From the Land of Chrissyville

Chris has a blog!

It's called www.chrissyville.blogspot.com

Give her a shout out and welcome her to blogville!

Driving Dog

You gotta love this~!

Thursday Thirteen

1. I think 13 things are way too many but then that's just my opinion.
2. The lawn mower man has finally shown up. Woopee! We celebrate when he shows up and we don't have to mow our own lawn, considering that's what he gets paid the big bucks for.
3. We have a new truck.
4. We have 2 new beautiful kittens.
5. Chris is back to work.
6. I'm still going to Physio.
7. I still don't know how to dance.
8. It's beautiful weather outside.
9. We have a crazy dog with a lot of issues.
10. How about calling it Thursday Ten instead?
11. I love palm trees.
12. I love the sunshine.
13. I love the beach.

Physiotherapy

This is my last week of Physio before I start going to a Gym/Strengthening program. I hope that by the time I'm finished tomorrow I'll be dancing like this...so far, it's not looking that way. But it's getting better and I can now wear a loose fitting shoe. If I could just keep my foot out of my mouth I should be alright.

If You See Sheep

It's Here!

Yes folks, that truck is now Chris's! Yeah Chris! It will look a little different next week after they get through 'sport'n it up with running boards and a splash design.
Last night Chris walked through the door on cloud nine and said "where do you want to go for dinner"
I said "Harrison Hot Springs!"
So that's what we did. Nice ride. All the way there and back Chris played with the windows. Up and down. Up and down. Power windows baby. Just because she can.
Only one word.

SWEET!!!

I've Been Tagged-8 Things About Me

My loyal reader Barb has "tagged" me and since I know better than to mess with her, here goes...

8 Things About Me

1. When I fall in love I fall hard

2. I hate country music - hate may be too strong of a word, so how 'bout Country isn't my fave?

3. I don't like a lot of green vegetables

4. I watch a lot of TV

5. I love to buy shoes, especially Nikes which go on sale at a sporting goods discount store by my house.

6. I'm currently on WCB because I broke my ankle at work.

7. I'm usually pretty easy going and not hard to please.

8. I have a few really good friends and I treasure their friendships

I should also add;

I have a huge collection of grey t-shirts! I'm sure that's noteworthy somewhere in the world.

Just Because You Asked

Benson giving Maggie "the paw". He's got a bit of attitude. Not sure where that comes from...other than he fits right into the family!


Here's my boy Bailey. Don't you love his moustache? He's very handsome. I think I'm in love!

4 Religious Truths

THE FOUR RELIGIOUS TRUTHS



It is important for those of all faiths to recognize these four religious truths:

1. Muslims do not recognize Jews as God's chosen people

2. Jews do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.

3. Protestants do not recognize the Pope as the leader of the Christian World.

4. Baptists do not recognize each other at Hooters.

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

This is Chris the mighty mouse hunter just before crawling under the cottage to set traps. Wouldn't you be afraid if you were just a little itty bitty mouse?


It's hard to always look your best..........LOL

Tire Kickin'

Today we spent the day kicking tires of big fancy new trucks. They're nice! And expensive! The word "sweet" was heard over and over as went toured lot after lot.
You never know...

Does This Pillow Make Me Look Fat?

This afternoon Chris and I were sitting in the living room, the picture of domesticity, recliners reclined, each with a cat on our lap watching Judge Judy (it doesn't get any better than this)
I think Maggie was feeling a little left out. Chris said, "hey, check it out. Look at Maggie."
There she was all curled up in the cat's basket pillow. All 56lbs of her.
No wonder she has issues.

Just 'Cuz They're So Darn Cute!

Bad Betty and The Girls

Yesterday Chris and I drove out to Abbotsford and picked up my mom, aka Bad Betty and took a drive in the country to a farmhouse/restaurant. It was one of those places that sells its own poultry and produce in a little store. In the back are all different rooms of the farmhouse where you can sit and order food. The food was wonderful and we all had a great time. My mom loves it when we take her out, she tells the same stories every time, over and over and over and over...and over again but I feel like time is short and I need to spend time with her while I still have her around.
Every morning she runs around the lake by her house. They call her the road runner because it's just a blur seeing her go past. Nobody believes she's 80 by the way she moves. Too bad her eye sight is so poor. She tends to bump into things a lot. hmmm, I seem to have inherited that trait.
The kittens are settling in, they're so much fun to watch. Maggie's being great and leaving them alone.
Tonight we're going to take Diana (aka The Millionaire) out for her birthday dinner.

2 Ladies Talking in Heaven

1st woman: Hi! My name is Amy
2nd woman: Hi! I'm Linda. How'd you die?
1st woman: I Froze to Death.
2nd woman: How Horrible!
1st woman: It wasn't so bad. After I quit shaking from the cold,
I began to get warm & sleepy, and finally died a peaceful death. What
about you?
2nd woman: I died of a massive heart attack. I suspected that my
husband was cheating so I came home early from work to catch him in the act. But instead, I found him all by himself in the den watching TV.
1st woman: So, what happened?
2nd woman: I was so sure there was another woman there somewhere
that I started running all over the house looking. I ran up into the
attic and searched, and down into the basement. Then I went through every closet and checked under all the beds. I kept this up until I had
looked everywhere,and finally I became so exhausted that I just keeled over with a heart attack and died.
1st woman: Too bad you didn't look in the freezer---we'd both still be alive.

Back to Normal

The kittens are settling in and Maggie is being very motherly around them. They don't seem to be too scared of her and she's just plain nosy as to what they're all about. Right now they're a little stoned on catnip, get them drugged early in their lives, makes for happy children right?
My physio seems to be going well and I've graduated to just an ankle brace, yahoo! My appointments are getting longer and I'm starting to do more exercises, trying to get the foot moving again.
Chris is going back to work next week so life is slowly returning to normal. Whatever normal means.

It's All Kittens Around Here

Life is all about the kittens now! They're crazy and never having had kittens before I'm quite mesmerized just watching the little guys. They discovered shower curtains and toilet paper all in their first night! They must be very smart cats, LOL. This morning they went to the vet for their 'get to know you' visit and got shots and exams. Not too impressed but now they're sleeping....

They're Here!!!

Our big news today is that we are the proud parents of 2 baby kittens! Yup, you read it right...2 very cute little grey kittens, they're brothers. One's long haired and has a little black moustache, I've named him Bailey and the other is grey and has white spots on his back and Chris named him Benson.

I tried getting photos of them after we brought them home but they were just too fast on their feet dartin' here and there. I took these after they started settling down a little.

Maggie's been wonderful welcoming her new baby brothers.

Announcing....

not quite ready to make the big announcement yet but Maggie's checking in on things.

Big News!!!

Sorry, no time for details right now. Will post soon with photos....

Oh My Achin' Foot

I'm getting very tired of having a sore ankle and just wish it would get better already! I'm going to Physio 4x a week but it's just taking so long. Last night I was in so much pain I contemplated going to the hospital. But Survivor was on (yeah) so I just hung in there and kept applying ice.

Moses' mom comes home tonight so we're going to the airport to pick her up. He's looking mighty fine in his new collar I got for him. I'll miss the little guy but I just heard from Chris and they're on their way home from Vernon. So it's all good. Life returns to normal.


Becky arrived this afternoon (Chris' other dog) because Diana is moving this weekend. The mansion will be empty until the new owners move in Oct 1. I just want to take one more dip in the big girl bath tub. I'll miss that more than anything.
That's it for now....have a good weekend peeps. Peace out. (I learned that from my friend Barb, she used to be in a gang) haha

There's a Shark In My Bed

OK, yesterday morning I woke up having dreamt I was a Bounty Hunter. This morning when I woke up there was a shark in my bed!
Yes, it's true. Well, not a real shark of course (what were YOU thinking?) but a little stuffed one. Moses had been up and brought it back to bed. He loves stuffed animals, being a Whippet. He even walks around the block with a stuffed bunny in his mouth. A manly man dog. He doesn't even care if people make fun of him, he just lifts his head a little prouder.
Yup, he's a whippet all right. He goes home this weekend, I'm gonna miss the little feller.

Well You Just Never Know...

Ghandi

Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him .....A super calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.

You Know You're Watching Too Much TV When...

you wake up the next morning realizing you'd been dreaming about being a bounty hunter on Dog; Bounty Hunter. Now granted, it is one of my favorite shows. Not just because I'm a sucker for a man with long hair (Who told men that bald is sexy anyways? That person needs to be shot but that's another blog). The show is also filmed in Hawaii and I watch the scenes and neighborhoods and recognize lots of it. It took me a minute to shake my head and say "no way" but you know how sometimes you wake up from a dream thinking it was real?
There I was dressed in bullet proof vests, riding around in SUV's and being a bounty hunter.
Yup, watching waaaaay too much TV.
Tomorrow night is Survivor! Who knows what I'll dream about after that!

Who Me?

This afternoon I was upstairs doing some laundry. Moses (the whippet I'm looking after) was downstairs by himself. Whippets are notorious for getting themselves into trouble and predicaments. Having owned whippets since 1993 I have lots of stories about these crazy dogs.
Anyways...I could hear the TV downstairs but as I listened it seemed like the channels were constantly changing. I went downstairs and came around the corner just in time to see Moses standing on the remote control and sure enough, channels were changing in rapid succession.
I said, "hey Moses what are you doing?" He just stood there and turned his head as if to say "just checking out to see if there's anything good on".
Funny dogs, those whippets...I love 'em.

Flannigen (and Moses)

This was my beloved Flannigen, a purebred whippet. I had to put him down 2 years ago and I still miss him. He was a beautiful dog, and a champion show dog. Whippets are the most unusual dogs and nothing like what people think they are. They look like they're high strung but they're the biggest couch potatoes. They're very loving and affectionate and love to cuddle. For the past month I've been taking care of Flannigen's brother Moses. Moses is a sweetheart and it's been great having him around.


Heeeere's Moses! This was taken on Sunday when we were in Abbotsford visiting Barb. We went to the park for a picnic. Moses is hoping to get his share of the loot and doing his best to look adorable.

A Happy Life

I saw this on someone else's blog and thought, ah why not? It's how I feel...go ahead, put it on your own blog, make it yours, embrace it!

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, enough hope to make you happy.

Always put yourself in others' shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts the other person, too.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

Happiness lies for those who cry, those who hurt, those who have searched, and those who have tried, for only they can appreciate the importance of people who have touched their lives. Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss and ends with a tear. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past, you can't go on well in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so that when you die, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

Hawaii

Often I have memories of Hawaii and the years I spent in the sun. Today was a day for Hawaiian memories. I was thinking of the times we used to go sailing and were fortunate enough to know people with sailboats. Life was good!
Life is still good...I'm very blessed.

Deka Lake

This is Deka Lake in the Caribou where we have our cottage. We've fallen in love with the place. There are many homes along the lake, lots of B & B's but they're WAY out of our financial reach so here's our little home.........


We have lots of ideas of how to improve things and we've already done a lot of improvements but it's our home away from home and we love it. This year we've had some friends visit and that was fun. I loved being able to show it to my mom as my mom was the same age as me when they bought their summer place.
Next year we hope to tear down some of the old sheds and rotten buildings that are on the property.
We've also bought the lot next to us so now we have a full acre. If the day ever comes we want to retire, who knows, we may just build a new house. By then we will have lots of carpentry experience!

Niki and Alaia

Here's a photo of my niece Niki and her beautiful daughter Alaia. Alaia doesn't like posing for the camera unless she's paid to! She's been doing commercials since she was only a few months old so this must be her "too much paparazzi for me" shot. Niki is a single mom and doing a great job, well done Niki!

How Evangelical Are You?

The last few days I've been reminiscing about my old College days and thinking about what "good" Christians we all were back then. We prayed for those who were not as spiritual as us. hmmm........I wonder where they are now and if they really are all that bad. I doubt it.


1. In the last election you:
a. Made MoveOn.org your homepage.
b. Listened carefully to all candidates’ positions.
c. Tithed to the Steven Harper campaign.

2. Your children attend school:
a. at the local public school.
b. at a private school.
c. in your living room.

3. You think “backslide” is:
a. A country dance step.
b. A type of alcoholic drink.
c. A sinful state of non-belief.

4. If someone says “See you here, there or in the air,” you know they mean:
a. “I’d like to see you hanged.”
b. “Let’s get together on our next business trip.”
c. “See you at church, in heaven or at the Rapture.”

5. Your car bumper sticker reads
a. Pro-Child, Pro-Choice
b. My child is an honor student
c. My boss is a Jewish carpenter

6. The last time you raised your hands was:
a. During an encounter with the law.
b. On a roller coaster.
c . During praise and worship.

7. Prominently displayed in your living room is:
a. Your vacation shot glass collection.
b. An expensive piece of modern sculpture.
c. A Thomas Kinkade painting the size of a child’s swimming pool.

8. The last time you read the Bible was:
a. At your aunt’s memorial service.
b. When you were bored in a hotel room.
c . Five minutes ago.

9. You hope heaven is like:
a. The Summer of ’69.
b. A non-stop rave.
c. A gated, Conservative community.

10. Before each meal you:
a. Have a stiff drink.
b. Say grace.
c. Give an altar call for your family.

11. The last time you were in a bar, it was to:
a. Pay your tab.
b. See the guys.
c. Hang posters for an evangelistic crusade.

12. You greet your friends by saying:
a. “Where’s the money you owe me?”
b. “How’s it hanging?”
c. “Blessings, brother.”

13. When another driver cuts you off in traffic, you:
a. Give him the finger.
b. Take down his license plate number.
c. Pray for his salvation.

14. On your last vacation you:
a. Got drunk in Cancun.
b. Gambled in Vegas.
c. Built a church in Ecuador.

15. You think Wal-Mart is:
a. A greedy corporation.
b. A downscale place for cheap goods.
c. An extension of your local mega-church.

Congratulations on finishing the EQ test! Award yourself
0 points for every “a” answer,
5 points for every “b” answer
10 points for every “c” answer.

125-150 points Very evangelical.
75-124 Somewhat evangelical.
25-74 Backslidden.
0-24 Unsaved.

Give Us This Day

How to Tell Fresh Bread



When you go to buy bread in the grocery store, have you ever wondered which is the freshest, so you "squeeze" for freshness or softness? Did you know that bread is delivered fresh to the stores five days a week? Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Each day has a different color twist tie.


They are: Monday = Blue, Tuesday = Green, Thursday = Red, Friday = White and Saturday = Yellow. So if today was Thursday, you would want red twist tie; not white which is Fridays (almost a week old)! The colors go alphabetically by color Blue - Green - Red - White - Yellow, Monday through Saturday. I thought that was interesting information to pass along.

Church Pianist

I was a Church pianist/organist for years. Some good memories, some not so good. Sometimes I miss it, sometimes I don't. Depends on which side of the bed I got up on

And The Beat Goes On

This afternoon I went for the first half of my assessment at the Physiotherapy Clinic. Apparently WCB had said I could start the program afterwards, wrong! The therapist said it's a pretty intensive program, 4 hours a day, 4 days a week. Not designed for people with a) casts on their feet and b) people who can't even stand up on their bad foot.

So...I go for the second half of the assessment tomorrow and they will decide along with WCB the next course of action. Probably physio for a few weeks just to get strong enough to start the program.

Ouch...apparently the pain is not all in my head!

Jesus is Cool

I don't normally write too much about my Christian background although I enjoy reading other's journals about their Christian walk and journey. Somehow this blog has just taken on a life of the 'immediate' family and not my Christian family.
So...for a little background. I grew up in a Christian home, spent half my life in Church, went through some troublesome teenage years but ended right side up in a Baptist College in Hawaii after High School.
Years following were spent ministering in (mostly) Charasmatic/Pentecostal churches where it seemed I was there every time they opened the doors and lots of times it was me with the key.
However, since getting into Group Home shifts and working, working, working Sundays and more Sundays and then driving Handy DART on Sundays, it's very challenging to get to Church let alone actually belong somewhere.
So...in this modern age I get a lot of my Christian fellowship off the internet. I read people's stories, blogs, testimonies, web sites, and one thing that always comes home to me is that we as Christians don't treat each other very nice sometimes.
After being employed by numerous Christians I have to say that working for Christians is not all it's cracked up to be. I've been mistreated, taken for granted and hopelessly underpaid. I've gone without, had to wait for a pay cheque to clear (until after Sunday's offering) and worked long hours without any compensation and told "you'll get your reward in heaven".
Saying all that makes me sound a little cynical and yet I continue to serve God in my own way. I choose to live my life wanting to please Him, though I know I often fail.
Bill Gaither says it best..."love God and love each other". That's my goal. So there's my sermon for today.

Cottage in the Caribou

We're home again, safe and sound. We had a fabulous time away, so relaxing and peaceful. The dogs were wonderful and had a lot of fun chasing balls and going for walks.

We feel so blessed to have a place to retreat to and don't ever want to take it for granted.

The only work we really did was completely clean out the big rock garden. It was a big job and I couldn't have done it on one foot. Chris did all the heavy work, digging and pulling up all the weeds and I did my best to clear it all away.

We took Christine's car up and it worked great until we were packed and ready to leave. Every ounce of the car was jam-packed and we're about to take off when Chris takes one last look around and sees we have a flat tire, yikes!

We had to completely unpack the trunk to get the spare out, changed the tire and headed home very carefully. Good for us that the tire shop in Lone Butte was open on the long weekend and the guy was able to fix the flat.

It was very smoky on the way home and in a lot of places it was hard to see anything at all in the distance. Turns out it's from the forest fire in WA. It seemed to be a lot closer than that.

Now we're home and I've just been to the Dr. for my 2 week check-up on my ankle. I start physio this week and hopefully in about 3 weeks will be back to work. It's been a blessing in a way, I got some unexpected time off with pay.

More dog sitting the next two weeks taking care of my friend Jennifer's dog Shima, a German Shepherd puppy.