laundry room

Oprah, Shame on you.

 I admire Oprah Winfrey. She is a self made woman who should be held up as an example to every young woman. No matter how your life begins, and hers was a nightmare, it is possible to achieve greatness.
That is why I am VERY upset at the recent attempt to portray her thin when she is not. She is giving a very mixed message here.
The cover of the Oprah Magazine is so obviously photo shopped when compared to the most recent photo I wonder that she condones it.
On one hand she encourages woman to be the best you can be but this visual message says appearance is more important. Yes, I am going to write to her.
I am disappointed.

Good Will Unto All...

This is Christmas Eve and I have just baked..again. The house is filled with the sweet aroma of butter tarts and the spiciness of meat balls. The kitchen floor is washed and I quit. No more baking ... that five pounds will have taken up permanent residence on my hips.
While I was chopping, measuring, whipping and pouring I was thinking of how fortunate I am. Finally after years of uncertainty I have peace in my life.
This year has had it's ups and downs. January started off just about as bad as it can get when Mom went to be with our Dad. I can hear my mother saying, "When I am gone, don't grieve for me. Get on with your life." Yeah right Mom. There have been moments when I have found that hard to follow. As she did not hold with disobedience I have done my best. Some days are pretty damn hard.
I lost forty pounds, which is a good thing. We ARE getting older, the alternative is not in my game plan so I deal with the aches and pains.
Work, or rather the lack of lately, has been a little of a stress builder. What it has shown me is how much I really NEED to live on and how much I spend.
In the spirit of this season, I would like to add this thought. There is no need for "Political correctness." Canadians lived for years with out it. What we had, which is now lacking, is respect. I wished my co worker a Merry Christmas and he accepted it in the spirit it was given and when he said Happy Hanukkah I knew what he meant. We shared our wishes and extended blessings in the context of our cultural beliefs. This respect was taught to our children. We are all children of a higher power AS WE SEE HIM/HER. If you truly believe in your higher power suppose you show it with understanding and respect?
Fanatics will always be with us. There is evil afoot in the world. Throughout history, there has been a desire for world domination by one sect, religion, country or culture. I find it interesting that Ronald Regan, shortly after becoming President of the United States, said, "How quickly our differences worldwide would vanish if we were facing an alien threat from outside this world." I realize many will snort and take that as a fanciful statement but as a child of the 50's, before micro waves, cel phones, computers and walks in space, I have to ask, " Have you looked at what has happened in the last 40 years?" Are you so smug as to think even that is out of the realm of possibility? Where will the fanatics be then?
If I can't ask that question on my own blog well then where the heck can I?
So here we are on the cusp on a new year. We over taxed and over caffeinated Canadians can look out on the world and shake our heads as we give our country away smug in the belief that everyone likes us. Our total indifference will be the end of the country as we have known it. We are perceived to be weak in the eyes of the world. The Olympics last February may have been our swansong on the world stage. Only time will tell.

My Christmas wish this year is that we step out, make eye contact and say, "Merry Christmas"  with warmth and feeling so that regardless of the words the true feeling of "peace on earth, goodwill unto all" will be conveyed. Who could be offended by that? Someone will be whether we say it or not.
Merry Christmas to all my readers. May we all know the peace that passes understanding .

In training for retirement.....

Day one of my "laid off" status or as I prefer to think of it "retirement training." Didn't accomplish anything earth shattering today. Started munching on yogurt covered raisins this morning to the point of nausea.

Henry VIII

Watched 10 lots of yarn NOT sell on eBay. Most disappointing. I had watchers but no bidders. The first week was very encouraging, this week not so much. I listed 2 collectible dolls. Suddenly struck me this might be a good time of year. I used to be into that sort of thing now I am just trying to downsize all the time. Who knows I could have a winner here? Who said I wasn't optimistic?

Venetian Clown

 So I had fun doing that. Tomorrow I have to do something a little more constructive.  Didn't knit a stitch today, at least not so far. My Nanowrimo didn't work this year, as I mentioned yesterday. Although I find that disappointing, and I have no one to blame but myself, I am going to set aside time each day and work on last years story. All is not lost. I just have to get into a routine.
See you tomorrow........

A month of waste

It is true and no mistake that as we age time flies by. I lost the whole month of November. It slipped into the time warp continuum or what ever. Anyway I find myself staring December in the face. My Nanowrimo failed and I feel a waste as well. Watched "Julie Julia" on Saturday and I know exactly how she felt. Where Julia Child was her inspiration Elizabeth Zimmerman is mine. Woe is me I have no direction. Carl says I am too hard on myself.
However, I have 2 pounds to go to reach my self imposed goal weight so I guess I am not a complete waste.
I do have a vague memory of this picture being taken. My snow suit was blue. Jodphur ( spell check doesn't even recognize this word...riding pants) pants were very desirable because there was lots of room for your dress. Little girls in 1950 wore dresses you know.
I have two Christmas "do's" coming up. Next weekend will be gallons of tea and tears as 4 of us child hood friends will get together. Three sisters and myself. Our mothers were the BBF of the day. Mine was "Mrs. C" to them and theirs was "Mrs. K" to me. In the 50's, it was not thought respectful for children to address adults by their Christian names.
We have not all been together in one place in probably 30 years. This will be a tissue and camera time. If only our mothers could see us now..
Then the following week will be The Family Brunch. My daughter in law came up with the idea of us all getting together in lieu of gift giving. To have my dear man and all my children and grand daughters in one place at one time is gift enough for me. My youngest brother and family will be there, my other brother and nephews who are far away will be greatly missed. My Mom would be so happy that on this first Christmas without her we are gathering on what would have been my father's 87th birthday. It will be a very emotional time and I am such a softy I get weepy thinking about it. My Great Auntie Kate always said my tear ducts were connected to my bladder...lol
There will be lots of pictures in the weeks ahead. Time to dig out the Christmas jacket I made 17 years ago. Mom and I used to take turns wearing it. She wore it one year I wore it the next. This would have been her year so I will wear it to the Brunch.
So, on top of everything else I am laid off. Now doesn't that suck? Hopefully it won't be for a long spell. I have a message for the Canadian government. The HST did not stimulate business. It is not helping the small business man. We never wanted it. Do you know how much 13% is on a new furnace and air conditioner? More than I make in a week. That is WHEN I was working. What a bunch of fatuous #$%*.
Stay tuned for more exciting news next time.....

What more can we say?

Nanaowrimo is afoot.

The Tzarina's Star

This morning I will have about 2 hours of uninterrupted time to write. The coffee is made, breakfast has been consumed. Yesterday I wrote the prologue.
My inspiration for this year's book is the broach pictured above. As far back as I can remember my mother wore this on "special" occasions. When I was little she would let me hold it while I sat on her bed. I don't know where she got it. It has always fascinated me and so the story begins...

This is how I am doing it.

Everyone keeps asking me, "How did you loose the weight?"

This is a typical evening meal for me: I am all about the fast and easy.

This looked so good tonight I had to take a picture. Took 10 minutes to make. It was delish!

And I am well satisfied. I use Rancher's dressing instead of butter on my veg.

 

Here is what I did. In a small shallow fry pan

I lightly fried 5 fresh mushrooms cut in half in about a tablespoon of olive oil, on a low heat

Move the mushrooms over to the side and add a fillet of fish ( tonight it was tilapia)

Cover and let it simmer

While it is doing that I cut up a small tomato and cleaned a handful of broccoli florets

Took the lid of and dumped the tomatoes and broccoli and and covered again.

Then I got some grated Cheese out of the freezer about 2 tbs and some dried cranberries.

Checked the fish it was moist and flaky ( about 5 min). Drained the water off ( from the tomatoes) and added a splash of juice from an opened can of mandarin oranges. Covered and turned the heat up for a minute or so.

Gives it a taste of orange.

Reserved about 25% of the fish for my lunch for tomorrow.

Put all the rest of it on the plate, sprinkle with the thawed cheese and the berries. Garnish with rancher's dressing

Serves one.

Girl Soup

Yes this is me in the hot tub last weekend with two of the grands. It actually started to snow. The steam keeps the air around you remarkably warm, getting out was another story.

NaNoWriMo strikes again!

Here we go again. I wimped out last year before I really got started. So I am back at it this year. Just because I have nothing to do except tons of knitting. Makes me think of Colin's voice recognition soft wear. Talk and knit at the same time. I should check with Carl and see if he has that program in his repertoire.
For the unintiated I am talking about the National Novel Writing Month. It happens every November. The goal is to write 50,000 words in 30 days. In 06 and 08 I won, last year I think I got to about 8000 words when things broke down. We were so swamped at work I didn't have it in me to to type a word when I got home from work.

I still like the story I wrote in 2008 and it has been in halfhearted rewrites since then. I had a good story line last year and may work on that theme again unless I get another brainwave before midnight Oct 31st. No starting before then, no cheating.
So Carl is off to Motown today and I am all by my lonesome. The sun is shining, the breeze is wafting but at 15C (60F) it is a little too cool for me to sit outside and knit. I went to see my BFF yesterday, wish she lived closer. As much as I like London I have no friends here to visit on a Sunday afternoon. Poor me..lol

I am going to BBQ a chicken and cranberry burger for my lunch..so yummy. Still working on that last five pounds.

Breast Cancer Awareness

We are bombarded with images everyday. After a while we don't "see" them anymore. We may even become annoyed at the repetition. I am sure at some point we have all said, "It is October and here comes those pink ribbons again." The company that Carl works for has designated one of the Air Buses as the "Pink Ride" and the image of the jet on the side of the Sprinter is now painted a bright pink.
We should not loose sight of what those pink ribbons represent. I have encouraged women every where to get a mammogram. Finally I listened to myself put aside my busy schedule and made my appointment. That was about six weeks ago. A week after I received THE phone call. The one that says, "The radiologist would like you to have an ultra sound. There is an abnormality (AKA "a lump") in your left breast. We have made an appointment for you on October 4th." ( five weeks away at that time). Too bad I wasn't a politician or a sports figure I would have been in the same day.
So this morning after killing off millions of brain cells in the last five weeks alternating between sure it was nothing and doing the "OMG OMG what if scenario" Carl and I went to the clinic.
London has a new Breast Screening Center at St Joseph's. I had a Digital Imaging Mammogram and an Ultra Sound AND the results all in two hours. I have a stupid little water filled bubble. All that worry for water. I have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.
If it had been Cancer I would have had the best chance of a complete recovery because of early detection. If your reason for not making an appointment is because you are afraid they may find something, well that is pretty silly. You can not be so busy that you ignore your health. Get off the procrastination highway and make your appointment today.