Day 542 - My Mom.

Bless her heart. 


This morning I did yoga. Jaco roared around on his Dad's motorized scooter & terrorized his Mother & I in the process. He left for a dental appointment & I stayed on the patio & read in the sun. Hennie, his Dad, came out & sat with me for a while. We visited about this, that & the other.


Jaco returned from his dental appointment & we made a quick trip to Checkers before returning for supper & the tail end of the Amazing Race. I don't watch TV on a regular basis, so it doesn't really bother me that SA is a few seasons behind. I wouldn't know the difference! 


I phoned my Mom on skype this evening. She is cross with me for posting some photos on Facebook that were previously on the blog. If you read the blog regularly, you'll remember the post when she attempted making popcorn a new way. She nearly burned the house down! I thought it was funny, once we'd extinguished the flames & the smoke had cleared. Apparently she doesn't think so yet. 


While she was on the Facebook topic, I went ahead & created a Kim Taylor Fine Art Photography page for her. Go ahead & like it! I'm hoping she'll bite the social networking bullet & keep up with it. She's an amazing Photographer & deserves every ounce of success that comes her way!


Tomorrow we're back in Cape Town for an appointment with a Doctor. Wish us luck! I'll keep you posted!


xxxxMaria

My Mom & I

 It goes much faster than it looks!

I feel the need for speed!

Day 534 - Lazy Day With Malva Pudding

After a late night skype with Sylvia, Drayton & baby Colton, and a late night chat with Jaco, it was nearing 0500 by the time I got to sleep. Needless to say this morning didn’t happen! It was 1330 by the time I woke up. Can you say jet lag?

It was super hot out today. I can’t believe how beautiful the weather is! I immediately felt guilty for sleeping so late when it’s this hot out! I made up for it by sweating in the sun while I read the latest issue of Cesar’s Way that Jaco picked up for me when we were in Barbados.

It was a good thing I read the magazine, as there were some helpful hints in it. Later that afternoon, the neighbor lady stopped by & had her dog with her. Sis went crazy. She had this wild look in her eye & would NOT stop barking. I did my best to ‘shhhht’ her up, but it didn’t last for long. It was interesting to note the behaviours of Petro, Jaco, & the neighbor towards Sis. Where do you draw the line on stopping the barking? You want the dog to let you know if someone is coming into the yard or if she hears a strange noise, but how do you get the dog to know the difference between company, strangers, noises, & just plain old barking? In any case, Sis settled down briefly & then we went outside.

Petro made a delicious supper for us. She is such a great cook. We had a delicious salad, roasted veggies, fresh chicken & my favourite – Malva Pudding! Wow. We bought some from the shop the other day & it doesn’t hold a candle to Petro’s! I think she could open a shop in Canada on that dish alone!!!

After dinner we went outside & I took some photos of the house. A car port has been added since I was last here & the granadilla plant has grown out of control! There are plenty of blossoms & grenadillas ripening as I type! Petro showed me how to assist Mother Nature & pollinate the flowers so that a grenadilla will develop. Very interesting! Not so interesting was the big hairy spider & her sac of baby spiders next to one of the flowers. Yuck.

I had a nice skype visit with Jenn in Texas & got to see Harrison & Heidi. They are growing so much! Harrison was laughing hysterically when I would catch the kisses that he blew my virtual way. It was fun! I’m so proud of Jenn & her continued weight loss. Her blog is My Romance

The rest of the night was frustratingly spent trying to upload photos onto the blog. It is NOT working & I keep getting one or two photos out of forty-five. Highly frustrating. I did, however, watch Charl Schwartzel win the 2011 Masters. He’s South African you know! Exciting times!

Lekker slaap,

xxxxMaria & Jaco

 Grenadilla blossom

 The fruit being vine ripened

 What a creation!

 The plant!

 The base

 New fruit forming

 Helping pollinate

 Done!

 Spider!

 Spider's nest. Yuck.

The vine growing like crazy!

Day 515 - Grenada

You know, every time I come to Grenada, I find someone who is going to pray for me. No wonder I like this island! I went into a shop in the terminal & they remembered me from the last cruise. We got to chatting &, as usual, they remembered my hair. I explained why it was the way it was & they asked me if I’d taken saffron or turmeric. They said they would pray for me - one bloke & 3 women. It was so kind of them.

I stopped in one of the jewelry stores to window shop. I saw some men’s bands – Jaco has misplaced his (for a long time now) – and I thought I saw a price tag of $130. Not bad! Maybe the Caribbean is a good deal after all. I asked to have a closer look. Wrong. Try $1300! Yikes! Guess I’ll keep looking!

I picked up a few souvenir stickers – Dive Naked: Show Us Your Harpoon. It made me laugh! I then sat outside the shop & caught a free wireless signal. I managed to skype with Jenn for an hour. Thankfully she was online & after I sorted out my microphone, we were able to have a great visit. I’m so excited for her! She is going raw! Yay! It is inspiration for me to keep going! I won’t give in! I’m no angel, but I’m trying! I was so happy to see Harrison & Heidi on the webcam too. Heidi is growing so big! And Harrison is such a little gentleman! I loved the kisses being blown my way from both of the kids! Be still my heart!

I was again, one of the last people onboard & as I walked away from the terminal security personnel, one of our staff came running in asking for bandages, gauze, etc. A passenger from the Thomson ship we were docked with had fallen & cut his head. I jogged down the pier & went on the Thomson ship to ask them to send a medic & a wheelchair for the injured passenger.

When I walked out of the Thomson ship, three of the officers from the Sea Princess were standing there with puzzled looks on their faces. Which ship was I going to sail with?! Maybe you had to be there, but I thought it was cute.

I made Thai Noodles for dinner tonight. Jaco ate a whole big bowlful & actually enjoyed them! I was impressed! I’m happy when he eats a lot. I’m happier when he eats a lot of healthy food! That said, he was already complaining about his belly & that he wasn’t going to eat that much tomorrow night. He did the dishes for me after dinner. What a sweetheart.

He watched a bit of telly, while I went to the mess to get an Internet card. On my way back, I stopped by the photo lab to chat with Carla. We had a wonderful visit – in fact, I think I was there for a good hour! Her fiancé called her to come for a bite to eat & only then did I leave! Whoops!

I returned to the cabin to find Jaco sleeping peacefully. I did my best to keep quiet & at one point he woke up. I asked him a question, but when I saw his eyes continuously rolling into the back of his head, I knew it was fruitless to take any answer he might mumble to me.

Sweet dreams to you…

xxxxMaria

Day 392 - Brrr! Cold Photos & Sleep

I had breakfast with my Mother! That NEVER happens!!! We had poached eggs on toast. She was off to Ken's for the weekend, so I was looking forward to a weekend with the girls. Although it was beastly cold out! She was outta the yard just before 0800.

Hmm. What to do now? I had skyped briefly with Kim last night & she had encouraged me to go outside & take some 'snowy' photos, after she listened to me lament about how much I loathed winter. So, I decided to head outside, camera in mitten. I wandered around through the snow. I was so cold by the time I got to the barns, I was uncertain I would make it back without frostbite.

Since I've been doing chemo, I've lost all my nose hairs. What a glorious thing you say? Well, yes, for obvious feminine reasons, but no for other practical reasons. Your nose hairs do a fine job of filtering the air you breathe & I'm not exactly sure why, but my nose runs a lot more without the hair. And, since today was freezing cold, I couldn't even feel my nose running. Yep. It was dripping half way down my body when I realized... Eew. Gross. Thank goodness for Kleenex!

I came back in the house, called Jenn, told her of my plan to stay up all day to 'right myself out', then skyped Jaco, then got REALLY sleepy. I fell asleep at 1000. I woke up at 1800. I ate a bit, talked to Jenn again & skyped with Kim again. Then I slept again. I went to bed at 2300. What a day.

I think cold impacts my body differently while I'm on chemo. I haven't googled it, but man, my bones & joints were aching like CRAZY after I came inside. I thought I was getting sick or something - although they told me I would have no other symptoms besides a fever, so??? Anyhow, one more reason to avoid the cold!

Even the dogs don't like it. They really don't want to go out to go potty. Their little legs freeze up so quickly. They become like little paralyzed creatures. Oceana often puts one leg up in the air like she's found a giant fire hydrant. Then when she comes in she walks all bow-legged & crooked... I shouldn't laugh, but it's kinda funny. I go outside with them to make sure they get 'er done.

Alright... Stay warm! It's far too cold out there!

xxxxMV&O

(I'll post snowy photos later)

Meet Eva

Day 387 - Skype & Phone

After a late night of Skyping around the globe, I tried to sleep late. Although Jaco told me he would call around 9. I forgot to ask if that was 9 my time or 9 his time. So, I woke up with a start several times throughout the morning thinking that I'd missed his call. Nope. He meant 9 his time.

Luckily the dogs were content to sleep late with me. I guess they were tired from their big day of goodbyes yesterday too. I woke up late & found Jaco online. I called him right away & we had a chat for an hour or so before he had to board his plane & finally journey home. He'll arrive around 4 or 5 this morning - my time! The dogs were very cute when they heard his voice. They were looking on both sides of the laptop, unable to see his face on the screen. Poor things. They really miss him!

After I skyped with Jaco, I called Mom2 & we spoke for about 2.5 hrs. Yup. It was a long one! But we had a lot to talk about! We are going to our first raw food lesson next Sunday. I'm excited to learn!

I then realized that I had no water, so I boogied into town to buy another jug of water. The girls chased away the bulls from the car when we went outside. It was cute. 10-13 lbs chasing away gargantuan bulls with horns & hooves!

Once I was back inside, I skyped with Jenn in Texas. Harrison was still up! He made my day! 'Hello Aunty Jo!' 'Valentina!' 'Miss you Aunty Jo!' 'I love you Aunty Jo!' Be still my beating heart! What a little star that boy is. He's grown so much already! I can't believe it! I'm so grateful for Skype & beautiful friends! Jenn & I had a fabulous chat about life & all its splendour. I can't wait to visit them!

I phoned Dad after that & April answered. Apparently Dad & Jeff left for Texas for 10 days! If I had only known! I would have gone to see Jenn & the kids! Dad & Jeff are going to a cattle course of some sort, so hardly my cup of tea, however, it would have been fun to see Jenn!

Next up I called Collet. She is humming right along with her 2 boys. Zeke is growing like a weed & I can't wait to see him. She is so busy trucking all over the place, I'm not sure when I'll get my chance, but hopefully soon! I have intentions to visit & help her out. I'm not the best 'Mom', but I'll clean or something like that!

What a day! I'm doing my best to get caught up on the blog (again) & tomorrow is treatment again. Only three treatments left after this! Gosh! Can't they just give me one super dose & have it all done & dusted? That would be nice!

Oh! If you're a friend on Facebook, you'll see the photos already, but if you're not, I'll share my wigs & their 'personalities' with you - one by one - over the next couple of weeks. Let me know which ones you like the best! There's a special surprise at the end! I hope you like it!

Lekker slaap!
xxxxMV&O

Meet Julia!

Day 307 - Summer Sunshine!

Wow! Another beautiful summer day! Keep 'em coming! Today was simply stunning! If only my stomach would stop flip flopping, I could actually enjoy it! Today was a recovery day. I slept until 1000 & managed to keep all my food down today, although I certainly didn't eat much of it! 


I laid outside in the sun for an hour or so & enjoy every morsel of Vitamin D & warmth the mighty sun could offer me. Jaco skyped with his Mom, I skyped with Baby Dash, Ross & Krystle - it was a pretty low-key day. 


I managed to catch up on half of the week's missing blog posts & google a few of the locations where Jaco might be able to work. Some of them are scary, some of them are not. I found a nice location, only to find out it has 251 days of rain per year. NEXT! Okay, so I googled 'most days with sunshine per year'. Lo & behold, it's Kamloops! Unfortunately, there weren't any postings for Kamloops. Although there was one for Osoyoos, which boasts great weather, fruit orchards, wineries, and we even found a beautiful house, they have... are you ready? Rattlesnakes. Ugh. My nemesis. I despise snakes. They freak me RIGHT OUT. So, we'll have to wait & see what happens when the time comes. The perfect location has yet to be found. Either that or I need to invent a snake repellent. Some kind of supersonic, ground shaking device that sends them all to their dens. Gross. 


On that note, I'm praying I don't dream about snakes tonight! Sleep well & safe!
xxxxx
Maria, Jaco & Valentina

It looks so perfect! Minus the snakes!

Day 301 - Shermanators In The Elbow & Oh Baby(s)!!!!

It was a quick zip over to the mechanics to pick up the car & then to the grocery store... We were having company in a few short hours & we were supposed to be having a picnic! As my timing would have it, we arrived home, only to have our company call - they were 3 minutes away! Oh dear! Panic! Thankfully they were patient enough to wait while we finished getting lunch ready.


Kerry & Shawn, Alina & Mason were coming for a visit today. They have an Aunt & Uncle in Calgary & would visit them after our time together. Doing the traditional 'Tour', we headed down to Elbow Falls & of course, as luck would have it, the weather turned cold as we drove up. That didn't stop Mason! He ran around & raced Alina up & down the paths. Kerry, Shawn, Jaco & I enjoyed more lunch while the kids burnt up energy! We walked the path around the falls & I managed to find a few raspberry patches to share a few bites with the kids. 


After our visit at Elbow Falls, we headed for Forget-Me-Not Pond. We strayed off course to the river & Alina & Mason had a blast hopping over rocks & trying (somewhat successfully) to stay dry. We picked a few wild strawberries along our way & they were deeee-lish!


Naturally, the Tour ends at the Scoops & Snacks for ice cream. Everyone enjoyed a big dip of the good stuff before the Shermans were on their way...


When we returned to the house, I discovered that Collet had her baby! A boy! We were supposed to visit for the birth, but the newest Stephan wasn't going to wait any longer in there! He made his entry swift & there would not have been time for us to get there! Mom was exhausted, but tickled pink with her newest son. 


After my chat with her, Jaco & I skyped with Ross & Krystle & Baby Dash... Awwwh!!! What a cutie pie! I'm excited for all of them! But yeesh, I'm going to have to watch what I eat/drink, all these babies... only means trouble!!! Valentina is enough for now!


Lekker slaap
xxxxx
Maria, Jaco & Valentina 

Elbow Falls!

The Shermans

The Happy Couple

Great to see you!!!

Mason burns off some energy!

Alina strikes a pose

The boys talk shop

Our little monkey for the day!

Mason chases Shawn

Throwing rocks in the river

Mason walks on the water

Blowin' in the wind

Flower feathers

Yum yum on the ice cream cones!

Day 282 - Rain & Skeeters

Well, day one of a routine went 50/50. I didn't get up when I scheduled myself to & I certainly didn't stick to the time restrictions of the allotted spaces for events. Good thing I get another new day to try again! I did discover that I can neatly print my 'day' in iCal. I do love my Mac!


The larger part of the day was spent talking with my husband. Well, rather, trying. His laptop doesn't seem to want to work with the MagicJack. He could speak through his phone on Skype, which I couldn't! If I could figure that out, then I'd be fine! I tried to troubleshoot his MagicJack, but it was a challenge, as I couldn't talk to him at the same time. His headset requires the USB port & so does the MagicJack. He could hear me, but I couldn't hear him. Additionally, he types, er, rather slow. My patience is, er, rather underdeveloped, so you can just imagine! 


Finally, I realized that I could set my Skype to work with my MagicJack & talk on the cordless phone! Whoo hoo! So, I'm calling & I'm calling & he's not answering! I finally call on the home phone (for $0.80/min!) & his Mom says he just walked outside! 20 minutes later, he returns!


I'm happy that the phone works through Skype, but that's not why we bought it! I have given him instructions to take his laptop, phone & MagicJack to the local internet cafe (3 blocks away) & try to get it working there. If he can get it working there, hopefully it will work at home & at least he'll know how to use it! Then he can leave it at home & his Mom & Dad can call anytime they want! 


I trained the dogs a little bit. It's been ages since I tried to teach Valentina anything new. She's so clever! Or maybe just food motivated! We tried 'touch', 'stare', & 'settle down'. She had them all figured out so we'll see how today's lesson goes. 


Oceana, on the other hand, will need a lot of TLC. I started with Valentina's lesson in my room, with Oceana locked out. I reversed their locations when it was Ocean's turn. Before I'd even asked her for the first command, she'd piddled 3x in my room. Right. We'll go to the kitchen I think! She did quite well. She's so submissive, it's difficult to get her to do anything. Either that or she's really lazy! In any case, we also worked on touch, stare & gimme 5 & roll over. Stare is a challenge for me because her eyes are so dark I can't tell if she's actually looking at me! I have to stare at her! Gimme 5 was pretty much nudging her paw until she just held it in the air & looked at me as if to say, 'Are you kidding me?' Roll over went well, but not without a lot of coaxing to get her all the way around. Stay tuned for more Wiener Escapades! 


****UPDATE****
Apparently Mom has decided to keep her. I didn't dare ask her how many times she changes her socks, as I'm sure she'd be on the phone trying to find a home for Oceana. I told her we're going to sign a contract & she can NEVER give away the dog. When Jaco & I have a place, Oceana will join her sister. (Hence why I'm starting the training process!) So, for now, Oceana is safe & sound! Amen to that!


I've been reading through the manual for my camera. I realized that I didn't know a whole lot about it. It's 200 pages long! The other day Mom asked me if I'd meant to throw out the manual for my other camera (a point & shoot). I said yes. Mom asked me, 'Well, what if you sell it? Don't you think they'll want it?' I said, 'If they can't figure out the camera, maybe they shouldn't have bought it.' Does that make me a hypocrite? :o) Oopsie!


Lastly, I'm going to share with you my dream from last night. I had difficulties sleeping. I was in bed by 2330 (early for me!) & woke up when Mom got home (0130). I was really restless & super hot. When I finally fell back asleep, I dreamt about Brad & Angelina! They came for supper in a little orange car. It was a European design & a vintage model. (I wish I had a photo of it!) Mom was making dinner (of course) & she was also making meals to freeze & eat later. She asked me to stir them, but she'd filled the containers WAY TOO FULL! I was spilling everywhere. Brangelina were sitting at this little table chatting away. Mom decided she was going to pass out. I told her to sit down & put her head between her legs. She ignored me. Although she didn't pass out, she disappeared from the kitchen. Maybe she went & laid down? Anyhow, with Brad & Angelina to myself, I started asking Angelina questions about her humanitarian work with the UN. We just got into it when something came up & they had to leave. 


I walked with them to their car & when we got to the parking lot, there were about 20 other people there, all staff. Bodyguards, drivers, stylists, you name it! I said I wanted a photo of them & myself, so we ran to get a camera. I don't know whose it was, but it didn't have a memory card. It was a long-ish walk to the house, so Angelina offered to drive me down to the parking lot & I could get the camera out of my purse. I hopped in the orange car on the opposite side (Right side drive) & when I got in the car started to take off. It had dual controls! I stared at Angelina as she was on the outside of the car. She didn't seem concerned, but I was when I pumped the brakes & they didn't work! There were little kids playing in the street! I sailed through a light that thankfully turned green at the last minute, only realizing that I should have turned there! Now I was lost in the outskirts of Red Deer. Yes, Red Deer. I ended up in the next town of Mykonos. Yes, Mykonos, Greece. (I really, REALLY wish I was in the Med) There were beautiful white buildings, winding, narrow streets & beautiful blue green ocean. I managed to find out how to work the brakes & when I stopped to ask for help to get back to my 'street', 4 Scottish couple crawled into the car. They knew the model of car & were very excited to see such one in mint condition! They also knew how to drive it, so I could relax! 


While I was 'relaxing', my cell phone rang. Apparently I was supposed to be doing a photo shoot in Calgary for a friend. I told her I was lost in Red Deer & it was storming (big black clouds were coming when I looked out the window). She was livid. She hollered & then hung up on me. Whoops. When we finally made it back to the Brangelina parking lot, they were gone! )o; No souvenir photo for me. I doubt they'll ever come for dinner again, seeing as I ran away with their car! And they have busy schedules too, I suppose! Anyhow, their Agent was still there waiting for me & he wasn't too happy either. At least the Scots were happy! 


Oh! One last thing... I was shown this little clip & I have to share it with you... It is one of the best things I've heard in a really long time... Possibly ever. I hope you'll laugh as hard as I did... Enjoy!


Oh & btw, it rained today & the mozzies are HORRIBLE!!! You go outside & instantly you have about 20 mosquitos on you! So, I didn't go out at all!


Have a blessed day!
Maria, Valentina & Oceana
xxxxxx

The lilies in the kitchen nicely backlit.

Saskatchewan's Provincial Flower

Day 171 - A Day Off!

Today was Sunday & the clinic is closed on Sundays, so I had the day off. I slept late, of course, and around 0900, I was started to toss & turn - sleeping lighter & lighter. The phone rang at 0930 & much to my delight, it was Ed!!!


I met Ed the last time I was in San Diego. Ed was taking his brother, Bobby, to Castillo's - you may remember the story. The US Doctors had been treating Bobby for Arthritis for NINE MONTHS meanwhile it was a tumor growing out of control! Sadly, Bobby passed away in January, but today Ed told me that Bobby fought for his life right until the moment he passed away. 


Ed & I hit it off right away, as he told me about his little Yorkie, Chloe, and her & Valentina were about the same age, so they were going through the same phases at the same time. We talked a lot of dog talk & ventured out to Trader Joe's & Target... I was sad to say good bye to Ed & Bobby last November!


Naturally, I was excited to hear Ed's voice on the other line today! We visited for about 1.5 hrs & covered a broad range of topics. I do hope it works out for us to meet up! He has a friends & family connection with Princess, so maybe he can visit Jaco & I on the ship! 


After we hung up, I decided I better make something of the day. I did up my dirty dishes, made a wrap & a smoothie. My smoothie consisted of a can of coconut milk, 1 cup of water, a mango, 5 big pineapple chunks, 5 leaves of small kale, & 1 banana. Not too bad if I do say so myself! 


I didn't feel 100% when I woke up this morning & it has stayed with me all day. Headache, sinus issues, feverish, sweaty, achy, & tons of occipital tension. Here's hoping I wake up feeling much better tomorrow!


I showered & threw on a cap & headed out the door about 1400. I know, it still takes me a long time to get mobile! I caught the 1415 bus & then the trolley. I rode it all the way to the end at Old Town, then hopped onto the Green Line. Man, the Green Line is cush compared to the Blue Line! Either the Green Line takes you past the ritzy side of San Diego or they are much busier, because the trolleys were much newer than the Blue Line! I felt like I was on a trolley in Scandinavia or something! How posh!


I hopped off on the 2nd stop at Fashion Valley. I had been told about Fashion Valley last time when we were in Palm Desert. I went last time & it was good, so I thought I better check it out this time too! It was crazy busy! I didn't get there until about 1530, so I swiftly made my way around the shops. A few had closed since I'd been there last & several new ones had opened in their place. Satisfied with what I did & didn't see, I left around 1900. 


I caught the trolley back & on my way, I visited with a Cook. He cooks the meals for the Marines in Boot Camp. He told me that he used to be an Alcoholic & has been clean for 4 years next month. He lost his job & his car & even did jail time for his actions while drinking. He lived on the street for awhile too. He is happy with his life & still struggles in making the right choice. He shares his home with a single parent Mom & together they are able to make ends meet. What a life. Wow.


After he got off the trolley, a man from Tijuana got on. He was a clean cut young Grandpa looking Mexican. A beautiful smile & very friendly. We got to chatting & of course, he wonders why I'm in San Diego headed for the border, alone & after dark! He asked me the first few questions & then said, 'You're from Ireland or England?' I replied, 'Neither, I'm from Canada.' 'Oh, the French part then?' I left it at that. Of course, I tell him I'm going to Tijuana for Cancer treatments. His eyes bulge. 'YOU? But you look so healthy!' He gets very excited at this point. His brother is a Specialist in Colima, near Guadalajara. He tells me how a fellow he worked with had cancer & his brother made arrangements for the man to have surgery in Tijuana & the brother made sure the costs were covered. The man, Jose, writes down his number for me & demands that I call him to get his brother's number, only after I've given him a few days to talk to his brother. 


I managed to catch the very last bus of the night. Thank goodness I didn't stop at the pharmacy on my way to the trolley! I would have had to walk home, alone, in the dark. With nothing but my wiener to protect me. :o) I was so happy to see the bus sitting there when I stepped off the trolley! 


On the bus, a fellow from Dallas was telling us he was looking for a place to live & how expensive it is in San Diego compared to Texas. Then he comments on how cold it is tonight. HA! I'm laughing, as these people are walking around in parkas, toques, boots, scarves & clothing like it's -20! I'm in capris & flip flops! Yeah, the evenings warrant a hoodie, but that's about it! I'll take their cold weather any day!


I missed my Dad on Skype, but managed to catch Collet & Ezra. As soon as Ezra heard my voice, he instantly said, 'Nini? Nini? Nini?' He had to see her on the webcam. It was very cute! He's doing awesome on his potty training & he even counted to ten for me! Wow! What a good boy! 


I'm now settled in bed, alone. Valentina is having her first night in her kennel in preparation for her big flight. I've put one of the heat packs in the pillow cover & we'll see how that works!


Have a wonderful sleep & I'll see you tomorrow!
xoxoxoxoxox
Maria & Valentina

Waiting for the trolley

Shh, she didn't buy a ticket!

Southern end of the Best Western

Palm trees waving in the twilight breeze.

It looked so pretty! Magical, if you will!

Day 145 - On The Phone Again...

Okay, so this will be a short post...


Today was a complete write off. I spent the entire day on the phone or on the computer. If I wasn't researching alternative treatments & supplements, I was on the phone with someone who needed catching up with.


Of course, there was my escapade with Sears. I wanted to track down a particular Oster blender that I had found on the Sears website. I phoned Chinook Sears. Five times. They disconnected me, hung up on me, didn't answer, put me through to the newest Sears employee who didn't know a thing & then finally told me they didn't have any & had no clue how to find one. Thanks for showing up for WORK today. 


I called Southcentre Sears. They were a lot more useful! They didn't have any in stock, but were able to tell me that Marlborough Sears did & also provided the stock # for next time. I phoned Marlborough & they were slightly more helpful than Chinook Sears, but at least they put a blender on hold for me. 


I skyped with a friend from Ottawa - Kim Ing Photography - and ran the boudoir idea past her. We chatted about life after ships & our travel plans/dreams. 


I talked to Jaco while I walked my 1/2 hour on the treadmill. Yes, I can multi-task from time to time! :o)


All in all, I didn't do a whole lot, but managed to get a lot done! Does that make sense? Anyhow, here's to a better day tomorrow!


Love & hugs,
Maria & Valentina
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Bedtime Buddy #1 - Adios

Bedtime Buddy #2 - Valentina

Day 137 - The Rest of The Toque Story!

So today started off pretty sweet when I woke up to discover an email in my inbox from the Swedish Tourism Board! I was so excited! The lady was amazing! She wrote me & said she'd even taken a walk through the area (Gamla Stan) & found the exact shop I bought my toque from! That is incredible service! Especially considering my description went something like this: It's on the main pedestrian street in Gamla Stan & they sold a lot of handicrafts, but mostly hats. 


Pretty impressive, eh? I called as soon as I got the message & spoke with Harriet, who even remembered the hat almost three years later! Impressive again! Anyhow, she told me that the gal who makes them is in Medical School until the Fall & won't be making any hats until then. I told her that was perfect, as I can save up & have my beloved Swedish Toque, version 2.0! In the meantime, I'm going to try & learn how to knit & make my own boiled wool/felted toque. Any expertise is greatly appreciated, as I am a beginner in every sense of the word. As in no needles & no wool & no clue!


Roxy called today & asked for support in a 21-day challenge of exercise & eating raw. I told her the exercise would be the easy part, the diet, well, that's a whole other ball game! I love my Hoxsey 'approved' treats! But I'll do my best! We all know I've got a few Prednisone pounds kickin' around my ghetto booty region!!! :o)


Today I began teaching Valentina her first Service Dog task. Bring me a tissue please. 'Fazzoletto, per favore'. She is very food motivated, so I wrapped the treat in the kleenex & of course, she ate right through the kleenex! She wanted no part of the kleenex or pulling it out of the box! Just the treat! We practiced for about 3-5 minutes & then I left it. We'll see what happens tomorrow night!


She is the highlight of almost everyday for me. She makes me laugh in so many ways. Whether she's sitting upright with her tiny little legs hanging from her chest or her 'lips' getting stuck on her gums/teeth & she looks like she's smiling (Check 1:20 on this video for a gas & a half! Be sure to watch it at least twice - it gets funnier & funnier the more you watch it!) or when her & the cat, Adios, get to running around the kitchen chasing each other... I can't help but smile & laugh! Speaking of laughing... see the photo below for the new use for the Swedish Toque - It's Marvin the Martian's long lost cousin - Valentina the Venetian!


Sadly, the frustrating part of my day is the fact that my marriage currently consists of Skype video calls. Jaco is at home on holidays & Skype is the cheapest, easiest & nicest way for us to keep in touch, however, it's not very private & you can imagine our discussions often come to the topic of my health. I'm alternative, he's Western. It's like oil & water. I'll be very happy when the day comes that we are living in the same country, let alone under the same roof! He informed me that in our first year of marriage, we have had 14 weeks out of 12 months together! Perhaps we're subconsciously shooting for the world record of proving 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder'?!?! 


He is leaving for the ship again on Thursday, so hopefully we will be able to talk on a regular basis after that. Right now there is a 9 hour time difference, which also complicates things. All I know is, I sure do miss him & I can't wait to see him again!


On that note, I'm off to bed... Have a great night & see you soon! (Jaco!) :o)
Maria & Valentina
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Mama's Little Tweet Pea

My Marriage. No really.

Tweet Pea signs the Thank You cards.

Valentina's signature.

Valentina the Venetian... and THE Red Ball.