UPDATE

Oh boy. Another of those days! I had an appointment this morning at 10 AM but, for some unknown reason, I was certain that it was scheduled for 1:00 PM this afternoon. About 15 minutes ago I decided to peek into my agenda, actually looking for another meeting time on Thursday and...damn! Fortunately I was able to reach the person who was waiting on my arrival and we’ve put it off until tomorrow. I do believe my memory is on vacation...and has been for some time....but I can’t remember where. I hope it gets back to work soon.

My idea of perfect weather outside – sunny and not too warm. It is wonderful to see my lawn again; it was more a field of hay last week. My tractor and weed eater needed repairs this year, but lack of funds and know-how was delaying that being done. Fred has a back problem and my other grandson, who was to help out, damaged his knee playing soccer last week, and is hobbling around on crutches. I was discouraged every time I glanced outside. The barrier brought down by the snow this winter was hanging from the roof, and the broken pieces of gallery were still there too. All I needed was a rusted old truck parked at the door and my house would have been typical of a redneck abode.

Then last Wednesday an old friend called and offered to come and do the work in exchange for spending the weekend out on the mountain and some home-cooked food. I thought about it for a bit – our present relationship is complicated – but finally decided to agree. He worked hard both days, and did as much as he could both outside and in cleaning up the garage. We got along fine, and it sure is a morale booster to have things looking nice again! He’ll be back again on Friday to continue until all is up to date.

And Suzie gets in from Detroit on Sunday for her annual summer vacation!! I’m looking forward to seeing her. I haven’t told the doggies; they are not going to be happy with me disappearing each evening for a few hours, lol! They don’t actually grumble, of course, but find a dozen ways to show me their displeasure. It’s a male thing..... (Joke!!).

I’ve seen the lung specialist, and will be enduring all sorts of testing and probing for the next few days. I like this fellow. There is no pussy-footing around, and he’s very quick to get things moving. This province has a website where all our doctors are rated, and his are excellent. Comments from his patients inspire confidence in his work.

There is lots going on, and I do realize that my blogging is sporadic at best. I’ll attempt to smarten up.

However, you can be sure that, even in my absence, I am still sending out the SMILES!!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.

THE TRIP

If I sound ungrateful for my trip to Japan, I don’t mean to. It was a wonderful, and expensive, gift offered to me by my son and his Japanese wife – a once in a lifetime experience. It was so nice to meet my DIL’S gracious parents, to visit her very pretty home on the outskirts of Osaka, and to take in the beauty of her country, of which she is rightfully proud. Flowers abound everywhere, the artistic buildings and temples are awesome, the Aquarium fascinating, and I would have been more than willing to spend the whole week exploring the Mount Fuji area....from the ground, on foot. The shopping, although not at all one of my pastimes, is also fabulous, according to those who enjoy such things.

I was tired and not in terribly good form before going there. My DIL, once a tourist guide for her people, set a pace familiar to Japanese: stop, photos, and move on. I don’t believe we spent 2 nights in the same hotel, or even the same town! The truth is that I can hardly remember much about what we saw, and please don’t ask me WHERE we went. There was little time to meander and absorb the sights, the people, or the culture. When visiting a new place, meandering is the one thing I’m really good at, and that I relish most.

The company, however, was fabulous. My son is a comedian born, my DIL very sweet (and terribly organized), the couple with us are nice kids, and their 5 year old son, although very energetic, was an eager beaver who kept up better than this old gal!

By the time I got home I was totally exhausted. The 2 days delay in Chicago, sleeping 4 hours on a lawn chair in the sterile zone of the O’Hare Airport, didn’t help. We did meet some very nice people during the layover; seasoned travellers who told me that I would remember more of the trip as I look at my pictures. I presume they mean much later, because it isn’t happening yet!

I do recall that when I finally got back to my house, where I was welcomed by two very delighted doggies, and shortly after snuggled under the blankets in my own bed, I was sooo SMILING!!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.

THE RIDES

“You’ll be okay, Mom. The cable cars go up the mountain, but we stay close to the ground all the way.” This was the statement from my son, B., the night before our 5th day of harried activity in Japan; a visit to Mount Fuji. He now tells me he really didn’t remember that on the 3rd...or was it the 4nd?...cable car we go up, up, up, then over the top of a mountain and there is nothing but AIR...and tiny, tiny trees away down there! The picture above shows my reaction, but doesn’t quite describe it. I gasped, swore, put my head down and tried to send my mind somewhere else so that I wouldn’t spew all over the people who were with us on the ride. My son, realizing what was happening, laughingly apologized, but very wisely moved as far away from me as he could. He knew that if I couldn’t keep my stomach contents under control, I would certainly aim for his shoes.

Fortunately I did manage to keep my cool, and the lovely boat ride around a beautiful, little lake nestled high on those mountains was worth the torment of getting there. I mentally prepared myself for the trip back down the mountain. This time I kept my eyes averted until we actually were floating just above the trees before taking in the wonderful scenery of the Japanese forest. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when it was over. Little did I know what was in store next.

Shopping. The others, not me. I was still kissing the ground.

Their interminable shopping occasioned our missing the shuttle destined for our traditional Japanese style hotel which was situated halfway up another mountain. My sweet DIL managed to talk an ancient bus driver (he was 90...at least) to drive us there in between his regular runs; it would avoid a 2 hour wait, and we were all anxious to relax.

The two-way road, better defined as a trail, was narrow, and winding, and steep, with sharp blind corners. It was supposed to be a 20 minute drive, but this dude did it in 10, all the while chatting away to my DIL, who was sitting behind him, and who he seemed to think couldn’t hear him unless he turned to look at her as he was speaking. I wasn’t the only passenger who held my breath all the way. At one point I muttered “And I thought the cable car ride was bad!” Nervous laughter from the others was the only sound they made until we were able to disembark, our terror-filled eyes wide and our legs trembling from constant braking. Then five year-old Yuri yelled “Wow! Can we do that again?” He moved swiftly out of my reach when he saw my glare.

Once again, a long massage and relaxing in the hot-spring baths, a delicious meal served with the utmost courtesy, then falling to sleep on a comfortable shikibiton (futon) while listening to the winds whistle through the mountains made it all worthwhile. My heartbeat was back to normal, we would be going home in a few days. I closed my eyes and SMILED.

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.

For some reason, I can no longer post pictures. I looked for help on this site. Didn't find it. Frustration.

REVENGE

It started on Thursday. My long-time friend, Dawna, invited me to supper at her home. I enjoy going there anyway, and she further enticed me by sending a message that dessert would be rhubarb and strawberry crisp. I have a great weakness for anything with rhubarb. Her hubby, Malcolm, put a gallon of their delicious self-brewed red wine on the table when I walked in, and it just got better from there on, lol! It was the usual great evening, and I arrived home late enough. The doggies’ greeting was enthusiastic, although a little insistent. Because I haven’t been going anywhere for any length of time since my return from Japan, they’ve gotten used to all the attention that comes from my constant presence.

On Friday my only godchild, who is expecting her first baby in August, showed up at 1:30 and stayed well past 7:30 PM. I don’t see her often, so we had much catching up to do. I left Grump and Smooch outside on the long gallery during her visit, mostly because they didn’t want to settle down. She was getting nervous with their repetitive turning around our feet as we were sitting, and the weather was good anyway, so after the 3rd attempt at having them lie down quietly, I opened the door and shooed them away. Even if I locked the door so that Smooch couldn’t open it (which he does quite easily), it didn’t stop my youngest pit from trying to come in more than once. Allowed to enter when my godchild departed, their demand for attention was again more persistent than normal.

Hmmm.

Saturday evening I attended the annual birthday party for two of my ‘adopted’ lads. It was being held in the backyard of one of their homes, and a downpour contributed to my leaving the house later than planned. It was the fun time that brought me back home later than planned too. The dogs were high strung when I arrived, so I spent an hour outside, letting them run. Smooch managed to get all the neighboring dogs barking (at 3:30 AM!!) before I managed to get him back in. Even my reliable Grump, the older pit, was showing signs of rebellion.

No matter what all the trainers or manuals say, and although I can’t speak for other breeds, I’ve lived with and have actual experience with pit-bulls and their characters. Aware of their present attitudes, I knew it would be just a matter of time before they would take some ‘revenge’ action. They were not getting the attention they have been used to recently and now think they deserve. Short of having them run a few miles every day to completely tire them out, they would retaliate. Nothing extreme, mind you, because they are good dogs. But they would find a way to show me that they were not pleased.

They did exactly that last night.

I woke at 2:30 AM this morning to the sound of them moving around in my bedroom. They hardly ever come in there unless one of them is sick. That wasn’t the case now. They just kept walking and walking, in and out of the room, their nails clicking on the hardwood floor, until I was groggily awake. As soon as I lifted my head, they would lie down. The quiet would last for 5 minutes, then they were back up strolling again. Grump was the worst, but Smooch was following suit, and it was driving me bonkers. I finally got out of bed, grumbling, and opened the door and ordered them out. They were there for 2 seconds, then scratching to come inside. I acquiesced, and told them to get to their couches. They obeyed, but I heard them back at it within minutes. Grrrr!!

I finally got up, NOT in a good mood. The mood didn’t get any better when I found one of my plants in the living room on the floor, earth spread all over, and the plant destroyed. One of them had left a huge puddle in the hallway, and a sock, a slipper and a shoe were in pieces from one end of the house to the other. They never do things like this, but.........

Okay, fellows. Revenge noted. Now it was my turn to show them who is boss, and that Mistress was not pleased. Doling out direct punishment doesn’t work well; I have learned that removing rewards is much more productive. Today their liberty was severely curtailed; no joining me in the office, no following me around, no petting nor the usual affection and play I do with them. They got their supper, but not their daily chewies or snacks. They were restricted to the kitchen, their couches and the gallery. Tonight I will relent and let them run, but with supervision, and for a very short time only. I will continue to ignore them, except to give them commands. Believe me, it works better than any ass-kicking could do.

By tomorrow morning we’ll be back to normal. They’ll wait until I have my coffee in hand, then they’ll slide down from their couches and approach me for their morning cuddle. I’ll give them each a big hug and tell them what good lads they are before letting them out, and we’ll all be SMILING.

Sharing those SMILES with you, folks!!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.

I'M A DELINQUENT!

So we have another cloudy, rainy day, and it’s sweater/jacket temperature out there too. It still is awfully pretty, with the blossoms on the apple trees, and the others so leafy, waving their various shades of green. The eye is caught by colorful dandelions and daisies and bluebells and baby’s breath all over the property, taking up a good part of the lawn and peeping out from among the huge stones in the rock wall. Some would call them weeds; to me they’re another gift from Mother Nature. Each season has its charm, and we Canadians are blessed in that we have four of them every year.

The only real blah note was the radio’s warning that Hydro Quebec was giving no grace to delinquent accounts. Uh-oh! I’m on that list! I hadn’t recovered from the huge bill occasioned when my house was full of family last fall, then I received another 4 weeks ago showing a cost of 690$/month for the February/March consumption. What???

The Company assured me that it was a real reading of the meter, not just an estimate. I’m still not alone in the house; the kids are living in the basement apartment and, being young, didn’t have the notion of putting on sweaters instead of turning up the heat. Hot water, extra washing/dryer – it all adds up with a female occupant too. In any case, the damage was done; and now it was time to pay up. I called to make a deal, but the announcer was not wrong. As far as Hydro Quebec is concerned, my grace period is over on Monday. A letter had been sent, I was told. Damn. Yes, it had come in when I was not in top shape, so I hadn’t even opened it when I picked it up, then forgot all about it.

UGH! Some frantic collection calls to MY delinquent clients went out on Friday; now I wait and see. I wonder if I could have the Company shut off THEIR electricity if they don’t pay me in time? LOL, fat chance.

I’ve had lots experience with the lack of power during the winter (not for the same reason), so will prepare on Sunday night, filling the tub with water, etc. A positive note is the more favorable weather, so freezing pipes are not a problem, and one doesn’t need to put on a snow suit to go out and use the BBQ for whatever requires heating.

And...I may be getting in a tizzy for nothing. Most times something always shows up when you really need it.

Last, but not least, in the event that things slip up this time, the generator is available to assure that I get to watch my hockey finals, and that alone makes me SMILE!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.

ESSENCE OF WHAT?

I’ve always loved being crooned to sleep by the sound of rain falling on my tin roof. For some reason the bed feels more comfy, the blankets warmer, and the pillow softer; I’m wrapped up in a cocoon, protected from the elements, safe and sound. It has been happening nearly every night for the past week or so. This is what we used to call April weather, only it’s a month late.

I’m not so crazy about it during the day. The doggies come inside with their feet full of mud, and smelling like dogs do when they’re wet. UGH! I’m used to it by now, of course. That doesn’t mean I like it any better. They are confined to one room until they are dry, but that smell seems to escape and wind itself throughout the house. I don’t care for perfumed sprays. I find they just add another unpleasant odor, and they make doggies and mistress sneeze. I usually have candles and/or incense burning on these occasions. It helps, but I long ago resigned myself to what one could call ‘The Essence of Spring’ around here; wet dog and bug spray.

The joys of living in the bush and owning pets; I wouldn’t want to change it!

Hopefully I’ll have time to edit another chapter of my ‘Wayward Brother’ story and get it posted today. I was reminded last night by a friend how I keep starting stories, but don’t do the endings. Oops. She was right. Sometimes a little shove is all it takes.

In the meantime, sending out those SMILES to y’all, folks. Hope the ‘Essence of Spring’ is not attached to any of them.....

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.

SLIPPER TRIPPIN'

I woke at 4:30 AM, hopped out of bed, and tripped on my slippers. Ha-ha! Even as I struggled to maintain my balance, I realized how much better I’m feeling. The slipper event is a regular occurrence when I’m healthy. You would think I’d learn to put them out of the way, right? When sick I drag myself slowly up, so have time to register that the darned things are there. This is the first morning it has happened since before my trip to Japan. Love that slipper trippin’, even if it has landed me on my butt more than once!

As I suspected, my doctor’s appointment yesterday was good and bad. Good in that I was there when he called the two clinics that had sent me the ‘dire warning’ letters and we got things straightened out. Nothing so dire at all; in fact, it took a load off my mind. The bad is that he is sending me for more tests (UGH!), and that his assistant got caught out because she hadn’t followed up on the referral to a specialist he had ordered at the end of March. I believe she will be more careful this time, but took copies of the referrals home with me...just in case. If I hear nothing within the next couple of days, I’ll follow it up myself. I’ve learned that one has to be very pro-active when wanting something done. Incompetence seems to reign nowadays – or maybe that’s just my inner grumpy old lady thinking.

The most important thing is that the morale is nearly back to where it should be. It’s raining and gray outside, but inside I have sunshine. I was soooo missing it, that warm, positive feeling so important to day to day living. I was having to hunt for it, talk myself into it, and often just gave up and whined. Not good. Not me.

But I’m back!! And the SMILES going out to y’all today are huge, and warm, and giggling. It's contagious!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.