Not Over Till The Fat Lady Sings

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the most patient of teachers.”
Charles W. Eliot (1834 – 1926)

Monday was D-day; my appointment with the hypertension specialist.  When I woke up on Monday morning and looked out the bedroom window I was horrified to see that it was snowing and blowing snow outside.  A few minutes later as I was looking out the living room window I saw an accident at the two way stop sign just down the street.  This little white car was driving through the intersection when this huge brown truck that had failed to stop and ran into it.  The little white car spun around several times and when it came to a stop the whole front end was a total wreck.  This young kid got out of the little white car and he looked mighty distressed.  The woman who was driving the truck and the man who was her passenger got out of their vehicle and all I could see was her arms and hands in perpetual motion.  The truck had no visible damage.  I felt so sorry for the kid.  After seeing the accident happen I wondered if this was a sign that we should stay off the roads that day.

Since appointments with specialist are so hard to get; we decided to risk it.  It is only a 45 mile drive but let me tell you it was nerve wracking.  The highway was sheer ice with snow blowing across it.  In places the snow had built up on the highway surface.  No one was traveling more than 60 -70 kms an hour.  I breathed a sigh of relief once we reached the city limits.

When we finally reached the hospital my husband told me to take a deep breath because my blood pressure would be through the roof after the stress of the drive.  You can imagine my shock when the nurse took my blood pressure and it registered 124/84.  She asked me why I was there. At that moment I wondered the same thing myself.  She then took a look at the letter No Name had sent and said, “Oh I guess you have a reason to be here with blood pressure readings that high.”   Obviously it is not stress that causes my blood pressure to spike.

The hypertension specialist was interesting to say the least.   At first I got the impression that he thought I had no reason to be concerned.  I told him I would be very happy to go home and stop worrying.  He told me that he was concerned, especially since my blood pressure fluctuated, spiking as high as 234/110 and then dropping as low as 90/53.  The hypertension specialist mentioned that he would be asking for copies of the results of my echocardiogram and CT Scans of the adrenal glands.  He ordered blood work which included tests for C3, C4, aldosterone, renin and a renal panel (potassium, BUN etc.). I had this done at the hospital where his clinic is located.  He told me he would be sending a letter to No Name requesting that I have further tests done to rule out a Pheochromocytoma.  I am to see him again in six weeks.

“O, wind, if WINTER comes, can spring be far behind?”
~ Percy Bysshe Shelley 1792-1822

School was cancelled today; the second day in a row.  Yesterday it was cancelled due to extremely cold temperatures; the reason today was a blizzard.  I was supposed to drive into the city this afternoon for my appointment with a Rheumatologist but thanks to the weather conditions I got a reprieve.  The appointment has been rescheduled for February 16th.

My mom called me yesterday morning at 10:00 AM to tell me that her heart rate was 150 and that she was worried.  Because of her heart condition these episodes are particularly worrisome.  I called her doctor and then went over to spend the day with her.  Her doctor wanted her at the hospital this morning for an EKG so we braved the blizzard to keep the appointment. The doctor took time this morning to explain what we should do if my mom experiences another high heart rate episode.

It is becoming more difficult for me to handle the stress of emergencies.  I wonder if my low cortisol levels can have such a pronounced effect on how my body handles stressful situations.  The nausea, dizziness, feelings of disorientation and of not being able to cope that occur as soon as a stressful situation unfolds are very annoying.  I never use to be like this.  It takes several days for the extreme fatigue that occurs after a stressful situation to run its course.   Mind over matter doesn’t seem to work as well as it once did.
My forgetfulness is becoming a real drag.  Last week Wednesday I took my mom to her doctor’s appointment.  I put my cane on the back of her car for a few minutes while I was helping her get up from her wheelchair.  Of course I never gave the cane another thought until we reached the clinic.  On the way home after the appointment, we saw my poor old cane, in several pieces, lying in the middle of the street.  Hopefully these episodes of forgetfulness are just a sign of old age and not something more sinister.  I swear I would forget my head where it not attached to my neck.

In my last diary entry I neglected to mention one of the highlights of our 10 year old grandson’s trip to Seattle.  It happened while checking through security at the airport on the day we were flying home.  No one paid any attention to the pants Grandson was wearing that morning.   Because of the buckles and zippers on them he set off all the security devices from “here to kingdom come.”  The female security guard escorted him to a chair and told him to remain seated until she could page a male security guard to come and search him.  My husband was the next one to be checked through security and as soon as he saw Grandson sitting on the chair he informed the female security guard that he was the boy’s grandpa.  She was not impressed and said, “Sir, please step away and go stand over there.”   After a few minutes a male security guard arrived, asked Grandson to remove his shoes a second time and did a thorough search of Grandson’s backpack, jacket, shoes, socks, pockets etc.  He patted him down and actually checked under his T-shirt.  The security guard finally completed his search and Grandson was allowed to join us on the way to our departure gate.  Grandson had been very quiet as we made our way to the departure lounge but once we got there he said, “Nana, do you really think they thought I was dangerous?”  Before I could answer him, he said, “Wow Nana, I can hardly wait to go back to school so I can tell all my friends that I was searched at the airport.  They won’t believe me so if they ask you; you tell them that it really happened!”  Kids; instead of being concerned or upset he thought the whole experience was “cool”.

This diary entry is long overdue and I apologize.  My only excuse is that I have been tired and unmotivated to write.  Since returning home, the bone pain has at times become unbearable however that is partly my own fault.  I insisted in participating in all the family activates while in Seattle regardless of the amount of walking involved.  The pain, in turn, makes me horribly fatigued.  All I have accomplished since our return is to unpack, clean the luggage, put it away and do the laundry.  It has taken me thirteen days to complete these simple chores. As mentioned in a previous post we had a wonderful Christmas in Seattle,  We celebrated with our two children, their spouses and our ten year old grandson.  We left home on Thursday evening, December 23rd and arrived in Seattle at 3:30 PM on Christmas Eve.  On Christmas Eve and Christmas day we opened gifts, ate a delicious Christmas dinner, played games and relaxed.  This was the first Christmas that I had nothing to do with preparing Christmas dinner.  My daughter and daughter-in-law accomplished that task with fantastic results. Our son had rented a van so that the seven of us could travel together in one vehicle.  We did some sightseeing on December 26th and stopped in at the Krispy Kreme donut shop.  We had lunch at a Russian restaurant on December 27th and of course ordered Pelmeni.    We spent December 27th and December 28th  shopping in Bellevue and Kirkland.  I stocked up on books, shoes, blouses, sweaters and items from the “Bath and Body Shop”. (Liz Claiborne and Jones of New York provide a selection of clothing in bigger sizes than they do in Canada).  My daughter discovered the “Pottery Barn” in Bellevue and “shopped till she dropped”.  Some of Grandson’s purchases included Xbox and Game Boy games and a number of interesting items at the Discovery Store.  Even I had fun playing with the voice changer.  Grandson spent one afternoon at a skateboard park in Kirkland.  He couldn’t over the fact that it was December 27th and he was skateboarding.   That evening he got to see the new Lemony Snicket movie at a theatre in Kirkland. One day we took a ferry to Whidbey Island, Washington.  We drove along it’s narrow, winding country roads, passed through the town of Oak Harbour and stopped at a park near Deception Pass.  We crossed the bridge at Deception Pass to get to Fidalgo Island and the city of Anacortes.  On the way home we took State Route 20 and stopped at the Calico Cupboard in Mount Vernon for lunch.  After lunch we did some shopping at Scott’s Book Store which is connected to the Calico Cupboard.  We continued on to Interstate 5 and the freeway to Kirkland.  By the time we got to the freeway it was pouring rain.  Coming from the Canadian prairies, driving along a Washington State freeway in a downpour is an experience I do not plan to repeat any time soon. A trip to Seattle would not be complete without a visit to the Space Needle.  Grandson and I, brave souls that we are, took the elevator up 520 feet to the observation deck.  My eyes were closed during the trip up to the observation deck.  I wanted to capture video from the top of the Space Needle but in order to get a good picture I had to leave the safety of the observation room and go out onto the deck.  Needless to say I clung to the wall with one hand while video taping with the other.  To say I do not do well with heights is an understatement. We also visited the “Experience Music Project” which is situated close to the Space Needle.  The “EMP” is a great place for both kids and adults.  During the first session in the recording studio my 10 year old grandson performed solo.  He picked the song “I Love Rock and Roll” and he put his heart and soul into his performance.  For the second session he was joined by his uncle (my son).    Both performances were shown on the big screens outside the recording studio. We left Seattle at 3:30 PM on New Year’s Day and had a three hour lay over out west.  We arrived at our airport at 12:30 AM on January 2nd in the midst of snow and blowing snow.  The area had been hit with a nasty blizzard two days before we got home and a second one the day we arrived.  Thankfully we had reservations at the hotel attached to the airport so our daughter, grandson and I headed to our suite as soon as we landed.  At first we were told the luggage would stay on the plane until morning because of the snow conditions but after an hour long wait the luggage finally arrived in the terminal.  At noon the following day, after digging the van out of the snow in the airport’s long term parking lot, we finally made our way home. The driveway at home was covered with three feet of snow.  Thankfully help arrived shortly after we got home so we could park the van in the garage and get the luggage unloaded. The nasty temperatures have persisted and today the schools were closed because of the cold.  The temperatures have hovered around -30C with wind chills as high as -46C.  It has been a good time to snuggle on the coach with a warm afghan and the books I bought in Seattle. Russian History and Culture – Classic Russian Cuisine: The Temptations of Pelmeni: Posted with permission from Cheryl Adams Rychkova

Classic Russian Cuisine

Just ONE is called a “pelemen.” But many are called “pelmeni” and they are one of the most traditional (and delicious) of Russian dishes. Making or eating just one is near impossible. Most people associate pelmeni with Siberia, and many recipes and references to the dish call it “Siberian dumplings.” Pelmeni probably did originate in Siberia, where hundreds or even thousands could be made, and then frozen and stored outside during the long winters. However, the dumplings became very popular all over Russia. They are close kin to “pot stickers,” “pierogies,” and other similar dumplings found in many cultures. The Russian variety traditionally is made of flour, milk, one egg, and salt. The dough is rolled out fairly thin, and cut in circles approximately two inches in diameter. The filling is usually a mixture of minced pork or minced beef, onions, garlic, salt, and pepper. Pork is often preferred because it makes for a very tender, juicy pelemen. Pelmeni should never be dry. The most traditional way of making pelmeni is by hand. You simply take a circle of dough, spoon in a little filling, fold the top edge of the circle over the filling, sealing it to the bottom edge very tightly with your fingers. Next, join the ends and pinch closed. Set a large pot of water to boil.  Once the water is boiling, add two teaspoons of salt, approximately 15-20 pelmeni, and three bay leaves. Boil until filling is completely cooked, remove the pelmeni into a bowl, and serve with sour cream, soy sauce, hot mustard, and pepper. For many generations, making pelmeni has been a fun activity for Russian families (and Russian-American families, too!).  Tradition dictates that the whole family gather round the table, from young to old, and help make the dumplings while talking, singing and laughing. It is not at all unusual to enjoy a bit of vodka during pelmeni manufacture! Pelmeni are a popular holiday dish as well, especially on New Year’s Eve. Many Russian families make thousands of pelmeni and freeze them for winter. There are few more convenient, spirit-warming, filling dishes on a cold winter’s day than Pelmeni. Another tradition associated with pelmeni is to place silver coins inside a few of the dumplings. Good luck is predicted to the ones who find a coin in their pelmeni. Also, if you find a bay leaf in your bowl of pelmeni, you will have good luck. There also exists, for modern convenience, pelmeni-making “machines,” which are really just a form to press through the two layers of dough and filling, sealing as it goes. Today in Russian grocery stores, there are a great many varieties of pelmeni featuring fillings ranging from mushroom to potato and cheese. Pelmeni recipe: Equipment needed: mixing bowls, small and large chopper/food processor rolling pin biscuit cutter spoons dutch oven (large sauce pan) cutting board cookie sheets/pizza pans, lightly floured 

1. Ingredients needed: all purpose flour (we’ve found White Lily is best)
2. milk  
3. 1 egg
4. mince (ground) pork (or beef or chicken, pork is the traditional)

2-3 large cloves garlic 1 medium onion 2-3 bay leaves salt and pepper to taste. In a large mixing bowl, place four cups of flour, press a “well” into the center using your fingers. Add into this well one whole egg, one teaspoon of salt, and enough milk to make a soft, pliable dough. Add milk gradually and mix the ingredients until dough forms.  Turn dough out onto a floured surface, such as a cutting board. Add a little flour and knead the dough until it is an elastic, medium firmness. Place in a lightly floured bowl or pan and cover. Set aside. Next, place the minced pork into a medium mixing bowl. Peel and cut the onion and garlic into manageable pieces. Place both into a chopper/food processor (or you can chop very finely with a sharp knife). Add the processed mixture to the pork, add salt and pepper, and mix very thoroughly, using your hands.  Now it’s time to gather your helpers and roll out the dough. Each person participating will need a small bowl (like a cereal bowl) filled with the meat mixture, and a teaspoon. As someone rolls out the dough and cuts circles, others fill the dough (a little goes a long way, and don’t overfill!), seal the edges and crimp the ends to shape a pelemen.  Place completed pelmeni in neat rows onto the cookie sheets and place in the freezer. They freeze quickly (in about an hour) and can be put into ziploc bags and returned to the freezer. Very few people who participate will be content to only make pelmeni. Everyone wants a taste! So, some do not need to be frozen. Just fire up the stove, heat a large saucepan filled 3/4 with water. Once boiling, add salt to taste, two bay leaves, and of course, the pelmeni! From the time you put the pelmeni into the pan — very hot to boiling water — until you remove them should take around 15 minutes) and serve with butter, sour cream, soy sauce, and/or “azhigga” What is ajigga?? I like to call it “Russian Salsa,” however this marvelous concoction did not originate in Russia. Rather, adzhiga seems to have originated in the Georgia-Armenia area some 400-450 years ago. (Spasiba bolshoi to Dr. Donald Houston for this information!)  Adzhiga is extremely simple to make, very delicious, goes with everything, and is extraordinarily GOOD for you. Here’s the recipe: ADZHIGGA Recipe: Four medium, ripe (riper the better, avoid grainy ones) tomatoes 4 cloves garlic dried medium hot red pepper (about 1 teaspoon) salt to taste Puree together in a blender or food processor. Goes great with Pelmeni, chiberecki and pretty much everything else in the western diet.  Best if eaten after it sits for a while in the fridge (4-6 hours).

I would like to wish each and every one of you a very Happy New Year.  May 2005 bring you much happiness, good health, peace and contentment.

I have a lot of catching up to do with this diary entry.  Decided to post a few pictures taken during Christmas while in Seattle.  The first two pictures were taken in the recording studio at the “Experience Music Project” in Seattle.  During the first session my 10 year old grandson did a solo performance.  For the second session he was joined by his uncle (my son).

Grandson picked “I Love Rock and Roll” by Joan Jett as his performance piece. 

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; the government shall be on his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Shalom (Peace)”.    Isaiah 9:2-7

 Merry Christmas from Seattle, Washington.  Hope you and your families are having a veryMerry Christmas; one that has given you many memories to cherish.

We left home Thursday evening at 8:00 PM and checked into a hotel attached to the airport.  It was -38C on Thursday and since our flight was leaving at 7:00 AM on Friday, which meant leaving home at 4:30 AM, we decided to be good to ourselves and spend the night in the city.  We changed planes twice and arrived in Seattle at 3:30 PM. Grandson is a great traveler and kept us entertained between flights.  The wheelchair services at all but one airport were excellent.  They had wheelchairs waiting for me as soon as we got off the plane.   Having this service available makes traveling so much easier.  There is no way I could have made it from one gate to the next without this help.

We are having a wonderful time.  It is so nice to spend Christmas with both our children, their spouses and our grandson.   The weather in Seattle is spring like compared to the weather at home.  It has been raining all day but we don’t mind.

This coming week will be spent sight seeing, shopping and “hanging out” together.

It has been a while since I wrote in my diaries.  Life just got the better of me and I was not motivated to write.  November was a busy month.  My daughter celebrated her 34th birthday on the 12th.  On November 25th I had an Open House for her so that she could display the jewelry she designs.  To inspire people to shop for Christmas, I decorated both floors of my house the week before the party.

December was spent getting ready for Christmas and for our trip to Seattle.  Even though at times I felt I would not accomplish all I needed to do, in the end everything got done.

The bone pain has become worse in the last two months.  Most mornings I have to use the walls for support to get around my house which becomes very annoying.  I saw No Name on December 12th and he has made an appointment for me to see a rheumatologist on January 6th.  I am very cynical at this point and have no expectations concerning this appointment.  After all the disappointing doctors’ appointments that I have had, I have very little faith that this one will be any different.  Quite frankly, I have become accustomed to my daily companion called “pain”.  If I woke up one morning with no pain I would think I had died and gone to heaven.

In closing I would like to wish you and your families a holiday season filled with happiness, peace and contentment.

Happy Halloween 

From ghoulies and ghosties and long leggety beasties and things that go bump in the night, Good Lord, deliver us! 
                                 ~Scottish saying

Happy Halloween.  Yesterday afternoon my grandson and I decorated the front yard with ghosts and witches hanging in the trees and pumpkins and skeletons on the lawn and front porch.  The seven foot life like skeleton was hung in front of the garage door.  We had more than 250 “trick or treaters’ at the door this evening.  Thank goodness the weather co-operated.  Grandson and I had a great time “dressing up”, he in his crypt keeper costume and me as the old witch.  My daughter, the creative genius, did a spectacular job on my face makeup.  

The fatigue caught up with me last night so I will finish this diary entry today (November 1st).  If only the medical professionals could come up with a reason for my overwhelming fatigue.  After an hour of answering the door last night, the dizziness returned with a vengeance.  This is always a sign that I am over tired.  However, instead of giving up, I plunked my butt on a chair so I could continue handing out Halloween goodies.  I couldn’t miss seeing all the cute little munchkins that arrived at my door. 

The leg cramps had eased off for a while but this week they returned with ferocity that I had not yet experienced.  I spent 4 hours last night pacing the floor.  My legs seem to have a life of their own and the cramps are dreadful.  My toes cramp and point up; it is almost impossible to stretch them to relieve the pain.  The cramps then move to the calf of my leg and continue up into my thigh. When I see No Name in two days I will ask to have my potassium checked.  If anyone knows of a way to get rid of leg cramps I would love to hear from you. 

Saturday afternoon we attended Grandson’s hockey game.  His team has certainly improved since their first game a week ago.  The score on Saturday was 9-3 with Grandson’s team being the winner.  Grandson had his first guitar lesson last Thursday evening.  His comment after the lesson was, “Nana, do you think I could take more than one lesson a week?  I just love guitar lessons and I would like to go to a lesson every day!”  Hopefully his enthusiasm continues throughout the winter. 

During the afternoon I went out to purchase more goodies for the Halloween bags.   I must say that shopping malls are not my favourite place and from now on I will do my shopping on-line.  Why not shop in the comfort of your own home instead of battling the crowds at the mall.  Trust me, I am not a pretty sight; hobbling from shop to shop with my cane, bags under my eyes big enough to sling over my shoulders, perspiration running down my face and all the while trying to stifle the groans.

Here’s hoping you all have a great week.
 The 6 feet tall blow up pumpkin on my front lawn.

A grandmother pretends she doesn’t
know who you are on Halloween. 
~Erma Bombeck

I’ll bet living in a nudist colony takes
all the fun out of Halloween. 
 ~Author Unknown
 

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.”
                                     ~ Henry David Thoreau

Saturday afternoon we attended our Grandson’s first hockey game of the season. It was an out of town game which meant an hours drive.  Grandson’s team lost 4-1 but they put in a tremendous effort.  After the game my husband and I went to the city for a bite to eat and to pick up supplies for the office. Hopefully someday I will be able to spend an afternoon in this way without suffering the consequences for the next two days.

Since it rained all weekend, I spent some time reading Patricia Cornwall’s new book, “Blow Fly.”  I have always found her books fascinating; the kind of books you just cannot put down. .  This one I am having trouble getting into.  I am not sure if it is because of the fatigue or because of the story line.

“Don’t walk behind me, I may not lead. Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.”
                                     ~ Albert Camus

The last couple of weeks have been extremely difficult ones for my family.  As I mentioned in another diary entry, my parents joined my family for Thanksgiving dinner and birthday cake for my dad on October 10th.  On October 12th my mother collapsed at about 11:30 AM.  This time she remained unconscious for a much longer period of time.  It was particularly frightening for my dad.  My mom had answered the phone; my dad heard her say hello and then he heard the phone drop.  She was on the portable phone so my dad picked up the regular phone in the same room to tell my mom’s friend that there was an emergency and he had to hang up.  When he tried to dial my number the phone wouldn’t work.  It took a bit of time before he realized that the portable phone on the floor was not disconnected.  By the time he reached me he was extremely upset.  Thankfully I am only a block and a half away from my parents’ house and managed to get there in 5 minutes.  When I saw my mom I immediately called 911.  It was only a matter of minutes before I could tell my dad to listen; you could hear the ambulance siren.  My mom was rushed to hospital and she regained consciousness in the ambulance.  She was discharged from hospital on October 15th. 
 

This last episode has been a wake-up call for my family.  We know that our mom has a serious heart condition but we did not realize that the problem is critical.  The doctor told us that our mom could live like this for a while but that the next episode of unconsciousness could be the last.  He also told us that loosing consciousness is a symptom of this particular condition. 
 
Needless to say I have been spending as much time as possible with my mom.  I have told her how much I love her and how much she means to me.  This last episode made me realize that now was the time to tell her all the things that I would want to tell her if today was her last day.  It has been extremely difficult to try to come to terms with my mom’s illness.  I keep hoping that the cardiologist is wrong in his assessment. 
 
One of my to do items last week was to research ways to make my mother’s home as comfortable as possible; to find ways to make the events of daily living easier and to give her easier and safer access to the bathrooms, bedroom, kitchen and living areas.  I have set up an appointment with an Occupational Therapist and the person who does Assessments for Home Care.  They will come into my parents’ home and determine ways that the family can make mobility easier for mom.  I expect they will recommend a pole/guard beside her bed to make it easier for her to get in and out, a bench with back for the bathtub so that she can sit down and just swing her legs into the tub and an adjustable bed.  She has purchased a walker which has become a necessity in the last two months.  I have also made an appointment for a meeting with Lifeline.  Once Lifeline is installed, all my father has to do in the event of an emergency is push a button.  wish my parents had had this device on the 12th.  It would have prevented a very stressful situation for my dad. 
 
Remember to cherish your parents; life can bring about very sudden changes.
 
When my dad called me on October 12th to tell me that mom was in trouble I could hardly breathe.  I started shaking almost immediately; my heart rate went through the roof and I started breathing very rapidly. By the time I got into my car I was drenched in sweat.  This was a very frightening experience and my only solution was to start praying that I would be able drive the block to my parents’ house and help both of them.  An amazing thing happened as I backed out of the driveway; I stopped shaking and my breathing returned to normal. 
 
During the last two weeks I have twice resorted to taking 10 mg. of Hydrocortisone.  I understand the ramifications of taking this medication but both times it was an absolute necessity.  My body does not handle stress well and the fatigue I was experiencing was making it impossible for me to do what I had to do.  The Hydrocortisone makes a tremendous difference in my life.  When I take it I am able to handle stress much better, the fatigue becomes bearable and I am able to accomplish what I have to do.  Amazingly the dizziness and nausea became less debilitating.  I am hoping when No Name gets back from his vacations in December that he will agree to test my adrenal glands. 
 
Hockey season has started and my Grandson, age 10, made the tryouts for the double AA hockey team.  He was beyond excited when he received the letter telling him that he was going to be a member of this team.  The position he plays is right wing.  I have probably mentioned before that no amount of bribery could persuade Grandson to continue piano lessons.  He informed me that piano lessons were something that I wanted him to do; not something that he wanted to do.  He is right.  Grandson has been asking to take guitar lessons and had picked out an electric guitar and amp at the local music store.  I decided that guitar lessons were better than no music lessons.  Fortunately, I found a music teacher that will incorporate the Royal Conservatory curriculum and rock into each lesson.  I picked up the guitar, amp and accessories yesterday afternoon and brought them to his house after school.  The expression on his face was worth every penny!   I bought the blue and white guitar that he had been dreaming about for weeks.  I am sure grandson’s dreams last night featured him as a famous rock star.  Grandson also decided to continue with Ukrainian dance classes.  This will be his seventh year as a member of the Ukrainian Dance Ensemble.  We measured Grandson for his passport application and he is 4 feet 11 3/4″ tall; not bad for a ten year old. 
 
The weather here has been cold and rainy for the past week.  It snowed last week Wednesday and Thursday but thankfully it was warm enough that it did not stay on the ground.  Daytime temperatures hover between 2C (35.6 F) and 4C (39.2 F).  Night time temperatures range from -1C (30.2 F) and -7C (19.4 F).  It is certainly cold enough to wear winter coats and jackets.  I hope it warms up over the weekend so I can get my outdoor Halloween decorations set up without freezing my butt off. 

Happy Thanksgiving to all our Canadian members.  The temperature today is 20 C (68 Fahrenheit) and the sun is shining.  Fall is definitely my favourite time of year.  I have such a sense of peace and calmness during this season.  The leaves have changed colour and the smell of bonfires is in the air.  There is a magical feeling surrounding me enhanced by the harvest moon, early sunsets and crisp evening temperatures.  You no longer have to feel guilty about not accomplishing all the yard work you had planned for the summer months. Weekends can be spent curled up on the couch with a good book.   Fall brings about the anticipation of the first snow fall and the preparations for Christmas.  

Today I relaxed and did nothing but read and eat left overs. I hope that you all have a happy Thanksgiving holiday; one that leaves you with wonderful memories to cherish.

Today is my father’s 85th birthday. We celebrated with a Thanksgiving/Birthday dinner at our house.  My mother has not been out of the house (except for two doctor appointments) since she collapsed on September 8th so the dinner today was extra special because my mom and dad were able to join my family (husband, daughter, son-in-law and grandson) to celebrate these two events.

The weather this weekend has been lovely with warm temperatures and lots of sunshine. On Saturday I managed to clean up the outdoor plant pots, pull the weeds and trim the plants in the flower beds along the side of the house.  Sadly by the time I finished this chore I was completely exhausted.  Someday I hope to be able to spend all afternoon puttering around my yard without having to “pay” with several days of utter exhaustion.
 
The window in my den is open and I just heard a huge flock geese as they flew over my back yard. They were making quite the racket and I suppose they are looking for a place to bed down for the night.  I got up to watch them and they were flying low enough so I could tell that they were Canadian geese. This is always a sure sign that it is fall and that winter is imminent.    

My grandson does a “last swim of the season” at Thanksgiving before the pool is “closed” for the winter. This has become a family tradition; he swims the length of the pool and back and of course we video tape the event.  The water temperature today was 58 degrees so there was a fair bit of noise when he first hit the water. After grandson’s swim this afternoon, my husband put the winter cover on the pool, sand filter and heater; a sure sign that summer is over.

“The greatest gift I ever had 
Came from God, and I call him Dad!”
~~Author Unknown.