I am mystified

The strangest thing happened to me today.  I still do not understand what happened.


All of a sudden, I became so cold that I started to shake from head to toe, could not stop.  I thought the best thing would be to get into bed with warm blankets and rest.

After two hours, I felt well enough to get up again and I was no longer shaking nor cold.

A friend of mine, who is a nurse, told me that there are a lot of bad viruses going around right now.

I wonder if that was what it was?


Hope it won't come back!

Thanks for dropping by.

HOPE THIS MAKES YOU LAUGH

My assignment for the writing class, due next Friday. I have had a really dry spell with my writing for quite some time and I am taking this class in order to try and get back into writing.  So far it is working and I am really enjoying the class. It was to be on any subject you would like to write on. This is what I chose and I hope it will give you a chuckle.  As another point of interest, I also have joined a singing group which meets near my home and is in the afternoon.  Two of my passions, writing and singing.

FRUSTRATION!

I am ready to throw a perfectly good book out the open window as I press and push down on the strip of velcro which is defeating me up to this very moment.

Oh yes, it is easy to peel off the back and press the sticky side to one side of the book.  I succeeded in that but only after a few battles using my nails, my perseverance and my stubbornness.  

“Rats, there goes my nail, the darn stuff is sticking to me like a leech trying to take blood.”

I’ll try to afix another long strip to my book on the opposite side.  I don’t want much, just to keep it closed so nothing will fall out!  That should be easy, right?”

Confidently I peel off the back of the next strip and press down.  It says to wait 24 hours to make it stick but I am curious, will it work?

“Drat, what’s this?  How can it work?  Do the fuzzy surfaces cling to each other like two lovers, on a flimsy raft in the Indian Ocean?”

My book, unlike the raft, is wide and sturdy. It has a three ring dictionary in it, and many looseleaf papers just waiting to be of use. It is a book I use for every course I have taken and is an old, old friend.  If I throw it out, it will be like throwing a piece of myself out.  Would I toss myself out into the trash bin, just because I am not as useful as before? My brains still work, at least some of the time, and my loyal book has years of life still in it.  We cannot give up.

“ Will the book’s wish to be of serve be foiled by a piece of velcro? No, I cannot allow that.  I will try again now that some time has passed and I am calmer.  It is hard to imagine how two strips of material can drive me to distraction and the thought of exterminating it becomes foremost in my mind.”

I edge towards the inoffensive book, ready to pounce on the velcro.  I press it together, it seems to mock me with it’s white fuzzy face.  I can almost hear it laughing at me and daring me to find another way.

“Shall I get my glue gun and zap it with that?  I knew there was a reason why I bought it months and months ago.  Was it bought just for this purpose - to hot glue it down so it could never escape again?  Am I capable of inflicting this on it?  Will I feel pity towards this inanimate object? No, not the way I feel right now!”  

“I cannot handle this rejection,I am off to the mall to buy some groceries.  Perhaps I will come up with another solution once I clear my head.”

It’s obvious that velcro and I have no future together!  

An hour later I return, walker basket full of apples, grapes, cabbage, bread and eggs not to mention some yummy donuts to have as a special treat.

A donut later, or shall I be more truthful, two donuts later, I decide to try once again with the velcro.

Bang, my frustration level has increased again.  I am ready to give up but I have thought of another way to overcome this situation which I know will work.

I shall pick a pretty colour and crochet a line so that I can tie up the book - it will be secure and safe.  I dig into the odd wool bag where I keep scraps of wool.  I see one that will suit.  Green,with blue, with purple. It should go fine as the book is purple.

My fingers move rapidly with my crochet hook as I listen to classical music on the radio and think my own thoughts.  Finally, it is finished.

I wrap it securely around the book and tie a knot.  A job well done, a book made secure and my blood pressure lowered to an acceptable level even to the doctor.

Moral of the story - don’t give up, just find another way to do it.

In spite of no sleep last night

I had a wonderful time at the writing group at the Library.  It is a 10 week course with an Instructor from Mohawk College.  His name is Jeff Griffiths.

It is two hours in length with a short coffee break in the middle which the library provides.  The library also provided a pen and a lovely notebook.  How spoiled we are.

It is a mixed group of men and women and two of the ladies from my singing group are also taking the course in writing.  I also met a lady who was with me at St. Joe's Convalescent Care in the summer and early fall.  I hope it will reawaken my interest in writing.

Hamilton may be a big city, but in some ways it is a small place.  It is amazing how one bumps into people.

I also enjoyed the music class yesterday late afternoon.  After that, I went to the club for a short while but stayed only for half an hour, if that.

I will try and sleep now as I am not functioning as well as I should be.

Have a good day and thanks for dropping by.

OVER THE HOLIDAY SEASON

 Boots - enjoying the wash basket

Ken's lovely meal

Their Christmas tree

The Chef for Christmas dinner

My monitor went out again and today my son was able to come and fix it, so am back on the computer again.

So much has happened - all good things.  Lunch with my group of friends from Whitehern, lunch with my Kitchener family, a dinner party at another friend's place, wonderful and enriching church services and the general feeling of well being enhanced by the festive air in the city.

I think I will start with pictures of the Kitchener family on December 16th when they came for a visit and to also celebrate their birthdays.

We had a lovely time and the afternoon sped by.  They caught the 5:30 bus back home.

Bill and Anna

Anna in front of the tree at the club

Beside the main tree

I love this fireplace at the Club

Bill in front of Christmas tree at the Club

I took Bill on a miniature tour of the Club

Buffet time with Ken before Christmas at the club

Ken - enjoying the buffet

Between Christmas and New Year's day our little group were invited to one of our member's homes for a lovely Italian luncheon.  She is a fabulous cook and also baker!

Here are some pictures.

I also had a nice time with Rosie and Hermie over the holiday season as well.  

A busy time but very nice.

Thanks for dropping  by and sorry for the delay in posting.  It is now the 20th of January and I am just posting it.

Quite a day today!

It was my former mother-in-law's funeral today and we travelled into Toronto and got there just a little before the start of the service.

We hadn't been in Toronto for quite some time and got a little disorientated but finally found Ward's Funeral Parlour on Weston Road.

It was interesting to go through the city from the Lakeshore.  Some parts I had never seen, some familiar.

We arrived at the funeral parlour in time for some photos and then the service began.  I hope to get a picture from the photo taken by a family member.

It was a celebration of Life For Petra Ernesta Rodrigues.  The pastor was amazing, his talk was all in Spanish but I understood most of it.  The younger man did a splendid job of translating as he went along.  No notes for either one of them.  What a gift to have!

There was guitarist and there were several Spanish hymns sung.  It brought back so many memories for me as I used to go with my mother-in-law to the Spanish services from time to time.

I was very impressed.  Elizabeth, one of the granddaughters, spoke eloquently of her Grandmother.  Petra was not only a grandmother, but a great grandmother!

The hardest part for me was to see my former husband.  I had not seen him for forty years.  He gave me a hug and I did not even recognize him until I heard his voice.  He wanted a picture of Ken and I and his sister Monika.  I shall look forward to seeing that picture eventually.

Petra has lived a long life (93 years) and also a good life and now is with God.  She was much loved by her family and friends and the room was almost full - mostly I think from her church.

We left immediately after the service and went on a trip down memory lane, all our old neighbourhood, places with memories and it was great!

On the way into Hamilton, we picked up KFC for supper and we all enjoyed a nice supper together.

I didn't take any pictures although I had my camera with me.

At Ken and Jody's place, I took plenty of pictures of little Eve, Ava the dog and we enjoyed a wonderful time together.

A day of looking back.

Ken and little Eve

Wilma & Eve

What I wore to the funeral today

A happy family

A busy day, full of emotions, mostly good and a nice ending!

Thanks for dropping by.


Hers is a picture from the funeral sent to me by Margarita, a granddaughter of Petra.

Two people born in Canada, two others born in Ecuador.