I'm so glad you could stop by. This is my personal blog of daily life and my journey through life. You will find a strong emphasis on family and friends as well as finding my ancestors through genealogy. Unlike my other blogs this blog is more of a catch-all so any topic is fair game.

Search This Blog:

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas 2013
I would like to take this moment to wish each and everyone a very Merry Christmas!  May the peace, joy and magic of the holiday season be with you always.

We spent October at our vacation home in the sunny south, returned home for almost three weeks then back south for another five weeks.  Like many others traveling home for the holidays, we were on the road for two days arriving home Monday evening.  That left us Tuesday to finish up any Christmas shopping, do a massive grocery shopping and start prepping the house for Christmas.  Our large family gathering is on Boxing Day (Dec 26).   We are spending a quiet Christmas Day together, wrapping presents and finishing up the house.  We have steaks out for dinner.  Barbequing in the snow is very much a holiday tradition for us.  After dinner we will bundle up and take a drive around our little corner of beautiful Ontario, enjoying the gorgeous Christmas light displays.

Merry Christmas!


Saturday, November 30, 2013

So True!

Image courtesy of Inspirational Quotes

We've all been there!  Anyone who has driven anywhere can relate to...driving along the highway, happily discussing the fault of other drivers while admiring our own driving skills, noticing every traffic sign including the one that says left lane ends ahead a mile or more before the next warning...when out of the blue some inconsiderate, self-absorbed driver jams their vehicle in the barely are car length space you left between you and the driver ahead right where the lane ends.  Hey, it happens all the time...



Monday, November 11, 2013

Remembrance Day 2013

Today is Remembrance Day in Canada, a day we honour those who have served our country and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to serve our country.  Because of their sacrifice, we are free!  We have the freedom to do as we in our beautiful country.  We are blessed to be able to freely move about our country and travel outside our country.  We are beyond blessed to live in a country of abundance that our veterans fought so hard for and continue to do so.

November in our little corner of Ontario, Canada is always dull and grey.  It's rare that the sun peeks it's way through.  November 11 quite often is very cold, rainy or snowing or threatening to do so.  It is never is pleasant weather to be out in for things like Remembrance Day services.  In perspective, our veterans had no choice whether or not they wanted to be out in the weather.  They couldn't just say 'Hey sarge, I'm taking a sick day.' or 'I'm staying in because this weather will mess my hairdo.' or any number of excuses we, who live in a free country can come up with for not going to a Remembrance Day service.  We are beyond blessed to have folks who serve our country proudly, unselfishly and so giving of themselves  to make it a better place for all of us.  There is no excuse not to attend a Remembrance Day service!  Lest we forget...


Saturday, November 02, 2013

Daylight Savings Time Ends 2013



Don't forget to change your clocks and check the batteries in your smoke detectors as well.


Thursday, October 03, 2013

The Lowdown on the Shutdown

Like many, I'm shaking my head at the  US Government shutdown.  Here in under four minutes is the lowdown on the shutdown.  Sad but true...


Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Boarding the Chi-Cheemaun Ferry

boarding the chi cheemaun
Boarding the Chi-Cheemaun
August 7, 2013

It was still raining when we boarded the Chi-Cheemaun that would take us from South Baymouth to Tobermory.  Boarding is quite impressive!  The vehicles are lined into rows on the dock then each row proceeds into the ferry as directed.  Once inside and parked, passengers are instructed to lock their vehicles and proceed to the upper deck, cafeteria or lounge  for the hour and forty-five minute journey. 

Boarding completed without a problem.  We were one of the first loaded so made our way to the second floor lounge.  The lower level cafeteria was open so many enjoyed a snack en route.  The upper lounge is enclosed with ample seating, rest rooms and tourist information.  Towards the front of the lounge gives the best view of the journey as it is over the bow of the vessel.  There is a open deck around the lounge for viewing as well as an outdoor seating area.  We went out for pictures but it was too cold and rainy to stay out.


Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Chi-Cheemaun Ferry

chi cheemaun ferry
Chi-Cheemaun Arrival 
August 7. 2013

We were scheduled for departure at 9:10 AM from South Baymouth to Tobermory by car.  Our vehicle had to be on the dock an hour before departure otherwise we would lose our reservation.  My husband took the car over to the dock at 7 AM then came back to the motel room.  We didn't have any coffee as neither coffee shop opened until 8 AM so we lounged in the room doing a bit of last minute online tasks.  I looked out the window and quickly started powering down the laptop telling my husband we had to make a dash for the car.  It was less than a 5 minute quick run across the road just in time to be greeted with a heavy downpour.  The skies were dull, heavy with rain and more on the way.  Along with the bone chilling cold, it wasn't looking very promising as we started the camping portion of our adventure.


Monday, August 26, 2013

Chi-Cheemaun Dock

chi cheemaun dock
Chi-Cheemaun Dock
South Baymouth, Ontario
August 6, 2013

It was a chilly, blustery evening more reminiscent of late fall weather yet we still took a walk-about.  Our motel, the Huron Motor Lodge (just out of camera range to the left of the Wigwam Motel, was directly across from the Chi-Cheemaun dock.   There wasn't much to see other than the two motels, their gift shops and each had small coffee shops as well.  Our motel was a quaint series of cabins, quite cute really!  It had a nice outdoor pool but the weather was too cold to enjoy it.

Our departure time was 9:10 AM the following morning.  It is mandatory to be on the loading dock an hour early otherwise you will lose your reservation.  We were advised to be parked there by at 7 AM as soon as the dock opened then go for breakfast or back to our room to wait until closer to departure time.  We made a few purchases in our motel gift shop then settled into our room for the night.  Our room faced the dock so we had a lovely view!


Friday, August 23, 2013

Green Stairs

green stairs spotted at Sault Ste. Marie
Green Stairs
August 6, 2013

Part of the enjoyment of a road trip is discovering little gems like these wonderful green stairs.  I'm not sure how the colour will affect resale value but it sure got my attention!  I just love the creativity!


Thursday, August 22, 2013

Lucky Moose

lucky moose at the OGL Sault Ste. Marie casino
Lucky Moose
OLG Sault Ste. Marie Casino
August 6, 2013

I always get a chuckle out of character statues often painted up to bring a smile or chuckle.  It's nice to see the OLG Sault Ste. Marie Casino offer a good luck token to their patrons in the form of this cheery lucky moose.  Unfortunately he only brought luck to the casino this trip...


Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Canada, eh!

Canada straight thru sign
Canada Straight Thru
August 6, 2013

We crossed into Canada at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. around lunch time.  We knew we would have a bit of extra time after we crossed.   After clearing customs, we stopped at the OGL Casino in Sault Ste. Marie then did a bit of shopping for a few things we would need camping like dark chocolate before getting back on the road.  We followed the Trans Canada highway to Espanola, Ontario then turned down towards our final destination for the day.  We stopped for a lovely fish dinner at a quaint little diner in South Baymouth.  Once at the motel we unloaded what we would need for the night, took a walk to the gift shop and the ferry landing then settled into the motel.

The weather had already turned cold enough to turn the heater on in our motel room.  We had hit rain on and off, with more on the way.  I have to admit the tiny bathroom with its vintage pink fixtures looked rather enticing knowing we would have no shower facilities until we arrived home.  Oh sure, if we were desperate we could drive in from the campsite to Tobermory to use the paid showers.  I fretted about the cold and wet forecast because I know that combination is a bad trigger for me.  Other than that we chatted about the day, celebrating our anniversary on the road and what the camping trip held in store for us.


Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Straits of Mackinac

Straits of Mackinac
Crossing the Straits of Mackinac
August 6, 2013

We spent the first night of our road/camping trip adventure at Gaylord, Michigan.  It had been a wonderfully, relaxing day filled with good food and beautiful eye candy.  We had made a brief stop at Turtle Creek Casino before calling it a night.  It wasn't a really early start to the day but we managed to cross the Straits of Mackinac before lunch.  Our destination for the night was South Baymouth, Michigan where we would catch the Chi-Cheechmaun ferry the following morning to take us across Lake Huron to Tobermory, Ontario.

 


Monday, August 19, 2013

The Start of Our Six Day Adventure

heading up Michigan I-75 N
Northbound I-75 in Michigan
August 5, 2013

On the morning of August 5, 2013 we left the comforts of our home on a six day adventure, four of those days were to be spent rustic camping.  By rustic camping I mean in bear territory, in tents, no hydro, pump water to cart, outhouses or composting toilets for comfort stations, and no shower facilities.  The weather forecast was rain, cold temperatures and more rain.  It didn't matter!  We were spending two days in the thumb of Michigan then meeting up with our kids and grandkids to camp just south of Tobermory, Ontario.  And so the adventure began...


Monday, July 22, 2013

Happy Birthday Little One

'Tis a special day, the birthday of an heir to the throne of England...

Congratulations to Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine Elizabeth Kate, nee  Middleton, Dutchess of Cambridge on the birth of their first child, a son!

Happy Birthday Little One!  May your life be filled with love, peace, hope and faith...


Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Wordless Wednesday - Turtles Sunning Themselves

turtles sunning themselves

Turtles Sunning Themselves
May 12, 2013


Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Wordless Wednesday - Sandcranes

sandcranes strolling past our lanai

Morning Visitors at Our Vacation Home
May 20, 2013


Thursday, July 04, 2013

The Cottonmouth

cottonmouth snake at our vacation home resort

The Cottonmouth Snake
May 12, 2013

We spent most of May at our vacation home in sunny Florida.  As is customary, I go for a golf cart ride around our resort after dinner.  There are many interconnecting small lakes and ponds so there is an abundance of wildlife.  One evening, my husband and I decided to take the ride together.  A few roads from our house we spotted a snake.  I'm not fond of snakes by any stretch of the imagination especially any larger than about six inches long.  I immediately knew this was a poisonous snake but wanted a picture anyway.  Let me tell you, it was hard for me to get a picture because I was shaking, hoping we would not spook it enough that it would strike.  The picture was taken from inside the golf cart about twelve feet away from the almost four foot long cottonmouth snake.  Needless to say we gave this snake the respect it deserved, took our pictures then scurried off looking for more photo opportunities!


Wednesday, July 03, 2013

Wordless Wednesday - Majestic Palms

palm trees against a backdrop of storm clouds

Majestic Palms
May 18, 2013


Tuesday, July 02, 2013

Bringing Back Wordless Wednesday

I have been in a blogging funk since the end of 2012.  As a result, I have not been blogging as much as I once was.  It's time to change that!  I am going to bring back Wordless Wednesday posting.  As per my previous style for these posts, they generally consist of a photo that has some meaning to me along with a short caption and date the photo was taken.  Sometimes I use a cartoon but not very often.  So, look for those posts starting tomorrow...


Monday, July 01, 2013

Happy Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day


146 Years Young

Strong, Proud and Free

Oh Canada!


Monday, June 10, 2013

Blue


I was changing out the facial tissue box in the bathroom and noticed the writing.  Blue is the colour of tranquility and dreams.    It is interesting how we attribute feelings to colour and how colour affects our mood.  We have favourite colours and colours we detest.  We surround ourselves with colour both indoors and outdoors.  Today is a blue day!


Sunday, May 26, 2013

Turtles!

turtles sunning themselves on the edge of a pond at our vacation home

Turtles Sunning Themselves
May 12, 2013

My camera is always close by.  Since moving into town almost two years ago, I have had less photo opportunities for wildlife.  It's not that I don't have photo opportunities, just not as many involving wildlife.  However, there are endless photo opportunities for wildlife at our vacation home.   During our spring visit to our vacation home, The water levels were the lowest we have ever seen them drawing wildlife out from their hiding spots.  We spotted several turtles sunning themselves on the banks of the many ponds in our community.  Normally, we only spot one or two so this was a rather nice surprise!


Friday, April 19, 2013

The Boston Marathon Bombing

Like many around the world, I was shocked!  It was one more act meant to inflict fear throughout the world.  While bombings are a sad but normal occurrence in some parts of the world, thankfully they are not in North America.  When they do happen in North America, it is a huge wake-up call.

The two homemade bombs that detonated in the last stretch of the Boston marathon left three dead including an eight year old boy, many wounded some still in critical condition and at least ten who had to undergo amputations.  Yesterday, the law officials showed pictures of the suspected bombers who were carrying backpacks.  Then the identities of the suspects who were brothers, Tamerlan Tsarnaey(aged 26) and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (age 19) was released.  They had immigrated to the US and assimilated into the American culture close to ten years ago.  Despite careful planning to execute the bombings, the brothers failed to plan their get away.  So they robbed a variety store, shot and killed a young MIT police officer and hijacked a car.  Apparently, the younger brother ran over the older brother while attempting to get away.  The older brother died in which originally was being reported as a shoot-out with police but explosives were found on his person so now there is a question as to whether he detonated the explosives himself.  The official cause of death will likely be released after an autopsy.  As it stands, 5 people are dead over this senseless act of terrorism.

This morning, I turned on CNN to catch the latest update.  About ten minutes later, reporters on scene of where there was a heavy police presence in Watertown, Mass. where the brothers lived, all of a sudden were very excited.  Police and tactical units were moving into the area in droves, police dogs were on scene, a helicopter was circling overhead making tighter and tighter circles and according to the reporters, they could smell smoke.  Police were evacuating the area and moving back people.  Then they moved people back again.  This is a heavily populated area so many families are affected.  The whole scene is buzzing with activity in a surreal atmosphere.  Reporters break in with short interviews from family and friends who knew the brothers then go back to watching the unfolding drama, waiting to hear what is happening but only able to speculate in the meantime.  And the manhunt for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev continues...


Friday, March 15, 2013

Age-Activated Attention Deficit Disorder


I have been out of academia and the workforce for several years now and while I do make an income, I consider myself semi-retired.  There days I go full tilt and get nothing done.  I came across this video that really explains my condition.  It sums up my days to a 'T'!  Quite frankly I have always displayed signs of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) but have never been officially diagnosed even though it is quite apparent.  The inability to concentrate and focus on one task combined with dyslexia really made earning my post secondary degrees a challenge and then some.  The only way I got through academia was by religiously following a very rigid schedule.  That made it difficult for our home life raising kids because I was not as spontaneous but it is what I had to do to survive long enough to earn my degrees.

Folks not affected by ADD have no clue how challenging and frustrating it can be.  It has nothing to do with being forgetful although I may have a bit of that now that I'm getting up there in years but I take thiamin to help with any memory issues.  The real problem is not being able to focus on one task.  I seriously cannot sit and watch television without doing something else at the same time.  I knit, crochet, blog, and the list goes on but I never just watch television.  If a commercial comes on, I am up puttering, emptying the dishwasher or doing whatever pops into my mind that needs doing.  If I am online and this one really drives my husband nuts, I have a multitude of tabs open on the browser bouncing between them.  It could take me well over a day to write a blog post because I'm up and down puttering between thoughts or checking out tangents online.  The distractions never end and it is not as simple as telling me to focus because there is just too much sensory overload for me to focus on one task.

Having ADD or even ADD symptoms does not mean you have dementia and with proper health care mixed with good genes you may never develop dementia as you age.  ADD really is an issue that if you have it, you likely have had it from birth and have dealt with it for your entire live.  It isn't something that just suddenly manifests itself.  Many with ADD tend to be perfectionists which feeds into the ADD because you either do it perfect or you are off on tangents to find out how to do it perfectly.  Many are also high end achievers - scoring in the upper tenth percentile academically, climbing that corporate ladder and basically to the outside world, everything is perfect.  But it isn't.  Along with  ADD comes an incredible amount of frustration, a healthy dose of low self esteem, and a feeling of being somewhat disconnected or disorganized.  It can lead to those with adult ADD to alienate or disassociate from people because they are tired of being judged for being a bit different.  It can lead to self medication via drugs or alcohol which can complicate the problem.  At the same time, those with ADD tend to develop some rather impressive coping mechanisms but then that is the same of any disorder.  You do what you have to do to get by in life.  ADD is not funny, it isn't fun dealing with it but I can so relate to this video!


Sunday, March 10, 2013

Plotting Revenge on Telemarketers

I don't know what it is about nearing the end of winter that brings all the telemarketers out from under their rocks.  We are getting bombarded with their calls on our land line and a few on our cell phones.  Not only are they irritating but they do cost us money especially the minutes on my cell phone.  Unfortunately, the CRTC has about much power as a wet noodle when it comes to telemarketers so these cretins are allowed to pester us anytime they please.  So, I'm plotting my revenge.

Don't get me wrong, of things to be doing aside of plotting revenge against telemarketers but my mind tends to wander a bit when I'm knitting or puttering around the house.  NCC (newspaper call centre) has been calling daily even though I told them to remove our number so that's a good one to start the revenge on.  Now, they are worse than any debt collection agency and when I asked them to remove our number he told me he couldn't.  So, I came up with several plans of attack, some of them a bit less likely to get me in trouble than others.  Finally, I went above his head and called the newspaper he was pimping, told them what happened and why I would never subscribe to their newspaper or any others owned by their head company as long as they were associated with NCC.  I declined leaving my phone number under the circumstances but did leave my name.  Then, I put NCC on call block on our phones.  Then as the final touch, I blogged about it because everyone should know they have the right to privacy in their homes, free of telemarketers interrupting whatever they may be doing. 

If you are suddenly getting a rash of telemarketing calls, it means your phone number somehow got onto a telemarketer list that is being sold to telemarketers.  Don't panic!  This does happen from time to time.  Telemarketers do not have the right to cost you time or money or even get your knickers in a knot.  If you are being bothered by a telemarketer, always go above them.  Complain to the company they are selling for and tell them why you won't be buying from them.  Call block them and if they get through by changing the number, block them again.  Note that call blocking won't work for telemarketers using a voice over system (eg. the number starts with VO) or systems like Skype.  Use caller ID and don't answer their calls although this does tend to encourage them to call back at a later time.  Do not put your phone number on the national do not call list as that list gets sold to telemarketers so the number of calls actually increases.  Pester the CRTC and file complaints.  My husband frequently gets telemarketers at the office.  His policy is when they start their sales pitch he says no thank-you.  When the go into the second angle, he says no thank-you again.  When they start the third angle, they hear the click.  I, on the other hand, tend to play around with them if I'm in the mood and if not and I recognize the number, it goes unanswered.  It's hard to not answer especially on the cell phone because you never know if it may be someone frantically trying to get a hold of you from another number. 


Thursday, March 07, 2013

A Couple of New Tactics Telemarketers are Using

Oh my gosh, I so detest telemarketers!  For years, they have bothered us on our land line even though we were on the Canadian Do Not Call List which is a total joke.  The CRTC really muffed this one up.  So when we moved, we got a new land line phone number.  Within 24 hours we started calls from a debt collection agency looking for the previous owners of our new phone number.  Man, they were beyond nasty so I blocking the calls.  Apparently our number went out onto Canada 411, something I quickly corrected.   Then as part of our move, I switched my cell phone to a pay as you go so now I had the great pleasure of paying for a debt collector to call my cell so I finally reported them to the CRTC.  The problem is all these phone numbers are recycled so if you happen to get one where the previous owner didn't pay whatever bill, you will get calls, very nasty calls even if you tell them you don't know that person but it does cost you money.  The simple solution is to not answer if you don't know the number.  Now I only answer my cell if I know the number. I set up a system with our kids that works well.  But now the telemarketers have a couple of new tactics they are using.

First, according to the CRTC newspapers can contact you for subscriptions.  It doesn't matter that we live in an electronic age where we can get information at our finger tips without ever using paper, apparently they can.  So, NCC (Newspaper Call Centre) has been pestering the living daylights out of us, calling multiple times daily as late as 9:30 PM.  I asked them to remove our phone number from their call list yet they persist.  Finally, I call blocked them.  This is really easy to do with our built in call block on our phone system and doesn't cost us anything.  All I have to do is hit menu, call list, save number to call block.  Easy, peasy. 

So, today I get a call from caller ID VO3081250500041 Out of Area.  I answered it an it was a telemarketer!  The guy went into his script then I interrupted and said I don't talk to telemarketers.  He said he wasn't a telemarketer.  I asked him if he was selling anything?  He answered yes.  I told him to quit wasting my time and hung up.  Now, this call is obviously from a Voice Over through the internet which means you cannot call block it by conventional means (eg. phone service, onboard features).  Now, I just heard of a popular online service that lets you make all the free calls you want in Canada and US in addition to the popular Skype.  If this is the case, the telemarketers have the upper hand for the time being.


Tuesday, February 19, 2013

The Stigma of Mental Illness

It was with great sadness to hear of the recent death of Mindy McCready at the age of 37.  This troubled young person took her own life just a couple of weeks her boyfriend, David Wilson, took his life.  Her life  aside of being a country music star was in turmoil.  There were accusations that she had actually killed her boyfriend and McCready felt the investigating sheriff was on a witch hunt.  The underlying problem in this case was mental illness and addiction with the failure to seek help due to the embarrassment and stigma of mental illness.


Addictions are in some ways a coping mechanism for dealing with mental illness.  Folks learn from a very early age that self medication via alcohol, OTC or prescription drugs, or illicit drugs eases the pain enough for them to function somewhat in society.  In fact, substance abuse is the number one way to deal with ADHD, ADD or OCD without having to tell any doctor you have a mental problem because there is a stigma with having a mental illness.  Even the doctors look down on those with mental problems!  Then it becomes a vicious cycle because once addiction kicks in there is the stigma of admitting you have an addiction and we all know an addiction is a mental disorder whether or not you have another mental disorder complicating the issue.  

The natural human response is self preservation so even thoughts or acting on suicide is abnormal.  The question is, it is simply abnormal and a sign of desperation or is it a mental illness.  Well, by definition of a successful suicide, the person can't keep repeating the behaviour or be cured from the result so I would not consider the act of suicide itself to be a mental illness.  Now, some have said only the insane would commit suicide.  True, as that goes back to the self preservation argument, but drugs and alcohol can cause a person to hallucinate or hear things that aren't there which could cause them to act on their suicidal thoughts when normally they wouldn't which only means they had addiction problems not necessarily a mental illness.

Society really is to blame, if you ask me.  Society asks too much of the individual but doesn't provide the support yet is quick to judge when the individual cannot meet those expectations.  Society constantly bombards a person with you are too fat, too thin, too ugly, too whatever come to mind and essentially never good enough.  Even if a person knows they have a mental illness, the chances of getting help is slim because if it goes on their medical record they could lose their job.  Good gosh help them if they are a celebrity like McCready if the news of a mental illness gets out to the fans or worse yet to the bloodthirsty, do anything for a dime paparazzi.   Child protective services could be called if a parent has a mental illness that could harm a child and let's face it the legal system is far from a friend to anyone with a mental illness.  Friends and family do treat those with mental illnesses differently.  They become judgmental, critical and even holier than thou because they are better than the one suffering as they aren't mentally ill.  They may become enabler as part of their unmentioned mental illness to keep their family member ill because it does feed into their own mental illness and dependency.  Heck, bullying even at the school age has become so common that kids are committing suicide regardless whether a mental illness has ever been diagnosed.  

Really, the label of the mental illness is just another way to keep people oppressed.  It is a way for society to get rid of the weaker while not taking blame for creating the problem it the first place.  At the same time for this to function for society, society has to convince those with mental illnesses that they are inferior.  They cannot seek or accept help and the only way out is suicide of which society will again judge.  Therein lies the stigma of mental illness...


Thursday, February 14, 2013

Traveling in In Climate Weather

We live in beautiful Ontario, Canada.  February and March are always pissy months especially when it come to traveling.  Heck, you can have sunny skies and dry roads easily turn into freezing rain and black ice.  Right now we are getting freezing rain.  This is the time we love to avoid driving if at all possible.  Now, we live in a community without public transit but hubby can walk to the office in about 5 minutes.  I can walk to the grocery store in about the same time.

If we have to travel out of town, if the weather is bad we just post pone it unless we have vacation plans.  Then it is onto plan B.  Most of our traveling to the sunny south is via air BUT we also enjoy traveling by train.  Granted we have to drive to the airport or train station but once there, travel is usually problem free.  We can grab a bit to eat and relax until we meet our destination.  It's a win:win situation that leave us not exhausted from fighting weather conditions when we arrive at our destination


Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Onto Round Two

Well, I really shouldn't say round two as round one is still hanging in there.  There is a horrid cold strain going around and I managed to catch it despite avoiding people like the plague, frequently washing my hands and not touching my face.  This is what at best I can describe as being a cold/flu hybrid as it has symptoms of a cold, the worst coughing fits ever producing a burning searing pins and needles sensation, mild gastointestinal upset, overall achy and yet no fever.  There's been some night sweats but that's it as far as fever and since I've had them before, I doubt they are related to this illness.  My cheeks are a bright red and according to others I look sick (nice complement) and the best compliment ever is I look pasty.

I am taking a tremendous amount of dietary supplements so now we wait and wait for this blasted illness to break..................


Wednesday, January 23, 2013

The Sick Factor

During the worst of my recent cold symptoms, I called my doctor to get evaluated, actually as soon as the coughing led to vomiting.  It was an odd week with her away for a funeral so I could either go to the walk-in clinic (30 minutes away) or to emerg.  Now the thing is I was not running a fever, the classical sign that you are sick.  My cheeks were bright red but no fever so I continued treating at home.  I figured sitting in the comforts of my own home with hot tea was a bit more pleasant than sitting in an emergency waiting room.  So, I called my doctor with an update of my status and the symptoms yesterday.  To which, apparently, there is now a great need to be evaluated.  Go figure!  Most of the symptoms are gone.  My body is beyond sore from the searing pins and needles, my skin is tender to the touch but other than that I feel just fine and I'm looking good too. At any rate, she would like to see me NOW.  Honestly, I feel no reason to go but perhaps there is something I am missing.  So I will humour her just a tad and hopefully in the end find out what caused that horrible searing pins and needles sensation!


Tuesday, January 22, 2013

The Cold From H E Double Hockey Sticks!

I'm just getting over a cold.  It didn't present like a cold.  In fact, it presented as a sore neck so I thought I had aggravated an old injury.  The sore neck gave way to a horrible sore throat.  A week ago Monday, the coughing started and there came my nightmare.  The coughing started suddenly making me feel my lungs were going to explode along with a beyond painful sensation of searing pins and needles (paresthesias) throughout my body.  For the next two days, I experienced that horrible sensation with each coughing fit followed by vomiting.  The sensation was a bring tears to your eyes worse than childbirth pain.  Once the cough settled down somewhat the residual effects of that searing pain remained so even today, I have some rather tender to the touch spots.  I'm still troubleshooting to find out what caused the pain.  I'm telling you this was the worst cold I have ever experienced and believe me I have had a few doosies.  And it was a cold because over the 11 day duration, I did not have a fever.

Be warned, there is a horrid strain of whooping cough going around.  Now this was not whooping cough as there was no fever or the tell tale whoop sound but it was brutal!  There is also a very nasty and very aggressive flu strain going around.  So do take a few preventative measures to stay healthy and happy during this cold and flu season.


Monday, January 21, 2013

A Recap on 2012

Well, for the most part I think 2012 came up slapped me in the arse, twisted me around and said thank-you very much.  It was about the oddest year even though we made a lot of progress.  Life is good and it is really beyond being good so I can't complain.  Even though we were adjusting to our new home, we did a lot of renovations, travelled more, entertained more and life was basically good.  Just 2012 was odd.

I had an injury accident that saw me off my feet for about 3 weeks.  Then hubby came down with a gastrointestinal upset that put him in the hospital for five days.  He very seldom gets sick but when he does, he does it good!  The weather was off the entire summer and the first time we took the boat out we took out the outdrive, again.  We used the boat twice meaning it was a costly toy.  The decision has been made to sell the boat.  End of.  That was made a bit easier by a new acquisition last week.

So, looking back at 2012 the only word that works is odd.  Good but odd.....


Sunday, January 20, 2013

Blog Your Blessing Sunday - The Retiring of a Meme

Blog Your Blessings Sunday

I have been doing Blog Your Blessings Sunday for almost 7 years now.  I can't believe it has been that long.  I started out participating in the BYBS, the brainchild of Neoblue Panther.  At that time there was a good following.  Over the years it has dropped to no following.  In fact, I haven't seen any of the originals that are still blogging, and many of them have moved on so are no longer blogging, still using BYBS.  I guess it is time for me to move on as well.

BYBS was always meant to be a way of acknowledging your blessings throughout the week, as small as they may be.  I absolutely loved and still do love the concept.  Being thankful for blessings as they come keeps us humble, always thankful for those good things in life, regardless of how small or insignificant they may seem.

I have been very blessed to be able to share the blessings in my life with you over the the past few years.  I am retiring BYBS but that doesn't mean I won't replace it with a regular feature but I'm not sure yet.  I have really enjoyed the BYBS posts.  Adios, fair well and to all those treasuring their blessing, I hope in some small way my weekly posts have helped.