My Nephew Ricky

Ok, is he not the most adorable? I met him for the first time this weekend when Chris and I went to visit my brother and sister-in-law. He was a rescue dog, left for 16 hours at a time in a laundry room because his people got 'too busy' for him. Can you imagine?

Going to the hospital today for a procedure on my shoulder. Not liking this. First I was told 'it's not a big deal' and then when they called to tell my appt time they said 'make sure you bring a driver, you won't be able to drive home'.

Yesterday my mom and went to visit my step-father Paul in the care facility where he lives. He lives on the island and we don't so it's a very long day. It takes about 4 hours to get there and after we're there for about 10 minutes he looks at us and says 'well I won't keep you girls'.


Paul had a good day and was bright and alert. He knew my mom's name and kissed her when she walked in the door. His face lights up when she comes within viewing distance and it's sweet to see.





They've been married for 12 years and enjoyed many years together before the dementia hit.





Paul is a retired Pastor/Evangelist/Missionary and speaks Spanish as his first language. He told me years ago when he goes to bed at night he still recites Spanish scripture as he tries to go to sleep.





Yesterday I asked him what he was doing tomorrow and he said he thought he might have to preach. I asked him what Scripture? and then the Spanish flows out...without hesitation. It's beautiful to hear speak so easily in the language he loves.

We never know what lies ahead for those we love or when the Lord will take us home but I know when Paul gets to heaven he's sure to hear the words "well done my good and faithful servant."

Never Disappointed

I am always amazed at how beautiful the coastline is........had a fabulous couple of days away. Walked along the beach, soaked in the sights of kites flying, sand castles and kids, dogs running on the beach and most of all, a deep inner sense of God's love for me.

Hittin the Road

I've been wanting to take a road trip for awhile. We go away a lot on weekends but nowhere very far so lately I've been wanting to just get in my car and drive. For years I went to Oregon by myself and stayed in Seaside and visited my old college roommate in Springfield.

It's time to go again........so I'm off!

A good time was had by all. We joined Diana and Shelley for Thanksgiving dinner. Thanks for the great meal! That was one giant bird.........it could hardly fit in the oven.








Shelley's daughter and 3 friends from College were there and we enjoyed chatting with them - nice fun kids eating dinner with 4 crazy women. Good for them. We laughed, we ate, we drank and made merry. The kids went off to the big city and we sat and drank and laughed some more.




Good times. Kinda had a little bit of headache this morning..........whoops. Went back to bed and slept it off. All gone now and I've lived to tell about it and post pics on FB.

Happy Thanksgiving!

For so many reasons I am thankful.

I am able to live in freedom with my partner in a beautiful country that allows us many opportunities.

I love our home. Not because it's fancy, because it's not, but for its peacefulness and the feeling of sanctuary that I get when I open the door.

I have a job that I enjoy. Working with people with disabilities, seniors, is always rewarding for me. Although I am still on WCB I look forward to returning to that job.

I'm thankful for job benefits while I am off work.

I'm thankful for my mom who at 84 just keeps on goin' and goin'. Life sometimes gets her down but she picks herself up and gets moving.

We have enough food in our cupboard. When the cupboards are bare it isn't because we can't afford food, it's because we're too lazy to go shopping.

We have 2 adorable cats that entertain us on a daily basis. Mine more than Chris's (cuz he's crazy) but I love both of them.

Most of all, I'm thankful for a God who created me to be all that I am, loves me unconditionally and never lets me out of the palm of His hand.

Gynecological Visit

A middle-aged woman seemed sheepish as she visited her gynecologist.


"Come now," coaxed the doctor, "you've been seeing me for years. There's nothing you can't tell me."

"This one's kind of strange," the woman said.

"Let me be the judge of that," the doctor replied.

"Well," she said, "yesterday I went to the bathroom in the morning and heard a plink-plink-plink in the toilet. When I looked down, the water was full of pennies."

"I see," commented the doctor calmly.

"That afternoon, I went to the bathroom again and, plink-plink-plink, there were nickels in the bowl," the woman continued.


"That night," she went on, "I went again, and plink-plink-plink, there were dimes. This morning, there were quarters!"


"You've got to tell me what's wrong with me!" she implored. "I'm scared out of my wits!"

The gynecologist put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "There, there, it's nothing to be scared about," he said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Ready for this?)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(I'm warning you.....)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Still not too late.....)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



"You're simply going through the change!"

this is my great nephew Easton - he's already a vw fan.........you gotta love it. since his grandpa was 'all things vw' it has to run in the family.

Off to Whistler for the weekend with Chris and family.

heading south this weekend...........2 nights! love Seattle!



Becky Boo and I are hanging out while the crazy ones go to see a football game. We aren't the football watching types. BB is great company. When her mom bought her this football jersey she turned around and glared at her. She's more the princess type.



She doesn't hold a grudge long and she does love her Moms (and her aunty j). She'll have her pram for riding around in which is great because then I can take her shopping.



We're going to see Jennifer Knapp on Sunday evening while we're in Seattle. Looking forward to it!

always a good time...........our annual girls weekend with BB. there were probably at least 23 weddings going on in the little town judging by the blur or white gowns going back and forth on the promenade.........through the lobby of the hotel.......around the gardens of the resort...so much fun to watch and dream...........









we bought bathing suits and BB bought a quilted jacket.... i don't know if that reflects where we are in our lives but there you go....



bright and sunny saturday with a clear night after a very big dinner at our fave restaurant for a star-lit walk on the promenade.....good times.



Chris and I enjoyed the hot mineral pools and watching people from around the world join together in a collective 'ahhhhhhhh' when they enter the warm healing springs.

one of our very favorite places to go............Harrison Hot Springs. love it there.




heading there this weekend with Bad Betty. always a good time. seeya next week.

S'mores

Last weekend we went to our little trailer in the woods, what a blessing that place is! It's looking more and more like us as we finish little projects in and out of the trailer and property.





Our friend D came down on Saturday and spent the night. She had been longing for s'mores the last time she visited and we had a camp fire. We talked about how much fun it would be to cook some up and left it at that.









In the meantime I was walking through a giant box store looking for something completely unrelated (canning jars) and guess what I found? A S'mores kit! How cool is that!





We told D we had a surprise for her next visit and wouldn't let her know any more details. Isn't it great how a little gift like that can bring so much laughter and good times?






It started to rain as we were getting ready to light the fire and being the girls that we are we didn't want to sit out in the rain. yuck. So we did the next best thing and brought the fire closer to the trailer. It helps when the fire pit is portable.






Can you see the palm trees? Aren't they the best? No idea who picked this thing out of the catalogue.......LOL.

It was a fun night and a great memory for good friends.

And that was all she wrote.

We had a really fun weekend and have just returned home in time for Chris to get to bed on time and for me to sort laundry and get caught up on FB updates. I've downloaded a bunch of pictures but I think I'll just say this for now...........this salad is the best.

It's in Seattle at a Mexican Cantina that I've discovered on one of our frequent trips to Seattle and I love it. I am the world's slowest salad eater so I can never order one when I'm out with friends (or partners) (or partner's friends) so I savour the time I go to Seattle and order this salad just for me. It takes me 45 minutes to eat it because there's so much to it. And I have a lime margarita to wash it all down. Oh ya, it's good. It's very, very good.

And that was all she wrote.

I Did it!!!!!!

lots of prayers, lots meditation and medication, bigger machine, nicer tech and the knowledge that Chris was just outside the door within screaming distance.......made it all worthwhile.

off to try this again............

My buddy WD had a friend call and invite me to his 63rd birthday party. WD can't talk so other people have to speak for him. He can't walk so someone has to push him around in his wheelchair. He can't see so others have to describe stuff for him and guide him in the right direction. WD has no teeth so his food has to be pureed for him. He shakes a lot because he has cerebral palsy. He grunts a lot because it's his only method of communication. WD is my friend. He holds my hand and kisses my fingers and I tell him I love him. He smiles when he hears my voice. WD fills my heart with joy when I see him.

When WD goes to church he leans on the shoulder next to him and relaxes as hears the Word of God preached and the songs of Jesus sang to him. He responds to the Holy Spirit and reaches for the hand of the one sitting close by.

WD, 63 years ago they gave you up to an institution that didn't care for you very well. 20 years ago a new group home opened and it began a whole new life for you. You began to have adventures. People grew to love you and all of your shenanigans. You grew to love people around you who cared for you.

Happy 63rd Birthday WD! You are the best. I love you.

Years ago my parents bought a RV in Washington a couple of hours from the border. They loved their place and owned it for 24 years. About 4 miles away from the Campground was a small town that had several churches. Population was about 700 but it had a Presbyterian, Community, Lutheran, and a Catholic church. None of the churches had a big attendance but they all managed to keep their church doors open and my parents enjoyed worshipping at the different churches.

Then along came an Assemblies of God minister full of vision and big dreams for the small town. Meetings started up in the elementary school and my parents started attending church there. My dad passed away a few years after the church began but my mom kept going there while she was south at her trailer.

The church grew in numbers as well as the Pastor's family. The population of the town stayed about the same. It's still a very small town but with a very big heart.






Every year my mom would arrive in the spring and leave in the fall and was a regular part of the Assembly of God and the Pastor would announce "it must be Spring, Betty's back."






It's now almost 25 years since the Pentecostals came to town. They have the biggest church and the largest church population. They moved into their own facility, remodelled it and did all of the renovations themselves and paid it off!





Pastor Bruce and Charlotte now have 5 children and yesterday celebrated the first wedding in their family. We were invited to join in the celebration so we did. It was a simple, old-fashioned kind of wedding but a real spirit of love and joy in the air.

Sending happy thoughts out to our little Becky Boo this week as she goes for surgery on her right leg. Becky is our sweet little girl and it's hard to watch her walk in pain. She is loved by many people and she returns that love back over and over.

She's getting used to riding in her new Princess Pram. After the surgery she won't be able to walk for awhile so she'll be cruising around town in the pram. Her Mommy C would like to 'pimp her ride' but I'm not sure how that's going to happen. It's a pretty cool ride as it is.

We wheeled her around Fort langley on Saturday and guess what? She wasn't the only one in a pram! But she did have the coolest one.

Here's to you Becky Boo! We love you!