I hear that!  |
| Nibbs Posted on Sunday, January 20, 2008 - 02:06 am: |   |
I'm feeling somewhat better tonight. It was a 'do nothing' day, although Wayne accomplished quite a bit. We were going to go to town, but put it off for a day. Neither of us felt like it.
I've worked on my shopping list and to-do list.
Monday is probably an all day out of town day and Wayne has a meeting in the evening. Tuesday I have an eye exam so will be out-of-commission for a while (Wayne has to take me and drive me home), but Wayne has a meeting that evening too, so he has work to catch up on come Wednesday!
I'm enjoying my latest plant catalogue and dreaming about all the work that must be done.
And I'm thinking it's time to get rid of the stuff I've been sorting out. It feels like Spring cleaning, even though this is just about the coldest day we've had this year. No doubt we will see some snow when it starts to warm up. And for some reason we seem to be the coldest place on the Island. Unfair! Hopefully we will be rewarded with some sunny skies. At the moment the sky is just full of stars! |
| Seil Posted on Sunday, January 20, 2008 - 07:43 pm: | |
I'm glad you're feeling better today. Pick a star and make a wish, you deserve it. |
| Nibbs Posted on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 - 10:35 pm: | |
It's still very cold here, but what lovely sunshine we're seeing.
I had appointments today. One of them was with our new family physician, and both Wayne and I liked him right away. He actually chose our community, was waiting for it to come up. He said he was given the choice of almost anywhere on the Island and asked to be called in our valley came available for a new doctor's position. A week later, it came up! He has such a good sense of humour. He was okay with the idea that taking my blood pressure today was probably not okay.
When we came home, roses were waiting. And a card of thanks from our son (tough week for him too). I took the photos with the sun shining on them!!
Here's a couple ..
And this is one of Soleil when he was here for a few days last week. He's tickled with himself for taking my pillow and blanket. Made a little bed for himself on the carpet and teased me with a 'Night, Night, Nanay!'
Okay, I've played enough. Time to get back to work. |
| Nibbs Posted on Wednesday, January 23, 2008 - 08:18 pm: | |
I've been watching Purrt today and both Wayne and I are concerned that we have reached that point with her that it is time to say 'Goodbye'. We knew this was coming and hoped she would be around for some time yet. However, she's 19 years old and her health has been declining.
So it goes with pets ... and it's so hard.
Purrt has had a wonderful life though. I can't even remember now how she came to be here. She has always been a farm cat, and spent almost her entire life outside. We would drag her in the house during the coldest part of the Winter, even though she usually preferred to stay in the barn. Her pal for many years was Blaze, the horse. She could even walk under him and around his feet, and Blaze was fine with it. I think for Blaze, too, he enjoyed having Purrt there for company in the barn.
She has been a terrific mouser, and could eat anything. She would fill up on hen scratch if she had a notion!
Purrt also has been notorious for sleeping in the dirt, coming in that way, having a snooze, waking up, shaking the dirt off so that she leaves a 'puddle' of sand, twigs, leaves and soil, and then goes happily on her way again. She also has that really soft, cottony fur, so Spring time has been the time of year when Wayne and I would feel like we were taking our lives in our hands to groom Purrt, otherwise the mats would been impossible for her to deal with. These last few years we have just taken scissors to her, with Purrt's timer set to 20 seconds of us doing our best before the buzzer went off and she would scratch.
She is very fond of Wayne and enjoys a good cuddle with him every day.
Purrt is still comfortable. She's weak though, but not in pain. She eats five or six times a day. When she squawks during the night we get up and give her a little tinned food. It settles her down.
So it goes.
I've posted this one before. She has had a habit of sleeping in the oddest places, and mostly on hard surfaces. This was in a carport .. yes, she's sound asleep!
This is in the middle of the sidewalk ... facing south, in the summer, sound asleep!
 |
| Periwinkle Posted on Wednesday, January 23, 2008 - 10:35 pm: | |
Oh Diane, my favorite Gardenbuddy kitty!  |
| Nibbs Posted on Sunday, January 27, 2008 - 02:01 am: | |
Purrt is a little stronger now. Funny how that goes. You'd almost think she heard us talking!! We still feed her several times a day. Yesterday she was a little difficult, but it turns out we've spoiled her and she wanted a different canned food. Oh well ... we aim to please!
We had very heavy snow for a while today. Wayne had invited me for a drive today, just to get out of the Valley, but I turned it down because I was aware of the forecast. As it turned out, he finished splitting wood, and I did a lot of laundry, made bread and a dessert for supper.
(I'm waiting for Ej to say the script is okay before I carry on with names on the calendar. I've started again, this time using active gardenbuddy names. I feel so badly about it taking so long, but am doing the best I can. I've submitted several ... and will have to ask for help when I've done as much as I can from the web site.)
Wayne had a nice long chat with his Mom tonight. She is still in hospital, considered a surgical patient because they replace the sponge about twice a week, so she has an open incision. She talked on their cell phone and it was great for both Wayne and his Mom. Perhaps he will consider flying back up for a week or so to visit. Doug spends about 4 hours a day in the hospital with her. But she is recovering well.
Well, I can see on my widget that we have more moisture coming in and the temperature is going down to -8ºC so I'm pretty sure that means more snow. I really wouldn't mind if we skipped the whole snow thing this year!
Well, now Purrt is squawking so I guess it's time to top her up before I go to bed. And I think Wayne and I need to get out for a little bit tomorrow. With him working now we do very little together. We were swimming at noon everyday, and I haven't been for almost two weeks now. Must get my rear in gear!!
'Night all |
| Nibbs Posted on Tuesday, January 29, 2008 - 08:28 pm: | |
Well, I sat up all night with Purrt. It was the only way she felt comfortable. And then I phoned a different vet (because I'm not at all pleased with the one who took over for the only vet we've ever had, a farm vet named Ken who was so, so good with animals big or small), and Wayne and I took Purrt in this afternoon and had her put to rest. It was a good thing, but, after 19 years, so difficult to say goodbye. She was peaceful in the end, comfortable, quiet.
And I just sent the script off to Ej, so I'm hoping, hoping all that work is good and now we will be up and running.
And it snowed all night. It has been so cold and the snow looked like diamonds last night. This morning the landscape was beautiful. I went to bed at 7 a.m. and woke up at 10:30 a.m. to the sound of a snow blower in our driveway. Our neighbour Al came and did our driveway this morning (he loves his snowblower) and then our only neighbour down the road on our side came up with his. Isn't this just great!! We have the best neighbours. Everybody pretty much looks after each other here.
Well, now it's evening and the ground fog has moved in. We have more moisture coming in and the temperature is going down. Guess it's more snow for us .. and a little warmer tomorrow, but then back to snow for two days. I have a few recipes I want to try out, so this will be the perfect time. I picked up vidallia onions today for the oxtail recipe. Yum! One of my favorites!
And I'm looking forward to a good sleep tonight ..
Life ... so much of it is dealing with grief. We're all going to miss Purrt .. even the neighbours. She had a good life ... |
| Seil Posted on Tuesday, January 29, 2008 - 09:49 pm: | |
My condolences on the loss of your beloved Purrt, Nibbs. It's never easy to lose someone you've lived with for 19 years whether people or pet. Take solace in knowing that you loved and gave her a wonderful life and she knew that. She'll be in kitty heaven watching over you I'm sure. |
| Suzyqt1968 Posted on Wednesday, January 30, 2008 - 12:21 am: | |
Sending a big hug to you and Wayne. 19 years is a very long time. She was well cared for without a doubt. You made her comfortable til the very end and I am sure it was appreciated by her. Sleep well and stay warm..snow here too. |
| Bonitoad Posted on Wednesday, January 30, 2008 - 02:59 am: | |
Oh Di....There I go with the leaking eyes, again. Purrt is certainly unforgetable. Such a little ball of grey fluff....such a LOUD voice....loved to be up on your shoulder...digging her sharp claws in to your skin....Talking and talking.......have a good snooze tonight.....talk to you tomorrow.... |
I am so sorry to hear about sweet little Purrt, (((Diane))). I am glad that you have some recipes to try. Maybe that will help lessen the emptiness around you. I hope that you got a good rest last night and that you can have a little warm sunshine with your snow today.    |
| Growit Posted on Wednesday, January 30, 2008 - 04:27 pm: | |
(((Diane))) what a beautiful cat. From your description and the pictures it is easy to see why you loved her so much. I am so sorry you had to have her put to sleep. 19 is a grand old age for a pussy cat but that doesn't make it any easier, I know.
I hope you enjoyed your oxtail and got a decent nights sleep Nibbs.
Moira x |
| Flowerfreak Posted on Friday, February 01, 2008 - 01:01 am: | |
((Diane))Sorry to hear about Purrt. Wow, 19 years. I enjoyed the part about how she was friends with the horse. For some reason I just thought that was neat.
 |
| Nibbs Posted on Sunday, February 03, 2008 - 07:33 pm: | |
The sun is shining!! And the mountains look wonderful, all covered with snow, with a blue backdrop. Not a cloud in the sky. Wayne and I went shopping (big shopping trip .. I bought glass bowls and pot holders .. a new answering machine .. sticky rice .. yes, I had a shopping list!). Anyway I left Wayne at the final check out and took myself off to the car. It was actually warm enough in the car without the engine running. We came home and invited the cats to go out. Two of them did (the boys) and they came back in within 5 minutes. Too cold for them!
We've just finished off putting the final touches on the new hutch and buffet. I love it. Don't want to set it up until we get the dining room painted and I've had such a time trying to figure out the color. I think I just need to go the paint store, make a decision and not look back.
Wayne talked with two of the grand girls today! Yesterday they went with their dad and step-mom to tour the new B.C. ferry, about to go into service between Vancouver Island and the mainland. No doubt we will all end up on this ferry at some time or other, and it looks quite comfortable.
Here's Rebekah, Anna Lee (our daughter-in-law) and Sierra.
Well, we're about to start a new week. I'm off to swimming tomorrow. We will soon learn how many programs at the pool are being cut after this last round of tax cuts. So many changes in our valley.
Time to finish off today chores! I've quite enjoyed sitting down and checking out the web site. But I'm sure the dryer stopped and it's time to make supper. Shopping kind of tired me out!! |
| Nibbs Posted on Saturday, February 09, 2008 - 07:38 pm: | |
More shopping. I actually made the decision about kitchen, dining room and living room wall colors! And I have the manager (my nephew's wife) of the paint store to thank for that. She was so helpful. She knows my house so that made it easier.
Wayne and I had running around town to do. I got everything I was looking for, and more, and Wayne dropped me off, then went back to finish off the last of his.
It's a grey, drizzling day here. And yesterday was so Spring-like!
I'm hoping Ej is enjoying his down time. I can't imagine working the long days he does, and problems with the web site don't seem to stay fixed.
Well, I should pull out the vacuum and finish moving stuff in the dining room. We are taking almost everything out of the old hutch and buffet so it will move easier. And then we need to store it. We'll be using the new one now.
Wayne and I and our oldest daughter are off to a local play tomorrow afternoon. Sandy's good friend, Brent, and my hairdresser have roles in it. There are almost 100 people in the cast at our little theatre, but I understand it's a wonderful play (Jesus Christ Superstar). This is Brent, playing King Herod, described as a fun-loving guy. We've known that for years!!
So that's kind of exciting, and then company for dinner.
I think I feel better, just knowing that we are heading out of the Winter weather. Sunshine makes such a difference to my sense of well-being, and I feel more energetic.
I want to post a photo of the quilt Boni made for me. Want to take the photo with natural light! I love it!
I think it's wonderful when people have a passion, or two, and I see that in some of the people around me. When they talk about what they're doing they seem to light up!
I think my passion is family, but I need to have something that I'm totally responsible for, like gardening or quilting or reading or knitting (I'm making socks at the moment) or even exercising.
And, with that, I need to head off to put more things away. Make it look like I am organized here! But I'm relieved at the moment that I've actually made the color choice and feel good about it. We'll be living with it for a long time. |
| Nibbs Posted on Tuesday, February 12, 2008 - 12:11 pm: | |
An amazing thing happened with this play and our little community. It is completely sold out. On Sunday they announced they'd have a Wednesday evening performance. They announced that at the beginning of the show. The Wednesday performance was sold out the next morning. And the play was so well done. We just happened to get the best seats in the house, and Brent saw us! He said it just encouraged him to be even more outrageous. We laughed. We cried. It was so entertaining.
And my kitchen looks like new! Viki did such a good job! Now I'm inspired to continue, and am planning to put different blinds up in the house. It's time, anyway.
I'm waiting for our accountant to arrive this morning. We use a farm accounting firm and they actually send a representative to the house (I think this one is based in the interior). The ferry was late this morning, so he phoned to say he just arrived on the Island and will be about an hour getting here. Sounds right. I checked the highway cam and the Hump has no snow, so he should be okay.
Wayne headed off to work .. and should be back by now. Guess he's waiting for me to phone him. Okay, here he is now.
More rain today. We're still under a boil water advisory and we're waiting for the numbers to improve. Yesterday we had some vandalism on the fire hydrants and some people ran out of water. I don't know why anyone would even want to do this. Lots I don't understand.
Must go put coffee on. |
| Nibbs Posted on Thursday, February 21, 2008 - 04:53 am: | |
Brent's Mom, Tilley, died just before the last evening performance of Jesus Christ Superstar. She had been slipping away for the last week before she died and went peacefully ... with eye contact and a smile to her daughter just before she was gone. What a lovely woman! I met her and her family in 1974 and adored her from the beginning. And her husband, Wally .. what a treasure. What a love story with those two, and even after Wally died in 1984 Tilley still danced with him and shared her life with him. She was very social and caring about everyone. Her service is on Friday at 1 so Wayne and I will go and say our goodbyes. She was 85 (I think).
My house .. is totally upside down and it seems to get worse each day, instead of better. But I am making progress. I don't know if it's that feeling of Spring in the air, but it may also be some sort of side-effect from the book I'm reading and where I am in my life (and I've been on a roller-coaster ride this last while ... but feeling somewhat better now).
The book is called "The Goodbye Summer" by Patricia Gaffney, about a young woman who lives with her grandmother. Grandmother, a very eccentric woman (she's a hoot!), broke her leg and needed help. Then she decided to move into a care facility even though she had been opposed to the idea before. That leaves the granddaughter, Caddie, on her own (which is fine, Caddie works and is certainly old enough to look after everything. she's 32). Caddie visits her grandmother often and becomes friends with everyone else who lives in at the home.
Parts of this book really hit home with me. And they did with my sister too. I keep thinking I should be writing down some of the things I read because they seem somewhat? profound.
An example .. one of the women who live here is a woman named Thea, very based, very kind, and ready to do some of the things she has always wanted to do before she dies. So she dyes her hair red! Not an outrageous red, but a red that suits her age (I think she is in her 80's). Caddie had taken her to the hairdressers and then they went for a car ride. And they talked.
Here goes .. "..Oh I wish I was your age again," Thea said, sighing. "Just to learn that one lesson while there's still time to do something about it."
"But what is the lesson?" (Caddie)
Thea laughed, not unkindly. "I'm not sure, but I think it's to make a break between the past and the present now, not drag it around with us all our lives."
I just sat and read that over a few times. Oh my ...
And tonight, after I spent time today taking more things out of the cupboard and boxes and threw so much away (most recycled), I read this ..
Caddie is still with Thea, having a little drive around town, some shopping ..
"I used to like things more than I do now," Thea said, wistfully, fingering a printed silk scarf in a store called Ampersand. "Every time you move, when you're my age, you leave more behind. If I live long enough, I'll be down to my hand bag and a tooth brush."
Caddie laughed.
"I mean it, it's like being a horse. The older you get, the less you feel like carrying."
Yes, symbolic, but so true.
When we sold Mom's house we discovered that she had done this, gone through everything and 'downsized' so much that we were shocked. But it was a very kind thing she did for us. And it made it easier for us in more ways than one.
I just want to get to a place where I feel more comfortable, and that means being strict and thorough for myself. It almost feels like purging, in a way. And it's probably a result of the grief I've been dealing with ... Awful English tonight .. It's late ...
I've probably broken a copyright or two by quoting the book ... but I wanted this recorded. And there's more in the book I want to note and remember.
And when the house feels more roomy and clean (we're painting and putting in new floors) I want to read "Tuesdays with Morrie" again. I need to read it again.
Wayne and I watched some of the lunar eclipse tonight. We had such a clear, starry sky, with snow-covered Mt. Arrowsmith just below the moon. We froze our butts on a couple of chairs in the driveway, but had a lovely time. It brought back nice memories. And Brent was one of them. He was so interested in the stars and he used to join us to watch meteor showers. We'd put a couple of sleeping bags on the lawn, sprawl on them and ooh and aah as we chatted and watched the sky. Good times ...
Okay .. bedtime. I have swimming again tomorrow .. and more cupboards to empty!
We have grand girls coming for a visit. They are such young ladies now. Here's our son, daughter-in-law and two youngest grand girls. They toured the new ferry that will start sailing between Vancouver Island and the mainland next month.
 |
| Nibbs Posted on Monday, February 25, 2008 - 02:26 pm: | |
The sun is shining for the fourth day in a row! What a difference it makes to my sense of well-being. I'm off to the pool today but can't go tomorrow.
Our snowdrops and crocuses are blooming. We had planned to move the multi-blue clematis this weekend but other jobs seemed to have priority. We'll have to move it soon though. Perhaps the tree peony will bloom before the contractor comes and takes out the sidewalk and digs down to the house footings on this end of the house. I'll be glad when it's all put back together again!
I've looked at my seed catalogues and haven't sent in an order. I've actually even wondered if I want to put in a vegetable garden because we have so much trouble with deer. Our fence would have to be so much taller to keep them out. We had two in the yard this morning. They've finished off the brussel's sprouts. But I must decide.
Just checked the clock .. must run! |
| Nibbs Posted on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 - 08:29 am: | |
Wee hours! I spent 1 1/2 hours in the pool and tonight went off to bed very tired but sore knees woke me up. I've taken something to settle the pain, sat in my chair with my laptop on me and have one cat at my elbow and another laying across my legs. Neither seem to be helping my knees feel better!!
We've had a little black and white cat hanging around the house for the last couple of months. I think Purrt used to share her food with it. We would feed Purrt outside sometimes because she could eat dry cat food that the others could not. (That's what happens with these pure breds .. they are kind of finicky.) Anyway, would could see the cat was very hungry. It would eat the bird seed that was scattered under the feeder. But it was very skidish! We have slowly approached it .. well, her, to the point that she will now come when we call and let us pet her. I need to find out who owns her and see if she has been spayed and had her shots. I'm doubting it, though.
Still didn't get in the garden and I see the forecast is for rain today. I can see a couple of rose bushes that need pruning again, and there's all that general cleaning up to be done. The wisteria ... looks like a bad hair day! I'm so glad it's at the bottom of the garden with an arbor all it's own. It's become massive. And down there it can do no damage. But it does need to be trimmed.
Well, my knees seem to have settled down some. It's all muscle and tendon problems. Frustrating at times like this, but it will improve some. I need to be more careful about how long I swim. It's just so easy to get carried away and do too much. We have such a fun group.
And I need to get some baking done! Must do that this week as well.
Am off to bed again ... |
