Pirates

I just spent the weekend with a group of gals that I have known since 1998 when I joined the Powell River Chorus. We were asked to sing as a small group which for some unknown reason was named "The Pirates" (and the name has stuck with us ever after!)and got to know each other during extra practices. The times together were full of laughter and fun. We started getting together for each others birthdays and Christmas parties then it went on to holidays together in the summer(We would go for 4 days to Savory Island and rent a cabin) We have been to Tofino, Mt. Washington, Texada Is., Victoria, Comox(the Alders) Vancouver. We get up to great highjinx together, have sunbathed in the nude, made snow angles (again in the nude!) have gotten a boat stuck high and dry due to the tide(but it meant we had to spend another night!).We even won the "YaYa's" contest from the Vancouver Sun and got a trip to Vancouver, a night in the Vancouver Hotel, champagne, goodies and to see the premier of the YaYa movie. With our photo appearing in the next paper! We have sung at Festivals, Chorfest, and even had a gig at the Sunshine Folkfest one summer. Judy has moved away but somehow we still get together, not as much as we use to or as much as we'd like, 4 of us have children and 2 of us have stopped going to choir(I took up pottery instead) But this weekend showed us that friendships like this last a lifetime. It was our belated Christmas party as well as Judy's Birthday and it was my turn to make the desert, we opened presents, ate too much food and drink, and played our favorite card game called "Asshole" (we know there is another name for it but just can't remember!) The photo shows from left to right-Judy, Patricia, Alex with Nancy(standing)(they own the bed and breakfast where we stayed and Nancy was our choir conductor for years), Wendy and Julie.I came away from this weekend feeling extremely lucky to know these woman and be able to spend some quality time with them.

LINCOLN

It is with a sad heart that I say goodbye to Lincoln, the one and only Muddy yellow dog who past away yesterday. He always greeted me as a long lost friend whenever I would visit Gwen's. I will never forget the way he would make a funny face and sneeze upon smelling my "morning breath" as we said our good mornings or how he loved it when I would give him a good scratching behind the ears. Go now and join our beloved Molly, chase sticks and run free in the waves together. Goodbye dear kind soul.

Bag Lady!

I just don't know what it is but I have this thing with making bags lately! I have found so many wonderful canvas type fabric with great patterns on it over the past year that I just have the need to sew it all into hand bags or totes! And I just hate to be interrupted while in the middle of creating them! But life goes on! Bronwynne only has one more week of school left then we have two weeks to get her room packed up and her stuff stored away and her big backpack ready for her 3 months in Costa Rica. I am just thrilled for her, this is a much need and much earned holiday. She managed to rent a place right on the beach (with mango and avocado trees right in the yard) for the month of March for $400. She and Carly will have such a great time. Now onto Gwen tagging me for the 6 weird things about my self!
1. I collect skulls (and have done since I found my first skull(sheep) when I was 8!)
2. I am obsessed with my new/old kitchen!(vintage 1940's)
3. Have a great need to buy mugs, and teapots!
4. Will poke and prod anything dead that I find at the beach(or anywhere) to see if I can get the above mentioned skulls.
5. Just love to do laundry, sort in neat piles, and iron(thank you Gwen for finding the "shells" ironing board cover, it makes me so happy!)
6. Love nothing better than an afternoon scrounging at the dump with my sister Barb
7. Just love poking around old graveyards
I could go on and on but will stop there with the thought.....Be yourself, everyone else is taken!

Happy New Year

We all just had the most wonderful time with my mom here, she put up with everything from power outages to backed up toilets and all that went inbetween! We just had so many great belly laughs and quality time was spent with all the family. I went to Barbs (www.greenwellies.typepad.com) on Friday then on Sat we headed to Gwens (www.muddyyellowdog.typepad.com) . Picked up Emily and Aethan from the ferry and Kieran from the seabus (Kieran hadn't seen his older cousins for so long, it was great to get them together!) Mom took all 10 of us out to dinner which was just wonderful to have that many of her family all together for one meal! Then it was back to Gwens for dessert and a game of Cranium. Sunday was spent shopping and laughing and after supper Mom, Barb, Gwen and I sat down to watch Calender Girls. It was a very fitting movie for my moms last night with us, lots of laughs and tears! Just right for us goddess gals to watch!. Monday morning saw tears as mom went off to the airport. She said that we had rejuvenated her but she did the same with us! Barb and I too said our goodbyes and after we dropped Gwen off at the doctors we picked up Kieran for a trip to Ikea! We got some great finds and Kieran found most of what he had wanted to get so all were happy. Barb and I were trying for the 3:20 ferry but missed that so stopped at Old Navy for one last shop! Got back to Barbs safely and unpacked then put her Ikea chair together. The next day saw me traveling up the coast to my home but unlike the day before it was a pretty rough ferry ride and we all had to remain in our seats! The wind picked up as we landed and trees were coming down on the road left, right, and center! Then the rain turned to hugh snow and the road was covered in minutes! I have never been so glad to get home in one piece!