A Mad Hatter's Tea Party...

Today was a fun day... We four (boys in one car, us in another) went to Pak Mail to send off an envelope for Kristy's & Bob's visas/passports, then to their bank - to put me as another cardholder on their account. Then, if necessary, I can help them with banking stuff while they're overseas. After that we went our separate ways - the boys off somewhere (boy, I was really interested, wasn't I? LOL - I have *no* idea where they were going!!) and Kristy and I to do some serious girl shopping!! We went to Linen's 'n Things and got a wedding present for a wedding Floyd and I are going to tomorrow, and to Safeway to pick up a couple of food items. Then to....Reitman's! We had so much fun. First we were in two rooms next to each other, then I moved so our dressing rooms were across from each other and we just left the doors open - LOL! We tried on so many things - and exchanged back and forth. Amazing how something would look really good on me, yet terrible on her or vice versa... A couple of things we both agreed on, though, were some really comfy capri fleece pants with a matching zippered hoody/jacket. We both liked it and bought it, figuring we were gonna be opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, so it wouldn't matter if we both wore it the same time...LOL... We also bought a few other things... We found a few skirts for her, too, as her ones for Africa had to be below mid-calf, and that eliminated some of her current wardrobe. We decided to grab lunch for Dad (who was home by this time) and ourselves but I also wanted to get a haircut. So, KB dropped me off at Sears and by the time she'd put gas in the car (thanks, KB!) and got Taco Bell, I was all done! After lunch (with some Corner Gas thrown in), we were unpacking our clothes and discussing what we were going to wear to Red Deer tonight. I was going with her to her GIGGLES girls' night as they were doing a little tribute thing for her and it would be her last chance to go to it. Then we'd be driving back. The theme was a Mad Hatter's Tea Party and everyone was to wear a hat & bring their favorite tea. Well, we had hats picked out (KB's a hard hat/me a Fort Edmonton one) and were discussing what we were going to wear. I commented how it was too bad we couldn't just wear our new comfy pants and hoody and then I thought....!! Hey! This was a Mad Hatter's Tea Party!! We could go matching as Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum!! Ha ha...yeah...so we did! We ran to the mall to a hat store and got black hats, put paper names on them and we were good to go.

First of all though, we had to pick up Cynthia, who was shopping for school supplies at Walmart in South Edmonton Common. We met her at Superstore and drove her home, then hit the highway. We were really running late so upped the speed a bit. Knowing it was a long weekend, we talked about how there were probably gonna be checkstops out province-wide. Sure enough, about 1/2 hr north of Red Deer, there it was! I was sure I was gonna be stopped seeing as I was merrily doing 1** in the fast lane (but so was everyone else!), when a sheriff's car did a u-turn from northbound to southbound right beside me. Sweat, sweat... But he was just going to help out an RCMP who had another car pulled over, so we were saved. But, yeah, needless to say, we slowed right down after that and ended up being about 10 minutes late. But we were far from being to last to arrive - in fact, many arrived after us, so that was all good...

We had a fun night, drank different kinds of teas (one I liked was an Ice Wine flavored one) and had some yummy gingersnap cookies and McCain's chocolate cake. Here's a pic of the two of us plus one of KB and her friend, Julia.



We left about 10, hit Starbucks for a caffeine fix for the driver (grande Caramel Macchiato to go!!) plus a frappaccino for Kristy. The drive home was uneventful but really nice, as we talked about all kinds of things and shared some of our thoughts about their trip to England and Africa. It was just good to be able to spend the time with Kris - I know we made yet another memory today that will help tide us over in the upcoming six months.... I love you, Kristy Beth!!

Wednesday night....

Behind again...sigh... Well, I was *so* glad that Kristy updated her blog because you can read what I did from Sunday on!! We hung out most of that time together, so that'll save me from blogging it.

Monday, after Cassie left :-( , KB and I went to the quilt store &, while in the area, went past the "castle house". I was armed with my camera this time! So here's a couple of the monstrosity:

When we got back, we both crashed seeing as we'd been late to bed on Sunday (sleepover with Cynthia and her four), and we were up at 5:30 to get Cassie to the airport on time...

Samantha stayed overnight Monday night & her and I watched "Wedding Planner" in the evening while Kristy and Bob were both out with different friends. Then, when KB got back, we watched "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" - Bette Davis classic....

Tuesday, we were so glad to hear from Jorge and Mandy in the afternoon that Cass had arrived safely in Santiago. Her flight out of LA had been delayed two hours but, all in all, everything went fine. I was so glad...

Today I've been working on some projects I need to finish and everyone else putzed around the house...doing what needed to be done. Then at 6:30 tonight, us four walked over to the mall to go to Jubilations for our anniversaries. We were supposed to go last week, but Floyd wasn't well, so we changed it to tonight. It was called "29" - designed after the TV show "24" which none of us were too familiar with. It was, as always, a first-class act and wonderful meal. Bob was called on to participate a couple of times and I think he enjoyed it! It's a full evening of entertainment as well, as we didn't get out of there until 10:40!!

Time to blog then bed...my pillow's calling my name...

Saturday....feeling free....

Well, a lot has happened in my life in the past 24 hours. A lot to me, anyway...but it may not seem like a lot to anyone else. Yesterday I worked dayshift and, with the encouragement of a very dear friend & co-worker, I decided to apply for extended sick leave so I can be home with Floyd. I've found over the past few months, that when I'm working my mind just isn't on the job, which, for me, is highly unusual. I love my job with a passion and have, for the past six years (yes, it's been that long!!), given my everything to it - striving always to give the public and members the best service I can...no matter how messed up things may get (and they do!)... But now I find myself just wanting to be home. So this morning I went to talk to my doctor about it and she has put me on leave until the end of September. I can't even start to describe the burden that I feel has been lifted off my shoulders. I know I'm going to miss my work, and the people I work with, a lot, but for now - this (home) is where I belong and need to be. Thank the Lord for a job that enables me to do just that...

Apart from that...Kristy and Bob left about 11 to go to Red Deer for the weekend and I just puttered around the house - cleaning up, etc. We finished disc 3 of "LOST", so I had to go and rent the last three discs. Maybe tonight we'll have a chance to watch some...

Deep Thoughts....

"When I found the skull in the woods, the first thing I did was call the police. But then I got curious about it. I picked it up, and started wondering who this person was, and why he had deer horns."

"As the light changed from red to green to yellow and back to red again, I sat there thinking about life. Was it nothing more than a bunch of honking and yelling? Sometimes it seemed that way."

I wish I could claim these as my own, but, no, I snafooded (is that a word??) them off a friend's Facebook....

Catchin' Up!!!

I hate it when I get behind in my blogging 'cause it puts me in 'catch-up' mode... Anyway, let's see...

Monday and Tuesday Floyd wasn't feeling well at all. He was having major cramping in his abdomen and trouble keeping food down. We called the doctor on Monday and should have gone in but they didn't have an opening until Thursday. He kept saying it could wait but, in hindsight, we shouldn't have. Tuesday was the same...he woke up feeling okay but as soon as he started to eat (even bland non-fat stuff), the cramping came back. He was so bad that, around 2 p.m., I ended up taking him to the emergency. They got him in pretty quick which was so good as he wasn't feeling well enough to sit in the waiting room for hours (another reason we'd put off going there...). They ran almost every test - did ultrasounds and cat scans, blood tests, etc...- and found nothing. It was a good news/bad news scenario as the good was that they found nothing and the bad was that they still didn't know what was causing the pain. They ended up sending him home about 8 p.m.

That night, once Floyd was better and tucked in bed, I went to meet up with Kristy, Samantha, Cassie, Bethany & Cynthia at their place for a girls' night sleepover. Bob took Andrew out for a movie and they came back to our house for the night, so at least I knew someone would be with Floyd.

We girls had a blast. We watched some Andy Griffith and then "Send Me No Flowers" - classic Doris Day/Rock Hudson/Tony Randall comedy!! We had lots of munchies and Starbucks, so we were set! I've posted some pics in my August 2007 album if you want to see them... After the movie, we all were in semi-sleep modes and gravitated to our separate bedrooms but, in true sleepover fashion, Kristy and I no sooner laid down, than we were wide awake! Cynthia came in to see what the giggling was about and joined us in the bed and we three talked for more than an hour. It was really fun and we had a good talk... In the a.m., Bethany, Cassie and Cynthia made us all waffles and the party broke up around 10... I had to get home to see how Floyd was feeling and Bob dropped Andrew off.

That day, in the afternoon, I talked to Mandy on Skype and we talked for over 3 hours!! It was so much fun and the connection was crystal clear. We talked about everything we could think of - Cass coming, their visas, her math (LOL!), their school, etc., etc. It was wonderful. Since then we've talked a lot - it's so nice just to pick up the Skype "phone" and make the free call!!

Monday, Monday......

First of all: Happy Birthday, Bryan!!!

Quiet day today... I got to bed at 10:30 last night (kicking myself b/c I didn't get much sleep after my Saturday nightshift) but didn't wake up until 8:30! Yahoo...then I went back to sleep until 9:30. So that was good....

Floyd and I started "Lost" yesterday as well. Mandy and Jorge have been telling us how good it is for a long time, so we finally decided to go ahead and rent it. We watched four episodes yesterday and, yeah, we're hooked. LOL! Today we watched some more (while I was knitting and working on another project) as well...

Okay...I discovered another pet peeve the other day: adhesive on things that doesn't come off with the price tag! Especially when it's something that would obviously be given as a gift. I tried everything and then remembered Goo Gone. Thank goodness for that product! It works like a charm...

Floyd wasn't very well again today...we'll be so glad when this healing process is over. It seems like one day he'll feel really good and then, the next, it's like he's starting all over. It's gotta be frustrating for him...

Kristy and Bob come home from High Level tonight and we have (I think!) the week with them. Another reason that we're hoping and praying that Floyd will feel better... The countdown's begun on their leaving (Sept. 11) and I just know the next few weeks are going to fly by....

I also talked to Mandy a couple of times on Skype today - I love that program! They've been asking us to download it and I finally did a couple of weeks ago. So today I was just sitting at the table working on a project and my laptop "rang"!! Ha ha... up popped a message box - "The Santanas were phoning"! I clicked on the "pickup" button, said "Hello?" and there was Mandy! We talked for a bit and, later on, I called her the same way! Works really good. I sure hope it'll work in South Africa, right, KB??

Just got back home after Friday nightshift - it wasn't too bad. Busy, steady, but not insane, so that's all good. There's an awesome thunderstorm going on right now - perfect for sleeping, so I'll make this really short. Plus my Sleepytime tea ought to be kicking in really soon and ushering me into la-la land....

Let's see...last couple of days.... I worked days and Wednesday night, as I blogged, I finished cleaning out my sewing box, so that was good. When I got home Thursday, Kristy and Bob were back from Lethbridge & Cassie came over with her friend to pick up her two suitcases for her trip to Chile. They were going to bus home with them, but KB and I decided to give them a ride as it would be a lot quicker. But first! A quick stop at Starbucks to get a Blueberry Cream Frappaccino. Yeah, it was really good but filling and probably not good for you.... It was time for bed by the time we got home (for me anyway) as I'd been up since 4 a.m.

Friday during the day was spent doing laundry, going for a walk (mall) and then getting ready for work. It seems like the four days I work leave very little time for anything other than working and sleeping. But then there's my days off to make up for it...

Anyway, that's it for now - more tomorrow hopefully!

This is going to be a short one today as I have lots to do and it's already almost 8 p.m. And seeing as I have to get up at 4:45 a.m. tomorrow, I want to be to bed early. Think it's gonna happen? Probably not, but my intentions are there...

Yesterday was a really ambitious day. Floyd was feeling better (and has gained some weight, I hear!!) and so he set about on some projects as well. I mowed the lawns and, while I was doing that, he vacuumed out his truck & half of the Saturn. By then his energy was waning, so I finished the car and did mine as well. I've been meaning to vacuum my car out for weeks, so I was glad to get it done (although after the lawns, I must admit I didn't really feel like it!). Now I have to have it washed and do some touch-up painting on it....maybe on Friday.

I also talked to Kristy and Tanya online for awhile and that was fun. We used the webcam and should do that more often - I don't know why we don't. So much more fun to be able to see the grandkids as you're talking to them!!

Floyd and I have decided we need to start a new DVD series and I think (thanks to Mandy and Jorge's influence) it's going to be "Lost". We watched episode one with them in Concepcion and they say that it's a really good one, so I think I'm going to rent it on my next set off... It was fun when we were doing an Alias run and I think we need to do that again - we're both getting sick of the TV stations...

Today was back to work but it went well and relatively quickly. Tonight Floyd has his men's group (first time since he had surgery), so I'm in my room (ha ha). I talked to Cynthia for awhile, then, after this, I'm going to finish up cleaning out my sewing box. It's full of things and projects I haven't used in 20 years - time to get rid of the bad and keep the good... I just need to get organized.

Anyway...more tomorrow...

Too Cute!!

Okay, I was admittedly cruising God Tube today...and I found this... Couldn't resist!

Out and about!

That's what we were today! We woke up at 8ish and Floyd wanted to go to the senior's breakfast and A & W, so we did! They meet every Monday and have been missing him, apparently, seeing as they all broke out in applause when he walked through the doors! Dave Tjart treated him to breakfast and Millie was upset with me because I never told her he was in hospital!! I told her that we only had a few day's notice ourselves, so then she was okay with it... Boy, is my man popular!

We came home and awhile later (around 11) walked over to the Mall. Our purpose was two-fold - first of all to get some exercise in and, secondly, Floyd wanted to visit his bowling buddies. I decided to walk with him over there, then maybe browse for a bit, then go back and walk home with him. Well, as we were on our way, lo and behold, I saw a big sign in April Cornell's window saying "Everything 75% Off - Clearing Out Sale". What the heck? Sure enough, they're closing their West Ed store, so Southgate will be the only one left in the city now... But I couldn't walk by that sale! LOL! I bought a skirt for myself ($19) and 5, yes, 5 girls' dresses!!! I figure with 4 granddaughters, someone will get use out of them somewhere along the line. Tanya, the dresses were regularly $50-$80 - for all under $20 - most were $11-$14!! How could I resist... So, next time I'm heading to Lethbridge, I'll bring them along. Warning though, they won't fit Adrie - the largest is a 9/10, I think... They had very little selection left - I'm thinking the sale must have been on for quite awhile already....

After our WEM walk, we went home and putzed around there. I am almost finished my quilt - just have the binding to hand sew. It went together a lot quicker than I'd thought. Cynthia and I chatted for awhile on the phone - I love that we are talking to each other so much lately! It seems like I've missed so much of her life and now we're catching up and doing "sister-stuff"!! In fact, this morning I registered us for the conference in October, so we're both looking forward to that...

Around 6, Floyd and I went out to Walmart to get a couple of things and there we met Melanie (old friend of Tanya and Tom). I can't even remember her last name (but I think she may have a new one now, anyway...). Her boys weren't with her, but we did a quick catch-up on family news... We also picked up some KD to send to Mandy and Jorge - if Cassie has room in her luggage... Cassie's leaving for Chile in two weeks!! I can't believe it! I'm so excited for her, though...it'll be a life-changing experience...

I don't know why, but my posts don't seem very profound lately - just kinda news... LOL. Maybe they never were profound! I just feel like my brain's fried by the time I get to writing up my posts. Maybe I need to start them before 10 at night and that may make a difference!

Superstore Saturday & Sundae Sunday!!

Saturday was an adventure to Superstore with Cynthia… I’d wanted to look again at their organic goods. But on Saturday!! LOL! I’m thinking that, next time, we need to go another day of the week. But we didn’t even think of that until we got there and, once there, you need to just make the best of it. Surprisingly, we didn’t have to wait at all in line ups to pay – it was just a really busy place! But I found out that, unlike Safeway and Walmart, they actually sell organic whole wheat flour! For me, that discovery made the whole trip worthwhile as I was thinking one might have to frequent the costly health food stores for something like that… Unlike Walmart, their organic goods are just all mixed in with the regular items – haven’t quite decided if I like that better than when they are in separate aisles…

Anyway, after that, we hit Safeway to pick up a prescription and by now, Sam and I were excited about a visit to Starbucks! We were ready for our White Chocolate Mocha fix and, boy was it good!! I actually discovered something else about Sam – she’s an avid fan of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers!! Ha ha. Okay, maybe “avid fan” is stretching it a bit – but she was saying how she’s seen most of their movies and loved them, whereas, me, her Aunt, hasn’t seen one!! I’ve always meant to, but just never got around to it. This whole topic came up because the museum has the “old movie” series still running (I used to go to them with my Mum when my girls were little!), and this month a lot of them star Astaire! So, maybe tomorrow or the next Monday night, we might take one in…

Saturday evening, I worked some more on my quilt – I think I’ll be starting the machine quilting parts tomorrow…then the hand quilting.

This morning I had to work in the bookstore at church, so was there until 1 p.m., while Floyd stayed home. When I got home the Cornells were over visiting him! I’d talked to them at church and, apparently, they’d gone for lunch, then stopped in to see how Floyd was doing, so that was nice… (Mandy & Jorge – they send their love!)

While at church, I found a flyer for a Women Alive Conference coming to Edmonton this October and thought, “Hey! That would be nice to go to with my sister!” So, I asked her and she’s going to go with me! I’m so excited! It’s a Friday night and Saturday, so they’re offering out-of-towners a reduced room rate, so I’m thinking that we might even stay in the hotel!! Fun! I have never been to one and have always thought I’d like to, so there you go…now I’m going to!

This afternoon, we had Madison washed and groomed as she was getting pretty shaggy – boy, does she look pretty!! Whoever did it this time, did a really good job because her coat is all smooth and just shines. Maybe my house will be dog-hair free for a couple of days!! In my dreams….LOL. Oh, well, she’s a “good ol’ dog” and we kinda like having her around.

I quilted all afternoon and evening – stopping to throw a chicken in the oven for supper and, later, to do a DQ run as we both felt Sundaes calling our names…fat-free, sugar-free, calorie-free…yeah, right. Guilt free?? You bet!!

I have "happy feet" again!! No, it's nothing to do with the movie (haven't even seen it!) but on Thursday, before I went to work, I went and had a pedicure with Kristy! It's been a loooong time! In fact, I think my last one was last summer before we went to Minnesota. Anyway, Kristy had been at WEM with Samantha, shopping, and they called me around 4 to see if I wanted to join them. Kristy was also having a pedicure, and Sam was going to get a manicure as she'd just had her feet done the week before. This time we did something different - we got a French finish instead of just the plain color (Fa's recommendation) and we both really like it! After that, I had to go straight to work - my first nightshift after a long time. But it went well - I had a major incident that tied me up for most of the night but that was interesting and made the time fly by.

Friday I slept until 1:30 (after waking once about 9 to say goodbye to KB and Bob) - with the help of my Sleepytime Tea!! I can't believe how much that knocks me out! Thank the Lord, it's an answer to prayer.... However, when I woke, I discovered that one of my eyes decided to stay "asleep"...sigh...so I had no choice but to call in sick for Friday night. I felt so bad as it's a terrible thing to have to do to my co-workers - I just hope and pray they were able to get someone else to come in and cover. I'm trying not to get upset whenever this swelling still happens as I was really praying that my new way of eating (organic + Isagenix) would resolve this issue. Maybe the doctors are right after all and it is idiopathic (no known cause). But I still believe that the Lord knows and, when the time is right, maybe He'll show me the cause. If not, that's fine as well - it is a very minor inconvenience that I have to live with in a world where a lot of people have major illnesses and pains... So, in the midst of it, I look in the mirror and give Him thanks!

Anyway.... Floyd was having company (Hess and Henk) over after supper, so I decided to see if my sister was doing anything. For supper, I'd run to Safeway to pick up some organic spinach, tomatoes and cucumbers (both of the last two were the exact same price as the regular ones!!). Then I barbecued some chicken breasts and heated up some potatoes. This is my latest yummy meal craving - salad with cut up chicken in it. I also bought some organic salad dressings and I put a bit on the side and dip my forkful into it. I find that way I use about 1/4 of what I would normally put of the salad, and it still tastes just as yummy!! Anyway....

After supper, I drove to Cynthia's and brought some movies. But first of all, we had a mission! LOL! I helped her set up her own blog!! Now don't all jump on there at once, 'cause it was really late at night that we were finished and I made her promise not to stay up blogging! But within the next 48 hours she should have something on there (link on left) and, hopefully, if we all comment and encourage her, she'll keep it up!! Yay! I'm so excited!! LOL! She always phones me and tells me about her day and now you'll be able to share those little news tidbits as well! I'm sooooo proud of her! Love you, Pip!!! (Whoops, maybe I shouldn't have revealed her nickname to the world, but it was bound to come out somewhere along the line....LOL!). Now, the funny thing about this was that the whole time Cynthia and I were designing her blog, Andrew (playing an Xbox game) was commenting about "Why are you using Blogger, Mummy? Nobody uses blogger these days. Everyone uses free web. Don't do a blog, Mummy!! Etc., etc..." Such a hard time he gave us!!! However, we were no sooner off the computer and the keyboard wasn't even cold yet, and guess who was on there creating his Blog!!!!???? Yup! The whole time we watched a movie (more on that...LOL), Andrew was designing his blog! The link? http://www.andrew-command-center.blogspot.com/ I'm not sure how much it's up and running but he worked on it for two hours! He showed me his other web page and, while it was very interesting and creatively done, it wasn't personal at all - no Andrew-news or anything... So I told him his blog should be different if he wanted us to make it a link and go there often. So, I'll see what he does and, if it's kept up and newsy, I'll post the link on my page!! There you go, Drew, a challenge for you! I'm so proud of him, as well. He's helping his Mum around the house and doing school everyday in preparation for the big day in September!! He's such a brain - he was even posting his blogs using the Java Script edit! I was like, "Why aren't you using the text editor?" and no, he continued doing it in the other format with all the swiggles and punctuations!! Crazy boy! And a whole lot smarter than me!!...

Yeah, so while Andrew was blogging, Cynthia, Sam and I watched a movie. "Somewhere in Time" starring (ready for this mix??) Christopher Reeves (Superman), Jane Seymour (Dr. Quinn), and Christopher Plummer (Baron Von Trapp)!! LOL! Yeah, it was interesting. It was funny, 'cause as I was watching it, I thought of my Mum and chuckled to myself, thinking, "Mum, if you were here, about now you'd stir and say, 'My, this is slow-moving, isn't it?'" Those were Mum's 'famous words' during a movie - usually after she'd just woken up! LOL! But, no sooner had the thought crossed my mind, than Cynthia says out loud, "Boy, this is kind of slow-moving, isn't it?" ROTFLOL! Yup, it was. Even when they (finally) kissed, it was a slow-moving kiss!! Ha ha... It was okay, kind of weird premise to the whole story, but there you go. I finally left 'cause it was 11:30 and there was still 22 mins left, so I left it in their hands. I wonder if they stayed up to finish it.....?

Had my Sleepytime tea and off to bed with my honey. I slept like a log until 8:30 but Floyd didn't (he needs to start joining my nightly ritual!), apparently. I think he napped quite a bit on the couch yesterday and that probably didn't help. I need to get him out walking and exercising today so he'll be tired at night. Today we might go to Superstore with Cynthia as she has to pick up a couple of things and, after seeing Walmart's offerings, I want to look again at their organic stuff and prices....

Fun evening...

Yesterday morning, I came back home (after my early morning venture - LOL) and was there by about 6:30. I laid on the couch for about an hour but didn't really go back to sleep (just zoned a bit during "I Love Lucy"). By then Kristy and Bob were getting up and we started our day. About 10, KB and I headed to Pakmail to fax off her visa documents to the consulate, then to Safeway to pick up some milk and a few other things. When we got back home, Henk came over to visit Floyd - it was good to see him. Then it was time to go "back" to work... It was a good afternoon, wasn't busy, and went by fast...

In the evening, KB and I went to pick up Cassie and go out for dessert. We went to BP's and had a delicious experience and caught up on Cass's news. She's getting excited about heading out for Chile but, at the same time, having trouble leaving her work and clients. She's only got two more days there and I'm sure they're going to be tearful days... Anyway, we three were sitting talking about Cynthia and her new place and suddenly, we decided to go see her and the kids! We thought we'd surprise them and thought we knew the address, but, ha ha, yeah, we got a little lost! In the end, we had to phone Sam and ask her for directions, so our surprise was semi-spoiled but that was okay. We had a lot of fun - at one point the three girls went in the bedroom and the laughter was pretty loud! Then they all came out crying, they were laughing so hard - it was good to see... We didn't leave until 11:30 and we still had to take Cass home and go back to the west end. So, it was about 12:15 when KB and I got home. Late, but we sure had a fun evening....

A wake up call!

That's what I had this morning - first of all, by my alarm clock at 4:45, then, secondly, by my co-worker at 6:15 when, looking at the schedule for the day, said to me, "That's funny...it shows you coming in at 12:30 today!" Riiiight... I forgot. I didn't have to work until 12:30 as a friend was paying me back for six hours I worked for her! Arrrgggh. Oh, well, that got my day off to an earlier start than it had to be... Good job it was a nice morning for a drive!

Let's see what else has been happening on the home front... Monday I worked on my quilt all day and, by the time I went to bed, I had the top all done! I was impressed by how smoothly it went - partially, I'm sure, due to the purchase of an Olaf cutting board and rotary cutter!! I can't believe how much easier it is with those! Gone are the days of drawing out squares with a yardstick and pencil! But all the appliqués and embroidery are done, so all I have left to do is the border, sew on the back, and then do the quilting! Isabella, it may be done in time for your birth after all!

Floyd wasn't feeling well on Monday, though, and I felt so bad for him. He'd had a bad night the night before and was in quite a bit of pain. He was restless and I followed him as he went outside to sit on the deck (it was hot!!), then back inside to watch TV, taking my sewing with me. Around 2:30, I walked over the West Ed to meet with Cynthia, Samantha, and Andrew at Starbucks. Sam and I had a date to try their new Blueberries and Creme Frappaccino! The lineup was crazy (Holiday Monday in August at West Edmonton Mall!!!) but it went fast and we were soon sipping away. They were very good but Cynthia and I had the low-fat versions and I'm thinking that Sam's (with the whipped cream) looked a little bit more delicious and creamier!!

Yesterday was back to work... Ugh. But it was okay once I got there and I came home on my lunch break to see Floyd. Kristy and Bob came home in the afternoon and KB made supper for them before I got home, so that was nice. I kinda felt like I was in the twilight zone at work - it seemed weird being back after so long. I also feel like I've lost a couple of weeks somewhere along the line! Last night, after the movie, we were talking and realized that yesterday was Adriana's first day of camp!! I don't know why but I was thinking it was next week! I feel bad, 'cause I'd wanted to talk to her before she left and wish her well. Then today is Eri's first day. I sure hope they have a fun time... I guess I'll have to talk to them when they get back and hear all about it...

Like Night....and Day!!!

Okay, Amethyst, you were 150% right about the quilting store!! Oh my goodness, I couldn't believe the difference!! I found one that was open yesterday and, even though it was on the other side of the city (only took me 13 minutes!!), it was worth the trip! The staff were so helpful and one lady took me and walked me through everything I needed (not to mention recommending a few things I didn't really need - LOL!), bringing me bolt after bolt of material that would work. Tan, I saw a lot of the rag quilts and, like you, fell in love with them! They might have to be my next project....

Then, as we were coming out of the parking lot, I saw "IT"! How can I have lived in Edmonton for 26 years and have never seen nor heard of this house!! Dad and I did a "drive by", lol, and I vowed that my next trip to the Quilting store would include my camera!! It was a castle, built on top of a garage!! As I was writing this blog, I googled it and, sure enough, there it was - listed under the "bestest" things to do/see in Edmonton! So, here's the photo and an explanation underneath! It's that fun, or what???
"Bestest proof a suburban home is a man’s castle

It’s not every day that you see turrets, cannons and a knight with sword and steel-plated armour in the suburbs, but that’s what can be found topping a house in the Lendrum Place neighbourhood. The outstanding castle was built by dentist Ken Wallace, who bought the home and took over the existing basement dental business in the 1960s. The underground office meant that when his two daughters were born, he feared they had no place to play, so he built the castle as a playroom on top of the garage over the summer of 1980. Wallace collected the stain glass, furniture, and medieval artifacts at antique shows, and did the woodwork. The inside features a fireplace to heat the castle, a spiral staircase to a balcony overlooking the giant main room, and an observation glass pyramid on the ceiling. Wallace ended his practice 15 years ago, putting some old dental equipment out on the lawn as another standout ornament. When he moved to Arizona, he turned over the castle keys to his daughter Trish Clayton, whose children play in the big playhouse today. She said a number of people drive by to see the unique structure, including a few tour buses. "


My Dad would have loved it!!

I'm fuming...

…okay. So, having finished Isabella’s blanket, today I thought I’d start on her quilt. I set off for a quick stop first at Michael’s and Walmart, and then to Fabricland, promising Floyd I’d only be about an hour. Well, I should have known the first two might have taken me a bit longer, LOL, as they are fun places to look at…. I’m blown away by the assortment of organic foods at Walmart – it’s crazy!

Anyway…on to Fabricland. It was a big store (new westend location), so I was excited! Surely I’d find what I was looking for here! Then, when looking at the pattern book, I saw that it recommends 100% cotton for quilts – don’t think I knew that before! So, I thought, okay, that’s going to narrow it down a bit. Ha ha. Boy, did it narrow it down!! But there was still a substantial amount of aisles to browse through and as, (a) I’d already been a bit longer than I’d planned, and (b) all the staff seemed to be just hanging around doing nothing, I thought I’d be able to get someone to help me! What a joke. First foolish question I asked was, “Hi, I’m making this quilt” (showing her the picture of it) “and wondered if maybe you could help me find something in these colors and patterns suitable for it”. Her reply, “Everything we have is on the shelves”. Riiiigghht. Did I ask that? Or did I ask if she was hiding two semi-loads of more material in the back? I mean – really! Did I look that stupid? To myself: “okay, guess she’s having a bad day, I’ll move over to another girl who appears to be doing nothing…” “Hi, I’ve found a couple of patterned pieces that I like here, but I need some plain ones to color-coordinate with them, do you know if you have any?” Waving her hand across the entire section, she said, “This is all we have”. Riiiigghht, again… I’m starting to get the picture now, so I moved over to where all the quilting material was (all under big signs “$14.99/mtr – 50% off with membership”). Realizing they had me over a barrel as far as membership was concerned, I kept looking. Nothing. Finally, I took my three choices to have them cut. She wrote down $16.99, so I said that, no, they were actually $2 less, pointing to the big signs. “No”, she said, “that’s only for the other brand prints”. At this point, my response was, “Why not?” Half said, under my breath… Sigh.

Anyway, I won’t bore you with the rest of the visit. Suffice to say it went rapidly down hill from there – the more things I asked for, the less help I got. And I was (really!) trying to be polite!! I wasn’t being obnoxious or anything – I just needed a little bit of help. And I sure didn’t get it. I won’t be going back to that store again, that’s for sure. Might have to drive to the other side of the city (or Lethbridge!) but, somewhere, somewhere, there has to be a salesperson that just gives a darn. Or have they all gone to the oilfields??

Where’s the nearest Starbucks???

Look what was lurking outside my house today? Is it a "boob" moth, Tanya??

Firstly, yesterday....

Yesterday, Floyd and I went for his post-surgery appointment at the Royal Alex with Dr. Estey, the surgeon. We were both looking forward to the fact that he would be having the catheter taken out (him a bit more than I, I expect!). That went okay and we were thankful to be done with it, as I believe it was causing a lot of his pain. Then Dr. Estey came in and gave us the pathology report from the operation. The bottom line was very scary but we are trusting (as is the doctor) that everything is out. While the amount of cancer in the gland itself wasn't much (8-10%), it was a much more aggressive type of cancer than they had thought (9 out of 10 on the Gleason scale) and, potentially, could have been disastrous. They couldn't see any sign of it spreading when they were in there, so that's a blessing. Once again, we praise God that the opening for surgery came in July and we didn't have to wait until September. Dr. Estey agreed whole-heartedly. We have another appointment in September for followup and Floyd will have a PSA test two weeks before that. So, Lord, it's all in Your hands (as it always has been!). Please continue to pray for Floyd.

So we went home, via Safeway, where we picked up some antibiotics for him. In the afternoon, we putzed around the house. I did some laundry and ironing and finished Isabella's knitted blanket. I sure hope she likes it!

In the late afternoon, I walked to Sears to get a haircut. Whenever I get to the point where it needs it, I have this little tug of war because at that point is also when it's at it's curliest. And cutting it clips off most of the curls. I love long hair on women but wrestle with the fact that mine does start to get out of control when it gets long! Yes, Tanya, go ahead and say it! She always tells me it looks like a "football helmet" and, looking back at family photos, I must admit it has resembled that in the past.... Sigh.... So, once again, I got it cut but I'm trying to leave the back a bit longer so that I don't look entirely manly..... Oh, forgot to mention!! Speaking of curly hair.... I was talking to Cynthia the other day, commenting on how nice hers looked and "had she just curled it?", etc. and she laughed and said, "No. In fact I've been meaning to talk to you about that..." LOL!! Come to find out hers has been starting to curl naturally!! Just like mine did when I was her age!! Our Mum would be so excited!! It's really strange as, when younger, we both had straight, albeit wavy, hair and now mine forms corkscrew curls all over my head! Welcome to my world, Pip!!

In the evening, after supper, we decided to watch a movie. Okay, I decided to watch a movie and Floyd agreed to see it with me. He's not a movie person, and I'm not a TV person... He usually sleeps through "my" movies, and I usually knit or read through "his" TV. I just can't handle the commercials (not to mention the channel surfing, lol!). Anyway, my pick was a newish Sandra Bullock thriller (kind of) called "Premonition". It was kinda freaky and had an equally freaky ending but it kept Floyd awake, so it must have been okay.. Madison was disturbed by the thunder storms outside, and the ones coming through the speakers, so she was totally confused and didn't know where to hide. LOL.

Samantha was telling me on MSN earlier today about a new Starbucks coffee - blueberries and cream? Or something like that. It's been calling my name every since she mentioned it, so we may have to do a Starbucks run sometime this weekend....

Today...

Oh, great - a big recall from Fisher Price of kids' toys made in China!! Sesame Street and Dora figures - all made with paint with lead in it!! Gotta love it! And some committee in the US wants to start importing chickens from China - yes, chickens - the kind you eat - all killed and ready for your table! Their standards are just not the same as ours - when will we learn??? Those of you with little ones - you probably already know, but, if not, here's one of many websites:

http://www.service.mattel.com/us/recall/default.asp?recall_id=52430

Apart from that (definitely my pet peeve of the week!), today was a busy one - at least for me. We actually slept in till 9:30 which was pretty incredible. But we had both woken up throughout the night - poor Floyd groans in pain all night long... Kristy and Bob were already up and had their breakfast while we were showering. They hung around for awhile and then headed back to Red Deer for their vaccination shots. Last night we talked and tried to kinda plan the upcoming month and we discovered that they're not going to be here as much as we thought as they have a lot of people who want to get together with them. At first ("I will not lie", to quote Bob) I was sad but then I realized that this is a wonderful time for them - when they're homeless and debt-free! Ha ha. Good for them - why not? Plus they're really not sure where they're going to end up six months from now, so spend time with friends and family while you can. Mandy and Jorge would relate, for sure!

Speaking of Mandy relating to someone, I was talking to Cass today and she was crying and so sad because her boss found a replacement for her today. I, first of all, thought that was good news but quickly realized that, like Mandy, she is finding it so hard to leave her students. I think she's only got another week or so left. Cass - if you read this - know that you're doing the right thing and that the Lord will give back to you tenfold all that you are releasing to follow His will...and He will care for those you are leaving behind...

Anyway, yeah, it was hot but the more I sat and procrastinated about mowing the lawn, the more I thought I should just do it and get it over with! So, I started around noon and wasn't done until 3:30! But I discovered something about our new lawn mower - if you don't use the bag, it mulches the grass and puts it back on the lawn. And I am the kind of person who doesn't mind mowing the lawn at all, but I despise having to stop every 20 feet and emptying the bag! So, when Floyd said not to use the bag, I was all over it! So, don't ask me why it took me so long.... But, in my defense, I did rake up 6 bags of apples from under the apple tree, weeded the back flowerbed and watered some plants as well...kinda got distracted on my way around the lawn...lol.

So, after that, I came back in, hot, sweaty and feeling like there were several of Tanya's spiders (see her blog!) making homes in my hair (I need a haircut!), so I took shower #2 of the day. Now I'm going to finish (I hope!) a knitted blanket I'm making for Isabella. Time's closing in on me and I've still got a couple more projects to complete.

I'm back to work this coming week - August 7th - so I am praying that Floyd will be well enough to be by himself for the long 12 hour shifts. But I have no choice.

Kristy just called and her and Bob are on their way to Spokane, Washington, with some friends from Red Deer!! LOL! Two couples were going down for a shopping trip and, as there was room, they decided to hop on board! Good for them - we all would, if we could, wouldn't we???

Not much to report from the Barto Infirmary - poor Floyd is still in a lot of pain. He daily makes some progress, though. His eating is pretty much back to normal, thank the Lord, so maybe he'll soon be gaining back some of the weight he's lost. We continue to have some good laughs among the pain - laughing at things that probably wouldn't be funny to anyone else but us - kinda like the you-had-to-be-there situations....

For example, we had a scare yesterday when we woke up to find his urine was back to it's post-surgery red! Scared the daylights out of us and I rushed to phone the Health Link, until I heard him calling me and laughing. I couldn't quite see the humor of the situation until he reminded me that the night before he'd eaten a bowlful of red jello! Oh, riiiiight....LOL. Whew! We've been pretty jumpy, I guess...

Yesterday was a cooler day and we welcomed a break from the heat. I put the sprinkler out on the dry grass in the back yard for the day as we've been having a lot of thunder & lightning shows but no substantial rain. Of course, last night, it rained! But that's okay - it wasn't for long and we could still use more.

Today Kristy and Bob are moving in with us until they go to South Africa. It will be nice having them here for that long (until Sept 11) and spending time with them...

Gotta run...more later...