Wednesday, July 31, 2013

HELLO? HELLO?

The ID on the telephone said ‘Relais Bell’.

Damn, do I owe them more money? This was the thought going through my mind as I picked up the receiver. My usual query of ‘hello?’ was answered by a nice male voice which proceeded to tell me that this was a call from Tele-Bell, then he asked if I was familiar with it. Thinking he meant the television, for which my server is Bell, I responded that yes, all my services were with that company. I heard him say ‘no, no!...then something about deaf or hard of hearing. Uh-oh, I said to myself, another survey!

“No, I’m maybe half asleep, but not deaf, sir,” I stated. “And I’m sorry, but I have no time for a survey right now.”

I can imagine him thinking ‘No lady, but you are slightly dense!’ as he quickly explained to me that a deaf person was calling me, and he would translate word for word what this person wanted to tell me, and that I was to speak slowly and clearly to him as if I was talking directly to that person, and that when I finished I must state ‘Your turn’.

It was an employee of one of my clients. Her request was that I prepare her 4% vacation pay. It was nothing complicated, but the experience was a first for me, and a pleasant one to boot. I had not been aware that such a service existed. When I hung up the phone, I marvelled at how simple it was to encourage precious independence for those with that particular physical handicap. Granted, I am not sure that I would hold a hot and lusty conversation with a lover this way – it’s the three’s a crowd thing – but for ordinary conversation it was ideal.

Then, with my devious mind, I began to wonder if the translators have not maybe heard things to turn their ears red as they transferred messages back and forth. This, of course, led to my thinking up some repartee that would have the callers chuckling as they imagined the expression on the shocked, or amused, or embarrassed human performing the service. As the brain worked, back came memories of two 14 year old girls purposely fabricating some wild stories because they knew there were people listening in on the telephone party line (Yes – it was Dawna and Yours truly).

You know – that had me SMILING for the rest of the day!! Sharing with y’all!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

HOARDER, YOU SAY?

My house has been upside down for the past 2 years, if not more. When Bird moved in with me, lock, stock and barrel (he didn’t want to throw anything away), my stuff was shifted around to make room, then shifted another time to store office furniture when the business closed in the city, and even more so when my son and his family shared this residence...and now there is Helen who is attempting to fix up her space in here. Each brought furniture and belongings, most of which stayed even if the occupants, except for Helen, of course, did not.

Add to that everything that my grandson and his little GF have collected for themselves and the coming baby. They are in the process of buying their first home, so family and friends are loading them with articles they may need. They are storing it here until their move, which should take place in early fall.

An unsuspecting guest would be surprised to turn a corner of any room and be confronted with a leaning mattress, and/or a couple of couches piled one on top of the other, a baby stroller, and other articles too numerous to mention. Oh, can’t forget the bulging boxes....plenty of boxes, often stacked and teetering so that one manoeuvres carefully, very carefully, around them. If I was a ‘neat-freak’, like my friend, Suzie, I’d have surely been picked up by the white coats by now. A Hoarder’s Paradise!

UGH!

Watching poor Helen struggle to clean the room upstairs spurred me to action. I called my son, who will arrange to recuperate his leftover beds and toys and clothes this week. Another truck will be coming for the office furniture on Saturday or Sunday, whichever day it doesn’t rain, and will empty the garage. Helen and I marked things to be either left for large Garbage disposal, or dropped off at the Charity Central in the village, which will also be taken care of this weekend. Because there is plenty of good furniture, Helen will use what is already here instead of buying anything more. I may finally get to remember what my floors look like when bare!!

Then it will probably be time to repair and paint....so right back into the fray we will go!!

Oh well, my sanity is saved by escaping outside and walking among the trees and rocks and wildflowers. Each is where it is supposed to be, designated by that most talented of artists, Mother Nature. It never fails to make me SMILE.

Sending y’all a few of them to help with your day!!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec

Monday, July 29, 2013

THE FIGHT

Well, the inevitable finally happened! Grump had a serious tussle with the neighbour’s two vicious dogs, the ones I am constantly chasing from my yard, the ones that provoke so many complaints in this area, with even police visits to the idiot owner. This time though, Grump was the initiator, and went to attack them when they were tied together in their own yard. Yegads!! Can you imagine if an innocent child had wandered close to those brutes?

Grump has never gone there on his own, but on Saturday my grandson’s four-wheeler bike stalled in front of the neighbour’s house. My friend, who was doing yard work here, went to give him a push in the hopes of the motor turning over, and Grump followed him. The neighbor’s mouthy animals were barking, barking, barking (they do the same if we even shut a door here at home), and I guess my pit is just so thoroughly fed up with them....who knows? When Grump went running to them, both the boys called for him to come back. Grump listens well...to me...but I was not there, and he ignored their calls, and the above is the result. They both outweigh him, but it was a wicked fight before the men could break it up. I don’t know in what condition the other dogs are, nor do I care at this point.

Being in full throes of insomnia, having only slept a couple of hours Friday night , I had returned to bed and had just been lulled to snooze with the sound of the lawnmower and the smell of fresh cut grass. Helen woke me with “You had better get up! Grump’s been badly hurt!” I think my heart stopped. The first thing that came to mind was his being hit by the lawn tractor, or a car coming into the yard. But no. My doggie had been flexing his muscles and, in spite of numerous bites, was showing every sign of wanting to go back and finish it.

We finally had him quiet. After checking that none of the gnashes were too deep, we washed his wounds with antiseptic, then watched as his adrenaline was replaced by pain...much pain. There is no 24 hour vet service in this area for domestic animals, so I decided to keep a close eye on him and wait until Monday to take him in.
Saturday was a long night. He was not moving. He couldn’t get up onto his couch, of course, so I put a blanket on the floor beside it. I gave him an extra-strength aspirin to dull the pain, then spent the night next to him, encouraging him to drink water, talking to him, fondling his ears. Whenever I’m hurting, this doggie doesn’t leave my side; I wasn’t about to leave his. On Sunday morning it seemed worse, so we loaded him into the car, and I went to the Emergency clinic in the city. They shaved and cleaned and gave me antibiotics and more antiseptic and a bill for $368.00. It seriously dented my bank account but, as anyone who loves a pet knows, I’d have begged, borrowed or stole to get him the care.

The vet warned me not to let Grump (nor his buddy, Smooch) lick the wounds, as dogs are prone to do. She didn’t give me a cone for his head because she was quite sure that Grump, being so massive and in such pain, could not twist enough to get at the abrasions. She obviously has something to learn about pits. By this evening he was hopping around, nearly back to himself, and concentrating on cleaning the areas he was not supposed to be able to reach. Tough mutt!! I can’t watch him constantly, so I dug out an old T-shirt and put it on him to discourage the action. His picture shows exactly what he thought of such an idea! Maybe it’s the powder blue color; a Black Sabbath T is probably more his style. Tomorrow I’ll have him fitted for a cone with the local vet.

An unpleasant business, but it could have been so much worse. Most of the other neighbors, unanimous in their dislike of his two opponents, came to see how he was faring. Everyone loves my Grump, and that thought makes me SMILE.

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.

Sorry, Readers - for some reason the pictures won't post on my Blog. They are on Facebook if anyone cares to take a look.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

PUSH BUTTON RESPONSE

Another day spent largely on the telephone, pressing 1 for this, and 2 for that, and 3 for something else, until I could talk to a REAL person, who would put me on hold every two minutes or so to go and ‘verify’ any info I required. Whatever happened to those knowledgeable civil servants who could answer inquiries without having to look it up? Have they all retired?? I guess that’s a useless question.

In any case, all the address changes for Helen have been made, so she is now feeling less anxious and more at home. She was also tickled to hear that my son, during his stopover for coffee last night, turned to his Japanese wife and stated, “Well, I guess we’ll have two old ladies to look after when the time comes.” Such acceptance, although it could have been expressed in more complimentary terms, is good for self esteem.

It was my favorite kind of weather today; lots of sun but still cool enough for a sweater (with big pockets for balls and treats) and great for walking with the doggies. The latter part of the afternoon was passed doing just that, much to their delight. Smooch is responding well to training, and Grump is always the perfect companion on or off leash. The two kitties followed behind us slowly, trying to pretend that they were above such silly creatures as canines, but ever watchful of their antics with the squeaky balls. We returned to the house for their supper, which I dished out of the slow cooker where it had been simmering since early morning. I’ve been feeding them more meat than fabricated pet food lately, mixed with pure pumpkin to add fiber and keep intestines healthy. It makes a big difference, especially for Smooch-of the-delicate-stomach, and the cost is about the same if one can visit a butcher for pieces he would discard or sell cheap anyway.

I have a worker/visitor coming to spend the weekend, and welcome he will be! The grass and yard are due for attention, there is a long list of small repairs for the predicted rainy Sunday, and Helen could use some arm-power to carry more boxes upstairs to her room. It’s not at all a bad return for a couple of home-cooked meals and the benefits of enjoying our fresh, clear mountain bush air. A win-win situation.

I’m in that insomnia stage again, where I grab sleep when I can, always fearing (often accurately) that it will be the last for the next 24 hours. Right now I do believe that Morpheus has sneaked in here and is nudging me towards my bed. I won’t take the chance on missing his brief stay, so will say goodnight to y’all.

Sending you big SMILES to sweeten your dreams!!

Luv from the bush in Quebec

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

WHETHER...AND WEATHER

The results of all those tests are back, and the doc actually admitted that I could be right – I’m not in tiptop shape anymore, but it wasn’t as bad as he feared. Most of the symptoms were coincidental (that’s where my self-diagnosis was accurate), all happening at the same time, yet he was wise to be very thorough. He gave me a few rules to follow, then scheduled a follow-up scan for January. We parted friends, LOL.

I did contact my youngest and extended an olive branch of sorts for his lady; her reaction, or lack of, will tell us how much importance she attributes to the wellbeing of her man and her children.

We have been busy with Helen’s moving in; change of address from one province to another takes more time, is more complicated, and the language is a barrier in her case. She does understand most French and English, but panics when confronted with paperwork. It’s a throwback from her days in Germany, where official documents were required to move from one apartment to another even in the same building.

Two rather fierce storms roared through this area; the one on the weekend resulted in a burnt power source for my main computer. My Cuban friend was able to do the repairs on Sunday, which enabled me to continue working the next day. Grateful was me that all my data was intact!

I sat with the doggies on the gallery and watched the second storm roll in, each huge cloud blacker than the one before, shags of lightning brightening the skies, then the boom of thunder resonating in the late afternoon. It was awesome to see, and to listen as the rain approached from far, first softly, then pelting down so loudly that you couldn’t hear yourself think. That’s when my four legged companions looked at me with apprehension, anxious to take shelter inside but unwilling to leave me alone out there. I had forgotten to unlock my bedroom door, which is protected by the hangover roof, so we had to hightail it through the torrents and enter by the kitchen. The three of us were soaked in just that short distance, but my boys think that whatever the mistress does is fine as long as we’re together, so their tails were wagging, and I, feeling like a kid again, was SMILING with the adventure!!!

Sharing those SMILES with you – wet, but warm.

Luv from the Bush in Quebec

Monday, July 22, 2013

MORE OF THE SAME...AND CHANGES

So – I now have a new roomie. My grandson, Raph, found a better summer job in his own area, and is back in his home as of yesterday. Helen, after a week of quiet reflection, drove down to NB with a buddy on Saturday, collected some personal things, and returned here last night. Hopefully the suggestion that she renovate the area upstairs to her own taste will keep her mind busy while she deals with the aftermath of some rather turbulent changes from the past few months. She’s a strong lady, loves the bush and, most importantly, has been accepted by my two doggies.

The power was restored just in time for our annual birthday party that was held Saturday afternoon until late into the evening. Once again I was surrounded by loving family and friends, including all the little ones jumping in and out of the swimming pool, crawling through the jungle gym, or coming to sit on our laps – wet bathing suits leaving their mark time and time again. My Rug rats, accompanied by a recuperating Daddy, spent the day with us, and I got in as much hugging as I could before they would escape, squealing, to rejoin the fray. DIL was not there, of course, and even if I sound like a B-tch saying it, the day was more pleasant because of her absence.

It’s a delicate situation, one that needs to be fixed. An intense dislike for a member of the family does not sit well in my mind or heart. It is extremely difficult for my son. He and his siblings are not used to their mother being the one holding back when it comes to soothing ruffled feathers, ensuring that our family knot be safe and strong. Each of them will lightly mention it during conversations here and there. Fortunately they know better than to pressure me, and I appreciate that my refusal to discuss it further is respected. However, watching my youngest, who hardly left my side during the whole party, I realized that it has gone on long enough; he’s hurting badly.

The party over, I took a long walk with my doggies, absorbing the soft night sounds of the bush. It is the usual way to do some serious thinking when solutions are required, and it didn’t fail me. I believe I have come up with a plan, one that we can all live with, to at least initiate a reconciliation of sorts. I see the doctor for my test results today at noon, but after my appointment I will contact my son and start the procedure. I’ll be throwing the ball into his lady’s court. Her reaction will determine the next step. Regardless, even if it gets worse before it gets better, I will do all that I can to discourage her creating this rift in our circle. If she continues, on her head be it.

It’s a beautiful summer’s day with perfect temperatures after that excessive heat spell, Morpheus actually stayed around last night for more than a few hours, and if I was twenty years younger I’d be jumping and clicking my heels. Having just passed another birthday, we’ll forget that part. An ungraceful landing is a pretty sure result.

Thankfully, any age can accommodate a SMILE, and mine are floating out from my bush, heading your way!!!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.

Sunday, July 14, 2013

A STORY

So, Helen made it driving the 900 KM from NB by herself. Unfortunately my smile wasn’t the first thing she saw coming into the house; I was at the hospital getting a scan by the time she arrived. It seemed to me she was overdue, and I was getting worried, so I hurried home when the docs were finished. I was relieved to find her curled up on her bed, soundly sleeping. I sent an ‘All’s clear’ to her daughter, who had been texting off and on all day, also anxious about her mom’s safety. They talked to each other this morning, and it was agreed that a couple of week’s vacation here will be good.

It is great to see her again. There wasn’t much chatting last night; we both were tired, but we made up for it today. I can tell that Helen did a lot of thinking during her 10 hour drive, and she’s making good decisions. I’m very proud of my friend.

This lady has lived an eventful life, from her childhood in a convent during post-war Germany to her arrival here as a teenage boat bride, without family or the language, and marrying a stranger who had portrayed himself in his advertisement and subsequent letters very different from what he actually was. It has been far from easy, and she has come out of it all, able to remember the bad without being bitter, and the good with a grin on her face. There is potential for a fascinating human interest novel, don’t you think?

She has suggested that I write her story. During this stay, she will talk, and I will take notes. Having agreed that it be done, we toasted the idea, and resolved than if any money is made from this joint venture, it would be equally divided.

“Do we have to change the names to protect the innocent?” she laughed. I remembered the reviews I once read for a movie about a young female German activist.*

“How do you feel about being called Sophie?” I asked.

She repeated it, giving it the German pronunciation, then she nodded, and we both SMILED.

*Sophie Scholl: The Final Days

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.

Friday, July 12, 2013

TO BELIEVE OR NOT TO BELIEVE

I believe in Angels.

There may be some who think as I do, others who will scoff at such ‘fantasies’ , telling me there is no scientific proof, therefore Angels can’t exist. My eldest son was of the latter group until his Uncle Bird passed over. Now he’s not so sure; certain events have touched him directly for which he has no, what he would call, ‘reasonable’ explanation.

But this post is not about Angels really. It is more about the power of believing. Even scientists have little doubt about mind over matter. On too many occasions more than one of those formidable persons have watched something scientifically impossible (or what present knowledge would deem so) take place, and then scrambled to determine the why’s and how’s. Their arguments, however convincing, will often fall on deaf ears.

What one firmly believes can bring us to exalted heights, as well as literally to our knees in despair. It can cause great joy or extreme terror. More importantly, it can be shared...but never actually imposed. If you want to change what you believe, you can. If you don’t, no amount of imposing will make it happen.

Paying lip service is one thing, and probably pardonable if it will save a life, helps someone else, or results in any type of good action. I repeat, probably. But will agreeing, for whatever the cause, change your gut feeling? Not very likely. Your belief is part of your soul (another term which can cause our intellectuals to shudder in exasperation), and your soul is your own for as long as you live and breathe on this earth. The truth is, nobody, but NOBODY can force you to BELIEVE, or to not believe. There are glaring examples: Christians being thrown to the lions, and Islamic extremists becoming suicide bombers.

Personal experience has led me to believe in Angels. Nothing you can tell or show me will change my mind. I won’t try to convince you that they exist and, as well meaning or as dominating as it may be, your attempt to convince me that they don’t will fail.

I also believe in SMILES. I’m sending some to y’all right now, and it’s your choice if you want to grab them in passing, or let them float by. I’ve decided that I’ll accept all those that are sent back to me, so bring ‘em on!!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

MY ROOMIE

My daughter’s youngest son, who will be 16 in September, found a summer job in this area. Because he starts at 6:30 AM, and because his mom is still living 40 minutes away, they asked if he could stay over here during the week. Of course he can! His mom warned me that he is hard to get up in the morning, but I threatened to let Smooch wake him if I have to rouse him more than once. I have had no problem getting him out of bed at all. Who wants to be awakened by a rambunctious 117 pound doggie?

Once again it is a happy change in my routine. Instead of eating whenever I’m in the mood, breakfast is at 5:30 AM, supper at 6:00 PM, and not just cheese and biscuits and fruit. This lad works hard physically, so needs his meat and potatoes. He’s also on a health kick, so veggies are a must too. There are lunches to be made and often taxi service in the evening. He hasn’t got his driver’s permit yet, and his friends live in town, and there is soccer practice and soccer coaching every other night.

It’s only temporary. My daughter has decided to move back to this area. Her present apartment is listed for rent; it’s a nice place and we don’t expect it will take long to be snatched up. When that happens, I’ll lose my roomie. For the moment though, it’s quite nice, if action packed. Of all my grandchildren, Raph is the one I know least. We haven’t really spent much time alone together. This arrangement is a bonus for both of us.

Ah – and did I mention he is the sports-minded grandchild? We can discuss hockey and soccer and baseball; the players, the teams, the games. The TV is constantly tuned to one of those activities when he is in the house, and he doesn’t have it blaring, contrary to most teens. He is very knowledgeable, and we are learning from each other. How kool is that?

No wonder I’m SMILING!!! Sending them out and about to y’all!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

CONFUSION

“There is something happening here, what it is ain’t exactly clear” – the lyrics of the Buffalo Springfield tune are playing in my head over and over again. Umm – yes, and that’s where the ‘something’ is happening; in my head.

I’m having a devil of a time to complete my accounting work. My brain seems to just shut down and, try as I might, I need to get up and walk away for a bit before it comes alive again.

It’s the weirdest thing! I can read, write, cook, clean or do a zillion other tasks without a problem. As soon as I pick up papers with numbers or log into my accounting program, the light begins to dim. It doesn’t take long before a curtain comes down and I am mentally unable to continue. The screen (and I’m not talking about my computer here) goes totally blank. Attempting to force my attention only produces errors that I pick up on later. ARRG!

It has been going on for some time now, but is getting worse. Presently I’m lucky if I can get an hour in before the noggin zaps out. I’ve been searching for answers on the internet and in books, have done concentration tests, etc., but am still without an answer. I very rarely take medication, don’t do drugs, there is not excessive alcohol, I’ve been in menopause for ages, I eat well and take my vitamins, just going up and downstairs in my house and walking the doggies gives me plenty of physical exercise....and the list goes on. What’s more, the lack of focus only occurs when I touch accounting.

Could it be an overdose? I’ve never really enjoyed this type of work, but have always found it relatively easy to do and understand. Now it seems to have turned the tables. It doesn’t enjoy me either. I’ve been wondering if it’s not because I’m just heartily sick of it. Of course, I feel the same way about housework too, but that doesn’t stop me from keeping my house clean (enough).

Maybe I should seriously contemplate a career change? The fact is, if this craziness continues, I’ll have no choice, and in the shortest delay possible too! It’s not fair to my clients, or to my personal mental health. Any suggestion to clarify my situation is welcome - except for banging my head on the wall a few times to knock some sense into it. That I won’t do. I’m not good at repairing drywall.

I wonder if there are any paying jobs where one just has to SMILE? That I can do....and, of course, am sharing it with you.

Luv from the Bush in Quebec

Monday, July 8, 2013

AND NOW ANOTHER....

Disaster after disaster, here, there, everywhere; be it Mother Nature or man-made, it has been keeping the journalists busy, and the general population shaking heads and asking ‘What next?’ Recently there certainly seems to be a lot going on at the same time. Is this unusual?

My question is valid...coming from me. I’m not a huge pursuer of the media. In spite of the adage that ‘where there’s smoke, there’s fire’, I find much of it just hogwash, dramatized, and I often doubt its accuracy. It’s nearly a sure thing that reading news headlines alone will change my mood to sad, angry, annoyed...most of those feelings that I continually attempt to, if not completely avoid, restrict to the minimum unless it is in a book that I can put down when I’ve had enough.

I’ve been accused of being an eternal optimist. I don’t agree. I can bitch with the best of them, and do so more often than I care to think about. Just ask my friends and family. I do believe, however, that I’ve been extremely lucky in my life. I also hold that one should seek whatever is good in any event (there is always something) and that (here I go again!) there is a reason for everything. My favorite e-mail going around is the one about the man who, on rising each morning, chooses that he will be happy, or will at least dwell on the brighter parts of that day.

Still, I repeat my question – is the present succession of calamitous events irregular? Or is it just that we are not used to such things in our part of the world? Or have I been a turtle all this time, dealing only with whatever is happening inside my personal shell, oblivious to all the harassed rabbits scampering around me?

Damn, there it goes. I’ll have to go back to bed now and get out on the other side. No way do I want to go through a day without SMILING. I wish that it could be that easy for everyone else out there.

And just in case you need one....or even if you don’t...I’m sending some of those SMILES your way. One can never have too many.

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

CATS AND...MORE CATS

Dora, the cat living with my grandson, now has a nearly identical companion, the differences being that Pinch has a small black triangle on the chin (Pinch in French is a nickname for a Quixote type beard), and, more importantly, that Pinch is a male. He is still young, but kittens mature quickly, and I stressed to my tenants that he wouldn’t give a darn if Dora is his sister, nor will she, when comes time for mating.

Neither of the cats has been neutered. I have mentioned it numerous times, and am assured that it will happen...but so far it hasn’t....and Pinch is already about 5 months old. I fear I will really have to put my foot down with my grandson this time. I find kittens cute, but don’t want a bunch of them running around here, and/or having to put them down, and/or drop them off at a pet shop. I really can’t fathom why it has been delayed. My grandson is usually a responsible sort, but lately I’m scratching my head. Maybe his mind is centered on the November arrival of his baby girl (making me a great grandmother), and the cats actually belong to his GF, but just the same...

Yesterday I did request that he make sure they were inside his apartment when he retired for the evening. He was leaving them out, and for three mornings in a row, at approximately 2 AM, I was awakened by their crawling up the screen on my bedroom window, demanding entrance. The doggies are used to them, of course, but NOBODY has the right to try and enter Mistress’s bedroom when they are on guard duty, especially in the middle of the night! It was a bit of a racket, and it meant that I had to get up and carry them (to avoid ‘the chase’) to the apartment door and scoot them downstairs. Being the insomniac that I am, there was no way I could get back to sleep. He agreed. He knows I like the kitties, but it just made common sense. I didn’t tell him that I cuddled them a few minutes before I sent them home, which may have resulted in their repetitive action.

He has been careful. They have not shown up for the past couple of nights, but I am still waking at 2 AM, which is part of the reason that I’ve been posting to my blog and commenting on others so very early. I note that I am not the only one doing so; Morpheus is not partial in his negligence.

It’s 5 AM here, which seems to be the hour when I CAN find easy slumber, so I’ll mosey back to my room, and let the birds serenade my dreams.

Sending you all sleepy SMILES!!!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.

Friday, July 5, 2013

UPDATE

- My son, Jo, has finally had his operation. They removed the blocked piece of his big intestine Thursday with success. Sadly, while he was on the operating table, his lady’s much beloved grandmother slipped into a coma and passed over. My son was fond of her, as were we all, and I could tell by his short text the next day that he is in pain, both his body and his heart.

- I spent most of the past 3 weeks doing medical tests and/or procedures. Suzie was home from Detroit and accompanied me when a driver was needed. On one of those days we left the hospital and headed to a restaurant; I hadn’t eaten for 24 hours. It was only after the meal, as we were heading back to the parking lot, that I looked down and realized I was still wearing those blue hospital slippers. They were hanging out over the back of my Crocs. Seeing this sent us into spasms of giggles on the main street; it was a good 10 minutes before we could walk again.

- Last Monday my oldest Rug rat called me twice on Facetime! I was overjoyed! It has been so long!! He wandered around the house, showing me his cat first, then Wigi (little doggie) and finally his brothers. They were allowed to chat for a couple of seconds before Nalou put his finger over the viewer, effectively cutting off his siblings’ conversations. It was, after all, HIS call to his Mémère, and his IPod! We made plans that they visit here with Daddy when he recovers from his operation. (No, the situation with the estranged DIL has not changed.)

- The past weekend found me with my older son, my Japanese DIL, and my sisters and relatives from my father’s side. It was a mini family reunion of sorts and, although I was limping, we had a great time. My Dad had 6 children after separating from my mom, and they have children who have children. Many of them were present ...with lots of doggies, and for some it was a first meeting. I enjoyed it tremendously.

- Blogit booted me off again for a bit – the time spent with the doctors meant I was working less, therefore my finances suffered. Still, they owed me much more than I owe them, so I got into a huff and asked to withdraw my earnings. I’m still waiting.... but in the meantime managed to settle things on my side, so here I am!!! I sure missed the Blogit family!! I wonder if the managers count on that? They know we’ll even sell our beer bottles to pay the fee!!

And that’s it for now, folks. I have hours of pleasant catching-up to do in my reading, and a gazillion SMILES stored up to send out. There they go, riding the wind; they should be showing up at your door any moment now!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.