Happy Halloween!!!

Well, tomorrow night it's Halloween again. Sometimes I think it's too bad that my two little goblins are all grown up and I can't dress them anymore in cute little costumes. It used to be so much fun going on a hunt for the perfect one. I think that every year they had a homemade costume of some kind. I remember the angel, the mouse, the clown, and the crow to name a few. As the years went by...Keira took over the creative end of it, right down to the makeup. Trevor completley put his trust in her to do a good job...and she did an amazing job. So as the ghoulish night approaches, I anticipate answering the door to a whole slew of little treasures. Nothing makes me more happy than seeing a child having a great time! And all the while, we will have two scary pumpkins glowing in the entrance way carved by none other that Keira and her aunt....Happy Halloween!

Windblown

Another weekend has passed me by again. Keira came home for a whirlwind visit. Picked her up from the ferry on Friday evening and Anne took her back today. We didn't really do too much while she was home...drank wine and watched a movie after a scrumptious dinner that she prepared. Check her blog for the details! In little over a week I will be heading for Vancouver to spend some time with her. I am really looking forward to it.
I know that Trevor hasn't been gone for long....a week tomorrow...but I miss him so much. Even when he lived in Nanaimo and we didn't see each other for a week or so...this feels different. At least then we were only an hour away..now it may as well be the other side of the country. He called last night and it seems he's enjoying himself. He hasn't had time to get homesick or catch cabin fever.
The weather has changed in the past few day. There is a chill in the air and the wind has been whipping up the leaves pretty good. Our yard is covered...but then it makes for a nice spooky place to visit on Halloween night.
Trevor just phoned..having trouble collecting his email...fixed now. Had a long day at work and is tired. We didn't chat very long...so we'll play catch up at a later date.
Tomorrow is a day off...lots to do and of course I need to make time for the gym. Why does it seem that nothing on your mental list gets accomplished...especially the 'time for me' stuff! Well, I'm getting a little long winded, so until next time...

Life Is A Highway

..."I want to ride it all night long...If you're going my way, I want to drive it all night long"....
It looks like Trev's going for that drive. Early next week he will be heading up north to the Fort Nelson area...by bus. The trip is almost two days long through some of the most beautiful landscape in all of Canada. Passing through communities with names like Spuzzum, Buckinghorse River, Chetwynd, Pink Mountain and Lac La Hache. When he finally reaches Fort Nelson he still has another one hundred and fifty miles to travel even further up north to about two hundred miles from the Yukon border. That is were he's going to spend his winter...working in a camp...waste management involving the oil and gas industry. I am not sure if he is really prepared for how cold it gets up there, how as far as you can see, everything covered in a blanket of snow, or how limited your entertainment options are. One good thing is that the incessant rain from the island is replaced by snow and sunshine. The hours will be long so I am sure that after a filling 'camp' meal and shower all he'll want to do is get to bed. Apparently there is a games room with satellite tv and internet so he'll have a bit to do...as long as he spends a little bit of time chatting with family on msn. Maybe he will even get to the point where he'll read a book... but I guess I'm dreaming. I do know one thing...I will really miss having him close by. Maybe he'll embrace the northern style of living, the fishing, canoeing, hiking, and camping. Maybe he'll want to stay and raise a family up north...maybe....well a lot of maybes. I wish him nothing but good luck, success and happiness...and I hope he comes home for Christmas!

She Calls It... 'Random Posting'

Sometimes there is really not much new to share on here. One day sort of blends into the next. Life marches on... and maybe it's a good thing that not too many curveballs are thrown your way. On the other hand....could do with a bit of excitement...of the good kind. I spent the day puttering around the house (sorry, somebody doesn't like that word) but it is the only one that holds true to my actions today. Some time was spent on the computer playing with PhotoSuite. Above you see a couple examples of manipulation. I really like the look of paint on canvas. If I can't do the real thing with brushes and easel, then playing with photos will have to do. For now anyway. (Click on them!) Maybe some day when I have the luxury to retire, I will also have the luxury to pursue my art. You could say that I should make the time...but we all know...there is never enough time. Tomorrow will be a day spent in town....I need to get to the gym....I am getting my hair done...I have some photocopying to do...and then a baby shower for Madison Rose! Later that evening I can't miss my one and only must see TV...Boston Legal. I do need a laugh at least once a week!

Marathon of Hope

Today I came across a question to which the answer wasn't very easy to decide. I spent quite a while trying to figure out who my 'hero' was. When I say it wasn't easy...I really meant I was hard pressed to even think of anyone but Terry Fox. Of course you naturally think of family members, but they aren't heroes in the true sense of the
word. There are absolutely no politicians or celebrities that are in that category, past or present. I look at all the people that have crossed my path throughout my lifetime and they too are not heroes. Granted some of them have been there for me through thick and thin and are truly appreciated, but they are not hero material. In my mind Terry Fox kept popping up. I remember 1980 when he dipped his artificial leg in the ocean and started his run. I remember when he had to stop because the cancer showed up in is lungs and I remember I cried when he died. Terry's marathon of hope has helped raise millions of dollars for cancer research and has involved international participation. He helped remove the stigma surrounding disabled persons and helped raise the profile of cancer and it's effects on society. You just look at him and see the strength of character, his sheer will and determination. He was a humanitarian, athlete and hero. "I'm not a dreamer, and I am not saying this will initiate any kind of definitive answer or cure to cancer, but I believe in miracles. I have to." At the time I never would have thought that twenty-five years later he would still be in my life. I will always admire him. I have made a decision today....next September I will do my utmost best to participate in the The Terry Fox Marathon Of Hope. If you would like to read more about this amazing young man...http://www.terryfoxrun.org/english/marathon/default.asp?s=1

Giving Thanks

Another holiday weekend winding down today. As I start this blog, Keira is on the ferry home. Things will go back to normal tomorrow. The best part of these gatherings is having my children home with me. My lovely daughter took it upon herself to prepare most of our turkey dinner this weekend. She made the traditional three day buns, a pumpkin pie and a strawberry/rhubarb pie. She then cleaned, stuffed and baked the turkey with all the trimmings. She did an awesome job. I would not hesitate to leave the whole meal in her capable hands. Maybe next year she can slowly start to take over the holiday cooking...time for mom to retire after twenty-five years. Trevor then continued with the tradition of....if the ladies cook...the men clean. Jared and Nate joined Trev and soon the kitchen was spotless. Anne was the supervisor of the clean up committee. We had nine around the dinner table, including my two precious little sweethearts, Jared and Rachel.

Trevor has moved home for a while to get his life in gear. He wants to use us as a home base and go work up north in a camp situation. We'll see how that goes. The next few days will be taken up trying to organize his mess of stuff he hauled back here. Wednesday after work I will be looking after my two sweethearts. In between, I will have to head to the gym and work off this turkey dinner.....

Well...You Get The Picture

...crisp, clear and cold...
...winter's coming...it's the pits....
...waiting for the world to change...
...sundown...

There are some days when you need to just chill, even if it's just for an hour or so. Not far from my home is Kitty Coleman Beach and Campsite. I could have walked to it in about an hour but the thought of meeting a bear or two...well... you get the picture. I grabbed the binoculars and my camera with the thought of getting some outstanding photos. But alas, as I scanned the shore and the horizon, I was disappointed that everything looked washed out and grey. The forest behind was just....green...where are all the brilliant colors of fall? As I walked the shore, contemplating and wondering at the state of the world, my life and the future..well... you get the picture....and check out my flickr too!

Hey..Baby!

The other day I had the pleasure of visiting the earth's newest
member...Madison Rose Parker. She was born at 12:03AM on September 29th, 2006 and weighing in at a hefty 9.3 lbs. Cute as a button, a head covered in thick long dark brown hair and hands wide with thick fingers. Her chubby little cheeks look just like her dad's and when you look at her she reminds me of her grandma. The mother had such a look of peace, joy and contentment. The father was in awe. Today she is going home for the first time and the world of mom and dad is changed forever.........
The picture you see is not of baby Madison..(just one depicting a certain disease I have contacted lately)