And Then One Day...

Gosh, it's been such a long time since I've posted anything on here, I feel like I'm starting over again. And in a way, I am!

So much has happened since I blogged regularly, it really is difficult to pick a starting point. Perhaps I'll try to include snippets of the past 1.5 years in the days to come, but for now... An update on present day happenings.

Jaco & I have officially claimed our land legs. We have said goodbye to Princess & then have most certainly set sail without us. Jaco is happy & I suppose I am too. Obviously I will miss the travel opportunities - who wouldn't want to wake up in another exciting location from one day to the next without having to drive or fly? But I hope in the future both of us will be able to enjoy a trip together. Certainly we will if I have a say in the matter!

Jaco has been busy applying for his Canadian registration. He has a job. He has a work permit. He only needs to certify with the College in BC and have a few references sent it and it's a green light for life in Canada!

He has a job in Penticton. Where? Penticton, British Columbia. A quaint little town that sits between 2 lakes & mountains on the other sides. Kelowna is to the north and Osoyoos is to the south. The area is known as the Okanagan Valley & is home to many vineyards & fruit orchards. The climate is as close to Mediterranean as I could find in Canada & apparently the winters are mild. We'll see about that! Here's what Wikipedia has to say about Penticton. 

I'm very excited to finally move into a house and unpack. No more suitcases! No more 50 lbs is your life! No more baggage! And our 3 dogs will finally be together. Three dogs you say? Yes, since my previous blogging days, Jaco & I have acquired another dog. His name is Kudu and he is a Miniature Pinscher born and raised in South Africa. We have had him for just over one year. A brief history...

My adorable niece, Zandrie, got a guinea pig last year when I visited her family for the weekend. Jaco was attending a recertification course nearby. On Sunday afternoon, Zandrie, her Dad, and myself went to a few pet shops to try and find a pen for the guinea pigs. When we entered one of the pet shops, they had one puppy. The store was just opening and was still preparing the shelves and shop. This poor little puppy was lying there all alone. No toys, no blanket, and fleas and worms as I later discovered. When I saw him I said, "Oh, look at the little puppy!" He went crazy when he heard my voice. Crying, whining, scratching at the door, licking my fingers... It was unbearable! He even came with a little upside down heart on his chest! I immediately called Jaco, who said I would have to ask his Mom, as she would have to care for Kudu while we were on the ship. To my surprise, she said yes! We drove back to Cape Town the next day and brought Kudu home. He weighed a whopping 1.4 kgs and he has been such a delight to get to know. In South Africa it is against the law to crop dog's tails & ears, a topic which is dear to my heart and I hope the rest of the world will catch on! Needless to say, Kudu's huge ears are one of his most endearing qualities. Of course, his spirited personality is another! 

I took him to puppy classes and he loves them! He caught on very quickly and whines the entire class because he is just so happy to be there! In fact, since I've been away this last little while, if the dog walker didn't come to collect Kudu for puppy class, Kudu would clear the fence (over 1m) and run down the block and into the municipality where he would completely disrupt the class. The instructor loves the fact that Kudu likes puppy classes this much. He is truly an example of 'the Teacher's Pet'! 

Currently we are making arrangements to fly Kudu to Canada. I bought a wooden box last time I was in SA to fly him in. He can not fly in the cabin of the plane & must fly cargo. Not impressed! In any case, I have spent the past 3 weeks painting his 'flying box'. Primer, white enamel, SA flag, Canada flag, Kudu's name, checkerboard, stripes, and I still have the inside to do! And then he needs to get used to it!

He loves to play ball and run - very much a Daddy's boy! I am excited to see how Kudu will get along with the girls. Valentina's nose might be slightly out of joint as she does not have the long legs Kudu does to run & jump for the ball!

Jaco & I are currently in South Africa at his parents place. We have been enjoying quiet days. We have started eating healthily and preparing our own food. Yes, you read that right. I have been cooking. *gasp* I am doing my best to try and give us a good start for our arrival in Canada. Jaco has been very helpful in the kitchen and he even does the dishes! I'm so lucky! My Mother-in-Law used to cook and bake professionally, so I have a plethora of expertise at my fingertips. Although I think her and my Father-in-Law are a bit skeptical of the 'alternative' ingredients I use! Buckwheat flour, agave, coconut oil, cacao nibs, almond butter, kelp noodles... Good times and challenges for the taste buds! It has also been very interesting for me to learn of some of the traditions South Africans use in the kitchen. For example, they eat their gem squash (think mini acorn squash) by boiling them in a pot of water and then putting butter and sugar inside.(seeds removed) We always baked them in the oven and then put butter and salt and pepper in them. 

Our days are filled with internet (!) (Yay for no more satellite internet that is as slow as dial-up!), yoga, a walk or a jog, taking the dogs to the beach, and sometimes Jaco will watch some sports, I'll paint or knit a bit, we'll get groceries and then make dinner. I haven't quite figured out how parents do it in the real world. I don't wake up early and I'm lucky to get 3 things done in a day. (This blog thing could be a challenge!) Hats off to those of you who manage to handle yourselves and children day after day!

Oh and speaking of internet... Our internet was out for 11 days last month. We spent hours on the phone with the Internet company. They told us our password needed to be changed, they told us the transmission cable was out and 82 other people were without internet in our area, they told us what their colleague was telling them to tell us, they sent one technician who couldn't fix it. I was nearing my breaking point with South African service. Finally, I had a lovely gentleman on the phone who escalated our need for service and the following day a second technician came out to fix our internet. The problem? Kudu. Yes, the dog. Kudu managed to bite through the cable. He must have had a ball in amongst the wires and played away until he bit through the cable. Rather humorous, I must say. He has had his photo, along with the cable, submitted to Dog-Shaming.com Apparently they have over 12,000 submissions, so I don't know if Kudu will make the cut, but in any case, it's a funny way to laugh your way through a lunch break!

I suppose that is enough of an update for now. I'll do my best to submit some more posts on a much more regular basis!

Until then... Keep well and enjoy your day!

Maria, Valentina, Oceana, Kudu, Adios and of course, Jaco

The day we brought Kudu home

Just look at those ears!

Sorry Telkom!

He looks guilty, no?

On his skateboard

Mama's boy.

Day 352 - Thanksgiving Dinner

Today Jaco experienced his first Thanksgiving dinner. Boy, did I ever get put to the test. He was asking me what Thanksgiving was all about... It's about giving thanks, right? But why? Where did it come from? Why is the Canadian Thanksgiving 6 weeks earlier than the Americans? Who do you give thanks to? So many questions & no connection to Wikipedia while I'm driving! And one more tuffy, why are Canadian barns red?


Here's what he found out:

Canadian Thanksgiving, held on the second Monday of October, has origins dating back to a 1578 homecoming feast for explorer Martin Frobisher when he returned to Newfoundland after his search for the Northwest Passage. However, like Native Americans to the South, Canada's First Nations people celebrated harvest festivals long before Europeans came to North America.

The purpose and frequency of Canadian Thanksgiving has fluctuated over the years, but the current commemoration date was set in 1931. After WWI, Armistice Day and Thanksgiving had both been celebrated on the Monday falling during the week of November 11. In the 1931 the holidays split and Armistice Day became Remembrance Day. The holiday is statutory for all provinces except Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

For Americans our version of the holiday seems quirky, fitting in the same category as pronouncing the letter "Z" as zed, calling soft drinks "pop" and paper money in multiple colours.

In the U.S., Thanksgiving originated in 1621 as a three-day harvest feast celebrated by the Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony and incorporated prayers to survive the winter ahead. During the American Civil War, president Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday to be celebrated on the final Thursday of November. Today the holiday is held on the fourth Thursday of November.

The American holiday is now focused on family reunions, NFL football games and, of course, turkey. Over the years, Canada's holiday has come to mimic U.S. celebrations - with family and food taking centre stage.

You can find the original article here on Yahoo! Canada (not Wikipedia!) 

We had our Thanksgiving dinner at Ken's place with all of his children & their children. It was a nice gathering & the meal was fabulous! I have always enjoyed Mom's cooking & over the years, there are several dishes that I have coined as my favourites. The broccoli dish, the pistachio dish & the pumpkin dessert. Hardly healthy, but definitely delicious. We enjoyed stuffing, turkey, cranberry sauce made from scratch (never from a can!), mashed potatoes & gravy, mango salad, & sweet potatoes & carrots in the slow cooker - the same recipe we used for the wedding. 

If you're really hungry, send me a message & I will give you the coveted recipes... If you ask nicely!

We took the dogs & they were a hit until Oceana got grumpy with Ken's daughter-in-law & Valentina stole the sausage from Lola, Allison's Chihuahua. I came straight home & watched Cesar! We've got some work to do!

I also got a speeding ticket. From Ken's grandson, who is about 6. It read:

"NOSEE

IIIIIIIIIIIIIOOO

NO-SPEEDIN

CG

DVD

STOP"

How cute is that? Thank goodness there were no demerits involved & that he didn't ask for Jaco's driver's license!

Sleep well... I know I will with all that turkey in my tummy! Happy Thanksgiving! 

xxxxMJV&O

ps - I'm thankful for:

My wonderful husband, my family, my friends, my Doctors, socialized medicine (!), the people who have supported me throughout this health journey, Valentina, Oceana, and a last kick at summer! (There's a lot more, but that's a good start for tonight!)

Day 298 - A Near Death Day For Poor Oceana

Somedays it's just not a dog's life. Today was one of them for poor Oceana. I was woken up by the stomping of my Mother into my room as she tossed poor Oceana onto the bed. Mom grumbled something about not being able to get any work done with Oceana around & therefore she must stay in my room. Jaco was in the bathroom, so for the next ??? hours I attempted to sleep while Oceana yipped, whined & jumped at my side of the bed. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!? Argh!!! 


Finally, enough was enough. I let the dogs back out to terrorize Mother. When I finally got up at 0930, Mom was storming out the door to town. She left me a note to do a bunch of things for her, including picking up the doggy doo in the yard, as Mom had stepped on some with her shoe. Therefore, it MUST be my fault & I MUST clean it up. 


Move boxes to warehouse, move boxes to bunkhouse, package dayplanners, cook fish, walk dogs... good thing I didn't make any plans for today! We ended up taking the dogs for a nice walk down by the river & through the campground. Poor Oceana had her first taste of water. She wasn't too keen on it. Valentina, on the other hand, walked right through it. I picked up Oceana & gently set her in the ankle deep (on her) water. She eventually realized that she would survive getting wet. 


We were just about to turn off the road, when we met a group of 3 walking a small, stocky Collie type dog. They reeled the dog in on his leash & made him sit while we walked past.  As we were passing, the dog stood up. The next thing we knew, the dog was lungeing for Oceana (Poor Oceana!). Jaco had her leash, so he's frantically trying to pick her up before she is eaten alive. There is barking, growling, snapping, gnashing of teeth. Oh the horror! Then, all I see is Poor Oceana reeling through the air, as Jaco has finally pulled in her leash enough, but can't get to her. Thankfully it was one of those rubberized leashes so she had a gradual liftoff! I think she even snapped at Jaco once or twice, as she probably had no clue what was going on. The poor dear missed being eaten alive by the crazy dog. I'm sure she'll never forget this day! I don't know what those folks were thinking. They had so much leash, but they just didn't have control of their dog! Terrible! 


Needless to say, we came home after that. We threw the ball for Valentina on the last little stretch of road & even Oceana chased the ball for a bit. Their personalities are so different, it's quite amusing to see! 


Anyhow, another quite day... But it's the calm before the storm, as tomorrow we Buble!!! Yes, it's time for Michael Buble! I can hardly wait! His show was spectacular last time, and I'm not expecting anything less for this time! Whoo hoo!!! 


Sleep well!
Maria, Jaco & Valentina
xxoxooxxoxooxxoxoxoxx

 Some makeshift teepees along the path

The sun shrouded in clouds & smoke

 Poor Oceana & Papa shortly before her brush with death.

Calm part of the river

 Reflections

 Papa & the puppies

Rocks, leaf & water

Day 281 - Nothin' Like A Good Ol' Thunderstorm!

Another relatively uneventful day... Wake up, check messages, have breakfast, sit outside & read for a bit... Not too enthralling.

I had been up late last night helping Mom rescue one of her hard drives & this morning I took it to her first thing. She seemed quite ungrateful that I'd helped her out - not sure where her head space was at. But then later, all was revealed. She wants to give away Oceana. 

Yeah, I'm pretty much devastated. She hasn't even had her for 3 months & she's already trying to pawn her off. Worst of all on some fellow from her past that treated her like junk... What's he going to do to the dog??? Over my dead body will she give poor Oceana to him!

So, now it looks like I've got 2 dogs. I haven't done any training with Oceana because she's Mom's dog & I didn't want to interfere. I dug out my 51 Puppy Tricks book & the training will commence tomorrow. I get so frustrated with my Mother sometimes. I feel like she tries to 'fix' an area of her life, but gets confused at which one is the most important! The saddest part of all is poor Oceana! She is very submissive & has latched onto Mom like no dog I've ever seen. Mom can't go anywhere without Oceana hot on her heels. 

I'll start taking a list of anyone who wants to dog sit while I'm visiting Jaco this winter! :o) 

I joked with a friend of mine today that I'm sure Mom would have pawned my brother & I off had she been given the chance... Now that I think of it, I do have that one girlfriend who looks A LOT like Mom & she's a few years older... Hmm...

Needless to say, I wanted out of the house, so I put the girls' matching raincoats on & went down to EVIC. The thunder started to roll half way there & we arrived just in time for it to start pouring. We sat inside & observed the flashes while Joe counted the time between lightning & thunder. Some of them were pretty close!

I waited awhile before I walked back home in the rain. The girls didn't really like their raincoats. At one point, I felt like I was dragging both of them, instead of them walking on their own. I turned around & sure enough, I was dragging them! Their hoods had fallen down over their eyes & they couldn't see a thing! All I could see was a red or pink coat with a little black nose poking out the front end & a tail out the back! 

They were both caked in mud & dirt by the time we arrived home, so I carried them straight to the tub. A quick rinse & towel dry & they were good as new. They had a blast ripping around the house playing & drying off. One excited wiener dog is fun, never mind two of them!

I decided to bake something this evening. I found a recipe for banana bread in my Caribbean cookbook (Thanks Winners!) that sounded good. Of course, I don't use the regular ingredients & well, I think I'll have to bake it a few times to perfect it. I used raw sugar instead of light brown sugar, coconut flour instead of self-rising flour, almond milk instead of milk... The flour made things pretty dry. I added more milk & an extra egg. Additionally, it said to grease the tin, so I put olive oil on it. Then added the parchment paper. I'm not sure how it happened, but the bottom of the bread is oily & there was a bunch of water & oil in the bottom of the tin. Let's just say it's edible, but heavy. Next time, I'll cut out some flour & perhaps use butter instead of olive oil?

Seriously, someone needs to invent Culinary Bootcamp for people like me. I could be a Fruigivore like my husband. He'll eat oranges, I'll eat cherries & berries. Lord help us come winter! :o)

In any case, I decided to make myself a routine last night. It works for kids & dogs, so why not me? As I type this entry, I'm about 2 hours behind schedule, but I'll see what I can do to catch up! :o) Part of my schedule includes meal planning for the following day. I liked the look of a lot of the recipes in the Caribbean cookbook, so I'll see what I can find that's yummy! (& healthy!)

I finally hooked up my Magic Jack, after giving my husband grief about not having his set up! :o) I'm pretty excited about it! If you leave me a message, it emails me the message & I can listen to it in my email program! How cool is that? I love Magic Jack! (Did I mention you pay $20/yr for long distance anywhere in Canada & the USA?) And you can take it anywhere in the world & call Canada/USA for that same $20/yr??? What a great invention! **It costs $40 for the Jack, $20/yr or $70 for 5 yrs, plus $10 for a Canadian number** See website for details. Okay, my infomercial is done! :o)

I caught up with a girlfriend from Saskatchewan last night. I haven't spoken to her in awhile & it was great to hear her voice. She has two adorable boys, Buster & Huxley. She has caught a lot of flack for naming her first son, Buster. Agreed, it's not a common name, but it TOTALLY suits him! Last night we Wikipedia'd 'Buster' & there are a lot of famous 'Buster's' out there. Even I was impressed! One from South Africa & one from the UK who was involved in the early developments in IVF! Crazy! I hope her mind is at ease, knowing her son has a unique & meaningful name.

Our conversation was cut short when the lightning returned & every flash I saw made a click on the phone! Okay! Time to go! I fell asleep to the sound of the rain hammering down outside my window.

Have a great Sunday everyone! xxxx

Maria, Valentina & Oceana

Matching jackets for the sisters.

Please, Mama, play with me?

Tangled up!

I've got it!

Tug o' war!

Day 264 - Another Rainy Day!

Today was another miserable rainy day in East Kananaskis. The Stephan's had wanted to visit the zoo today, but it was quite cold & it pretty much poured rain for the better part of the day. We took the day to do a whole lot of nothing. Well, not really.


Collet sewed frantically. She is working on a beautiful patchwork quilt for the wedding they are going to this weekend. She is one talented gal! 7.5 months pregnant & she's impossible to keep up with! Did I mention she also has a 2.5 year old son? Yeah, she's amazing! 


She worked on her quilt & I did my best to do laundry, clean up the kitchen, vacuum my room & clean the bathroom. Yeah, it took me all day. I'm pretty slow these days! And easily distracted! Collet decided to have a nap in the afternoon with Ezra & about then Jaco called. We had a chat for a while & then I had to run to town to get the mail. (I forgot to get water. Whoops.) 


Dave boosted Contemplate & found the fuse that keeps the 'door ajar' light on. I let it run for 1/2 an hour or so, but when I went to start it & run to town, she was dead again. Hmpf. 


Ezra played with 'Nini' until they were both pooped. He loves to play with her. It's quite entertaining. He'll take her toy, but when she gets ahold of the end of it & starts to pull, Ezra will stop & say, 'Help me! Help me!' Too cute.


Collet made dinner for us - she's a great cook too... Yeah, the list just keeps going on & on... We wanted to do some belly photos, but time ran away with us. I haven't been home much for any of my girlfriend's pregnancies, so I was really hoping to do some photos of Collet before the baby arrives. Tomorrow is chemo, so I don't suspect that I will feel up to it, but gosh darn it, I'm sure going to try! 


The best part of my day was when Dave & I were talking about Facebook pages & groups. He is making one or the other for True Hope & we were discussing the differences. We were looking at various groups & pages & at one point, I was on Suzanne Somers 'page'. Ezra walked up, saw Suzanne's profile picture & said, 'Grandma?' His Grandma, Peggy, is a gorgeous blonde. An honest error, but priceless! I had a great laugh! I hope she appreciates the compliment! 


They are going to go to the zoo tomorrow, since it's supposed to be nice out & I'll be busy at the hospital for most of the day. Fingers crossed I'll feel up to a little photo shoot in the late afternoon, early evening... 


Wish me luck for tomorrow... It's going to be a long day!
Love & health hugs,
Maria & Valentina
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Working hard on the quilt!

Ezra hams it up with the mullet wig

Ezra & Nini jump!

Sharing Nini's tent

Day 214 - Long Walks & Long Talks

Another beautiful day on the ranch. Mom's friend, Vivian, came out this afternoon & we all went for a walk. We walked all around the meadow, past the horses, past the yearlings, past the cows & calves & back home. It was a good 2 hours of exercise & fresh mountain air. It was really nice to get out & enjoy the scenery. It has been a long time since I've ventured out around the ranch. If you're ever bored, come on over for a stroll around the area... I'd love to have some company!


Vivian is quite the gal. She's house sat, nanny'ed & been a personal assistant all over the world. She's led quite the exciting life! She has a great sense of humour & is very quick-witted. When I asked her if she was coming to the Head Shaving Par-tay, her reply was, 'Well, yes, as long as you don't expect me to shave my head. I might shave my legs though.' It made me laugh!


The little dogs were pretty tuckered out by the time we got home from our walk. They had fun crossing creeks, jumping over logs, spotting cows & horses, and of course, the all-you-can-eat cow pie buffet that I did my best to interrupt! Gross! Bring on the dewormer & toothbrush! Back at the house, I came in to wash my hands & by the time I'd finished, they were both curled up & asleep in the dog bed! I guess those little legs do wear out!


Vivian entertained us with her Dean Martin & Elvis songs while Mom made supper. All went well until she asked me to watch the rice. I watched it alright. I watched it burn! I didn't turn it down when it boiled, so whoopsie! It was very much stuck to the bottom of the pot. What can I say? Mom told me I was fired. I actually felt happy about that!


While Mom & Vivian looked at photos, I answered a call from Nicole. We talked camera gear, travel, wigs & computer programs. After I hung up with Nicole, Ami called. I had been waiting to talk to her for days now! We happily chatted about England, USA, jobs, lifestyle, weather, friends, her 10K run she just completed & shaved 13 minutes off her time (!!!) & plenty of other issues. After Ami & I said goodbye, I called Roxy for a quick chat - which turned into an hour! When we said goodbye, I went out to check on the fire Mom & Vivian had going, but they'd just poured water over it! We were on our way in, when Jaco called! My goodness, my ears were a burnin' this evening! What a night! And what a day! 


All this fresh air & I am plenty ready for bed! Yes, it's a short post, but I'm running out of steam! Sleep well & here's to a great tomorrow!
xxxxx
Maria & Valentina

The ponies

The Ranch

Babbling brook

The girls

Poor Wiley Coyote didn't make the springtime.

The yearlings checking us out...

Don't fool yourself - it really is comfortable!

Meditation Chair

Mom's Meditation Chair in action

One of the springs on the ranch

Mom, as she summits Connop Glacier

Canada geese hangin' out with the cows

Pretty tree

Crossing the 'crik'

Tuckered out!

Snoring & tooting her way through the night!

Day 202 - Doin' The Shuffle

Phew. What a day. I’m wiped! I’m not sure what exactly is causing this lack of energy, but boy, am I tired by the end of the day! Come 2100, I am ready for bed! I generally don’t find it until 2300, but not for lack of trying!

Today was a day of shuffling. As Mom has arranged her room into my room while I tackle this chemo thing, there was still a little rearranging to do. (& still is!)

I decided to put the desk in my room & give Mom more room in the living room. This meant moving the large clothes cupboard. And it meant moving the bead trolley twice. It also included taking apart the desk. It’s an antique & was no small task! Luckily Mom’s friend, Mitch stopped by & was able to give us a hand! I tried to put the TV on top of the desk, but it’s too large. I’ll be on the lookout for a nice flat screen TV… If you know of anyone, send ‘em my way! I’ll even rent it for 6 months! (I have plans to watch a lot of CSI & House this summer!)

Anyhow, we moved the mirror, sorted out closets, shuffled washstands & cupboards, threw out this & that, put this away for goodwill, that for recycling…

We also attempted to change the battery in Contemplate, but I think the Dude at Canadian Tire sold us the wrong one. The amperage & so forth is the same, but the part number is different & the posts are too far in the centre of the battery for the cables to reach. Looks like we’ll be driving NeverLate for another day!

The new girl & Valentina are getting along famously. Oceana is really coming out of her shell! It’s great to see! Valentina is still quite vocal & very possessive of her toys, but we’ll get there! Oceana will now go up & down the stairs on her own, fetches the ball & didn’t even mess in the house today!

Mom made a wonderful dinner – shrimp, red peppers, pineapple, garlic, ginger, coconut milk & quinoa and a couple of corn on the cobs. Yum! I’m so grateful she cooks, as I would be a waif otherwise!

I rearranged my jewelry drawer & polished my silver jewelry. I am very excited to wear my necklaces again & have them sit properly on my neck! Bring it on!

It was absolutely stunning outside, so I ventured out for a little reading in the sunshine. Valentina laid with me while I learned a little more of Cesar’s methods. I’ve got 10 pages left in the book! Yay!

I also spent some time last night & this morning looking for wigs online. It appears they are quite expensive! I’m very frustrated I missed the shop in Barbados, so I tracked them down online & called their head office. They are going to email me some photos & I will place an order & have it shipped to me. Just to give you an idea, the human hair wig I bought in Antigua was $30. Online the cheapest I could find was $70. Most of them are $200-1700!!! Crazy!!!

Anyhow, not too exciting of a day. Tomorrow will be a long one… Wish me luck & here’s hoping I have some good news to report! Love & hugs,

Maria & Valentina

xoxoxoxoxoxo

2 weiners on a treadmill

That's the long & the short of it, Folks.

Me & my wieners

Valentina

She forgot her dentures

Oceana

Dreaming of squeaky toys & treats

Oceana May

Day 151 - Driving...

Why is it that I can always find the snooze button before I gain consciousness? I hit the snooze button at 0740 (consciously) & the next time I heard the snooze button, it was 0805. Where did those 25 minutes go when my snooze beeps every 5 minutes?


Needless to say, I was late getting going this morning, but managed to get out the door & arrive at Jessica's right on time! We had a great session - how can I have a bad session? She makes me laugh for an hour & I get to lie on this really warm bed. Oh yeah, I get healthy too! Bonus!


Mom & I left for SK, but only after a stop at the insurance place & Planet Organic for a bit of lunch. She drove to Brooks & I drove the rest of the way. We had a good chat & were serenaded by Valentina & her squeaky toy. She still hasn't decided on the puppy, but I guess I'm optimistic she'll make the RIGHT choice & I'll meet Annie next time I'm home. 


We arrived at the junction at 1600. Mom was picking up a used car from my Uncle Darryl & he had left it at the junction for her. Phew. It reeked of cigarette smoke! I sprinkled lavender oil all over the seats & dash to try & eliminate the smell of smoke. We said goodbye & she headed for home.


I headed for my former home - Dad's place. It is always strange to go home & see what has changed & what hasn't. Buildings, businesses, family farms, and all the faces that I hardly recognize anymore. I politely visit & then when we're out the door, I ask Dad, 'Who was that again?' 


Dad had to take a few cows to town & his dog needed some shots, so we stopped at the vet clinic. Dad's dog, Mac, a border collie, is quite the character. He's a little large for a lap dog, but he'd sure like to be one! His tongue was out the whole time & he was happy as a pig in mud! 


We took a drive out to the 'Cabbage Patch' when we got back home & checked on the cows & calves. Valentina started to give her little 'woof' from the cab of the truck. Yeah, she is catching 'Little Dog Syndrome'. I'll bet she'd crawl right up my leg if I put her out with the cows!


Once back at the house, Dad made supper for us. (I survived my own cooking, but barely!) He made brown rice, asparagus, salmon & a garden salad. We followed supper with a pot of Rooibos tea. Quite the entertainer he is! I remember the days of microwaved perogies, so he's come a LONG way! Remind me one day to tell the toilet paper/microwave story...


We visited about a wide variety of topics & then Dad's eyelids began to get heavy. He can be mid-sentence & fall asleep. I knew it was time to hit the hay. I'm pretty wiped too! Here's to a fun filled day tomorrow...


Maria & Valentina
xoxoxoxoxoxooxoo

Having a nice lie-in.

My rear view helper. (When she's conscious!)

Sleeping on the road again.

The big trees in the yard where I grew up. We used to have some swings in the trees.

Mac & Dad. Mac is the happiest dog in the world. Dad is cleaning the trail mix out of his teeth.

Grandad's Herd

My Cowdog-In-Training