Saturday, May 29, 2010

WAITING..WAITING..

I rarely watch it, but I do find some of the commercials on TV as interesting as the programs. While glued to the ‘boob-tube’ during the NHL series, I saw the TELUS advertisement, forcibly over and over again. It’s the one with the hippopotamus
swimming around to the music of ‘Splish-splash, I was taking a bath…’.
Catchy – although I have no idea what it has to do with a cell phone. I watched the series on French television; a personal choice - I find the guys doing the play by play are livelier. Anyway, this same commercial played to rap music, singing ‘J’ai la place en masse dans ma jacuzzi….’ (Translation: I’ve got lots of room in my jacuzzi). My co-workers, aware of my enthusiasm for that type of bath, immediately associated the two. Now whenever they see a hippo they will think of me. Doubtful compliment, isn’t it?

We’re still waiting on my 6th grandchild to join our ranks. It will be anytime now. Many family members plan to be involved, so activities requiring our absence of the immediate area are on hold until after the event. While in the final throes of labour pains with her former pregnancy, my daughter-in-law was quite upset when my son, succumbing to his nerves, turned to her and said ‘Oh, quit your whining!’ My son is NOT good in situations of stress. This time my daughter will be at the bedside to help and encourage the new mother, leaving daddy free to walk the hospital parking lot 1000 times. Both grandmothers will share time staying with the two little brothers at home. The parents wanted the surprise, so didn’t ask the sex of the baby. It heightens the suspense. We’re hoping for a girl, but my son has a feeling it’s a boy. We shall see. Not that it makes any difference where love and welcome are concerned. There’s going to be plenty of that in either case.

UPDATE:
It’s still rock ‘n roll at the office with plenty of hours needed. However, vacation schedules are in the works, and I’m determined to use mine this year, come what may.

The Bird, my brother, will be having his scans done in the first weeks of June. His stamina is unbelievable! His voice comes and goes, and some days are better than others, but his morale is good.

My Bud is still hanging in there. He sleeps more, and I’ve noticed that his stomach is slightly bloated now. The cancer is spreading, but he doesn’t seem to be in much pain, so we’ll wait it out. He certainly is relishing the extra loving from his mistress.

Yoshiko and my son Bow are counting down the days for their move into their new house. It will definitely decrease the hassle of commuting to work, saving at least an hour, if not two, a day. Plus there is always the excitement of being first-time homeowners. No wonder they are both so excited!

The weather here has been sunny and warm, sometimes VERY warm, for the past couple of weeks. It’s swing-on-the-gallery veggin’ time! Summer bliss.

I’m slowly catching up on my sleep, so the SMILES are brighter now. Throwing one your way – hoping you have a great adventure today!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

BRAIN FOOD..

The girl has known me all her life. Being a close friend of my son, she was in and out of our home on a regular basis even before attending kindergarten. She’s now a young lady nearing her 40’s, with children of her own. She had written (in French) on Facebook: “Life is like a bicycle; we have to keep moving if we don’t want to lose balance”.

As a joke I commented, “Then what in hell happened with me?”

Her reply was nearly immediate. “A bicycle is meant for the road, Rhon, not a tightrope.”

I’m going to have to think about that one.

I’ll get back to you.

Still smiling……….

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

ONE OF THOSE DAYS.

I’ve heard it said that it’s not what happens; it’s your reaction to what happens that counts. I believe it was a statement made by Tony Robbins – remember him? A motivational speaker and author? If he had been sitting in my office yesterday and even whispered such a thing, I would have cheerfully strangled him. Yesterday was one of those days one must chalk up to the epitome of ‘Murphy’s Law’ - anything that could go wrong, etc. I may one day look back on all this and laugh about it, but at this very moment, laughing is the furthest thing from my mind. Unless maybe I was choking Tony Robbins…..

To end the day on the same note, the HABS lost their 2nd game in the semi-finals. I was foolishly counting on that game to bring up my morale. Note that I DID say ‘foolishly’.

I’m kidding, of course. I know that each person is personally responsible for his/her own happiness – Robbins wasn’t wrong. Usually stress rolls off my back like water off a duck, and I can only guess that not getting enough sleep, and/or not taking enough time off, contributes to my present attitude. The age factor is probably there too. Molehills become mountains. What I need to do is pull on my hiking boots and prepare to climb, but I’m lacking effort. I’d rather get a stick of dynamite and blow those mountains right out of my way.

All that said and done, it’s the beginning of a new day. The agenda is full, and there is no time (nor point) to sit and fuss. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. And my, isn’t this post just peppered with quotes? If I was handing this in as an English composition assignment, the teacher would no doubt slap it with a D-. Actually, that would fit right in – no use spoiling the present mood...

So I’ll end this in the same vein by saying if life hands you a bowl of lemons, pour the tequila and ask for some salt, LOL.

Did you notice? All it took was that thought to make me laugh. Things are looking up already. While still on the high, I’ll wish you all a great day, and send you my SMILE. Oh yeh, it’s there…I was still thinking about the tequila….

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

DAWN

The coffee was not quite ready, so I stepped out on the gallery to get a better view of the sun rising. It was that space of time between dark and light called dawn. I nodded good morning to my mountain and my trees, and we stood silent together, absorbed by the call of loons – that plaintiff sound so memorable to anyone who ever hears it. Even the dogs were still as we listened; their ears high, tails twitching; waiting for me to make a move. My yawn broke the spell just as the first rays peeped over the tall fir trees. Grump-puppy spied something interesting near the apple tree and raced down the stairs, Bud close behind him. I watched for a second, then a whiff of fresh coffee floated out through the open door, enticing me to return inside. It was the beginning of a new day.

This morning the nurse who works in our Health Division Company will be driving into the city with me. She’s a very nice person, but also very chatty, a trait I’m not particularly fond of early in the day. My long AM drive is far more enjoyable when I can plan my day in my head, music in the background, without having to answer repeated questions, or comment on what is doing well and what isn’t. The positive note is that she’ll also be driving back with me tonight, which means we can take the left lane reserved for buses or taxis or cars sharing commuters. It saves at least a half hour of negotiating traffic, and the HABS second game in the semi-finales is televised as of 7 PM….need I say more?

I’ve already done a couple of hours work, had time to read Kilroy’s blog, my e-mail, looked in on Facebook, and now it’s time to dress and run. A good start, wouldn’t you say?

Hoping you have the occasion to use your SMILE throughout the day. I’m already wearing mine – and it’s a biggie!! Sending it out to you all….

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

UGH! AND DOUBLE UGH!!

Ugh! I had one of those terrible, terrible days yesterday. Not that anything traumatic happened – in fact it was quite calm as activities go. It all boiled down to a MOOD I just couldn’t get rid of, no matter what I did, or tried to think, in an attempt to change it.

The morning started out fine. I was on-line for awhile, reading Kilroy’s Blog, checking out my kids’ doings on Facebook; I even managed to transfer pictures from my Blackberry cellular to my computer (something I’ve been wanting to do for ages) and writing a short piece for Blogit, my writer’s site. There was some work to do for the business. I had just finished up, and was preparing to go visit my brother when the headache started…and what a dilly it was! It’s a rare occurrence, and my ability to deal with pain is renowned. It’s non-existent. I was immediately grumpy. I popped a couple of aspirin and went to lie down in bed. The pain must have eased up, because I fell to sleep and woke an hour later to another rare occurrence…. I could remember my dreams. None of them were good….and there was the tone for the rest of the day.

Impatient, grouchy, and just downright bad-tempered, I couldn’t even put up with myself, let alone anybody or anything else. I tried getting busy around the house, but everything I picked up I wanted to throw against the wall. Listening to music usually helps, but it just got on my nerves even more. The opposite, complete silence, was no help either. The doggies sensed the turmoil, and stayed well out of my way.

Meditation was out of the question. One can’t get into the spirit of it while grinding one’s teeth. I couldn’t conjure up the chant of ‘HU’.

Driving is another thing that usually has a calming effect. Not yesterday. Forget road rage…it was just RAGE, period. I managed to do a necessary stop at the grocery store, getting quickly in and out without being rude to any innocent person, then forced myself to visit the Bird (my brother) for a few minutes. A very few minutes. I just wanted to be home. Once there, my mood didn’t lighten up any, but at least I only had myself to endure. The doggies, always attuned to my emotions, stayed outside, not once coming to the door looking to come into the dungeon of hell.

Exercise, reading, writing, watching comedy TV, gazing at my mountain…nothing worked. Patience was totally absent, there was fault to find in everything, and my thoughts were black. I tried to cook. Fiasco.

It was an effort just to put one foot in front of the other – both body and mind were alarmingly exhausted. Then followed frustration by realizing there was absolutely no reason for it, and worse, that it wasn’t going away. Finally I gave up. I decided to just scratch the day. It was already wasted, and there was always tomorrow.

Having made this decision seemed to relieve the pressure somewhat. A short stint in the jacuzzi helped, then I crawled under blankets to lick my emotional wounds. The last thing I heard before rolling into the arms of Murphy was Bud’s erratic snoring. My stalwart friend had braved the storm and claimed his usual place by the foot of my bed. I think I smiled.

We all have bad days now and then. Mine are very few, and to tell you the truth, I can’t really remember ever having had one as difficult as yesterday. At least, not just out of the blue like that, with no physical cause. Especially not one where I was unable to bring myself around. It’s confusing, but happily not carried over. This morning the sun is there all its glory, the doggies are waiting for me to join them outside, and all is well again in my world. I’ve found my SMILE.

Sharing it with you as I wish you a happy day!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec

Thursday, May 13, 2010

ON OUR WAY TO STANLEY...

They did it!! The HABS are on a roll, and last night my living room was very lively with a screaming, cheering lady (me) dancing around with two very excited doggies – our way of celebrating when our team scores the goals. This is taking place in front of a huge window, but it seems the only neighbour who could possible see us (if he’s walking in the bush at the time) is a Hab’s fan too – so instead of thinking the worst (like, do you think she’s dangerous??), he will understand. Unfortunately, looters DO use the country’s ‘Hab Fever’ as an excuse for their rotten deeds…..reports from Montreal are of tear gas wielding cops being necessary in the streets once again. I had thought of joining one of my co-workers to watch the game, but her condo is right downtown, and I decided I didn’t want to spoil my joy by being too close to that kind of ignorance. Besides, it would have taken forever to drive out of the area, IF your car is still intact and not in flames. ‘Idiots’ is too good a word…..

Because I finally slept at 7:30 AM yesterday, I was late for my much anticipated lunch date with my friend, Kilroy. He very patiently waited for me, and we walked the couple of blocks to the restaurant, chatting all the while. It’s a treat to spend time with dear friends, although I fear I burdened him somewhat with my choice of subjects. I usually thrive on a positive outlook; I imagine the lack of sleep has been weighing on my mood lately and, because he is so easy to talk to, Kilroy got the brunt of it. My friend, if you are reading this, I assure you that I will accept any invoice received for services rendered; I’m sure you weren’t expecting to be put in the position of a psychologist, and I apologize. On a brighter note, you’re very good at it, so if you ever decide to come out of retirement, there could be a future for you in that vocation…..LOL.

The sun is shining out there; the HABS are on top, and the today is a new venture, or at the very least holds something to learn. I’m wearing my SMILE – hope you are too. Have a good one!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

MY MOUNTAIN

This one is for my friend, Karen, who sometimes can use a dose of scenery from the Laurentians. It's a view from my gallery, with a lazy sun just skimming the tree tops on its way up my mountain. A better photographer could do it justice; could capture the height, the distance, the play of light on the various shades of green....
Yours truly just aims and shoots. I have learned what my fiddling with the 'zoom' do-hickey on my camera can produce; have experienced too often a mass of blurred 'what's that?'. Photography is not one of my talents. Karen's memory will fill in what's missing, I'm sure. Anyone who has been raised or has lived in the Laurentians tends to hold them close to heart - they are special.

My plans for the past weekend hit a wall. The only thing on my agenda that I DID manage to accomplish was to keep an eye on hockey games; there was very little reading (none at all in Blogit); even less sleep, and no writing. Having supper on Mother's Day at my daughter's home, surrounded by children and grandchildren, made up for the rest of the hellish time. Chubby arms hugging your neck and a baby's sticky kiss can work wonders. Those precious moments puts any turbulence being experienced where it belongs - on the back burner.

It's 2:30 AM. Murphy is avoiding me again. I'm finally meeting Kilroy for lunch tomorrow, so need to get some shut-eye, or I'll be too tired to enjoy our time together. I want to be awake to see the HABS play game number 7 tomorrow night too, so off I go. Maybe I should crawl up beside Bud and Grump-puppy on their cushions...they'll happily make room for me, and seem to have found Murphy with no problem at all, LOL!

Have a good day tomorrow, folks - sending you a sleepy smile....

Luv from the Bush in Quebec

Friday, May 7, 2010

FRIDAY MUSINGS.

My suspicions about Grump-puppy’s middle-of-the-night foray were accurate…it was a porcupine causing the havoc. I had just settled down to watch the hockey game on Tuesday night when the neighbour’s young wolf-husky showed up at my door. Her face was full of quills. I texted her master, but he was aware of it and had pulled out most of the quills that morning, he replied; then she had needed a break from the pain. He was planning to remove the rest when he got home later. He had heard the ruckus in the bush the evening before, and was amazed that Grump-puppy came out of it clean. Ha! Knowing Grump, he took one look at the action, saw the quills, thought to himself, “That’s gotta hurt!!”….then skedaddled out of there. Contrary to most pit-bulls (i.e. Bud), Grump-puppy shies away from pain. Just being bothered by any kind of bug can make him hyper. A dog who loves his comfort, he tends to stay indoors during black fly season. He’s a typical voyeur; participating only if he judges it to be to his advantage, or absolutely necessary. If his mistress could only be so smart!!!

And how about my HABS, eh?? With the games tied up, I guess no-one needs to wonder where I’ll be on Saturday night! I’ve been keeping an eye on Detroit and on Vancouver games too. The series this year is full of surprises, and I’m loving every minute of it! I find that the excitement provoked by close games is great for stress relief, much needed after bickering with government agencies all day. Speaking of which….obviously not enough money is generated by video gambling and lotto tickets; our government fights to squeeze every last penny from small business. Unlike the larger corporations, who can afford to bribe our ministers with credit cards or wads of cash, small business owners find themselves struggling to keep their employees paid, then have to fight tooth and nail to hang on to any kind of profit. Even more galling is the fact that one is paying the hefty salary (and perks) of the dude who is hassling you to give up the rest! I had better quote Forrest Gump with his “And that’s all I got to say ‘bout that!”, because I could talk for hours on the subject, and my prejudice keeps me from saying anything good about our ‘leaders’.

My weekend schedule is calling for more sleep, watching hockey, setting up my Gazelle, spending some time with my brother, with a few hours set aside to enjoy the writers in Blogit and, hopefully, do some writing of my own. I’m on call, of course, and, although it means less revenue, for this one time I’m hoping that there will be no need for our services. A little relaxation would be good.

Next week is already looking up, because I’ll be meeting my friend, Kilroy, for a chatty lunch, and I’m thinking of a weekend visit outside ‘la belle province’. We’ll see how things play out.

In the meantime, this is a workday, so off I go to do my stuff. Sending you all a big SMILE – hoping you’ll pass it on!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

DOGS & THINGS.

Grump-puppy woke me at 3:45 this morning. He came running into my bedroom, then did the back-and-forth thing between it and the kitchen, whining loudly, until I sleepily crawled out of bed and opened the door to let him outside. I attempted a return to the arms of Murphy, but it was no go. I lay there wondering why he wanted out so badly; it’s not a usual thing that early. Picturing an encounter with a skunk, or porcupine, or maybe an intruder who was not aware there are two pit-bulls allowed to run free in my yard, I finally got up. The little bugger was at the door 15 minutes later, and I still don’t have a clue what enticed him to risk the wrath of his mistress by waking her in the middle of the night. Thankfully he wasn’t sporting quills or the choking odour of our black and white-striped varmints. He slunk back to his pillow, settled down beside Bud, and had no problem at all falling back to sleep…GRRRR!

This morning I need to get to the SAQ and renew the plates for the Backhoe. The season for excavation has arrived. We picked up a contract, and the client wants to begin today. After that is done, I’ll run up to the office for a couple of hours, then come back early to pick up Bud for the appointment with the vet. His ears are itching again, and I’ve noticed a growth between two toes, This is going to be an expensive day.

The follow-up on my decision to buy a treadmill? After looking at the price of those things, I finally ended up buying a Gazelle for nearly $400 less. Maybe you have seen the advertisement on TV? The claim on the box (and from the sales-person) is that your whole body gets toned, not just your heart and legs. On a closer inspection last night, I realized one also needs to have co-ordinated balance to use it. Humm…I foresee hours of pleasure just getting used to that! There is some assembly required, of course...another thing I’m very good at (Not!) so I will attempt to set it up when we get back from the vet. To be continued.

Tonight is the third game between my HABS and Pittsburgh. I guess I don’t need to tell you where I’ll be at that time. My enthusiasm has sparked friendly competition and bets in the office. The employees, not ordinarily into hockey, are watching the games now and there are lively discussions about the plays. Well, to be honest, a couple of the girls know next to nothing about the sport, so their idea of a player’s value tends to be directly related to how cute he is…LOL!

I had my first coffee out on the gallery, watching the sun peep over my mountain, but now the sky is dark and it is pouring rain out there. How did that happen? The Weather Network is saying sunny and warm for our area…no rain expected. Long live the accuracy of weather predictions! Now I’m wondering if we’ll be starting that excavation contract today or not….

I have much to do when I recover from my constant need to sleep; it happens every year after the hassle of tax season. There are friends to visit or meet for lunch, spring cleaning to get done, a pile of books waiting to be read, not counting a multitude of posts on my Blogit writers’ site to catch up on. At least it is all fun things, and I’m looking forward to it, except maybe the spring cleaning, although I enjoy the feeling once it’s done.

Have a good day, people, whether rain or shine wherever you are. It’s the merry month of May, trees and flowers are budding, birds are singing, and there’s a ‘fresh start’ atmosphere. It makes me SMILE – and I’m sending it your way!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

FROM THE MOUTHS OF CHILDREN....

It’s taking me forever to wake up. I think I could snuggle into my comfy bed and sleep, and sleep, and sleep. I was yawning while babysitting my two little grandchildren last night. After the third or fourth time, Nalu, the 5 year old, glanced up at me from his game of WII and asked “Are you bored, M’mère?” I laughingly assured him that, no, I couldn’t ever be bored with him and his brother, but that it felt as if I’d been running a mile forever. Trust a child to cut to the quick.

“I’ve never seen you run,” he answered, his big brown eyes thoughtful, wondering how he had missed such a sight, probably having difficulty picturing his old granny racing around the yard. The comment made me laugh, and got him a tight hug and a kiss. It also made me think.

He was right. The running I’ve been doing (it seems like forever!) is happening in my mind. Physically I’m a lost case. I spend so many hours sitting in front of the computer both at the office and a home that my body is turning into a huge chunk of Jell-O. From a lady who was an avid participant in hockey, softball, basketball and swimming, not counting the long walks in demanding bush trails, I have become a chair potato. Hell, I feel shaky when I get to the top of the stairs which, fortunately, I need to climb both at home and at work. If not, the only exercise I’d get at all would be pushing my roller chairs back with my toes! Oh – and jumping up and down when the Canadiens score a goal…that doesn’t happen often enough to count.

So – guess where I’m going now? To Canadian Tire where I will finally purchase the treadmill I’ve been thinking about. I’ll put it in front of my large living room window, right beside the sound system, where I can gaze out at my mountain as I attempt to sweat myself back into an acceptable shape. It’s a start. I’m trying to be realistic. I know plenty of hours are required to keep our businesses going, so there is no point making resolutions I can’t keep. I really DON’T have the time to join a swimming club, or play hockey or softball – and the black flies will keep me from walking in the bush for at least another month. I also expect to be watching my Canadiens televised hockey games for a few more weeks. My TV is placed perfectly – I can kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. I’ll walk, they’ll skate…on our way to victory!!!

It is already past noon, and the game starts at two. If I want to get into town then back to the bush for the first period, I need to get a move on.

Wishing you all a wonderful day, sending you a big grin of anticipation!!!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

DONE!

I’m back!! Fortunately this is writing instead of chatting, because my voice is a little scratchy at the moment. No, it’s not a cold. It probably is the result of all my whooping while watching the Canadiens do their stuff in the NHL demi-finals.

Besides sleeping and eating, the months from February to April each year are mostly limited to working and watching hockey. Yesterday was the magic April 30th, last date for income tax remittance and, in spite of some stragglers, one could hear the collective sigh of relief in our office. Not that we stop being busy. We are mostly geared to working for companies, which means we are doing those complicated forms all year long. Our new employment agencies (which are now a year old!!) also take up enormous time, but the underlying panic, instilled in our ordinary citizens by our greedy government, is not so prevailing…unless someone is tardy and faces exorbitant late-interest fees. We do what we can to help them but…. You know what? I had better say no more about the subject – it gets me too riled. I don’t want to spoil my first day off.

And what better way to spend this day than with my two little rug-rats? It’s my youngest son’s birthday, and he and his lovely lady are going out for the evening, so M’mère gets to play with Nalou, who is now 5, and Bali, who will soon be 3. Another little person will be added to their ranks – mummy is expecting her third child by early June. Sugar ‘n spice and everything nice? The parents opted for a surprise, so we don’t know yet. Needless to say, the whole family is looking forward to the event.

Just to bring you up to date:

They have found something on Bird’s (my bro) lung, but the waiting list for the scan is 2 months (and for this kind of medical service we pay all those taxes???) The doctor told him yesterday, and he informed me last night. I’ll make an appointment with a private clinic this week, stat!

My Bud is looking good. His cancer doesn’t seem to have progressed at all, which makes me relieved to have decided against the operation. He’s still romping around outside with the other dogs, although not quite so rambunctious. He is 70 years old in dog years, and has slowed down some.

My older son Bow and his Yoshiko have purchased their first house, and are preparing to move in July. Even more exciting is the gleam in Yo’s eye when she mentions that the second of her three bedrooms is ‘perfect for a baby’!!!

And that’s it for now, folks. I should be in here pretty regular from now on – it will be wonderful to have words instead of numbers flowing through my head night and day!

At this very moment though I’m heading for a much needed nap, then will be off to wish my son a Happy B-day before kicking him out to let me enjoy the grandchildren.

Have a good one, y’all! Sending you a sleepy smile!!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.