What a Life!

I am spending lots of time playing these days! I love my kobo - an e-reader. I also love all my toys in my craft room and of course, I would "just die" if I didn't have my computer(s). None of these relaxing days would be happening except for my fairy godmother Lesya who spent four hours here today, scrubbing and shining up our home. She is a treasure.
My friend Harriet broke her foot a couple of weeks ago. As her husband works full time. I have been her companion for her doctor appointments.
We had a quite an adventure on Monday. I took her to the cast clinic at the hospital. I got the complimentary wheelchair that sits at the information booth in the rotunda; stuffed Harriet into the seat (without doing too much damage to her poor foot) ; wheeled her into the hospital and then parked my car. After her cast was sawed off, we were told to go across the street where she would be fitted for her walking boot. I, in my infinite wisdom and with no other obvious choice, decided to wheel her over to the Brandon Clinic for her procedure. Bad move! The street was rutted and impossible to traverse with this chair. We got stuck in the middle of the street. Thankfully, a fellow kindly helped us out of the predicament and with his strength pushed Harriet to safety. We were in business again. Down to the basement we decended in the elevator. Whammo - the ramp was steep, too steep for me to be in control of the chair. I had to brake sharply and nearly sent Harrriet flying --- into the brick wall at the base of the ramp!
By now, the silliness had us in paroxisms of laughter. All was well, she got her boot and I took her to the exit at the other end of the building. I walked back to the hospital parking lot, drove over to the clinic and picked up my passenger. Oh dear, I still have the wheel chair to return. Harriet suggested I load it in the car and drive back as I had to retreive her crutches anyway. I pushed and pulled, twisted and turned but the darned thing would not fit. A couple of helpful fellows came over and they pushed and pulled until voila! They succeeded. Back to the hospital we drove; pulled up to the ten minute parking zone and tried to remove the chair from my car. I pulled and pushed, turned and twisted. swore and laughed but it was there to stay. A lovely young Hutterite lady got out of her van to help me. She gave up  and went back to her vehicle.Again, a good samaritan came to our rescue. He struggled for some time before he succeeded. Thank goodness. I don't have a wheelchair living permanently in my back seat!
So to all the friendly Manitobans who helped a couple of antique women, I salute you!
Cheers from Donna

Oh Canada

Oh my. It is so very cold today. This week we have been in a very deep, deep freeze. The temperature did improve but the wind was so fierce the chill penetrated right through my bones.

I have been watching the terrible situation in Egypt. Thankfully, Rick's family escaped the violence. They were on the first flight Canada chartered from Cairo. It was  a time fraught with danger for them. They were among those who had to pay the guards $2000.00 before they were allowed on the plane. After the money was extorted,  the Egyptians tried to force them back to their homes and abort their flight. I am sure that as cold as Brandon is this week, their welcome home was warmer than one could imagine. We are so lucky to be Canadians. There are worse things than our climate. Freedom is sacred.

The Lieutenant Governor's Festival starts tomorrow. Jim and our neighbour have plans to attend. Good for them. I don't like standing in line ups since I broke my leg. The pain isn't worth the pleasure of the affair. Matthew used ot be the mascot for the German pavillion! He is really a mix of Anglosaxon and Hungarian; there is no German in his blood. LOL He was the right size to wear the lederhosen. That is where he started honing his public relations skills. I think that Pavillion has taken a hiatus this year.

Our little city has become quite the amalgam of cultures. When we moved here, there were very few different coloured skin tones. Now, we are such a mix. It make our town an exciting place to live. There are several sushi bars, a Korean restaurant, Italian, Greek and we even have a Newfie cafe!  What a country!

Here's a toast to the greatest country in the world. Oh Canada!
Cheers from Donna

Curling season is here

Jim is a fanatic about  TV at this time of year. The days and evenings revolve around the curling schedule. He gets quite frustrated when he can't find a game to watch. What is the matter he mutters as he clicks the remote control searching for his passion. So, as other wives are golf widows, I have a curling couch potato in my home.
The neat thing is that his grandchildren also love the game. Jenna and Matthew are very avid curlers. I think Alyssa is developing a love for the game too. Both Dusty and Mandy can curl. It is a real prairie cult.
I spent a few hours this past week driving a friend to her doctor and also to the hospital for an Xray. I lent her my cane so she can hobble around. This has reminded me of the months I spent recuperating after surgery for  my fractured leg. I needed the help of my family and friends for several months. I am so thankful that I am now ambulatory. Tomorrow, I will be the one helping her as we wonkily make our way to our seats for the symphony.
I have been busily printing pictures of our trip to PEI. I am so thankful for the digital camera which means one can take oodles of shots and only print the few that are special. 
Ok - the curling is over so Jim has turned off the idiot box and is now looking for something to do.
It is time for me to crawl into bed and read. I have just begun a  book called An Irish Country Doctor byPatrick Taylor. It reminds me of the wonderful Irish doctor who was my physician while we lived in Elkhorn. I do miss the personal attention our country docs gave so selflessly and so graciously, that is is if one were really ill.
Here is a toast to the family GP's of small town Canada.
Cheers from Donna

It's a Cold January Evening

 It is a cold night. I have been too chicken to step outside other than to reach around the door to pluck my mail and daily paper out of the box. Jim hasn't even gone out to play today! We each enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate, Jim's was laced with Kahlua.

I have been on a steep learning curve trying to figure out the blog thing.I am puzzling about  how to add pictures. I will succeed, I will, I will! No darned machine is going to defeat me, I whimper.My first effort ended up with the picture landing in the last blog I wrote. It is one of Kylie and Jim at the hockey arena in Charlottetown. I love the expressions on their faces. Now, it is where I wanted it. Go figure.

I am not sure if I feel blessed or lazy! The girls arranged for a cleaning lady! She has come several times and has done some really deep cleaning. Since my accident I don't have the agility for knee bends that deep cleaning entails. Our lovely helper is named Leysia. She is a quiet hard working woman who has a dignity that demands respect. I think we are very lucky to have her in our lives. Thank you daughters for recognizing our needs and giving us a such a generous gift. This one will really keep on giving.
Cheers from Donna

Baby, it is cold outside!

When I opened the drapes this morning, it was to a winter wonderland, but a darned frigid one! There must have been about a foot of fresh snow on the driveway. The pristine white blanket that lay smooth with no tracks marring the surface was very beautiful.  I am afraid, though, that my mind just said Brrr! I chose to stay inside and enjoy the scenery from the warmth  of my home.
It was a quiet day; one I needed to recharge my battery. I read a little, watched some tv  and played on the computer. This evening the neighbours came over for a card game. All in all, it was a nothing day, but a very enjoyable one.
Jim played out in the snow for a while with his snow blower. He is making noises about buying a new machine. I see this purchase on the near horizon. He deserves one as he spends many hours plowing out our driveway as well as those of several neighbours.
My daughter-in-law called about noon to report in. Dave had meetings in Moncton yesterday so the family went on an excursion and got snowed in overnight. They made it home today in time for Dave to head out to work. The snow in the Maritimes is very heavy and wet. It makes wonderful snowmen.
This evening I spoke to Laurie and to Lisa. The communication system has come a long was since I was a girl. We had a "party line". This meant that several families used the same grid. Our call was one long and two short. I remember that my uncle's was two long two short. If there was a community emergency the operator would give a signal of many rings. Everyone would rush to the phone to find out what the problem was. There were no secrets as many of the customers would "rubber' which meant they would listen in to conversations to find out what was happening My mother had this habit finessed. She would grab a cup of coffee and settle down for a good listen.  As we had no TV it was a great pasttime, especially in the winter when we were snowed in. Today, we email, skype or call on the phone whenever we wish. My grandmother once said she was born a hundred years too soon. I think she would really have enjoyed living in todays' techy world.
I am off to read with my e reader. Good night all.
Cheers from Donna

Jet lag is finally over, I hope!

I haven't dropped in for several days now. I guess I needed to rest after our trek across five provinces on the 6th. We flew from Charlottetown to Halifax; then from Halifax to Montreal and finally from there to  Winnipeg. Of course, each stop required a different plane. I have finally swallowed my pride and now get wheel chair assistance at each airport. This makes travelling much simpler for us in our old age.
We were pleasantly surprised when we reached Halifax. It is an international hub and is so much larger than we expected. The building has lots of windows,is very bright and cheery. There are lots of shops along the discourse. We spent a pleasant hour there. When we reached Montreal we were given an upgrade on our boarding pass. It was a treat to sit on the Executive section - in front of the curtain rather than behind it! We were given very courteous and kind service by the attendant. The meal was delicious. Hmmm.  It makes one wonder if we should cough up the extra money to use this service every time. I guess not, but it was a good thought.
Jenna is staying with us for a couple of days. It is so much fun to have  her here. She spoke at the geological conference in Brandon and had, I think a great time. She will fly home on Tuesday.
Tomorrow Rick flies to BC and so Viv and Matt will come for dinner . It will be a fun time; I just wish all my kids could be here.
I love the pictures of Laurie and Rod's new home. I guess it is time to start saving my pennies for my westward excursion. I'll be buying another suitcase  though, as Air Canada surely wrecked the one I was using.
I wonder if we will have a big snowstorm tomorrow? The odds are fifty - fifty! 
We have quite a snow bank already.
Good night from Manitoba!

Cheers from Donna

Goodbye PEI

It is with mixed feelings that I am packing tonight. I am sorry to leave my family and the wonderful province of PEI. On the other hand I am looking forward to returning to my home; reading the cards and messages that are waiting there and sleeping in my own bed. The icing on the cake will be seeing our Jenna. She is in Brandon for a few days as she is giving a presentation to the geology students at BU.

I have already been on the West Jet site looking at air fare for Comox, BC. I can hardly wait to see Laurie and Rod's home of which they have taken possession today. Hmmm. I could very easily become a frequent flyer!
We went to the Andrews Centre this evening to watch Jake do his hockey drills and scrimmage. It is so cute seeing the little fellows trying so hard to be Sidney Crosby. I think Jake spent more time on his butt and his tummy that he did skating tonight. He is a determined little fighter.

Ann came over from New Brunswick for a visit. She is the image of her mother! We enjoyed catching up on the news of her family. I must say she has joined the elite grandmother club. It gives us bragging rights that parents
don't have. Perhaps the next time we are here we can visit Ann and Dan in Sackville.

My packing is done and I am now going to relax and watch the Canada/Russia Jr. World Hockey final. So far, Canada has a three to nothing lead!
Go Canada, Go!
Cheers from Donna