Thursday, February 28, 2013

UH-OH!

It started to snow at noon yesterday. It is still coming down and, according to The Weather Network, will keep on until Tuesday. The snow guard has been pushed from the roof and is hanging, full of that heavy white stuff, over the front part of my gallery. If it goes, it will take the gallery, which had already considerable weight on it, down too. I don’t dare go under there to even shovel! A scary situation. I’m going to have to call for help from my youngest son whether his princess likes it or not! I’ve sent him a message with a picture and am waiting on his answer now.

My power flashed off and on several times, but last night I was able to watch the HABS give the Leafs some payback...beautiful! I knew Sam444 would be able to give me play by play if worse came to worse, but even the texting wasn’t stable last night. When I tried commenting on Blogit late yesterday afternoon, I was being flushed right out of there, probably because of the weather. This is one of our good, old-fashioned winters!!

I still have my summaries to complete, so will get to it. It’s going to be a busy, busy day!!!

Have a good one, y’all!! If you are snowed in too, hoping this big, warm SMILE will help cheer you up some!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.

Sunday, February 24, 2013

ON THIS SUNDAY...

Everything went well with the tax lady. She managed to drive up my hill, and was smart enough not to come up on the gallery where both dogs pranced, barking a warning that a stranger was in the yard. (You wouldn’t believe how many people DO stupidly come up as far as the barrier, which makes the dogs go ballistic!). She was somewhat corpulent, so even the trek in the stairs from the garage influenced her breathing. Reassuring me that she was not afraid of my beasties, she added that she was, however, allergic to animals – but for me not to worry; she had her pumps with her. I suspected immediately that this would be a very short visit; Smooch’s fur is hell for anyone with allergies. I had prepared the files that would interest her, she went through them very quickly, offered some suggestions, and by noon she was gone. I called my client to inform him that all was A-OK; needless to say he was quite happy with the news.

It was another snow-filled day yesterday. I started housecleaning very early, hoping that the power would stay on. It did, and I got enough done that I was glowing with self-satisfaction by the time my hockey game started (how about them HABS, huh?!!).

I had predicted that this week would be my ‘sleep period’, and I was right. It should last another couple of days before insomnia shows up again. In the meantime, I’m rested up and energy-fueled. This morning I chopped and stirred and now the pungent scent of moose spaghetti sauce simmering on the stove is permeating the kitchen. It will soon be accompanied with that mouth-watering smell of baking bread. I can’t wait to try out the bread-making machine received from a friend. My daughter and her SO, both who have just come back from Dominican Republic, with my hockey/soccer player grandson, and my oldest lad and his Japanese wife, Yoshiko, will be test subjects for the feast. There’ll be hot Apple Crisp with ice cream for dessert of course – it’s my daughter’s favorite and I try to make it whenever she comes for a meal.

After supper will be the walk with the doggies. We’ll meander down the snow filled lane, absorbing the special, peaceful silence of our beloved bush, then come back in for a warm Jacuzzi, another chapter of a good book, and Morpheus will find me waiting for him, snuggled under fluffy blankets, and wearing a huge, thankful SMILE.

For sure I’m sharing it with y’all!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

SNOW AND HOCKEY AND INSPECTIONS

Ha-ha!! My friend Kilroy, in an attempt to find something to keep him busy other than playing his favourite game of Bridge, sent me an email asking me to speak to my demons – he would appreciate a little snowfall. Well, I obliged, but the Dunany Demons did the usual and went overboard. Here in the bush I have at least 8 inches that have fallen just since last night, and it’s still coming down. Put that together with the 7 inches from a couple of days ago (which I did not yet get around to shovelling) and there is OODLES of snow. I hope Kilroy reaps the benefits! He lives in the city, and I’m not sure they received the same amount, but I suspect there is enough to keep him from the cards, LOL!!

I have a government rep coming tomorrow to inspect one of my client’s books. He has no office per se, and all his accounting is kept at my house, so I agreed to her visit when she called. I did warn her about the roads in the bush, and about my doggies; not everyone is at ease with pit-bulls. She informed me there is no problem. However, I forgot to ask her if her vehicle is a 4 wheel drive. If not, she’ll be walking up my hill, and it’s quite steep. Her experience while doing this verification will depend on her attitude. I have no patience with hoighty-toighty civil servants. Any arrogance will lead to her being left alone in the dining room to work...with the company of Smooch...unleashed. He’s not wicked, but he is huge and boisterous and he can be a pain in the butt with strangers. I may also bring Dora upstairs and let her run around. She will jump on the table...and Smooch will be close behind the kitty...and any papers risk being disturbed.... and I will apologize, of course. That’s my evil thought for the day.

And how about those HABS, huh?? They are playing so well this year – I have been dancing ecstatically for the past 5 games – 5 wins in a row, and now 1st place in our Division!!! Unfortunately for Nautikos, his Leafs didn’t do so well last night......nor did Sam’s Wings, but I was at least cheering for the Wings. ;)

It’s already noon – and I haven’t finished scheduled business tasks, and need to do some house cleaning, and some shovelling, so off I go to get it done. Hopefully the power will stay on; our mayor complained in an official letter to the higher ups about the constant outages, and it seems to have borne fruit.

Leaving you with a HUGE smile, folks!! Hope you enjoy its arrival as much as I enjoy sending it out!

Luv from the VERY WHITE Bush in Quebec

Sunday, February 17, 2013

ALL ABOUT NOTHING.

It was beautiful winter weather yesterday; the sun was bright, not a cloud in the blue sky, and our inches of snow from the day before lent a wonderland magic to the trees and my mountain. I had some errands to run in the village, but took the doggies out to play for an hour when I arrived home. Well, it was supposed to be an hour – there was work to be done inside – but it was just so nice that the hour slipped by, and became two...then three....and all of a sudden it was supper time, and hockey, so not much else got done. That means more to do today – but I’m in the insomnia wave (a regular occurrence), and the Weather Network predicts sun again, so there’s no promises.

When I don’t sleep enough, I often end up snoozing during the day, whether I want to or not. I know from experience that those naps don’t influence my ability to get normal rest at night. If I force myself to stay awake I just get overtired and grouchy, and still end up with only 3 or 4 hours in the arms of that slacker, Morpheus! It has been 5 days in a row now, and my lifetime routine dictates that the coming week should be good – it’s an on again, off again thing, and we learn to adapt, no matter how frustrating it can be.

Since 4 AM I’ve been admiring all the pictures from my friend’s tour in India. She loves to travel, and shares it with us on Facebook. Now it is 7 AM, the doggies are still quiet, so I think I’ll head back to bed and try to pin Morpheus down for a bit longer. Writing about snoozing has made me sleepy. Hmmm – maybe I’ve found the cure!

Wishing you all a good day... or night if you’re in that part of the world...and sending you out a huge, warm SMILE to help it along!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.

Friday, February 15, 2013

A CAT'S BEST FRIEND

Smooch and Dora have a thing goin’ on!

My grandson’s fluffy cat (actually she belongs to my grandson’s girlfriend) now has dual residence. When downstairs with her mistress she constantly meows to go outside, but her wish is no sooner granted than she’s up here on the balcony, face pressed to the window, demanding entrance.

Dora was just a tiny thing when she was introduced to the two dogs. Grump, the older pit, let her live just because he was forbidden (by me) to hurt her; he learned that she was NOT an invader, but a part of the family. Now he ignores her for the most part and she, being a very wise kitty, treats him with the respect and the distance he deserves.

Smooch, although huge, is still a puppy, so his reaction was “Yippee! Let’s play!!” At first Dora would race for safety, jumping under or up wherever he couldn’t follow, then sit fixing him with that baleful glare common to felines. It wasn’t long before the kitten realized there was no real danger, and their encounters became a game. Now when Smooch gives up waiting and loses interest, she comes out of hiding, saunters in front of him, not quite within reach, and the pursuit is on again.

Lately a new element has been added to their play. Dora no longer runs away. At the moment she is in heat, and I do believe her lascivious eye, for lack of the presence of her own kind, has singled out Smooch.

It is something to see them in action. Dora literally sprawls on the floor, then hangs on. Smooch pushes with his huge nose everywhere, from one end to the other, and even takes her whole head in his mouth...gently. The only word to describe it is ‘mauling’, but if I tell Smooch to stop, Dora lies there and waits for him to start over. This goes on until the she decides it’s enough, by which time her fur is usually soaked, then she’ll bat his tender nose with a paw... gently ...before running off, most of the time with him close behind her. She’ll lie low for awhile, making an appearance only when she is ready to play anew.

One of her favorite ‘safe’ places is on my bed. It is out of bounds for the doggies, a fact she discovered and remembered. She was there for most of the hockey game last night, relaxing after a rather exhausting session with the gangly pup earlier in the evening. Grump was lying by the fireplace on the floor, and Smooch was snoozing on the couch beside me, his long legs hanging over the edge, and this is where Dora headed when she silently joined us in the living room.

I watched as she stalked softly over to her sleeping buddy. She sniffed a foot, then licked the bottom pads with her little pink tongue. The dog slept on, but the leg twitched. She waited for a second, then started on another foot. That one twitched too. She moved to the next one...and this went on until all four legs were jerking. It was like watching a feather tickling a nose to wake someone, and I was already giggling by the time Smooch finally came to. He lifted his head, their eyes met for a moment, and the chase was on! Dora streaked away, Smooch nearly went head over heels in his awkward jump off the couch to scramble after her, and I missed at least 10 minutes of the game because I was laughing so hard there were tears in my eyes!

It was a delightful moment with my beasties. What’s more, the night continued in the same vein, because my HABS won their game, so no wonder I’m SMILING!!!

It’s sent out to y’all with a belated wish for Valentine’s Day. Want some snow with that?

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.

Monday, February 11, 2013

I WOULD BLAME IT ON CIEL.....

She put the flea in my ear. Of course, she couldn’t know about my disturbing habit of not being able to put a good book down until I reach that terrible place where it says ‘The End’.

Her comment on my post about the upcoming trip to Japan suggested that I read Shogun, a book by J. Clavell, already enjoyed years ago. I know I have it, but it is well hidden among the piles of reading material found throughout my house; here, there, everywhere. After an impatient search, well aware of the consequences, I threw caution to the wind and downloaded another copy from Amazon to my Kindle.

It is a long and gripping story; one doesn’t get through it in a day. Everything except hockey was put on hold - and the doggies were able to divert my attention, but only after being very insistent. Housework, cooking, telephone, writing...it was all ignored as I immersed myself in the ferocity of the samurai and Anjin-san’s ability to adapt and cope with a culture so very different from our own.

If I could apply the same dedication to writing as I do to reading, I would have pounds of paper, full of stories, as a result of my effort. Unfortunately that’s not the case. Since I have learned to read, very young in fact, this addiction has plagued me. My children caught on quite early to time requests that would ordinarily be refused, until I picked up a book. Lost in wherever the author wanted to take me, I would answer the kids with a distracted grunt, which they would gleefully interpret to suit their wish.

Well, I’ve finished it now, reluctantly. However, as I was hunting for my original copy, I stumbled upon another book called ‘The Fall of the Shogun’ written by Dov Silverman; one that probably was included in a box of volumes that friends keep giving me, and I don’t believe I have ever read it...yet. It’s sitting on my table now, teasing, enticing, but I HAVE to get things moving here, so last night I put a pile of paper on top of it, hours of work that needs to be done before even cracking opening that cover.

A glimmer of discipline did occur when I finally put the book down and I caught up on my favorites in Blogit (my dear friend Kilroy’s blog is automatic with my morning cup of coffee). But that’s more reading, isn’t it, so I have to ask myself if discipline is the right word?

It’s one of the drawbacks, and joys, of living alone. There’s nobody to interrupt and say “Put that thing down and get your work done!” Well, nobody but ME, that is. And when I find me talking to myself, I don’t even bother arguing or making excuses. I just keep doing what I want to do, and I SMILE.

Still SMILING – and happy to share it with y’all!!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

HAJOMEMASHITE.

I’m going to Japan!

My son and my Japanese daughter –in-law had mentioned it at Christmas, but called today to say that my ticket is confirmed. It’s my belated Xmas present.

My DIL’s mom is older, and wishes to meet me, but is too frightened to get on an airplane. When my son announced that his wedding would be in Japan, I had bought tickets for both my mother and me, and we were so looking forward to the event. Then my mom got sick, the cancer progressed quickly, and she passed over a Friday morning; our flight was to be that Sunday.

The doctor had warned me, and because I knew the travel agent very well, I was able to transfer the 2 tickets to my daughter and my youngest boy. My son would at least have his siblings’ presence for the wonderful celebration. When I drove them to the airport that Sunday, I was too darned exhausted from mom’s home care to even get out of the car; we said our goodbye’s right there. I can still picture my 3 children walking away, leaving for the other side of the world.....

In spite of the expense and the months of preparation, this wedding came close to being cancelled by the father of the bride. The Japanese venerate their elders; my mother’s death was not considered lightly. What’s more, the date they were to marry was the anniversary of my sister’s passing 10 years before. It took some convincing, telling him that my mom had wanted the wedding to happen more than anything else; it was in fact one of her last requests. I added that my sister would also have given heartfelt approval. Much to my son’s relief, the marriage was finally allowed to take place.

Because I was unable to attend the first time, they decided to do it again. Later that year, in October, the vows were repeated, Canadian style, here in our village. My son often jokes that no further proof of his love for his wife is necessary; after all, he did marry her twice.

There will be no wedding this time, but there will be the pleasure of meeting more family, of visiting a country with very knowledgeable guides and, of course, lifting a sake in honor of the 7th anniversary of a couple who have absorbed and welcomed two very different cultures into their lives.

I am preparing – shopping for home/doggie sitters, reading up on the internet, and learning some basic phrases in Japanese. I expect I will pull a Nautikos and use the masculine expressions instead of feminine, LOL! I’m also trying to remember the name of our Blogit member who was posting from Japan....maybe someone can help me there? She was a great writer and photographer – it would be fun to meet her if she is available and willing.

This scaredy-cat, stay-at-home lady is talking herself out of the fear of flying a minimum 16 hours, some of those over shark-infested oceans, visions of earthquakes and nuclear spill offs, and attempting to concentrate on positive aspects. The trip is in April, so cherry blossom time; the country is renowned for its beauty; I’ll be with my much loved son and DIL; I can cater to my curiosity about their religion; and last, but not least, the experience of meeting the in-laws and saying confidently, with feminine pronunciation, “Hajimemashite!” (How do you do?)

Boy-oh-boy, I’m looking forward to it now! I’m so SMILING!!!!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.