Arachnaphobia!!!!!!!!!!!!

Click on these pictures in sequence to view the full effect- and meet the latest addition to our menagarie- Archie , a baby spider, set up home yesterday afternoon, after reading my blog and deciding this might be an ideal place to attract food- lack of housecleaning-I decided to let him stay for awhile, but Oedipus, my tuffy lookalike cat had other ideas, so Archie has vanished, through no action on my part- Austin has developed a fear of "piders" so I was hoping to develop a relationship with Archie and use him as a teaching tool - Now most people would be ashamed to memorialize cobwebs in their home, not I- I have no shame- I loved the little guy -

It being Wednesday, reminds me of the day our French teacher strolled into the staff room and casually announced , smiling, that, "Today is hump day!" I couldn't believe the cavalier manner in which he made this announcement, and the fact that no one else seemed to be responding with the utter shock that I was experiencing- in fact, several others in the staff room agreed with him!!! Now it seems there is a whole new meaning to this term, of which I was not aware, so you can imagine what I was thinking, particularly if you are of an older generation- the younger ones understood that it meant the middle of the week, downhill to the weekend- So if I was working, today would be hump day-

As for fragrant flatulence, not happening, there goes my get rich quick idea- Billy seems to have no ill effects- The felines on Sprucewood are beginning to transfer their affection, and two of them have actually shown delight by purring and allowing themselves to be patted- One remains aloof and disgusted- Food is getting low- Had to fill the container-

So what are people watching on Wed. night? No Amazing Race, no American Idol. I somehow missed Canadian Idol- must have been blogging- Might have to concede that Michael was right about its addictive nature- Still waiting for Jason to blog in- and Denise, if she's reading this!!Hard to believe tomorrow is a new month- you know what that means- resolutions to make and break again- Amon out-

Million Dollar View

This is the view taken moments ago from my bedroom window- The lake seems to have its own personality and moods- today it's gleaming and sparkling- another gorgeous day- All that talk about housecleaning inspired me to do a little- very litte- Plugged in the vacuum- Phew! The stench of Brutus dog exhaling from the back of the machine- rush to the cupboard and pour out some of those little aromatic granules supplied by Electrolux - went to garbage can to dispose of package- return to rug ---granules gone !!! Billy smacking his lips-- oh oh- should I call poison control, 911 , Frank --- No, I'll wait , Billy has eaten much worse and survived- and then I think, maybe that really is the best way to control dog odour- we'll see- that low fat dog food has a "breaking wind frequently" side effect- maybe his "wind" will be aromatic and I've just"inadvertently" stumbled on an amazing discovery that will make me rich--- Then he bolts through the open door and decides to go for a full body immersion in the lake- rushes in and chooses our BED to dry off on- Wet stinky dog smell- now I have to wash the comforter- granules haven't taken effect yet- Dogs !!!!

Now, back to that view- Five years ago, when we purchased the property, that little separate parcel of lake frontage was assessed for five thousand- This year it has become more valuable- Eleven thousand!! It's not big enough for building purposes, (except for a gazebo that Frank has been wishing for) and is at times partially submerged- Could we sell it for eleven grand? Don't think so- would spoil the view- would we sell for any amount- make an offer!!! If we live long enough, who knows what it will be worth- Gotta go wash the bedding-

I Beg your pardon...I never promised you a ...

This is a picture of me NOT weeding the flower garden. Unlike Mikki, gardening is not one of my interests, however four years ago, I thought maybe it just might be "my thing". Several colleagues of mine have backyards which could pass for botanical gardens, they know all the latin names, and make frequent trips up shore to a renowned greenhouse- One year, I accompanied them, spent a lot of cash, and there the seedlings sat, in their six pack containers, until Frank coaxed me to aid in their planting- the cute little space in front of the house, boundaried by sidewalk- Seemed like a plan at the time, flowers blooming, foliage adorning our humble abode- Four years later- Frank "Why don't I just mow them down if you're not going to weed them" "No," I reply, "I might feel like weeding one day." Somehow that urge to garden is not happening- I just want pretty flowers without the work- By the way, those white blooms are weeds- I kind of like them- And see that one orange flower, but don't plant lambs ears- they multiply like rats, only bloom for a short time, and aren't even fragrant or pretty-
Is it my paranoia, or is it coincidence- why the day after I post a spiel about weight gain, do I receive this bit of spam?

From: Ben Schafer
Subject: scorecard with obituary kappa
To: ddick@eastlink.caCc: wperrin@eastlink.ca ...snip... bailley@eastlink.ca
Life changing appetite supressant.
The secrete is out - Oprah Winfrey, CBS 60 Minutes, NBC's Today Show, and
others are all raving about it.
http://gkuxb.hairhashealthpig.com/
st. prokaryote at trompe or even abolition as in burgundian. what'd was at horny when that happened meticulous.

I have a problem with this one on several counts- Look who it's addressed to : ddick- Not me- what's a secrete- and what is it with all the words that don't make any sense, gramatically or rationally- horny? Definately the wrong target !!!! I have an antispam program but they still slip through- and the subject- "scorecard with obituary kappa" Do not click on the blue- I'm sure someone (maybe ddick) makes a few pennies everytime someone checks out the site, and we do not want to encourage this deviant behaviour-

Had a nice visit from Jason, Daphne and Dawson today- Dawson is in the picture, trying to smile ! I think I convinced them to join our blogging ranks, time wil tell-
Bad news fireguy and Traveling Man- today was even warmer and nicer than yesterday- thunder must have changed the system- don't mean to rub it in, but kids were even swimming in the lake---

Frustrated Felines

Gluteus MAXIMUS !!!!!

This should be me, basking in the UV rays, sipping a cold drink, suntan oil at the ready, sunglasses and strawhat, enjoying this beautiful 24 degree day on the deck that Bruce built- Why Elmo? Because I didn’t learn Life Lesson 68 “Don’t throw away all your fat clothes, thinking you’ll never need them again!” None of my last summer’s attire fits- now I’m not just talking zipper won’t quite close, I mean the waist can’t get past the gluteus maximus!!!!In fact it can’t even get close enough for a landing! What a way to ruin a gorgeous day- have to make another trip to Frenchy’s.
On the positive side, I managed to get my new template up- it didn't have preexisting LINKS, so I took a leap of faith, copied the HTML code from my original template, and pasted it in the new one- OOPS- it was too far down, so I repasted it again, and voila, now I have two sets of links and a feeling of accomplishment.
Watched Coronation Street- It was so much better when Richard was in the picture- Took Alexis for a stroll around Maple Grove, and watched Frank burn debris across the road- don't get excited fireguy, he had a permit! Your cats digestive systems are working fine, but they're so disgusted when we appear they don't even want to be patted- Hope you guys are having a great time in Calgary-

Michael, what is the html code for putting a border around pictures, or Mikki. I think this template was intended for left handers, it's not as "pretty" as the last one, but reading should be easier on the eyes- and with my claustrophobic tendencies, don't like being confined to the narrow space of the original- a demain!

The Jolly Jumper !

Welcome to Amon's Amusement Park for Infants- Just when we thought we could close for the season, along comes Alexis, and back out come Austin's toys- (I knew not to have that yard sale against the advice of my better half-) We have a circuit of activity stations - jolly jumping is one, and sitting with the support of a toilet seat shaped pillow another, along with four or five others, soon to be pictured- Her favourite center by far is the lap station, sucking on bottle activity- all other events hold her attention for about fifteen minutes- The good news, she is gaining more control of her hands and can now navigate her thumb to her mouth- the bad news- everything goes in the mouth-
Busy Busy day---for Frank- moving Philip back- one more downstairs dweller- at least he doesn't have pets!! After the move, Frank tried out his new whipper-snipper-
For those suffering from blog deprivation due to the absence of some of our regulars, go to your dashboard and check out Blogs of Note in the bottom right corner- I wonder if any of our blogs will become noteworthy- Jason, if you're reading this, your blog cannot be found- it is lost somewhere in cyberspace-
Just a question, not complaining- but why is it that people who are capable of dirtying dishes, cannot wash them!!!! And where have all my teaspoons gone? And the little frying pan? Just asking, no offense intended-----
Just returned from pooper scooping duties- those cats are pitiful- all three were at the door, waiting expectantly for fireguy or Traveling Man, and when they saw us, the trio turned away in disgust- so forlorn- are you feeling guilty yet?? Did you hear that thunder last night? Usually it doesn't phase me, but I thought for sure it was the apocalypse, the whole earth seemed to shake, and I braced myself for the ensuing tsunami- Didn't happen, obviously, at least not here- Indonesia wasn't so lucky- enough for now- Oh, one more thing, Talked to Michae on the phone last night, says he picked up html in about 15 minutes, says it's not that complicated, now I'd like to know what book he used, or is he just being his usual cheeky self?

THE VASE

Mad Dog Attacks Teahound!!!

No, we're not perverted here- My dog Billy is crazy about teahound- He barks, yelps, cries,drools and yes, attacks her whenever she comes over, but even a friendly attack by this canine could be dangerous- He weighs more than she does and doesn't realize the power of his love-
Okay, the truth is, Billy was not always MY dog- when we moved from the "city" to the country, I promised Jennah she could have a dog- (she really wanted a horse) -thinking it would be a small to midsize cute little lovable critter- She chose Billy !!! He was first on the SPCA list for the "big sleep" having been there six months- We weren't happy! He was big, ugly, and not child friendly, and a runner- I won't go into all the details, suffice it to say, the inevitable happened- Guess who ended up taking care of this monster--- well mostly Frank, because he's much nicer than I am, but I was forced, frequently, to take the dog for walks, feed him, etc. My angst grew, I became resentful, and decided Jennah needed to be taught a lesson- so I cajoled,threatened, and finally gave him away to a nice home in the country- There, I thought, that will teach her!!! Keep in mind, I have already told you my learning style is to do it wrong first- As I watched him being dragged into the truck, with leash, dog food, dish, the strangest thing happened- he looked so cute and lovable- searing pangs of guilt and remorse, first sign , tears second sign, missing him looking for me out the window after school, missing our walks, and missing his unconditional love- So how do I always get out of the messes I create??? FRANK TO THE RESCUE!! Tears help- please call them I say, and just ask how he's making out- He calls because he loves me and knows how impulsive i am- Billy is not eating and crying- now for Billy not to be eating, you know something is wrong!!! After calling twice a day for three days, the new owners ask, would she like to have him back?? YES YES YES YES so Billy is now MY Dog- and I love him- The once runaway, now has to be practically kicked out of the door every morning, and barks at the door to come in= Oh yes, he even sleeps with us!!! Don't you think he's cute?

Clowning Around !!!

A little late posting today, but I"m chomping at the bit- Busy day- ususal childcare routine, but teahound was here to do her mom's housekeeping chores, and I have a great picture to share with you tomorrow- so stay tuned! Just got back from Dad and Jimmy's to get my working orders for pet care while they're gone to Calgary- leaving tomorrow- keep in touch--
The highlight of the day was being taken out for supper at the Austrian Inn by my two former cohorts- fellow grade four teachers- pictured here on either end- I was a bit anxious about leaving my bubble and fought the urge to cancel the date, thankfully, it was great- am stuffed with seafood casserole- but I'm so glad I didn't pass on the opportunity to catch up on everything- that's what I miss most about school- the comradeship- but the most amazing thing- Diane (far left) picked up a gift for me in Halifax which she said just spoke my name- Now if you've ever been in my living room, when you look beyond the doghair, laundry, baby toys, etc, you may notice that I have a slight obsession for turquoise glass objects, and lo and behold, she found the most beautiful turquoise tall vase, with a flowerburst at the top- exquisite- I will post a picture of it- and this she did without knowing of my attraction to this colour- It gave me goosebumps- I believe she was inspired- I absolutely love it!! Thank you!!
fireguy called me "verbose"- wonder why??? Now about that picture, we had a clown theme day at school, obviously I don't dress like this for work, and partway through the morning I developed a splitting headache, I thought my head was going to explode and I felt faint- Tylenol didn't work- Just as I was in the process of looking for a substitute, fearing imminent death, I removed the dollar store head mask, and mraculously , the headache vanished- I had simply cut off the circulation to my head !!! That may account for the subsequent loss of brain cells-
Enough verbosity, I am thrilled that Mikki has joined us- and I'm hoping Tuffysmom is feeling better- so tune in tomorrow for a shocking picture of teahound !! I fogot to mention that I am in the picture too- the best one of me I could find!!

Call Me Crazy- or Hazy

Was about to delete this picture when suddenly the face of Chris loomed before me, actually beside me, to the right of the picture above Elmo , some people see it, others don't , I do and that's what matters- I see his image next to my shoulder- do you?
Have to squeeze this post in, busy busy day, meeting tonight, have to take care of Alexis, vacume, bring the clothes in, dust, watch soap operas-
Did you ever have one of those dreams where you were so happy to wake up and escape? Last night was horrible- I dreamt I quit my job to go back to university, and couldn't pass a test, failed miserably, returned home desperately trying to get my job back, couldn't, asking dad for an allowance, trying to get a job at Customs and the Snack Place, panic attacks, phew, was so relieved to wake up and realize I 'd never have to take one of those exams again, or ask dad for an allowance----Care to analyze?
Speaking of diminished brain capacity, last night I took my cholesterol pill instead of Nytol- maybe that accounts for the nightmare- but my cholesterol count should be real good today-
Hey bloggers, when you're at your blog dashboard, click on the help button, then how to post a picture, and there's a site to download picasa2- a photo editing program that Mike mentioned- I t's great- puts every jpeg at your fingertips, thumbnail fashion, and at the bottom, there is a Blog This button which takes the picture directly to your blog- has some neat editing features too- check it out-
On my Frency's excursion, I failed to mention that I also bought a dictionary- I like tuffysmom's idea of using words, increase our brain power, and a political pundit on tv used the word synchophant- I'm not sure of the exact spelling, but I liked the sound of the word- however I failed to notice that the dictionary was for school and was not sophisticated enough to have that word-
After waking from the nightmare, I turned on the morning talk shows- Al Gore was talking about global warming and how coastal areas are in danger of becoming submerged, which puts us right in the bullseye, and then there was that whole family in Indonesia who died of the bird flu, arousing fear that now the virus has mutated so as to spread from human to human, thus setting off a world pandemic- but not to worry- it hasn't hit North America YET !! I think my nightmare was less threatening.
Did you know we could make money on these blogs- Allow Google to place ads, based on the content of our posts, and everytime someone clicks on the ad, we'd receive money- Now before you get too excited, there'd have to be thousands, millions, of people clicking on that ad- unless we all agreed to spend our days clicking on each other's blogs- and can you imagine what the ads would be for us- geritol, viagra, depends, etc. So let's not do it- And how many people do you think we could possibly attract !!!
I am going to change my template, this weekend, because I hate having a green background for text, and I don't like being confined to such a narrow space- but the ones with more writing space don't seem to have prearranged places for links- and since I don't understand html, what am I to do? And no, I'm not going to study html- I wouldn't be able to remember from one minute to the next- Enough raving- will check in later, after the study group and American Idol!!

Whatta Hunk!!!

Frank was getting a little upset that I only posted "bad" pictures of him, so this should make him happy !!!
This was way back before he knew what was in store for him- wedded bliss!!!His sister Jackie used to make money by selling his pictures to girls- As far as I am concerned there are no bad pictures of him-
Good thing odors don't transfer through computers- I just put on a big fish chowder, but am having second thoughts about using that spanish onion- purple fish chowder???
My pet peeve for today is telemarketers and unwanted phone calls- Everyday I get a recorded call from 709-753-3603 telling me to call another nnumber beginning with 877 and I should ask for Linda Foster, or Richard or Tony- today's accent was distinctly newfoundlander- Now I have no intention of calling back persons unknown for reasons unknown- they don't even identify a person they wish to contact- and we know there are multitudes of people at this address- the possibilities are endless- but most likely a bill collecter seeking out one of my offspring- There's a collection agency in Ontario threatening to take Chris to court for some unpaid bill- Good luck with that guys! Another lesson learned too late- don't name your child exactly the same as yours- not good for the credit rating- and Philip, don't ever help a buddy out by signing a two year contract for a cell phone you have no intention of using or paying for, and the bill is increasing daily- The friend and the phone have long since disappeared- So Linda, Richard, or Tony, leave me alone!!!
At Frenchy's yesterday, I bought a cook book to put with the other 5o collecting dust on the shelf- I have a thing for cookbooks, thinking someday I may actually reproduce that picture- never happens, That day has finally come, and I cook less than I did when I was working- and when I do cook- always the same cycle of kraft dinner, shepherd's pie, goulash, pork chops, and fish chowder---But the pictures look so pretty!!I also replenished my wardrobe with XL t-shirts- my working child-care attire- I go through 2 or 3 a day, they should make bibs for the caregivers, not the babies- my new fragrance is eau d'puke-
I solved two "hard" sudoku puzzles this morning- and may advance to the difficult level-
I am posting early so all my attention may be focused on American Idol tonight- even though I'm not emotionally invested in either contestant- I was going to vacume, but the cleaner is behind the door downstairs- Oh well- there's always tomorrow- well, not always!

What Next?

What is this world coming to??? Osprey marriages???

http://www.herald.ns.ca/Front/505132.html

Airing my Dirty Laundry

Am posting early because I need to rant- okay, so today frank stayed home, I guilted him into taking a day off- HE did the laundry, it was sunny and windy, opportunity too good to pass, After I hung the clothes out, he says, "It's supposed to rain today!" Response "Why didn't you tell me BEFORE I hung them out!!!!" So I left them to go Frenchying- and now it IS Raining!!! He wanted me to take them down, in case they became too heavy and the line would break, and the whole cycle of nagging and guilt would begin again! But I am thinking that a little rain can't hurt and they will eventually dry, won't they? My other burning question is, what is the proper way to hang shirts- from the bottom, or from the top, having never been schooled in the ways of hanging clothes, I want to do it correctly- you just never know when the clothes police might be lurking in your backyard- and what about long pants?
Now, Traveling Man told me he does the Sudoku puzzle in the daily paper, and that is the catalyst for my newfound craze- I found a Sudoku website- motherlode of puzzles- My rationalization for this mania is that I need to activate some brain cells, before they all atrophy from overload of reality tv-It sure feels good to solve the "hard" ones- Haven't solved any yet, but I know it will feel good, without the adverse effect of gaining weight or feeding cancer--
This blogging is working well for me on the therapy, self-analysis part- One of the few things I miss about work is the daily interaction with adults, that half hour in the staff room where we discuss tv shows, news, work, and the faults of our spouses- This blogging fills that void, so thank you for joining in- we're just one big happy staff room!!!!

Michelle, Get With the Program !!!!

P.S.

Just a note, for those who don't already know, click on the picture to get full size and you will actually see the infamous clothes line!! To all my loyal fans and adoring readers, there may be weird things happening to my blog- I want to change my template, after I discovered that I had chosen the same one as a cannabilistic, first degree murderer whose blog is at futureworldruler.blogspot.com --for those of you who are interested in such topics- Once his defense attorney finds out about it, it will most likely be shut down-

The line that Frank built

I figured it out- I've inherited the female guilt gene- as long as you can feel guilty about the small stuff- not hanging out clothes, not taking Billy for walks, not cooking today, etc,- you don't have to focus on the big guilt stuff and all is well with the world!!! I used to think Mom was a little crazy for always saying,"I'm glad it rained today so I didn't have to walk Missy."" Now I get it!!!
Okay, today I woke up early with Austin, expecting to munch on the one remaining Sobey square and the half full bag of Bits and Bites that Austin wanted, and lo and behold- gone- and there on the burner was my big Paderno non-stick fying pan encrusted with what looked like burnt hamburg- HMM wasn't there when i went to bed- then who comes slithering upstairs, zombie-like and unkempt- Philip- sometime during the night he managed to gain entrance without enciting the wrath of Brutus or Billy- how did that happen? He confessed to the square and Bits and Bites, but the frying pan, still a mystery- And I'm still po'd that I paid big buck for this frying pan which everything either sticks to or burns---
So I made Austin pancakes in the above pan, which he claimed to want, didn't, so the ever lurking Billy Dog had a sweet treat- He loves the grandchildren- they drop, dribble, spill, regurgitate, and he has a feast- but go near HIS food, out comes the ugly tooth smile- Took care of Alexis for the rest of the day-

now Frank, on the otherhand, also forgetting that it should have been a long weekend, left for work at 7, came home to a grouchy spouse, then proceeded to mow the lawn, carry a double bed from the barn back downstairs in anticipation of Phillip's imminent return, moved rocke, cut bushes, and is now just relaxing after having made himself two stinky sardine sandwiches- I am looking forward to having a day with no childcare duties, but don't get me wrong, they are my raisond'etre, joie de vivre, my source of smiles, joy, laughter, hope, and love, but doggone it, sometimes I do get tired, at least I don't feel guilty about that- enough of a rant!



This is the lawn that Frank Mowed!!!
There were a few kayakers out on the lake today, but it looked quite rough- lots of wind- good day for hanging out clothes though~

The Missing Link

Controlled Chaos!!

Busy day- An unexpected bonus- Monisa, our 13 year old granddaughter spent most of the day with us, whilst her dad (Jason) and his son Dawson were rolling around in mud, fourwheeling- this is the northeast quarter of our living room, looks serene, looks can be deceiving- mayhem at times!!! But Monisa was a Godsend- she's used to be being the big sister- funny how it seems the more kids around, the easier it becomes- they keep each other's attention- Aussie is in the background playing V-Tech-
Frank took Austin and Monisa bowling- He (Austin) didn't quite understand the rule about not lobbing balls, but he'd make a great pitcher- Traveling Man and Fireguy came by, it was funny, we already know what each other has been up to and we don't want to give away any secrets soon to be revealed on our blogs, so we argued about religion- It was not quite so serene when they arrived-they didn't stay long- maybe there's a hockey game tonight or maybe rambunctious children???
You know you're really retired when you don't even realize it's a long weekend!!! Every weekend is long now, and everyday is a snow day--yahoo!!!!!

Yarmouth's Claim to Fame

We made another first- the first community to have a married gay mountie couple! Anything I could say would probably be not politically correct, But I have never thought of Yarmouth as a San Francisco, or even moderately liberal- I wonder if there'll be any protesters outside Rodd's on June 30- Several years ago, when there was to be a speaker at the High School, Ed Muttart who held a doctorate in Education, - his topic was to be Global Education- and the Christian coalition of ministers phoned Phil DeMille and said they would have their congregations out in full protest if the man stepped foot in the high school, due to his religious affiliation being Baha'i, The principal was rightly outraged and left the call up to us, not wanting to cause bad feelings, we cancelled the event- I'd like to think we've progressed since then, and although I have mixed feelings about this marriage, I do think it is their choice- My soap box speech for today!
This is a double duty weekend- Austin is here now and Jennah works Sat & Sun- Monday is now my Saturday. Frank finished off the chili today- Made for an easy cooking week- Gotta go give Aussie a bath now-

This trumps Tuffy!!!

Julio (who-lee- oh)is part of Jennah's menagarie- This beautiful Siamese specimen resides downstairs, mostly "behind the door" but ever crafty, quite often makes his way upstairs to terrorize the upstairs cats, who, like the upstairs dwellers, are inactive, old, and lazy! The trouble with Julio is that he thinks he is a baby, and, like his brother Brutus, wails and cries whenever he is left without human companionship. Have you ever heard a Siamese cat cry? It's worse than a baby- and we know about babies!
Am thrilled that the hippies won Amazing Race- but the question is- are they a couple? If so, they put us all to shame- they were so nice to each other, positive, cheerful, indomitable spirits, funloving, you know, like all us married couples !! Not !!Frank and I could never go on that show, forget the bunjee jumping or skydiving, we can't drive together very long without sparks flying- And I wouldn't want the world to pity Frank- having to put up with me- Anyway, they deserve the million- Did you see that new airbus land at Heathrow- 8 stories high and holds 550 people- There are only certain airports it can land at- so what if there was a midflight emergency- No, getting on a two story airplane to Australia was the ulitimate for me-I still have problems getting on elevators!! Richard Hurlburt, our MLA stopped by to leave his propaganda- I have no idea who the leaders are- I don't even know who our premier is, but I do know with certainty that dad is thinking- Why don't you watch Canadian news? I think I will even vote for Richard this time-

Ole Blue Eyes

Don't let the blue eyes fool you- this dog is a beast!!! He resides downstairs behind a closed door, but can be heard frequently growling, deep, throaty, growls, going to eat you growls, whenever he is left alone or hears the approach of unknown footsteps!! So Beware- He particularly dislikes the male gender- as Frank can testify- one day foraaging for wood, he opened "the door" and experienced the fangs of Brutus on his lower leg- It's a wonder that dog is still alive- but we do love our daughter, "baggage" and all!!! Brutus is an alpha dog, dominant, as is our upstairs dog, Billy- and n"er the two shall meet again- one day they met on the landing, it was not pretty!!!!!
I'm actually missing the Amazing Race, to post this- amazing!!! ButI am trying to hurry to see the end- Study meeting tonight- taking care of Alexis, still eating chili, still smoking, still not walking or hanging out clothes- Chery is going to join our blogging gang- looking forward to her posts- keep working on dad, fireguy!!
Big news today- Sir Paul McCartney and Lady Heather Mills are separating- amicably they say- sure- no prenup- she could possibly get $4,000,000,000 -yes that is billion- not bad pay for sleeping with Paul for four years- maybe they should have been tending to their marriage instead of worrying about baby seals being slaughtered in NL. It's quite a reality check, seeing the 63 year old former hearthrob- He used to be so young and handsome, seems like yesterday I was in the thick of Beatlemania, swooning over him, and now he's 63!!!! How does that happen-

A Grave Sight

Self explanatory- I understand the expression "set in stone" - final, permanent, reality, sad- It's within walking distance of our home, but we rarely get a chance to walk, taking care of Alexis until 8:30pm -We actually bought four spaces- couldn't bare the thought of Chris alone, so frank and I have our inscription and places on the back of the stone, and there is a space to the left of Chris- I know he's not really there, but it is a quiet peaceful place to pray and mourn- Someday I'll post a picture that shows where his spirit resides-
Back to the mundane- American Idol tonight and Amazing Race tomorrow!!! It's a soggy soggy day- severe flooding in maine, their weather usually comes our way- our house precariously sits close to the lake and beside the stream which empties into the three lake system- last spring the water almost covered the bridge and actually submerged our lawn chairs and wharf- Keeping our fingers crossed and kayak at the ready!!

Bad Hair Day!!

This is Aussie today after bouncing on the trampoline-the static electricity effect- He's terrified of spiders so we didn't last too long due to the webs decorating the sides - Another reason- well after four babies and a bladder repair- let's just leave it at that- may be too much information!!
Made a huge chili today in my gigantic paderno pot- trouble was, no room in the fridge- was forced to throw out some of the contents- that sour cream from dec. 2000 was ripe- Amazing what you can find fermenting in your fridge- reckon there are a few cures for something flourishing in there- The highlight of the day was of course reading blogs- Survivor was a let down- anticlimatic- no sparks flying!!! Couldn't stay awake for the big reunion- Nytol kicks in about that time- Philip's been here for the past few days- went through four litres of milk- He's giving up his apartment at the end of the month, so I guess there'll be one more occupant on the lower level- Have to put up a No Vacancy sign- At least he doesn't have any unruly pets- Jennah's rottweiler Brutus is aptly named- Even a picture of him is scary!!!!

Congratulations!!!

Congratulations Mike and Rebecca!!!!! Soon to be four!!! Sorry if I wasn't excited when I got your phone call, but I am very happy for you guys- I was just hoping that the next one would be born on this continent , but I think babies can fly free!!!That was a nice way to begin Mother's Day- Jeremy and Denise came by and Phil even dropped in, to eat steak, tender steak, Frank cooked- and to top it off, Survivor finale is about to air in fifteen minutes- I like Cirie too, she's shrewd, but Terry sure does deserve to win- So it's all good- just wondering where fireguy is- probably out geosomething-

Pandora

A friend of mine directed me to a great music site- Go to Pandora.com- and you can set up your personal radio station, contiunous streaming, based on your interests. There is a short trial period, then you will need to register- all free- easy- but look up an American zip code number, which you will need to register. Do a seacrch on Google for US zip codes. It introduces you to new and various artists in the same genre you have chosen. Thanks Ross, for pointing me there.
Lots of visistors today, dad and jimmy came up, before the hockey game, and Jason was here with Monisa and Dawson- I don't think we've seen them since Christmas, so that was a treat- They played on the trampoline and gave the V-Smile game system a try.
Speaking of hockey, I'm sick of it- That means I have to wake up early on Sunday mornings to watch Corornation Street- When will it end!!!!! Still too cold to hang out clothes- yahoo!!!

Happy ??? Mother's Day

Isn't she beautiful, our mom? Bombarded by mother's day- radio, tv, stores, impossible to escape, so why try?Up to 3 years ago, I mainly related the day to my mother, but after losing Chris, it took on a more painful meaning- assessing my own role as mother and falling short- feelings of guilt, regret, remorse, and anguish.Wishing I had been a better mother, but sometimes the lessons we learn come too late-I honour Chris by loving his child, and showing him the unconditional and all empowering love that I wish I had shown Chris. And it brings me some measure of peace and an indissoluble bond with his spirit. And the third perspective I have is extreme pride at seeing the wonderful mother my daughter has become. It seems so natural for her to be a mother- I miss mom, more as time erases the difficult times, and I think of her with tenderness, compassion, and love- and I've even laughed thinking about some of the scrapes we got ourselves in and out of. I guess this post covers the therapy part- This is the way I picture her now- Reunited with her mom, and so the cycle continues------------

Who controls the flickie?

Lesson one in socialization of our female family members- She who controls the flickie, rules!! Lesson 2, get to the bed first- it's much more comfortable and your sleep won't be disturbed by loud and annoying space noises!! Looking forward to Survivor tonight, and the big finale on Sunday night. But I am concerned about Thursday nights thereafter- what to look forward to? I wonder how our father is enjoying the Willie Nelson concert in Halifax? Another rainy day today- Thank God- gives me an excuse for not hanging any clothes out on the line which I nagged Frank about putting up for the last year- and I didn't have to feel badly about not going for a walk with Billy the dog=We haven't walked in quite awhile and we're both getting fat, but the low fat dog food he's eating just doesn't work for me= That pesky tooth problem, hard to chew. Fifteen minutes till showtime, gotta get ready.

C'mon Dad, get on board!!!

What a busy night! Reading all these family blogs!! Now come on "Grandfadduh" Get on board and share some of your funny stories- you can be "CansoGuy" or just grandfather!
Great night for television, watched the end of Amazing Race, then American Idol, and the conclusion of Unanimous- Of course in a different room from my SO- significant other- still watching space channel!!
What's with David Blaine and his Manbowl? Nine days immersed in water- think about it- his hands and feet were so shrivelled - unidentifiable- Now what purpose does that serve- does it advance the civilization of mankind or contribute to the wellbeing of humanity? Maybe I should send him the ad from my previous post!!! The whole evening was not wasted on television- Hosted a Baha'i study group- we meet every Wednesday night - Tonight's topic was on prayer- I'll talk about that another time- doesn't seem to be in synch with television or David Blaine.
A mystery- last night when I went to bed, there were 8 pumpkin muffins left from the dozen I had baked earlier- Upon awakening this morning, there were only four- HMMM- Methinks the downstairs occupants have been creeping upstairs whilst we sleep-

Enlarge your What?

Checked my email this morning and found this
"S'ensationall revoolution in m'edicine!
-E'n'l'a'r'g'e your p''enis up to 10 cm or up to 4 inches!
-It's herbal solution what hasn't side effect, but has 100% guaranted results!
-Don't lose your chance and but know wihtout doubts, you will be impressed with results"
Now, let me make it clear, if I had this appendage, which I don't, would I entrust it to a vendor with such horrific spelling, can't even spell it correctly, and of course wouldn't you want to have references and before and after pictures???? Do you think anyone goes for this and if it didn't work, would you really want to hold them to their guarantee??? Just asking!!!!! Think I'll pass on posting a picture.

My Gals

This is a picture of my two favourite gals- Jennah and Alexis (a Jennah lookalike)
Of course I think they're beautiful- Didn't make it too long before the smoking urge took over- and nicotine wins again. Will have to wait until next Monday, or June 1, or Jan 1, 2007!!!
No babysitting today, except of course Austin from four to six. I finally discovered a game system I could actually play- V-Tech Vsmile for 3 to 7 year olds- Cooked a roast from M&M meat store- first time I ever cooked a roast that I could even chew, not having a complete set of upper and lower teeth that meet- Their lasagna was good too- tried that last week- Frank is watching space channel as usual, and I am just waiting for another reality show - we have separate tvs- I usually get to the bedroom first- Is it just me or is anyone else sick of seeing Tom Cruise promote his new movie, his religion, his ideas?

A Long Sunday

Two days in a row- What a loonnngg day- Austin woke up at five am, the listener is beside my bed, so I jumped up to fetch him before he could wake the sleeping minions and animals downstairs. He was soon reasleep before I made it upstairs, but I, of course could not get back to sleep, knowing that Frank's alarm would be going off at seven, so what was the sense- Nothing but sales pitches and sex shows on at that hour of the day, and CNN is all repeats- not worth watching the first time around-
As predicted, the upstairs dwellers, except MeMa (Austin's name for my mother in law who lives with us) woke up precisely at 7- My nan duties began- first course banana, then oatmeal and toast for Austin- and watching the Learning Tree channel while digesting- I know all the shows- Toopie and Binoo, Teepee tales, Dora, Diego, Berenstein Bears, Mighty Machines, Daniel Cook- the cheeky little red head.
During the Berenstein Bears, I snuck into the smoking room (MeMa's room with an air purifier) to have a coffee and a puff- Jennah came upstairs around 9:30 am with Alexis (5 month old) Austin's mom and dad came around ten to pick him up from his weekend stay- The rest of the day- a cycle of baby feeding and changing diapers- and gooing and gaaing- changing baby stations from the jolly jumper to the exersaucer to the not so automatic swing, and reinserting the dummy (Australian for pacifer) as needed.
Until now, Jennah is home- hurray- and I can check my email, read michael's blog, and fill this post with drivel. I also managed to watch a variety of home shows- Flip this house, sell this house, hot property, how not to decorate- Someday I may put all this knowledge to use, rather, Frank will- if we win the lottery~~~You gotta dream- Our house is a showcase of the seventies, or sixties, ugly brown swirly shag rug- outdated linoleum floors and ugly kitchen counters-
Interruption- just when I thought my duties were done, Jennah decided to get groceries, so could I watch the baby? Nasty habit, that eating thing-
Tomorrow I am really really going to try and quit smoking- I try every tomorrow- Monday seems always filled with hope- We'll see- any hints ?

Cyberspace virgin

My first venture into cyberspace!! actuallly- hi Mike, you're probablly the only one who'll be reading this anyway !!! My life has gone full circle- never did I dream I'd be changing diapers and making formula at this stage of my life- but here I am- and loving it- For 32 years, I've been known as Mrs. Amon, the elementary teacher, now I go by NanNan- and might I add that I am finding it quite fulfilling, and somewhat tiring!!!
Aussie is for my grandson Austin, who I am hoping will sleep through this night, and for my family in Australia- My son Michael, his wife Rebecca, and my grandson Alex. I also spend most days helping care for my beautiful 5 month old granddaughter, Alexis. I will be posting their pictures soon-