Monday, September 30, 2013

BLAME IT ON THE CAT!

Cats, if they are doing their job correctly, are supposed to lower the blood pressure. Alas, that was not the case last Friday! Far from it...

Wearing my Martha Stewart hat, I was busy bringing down all my summer clothes to the basement, and returning upstairs with my autumn/winter collection. All my winter pashminas, scarves, hats and gloves had been carefully stored in a cosy linen containter over the summer. When I opened it up on Friday, the stench of cat pee almost knocked me the ground. My Tessa had obviously relieved herself on the container and it leaked through. Aagh I was fit to be tied! I had to wash everything again and again and again! Tessa was nowhere to be found...just as well! I'd have skinned her.

I turned on the tap in the upstairs pantry room sink to steep the smellier items. Just then the phone rang. It was Kevin wanting me to pick him up as he needed to talk to the fellow working on our drains...so out I go to collect him. Fortunately, our office is only a stone's throw away from our house. When we got back Kevin noticed water pouring out from the room off our kitchen. It was a few inches high. I had left the tap on!! I do not recommend multi-tasking. Martha Stewart can have her hat back. It didn't fit right!

Buckets of water had to be removed from the presses. All the china had to be taken out piece by piece, as the water had poured in. Dozens of towels had to be used to soak up all the water. Now I know what it feels like to be flooded. Not nice. "At least it wasn't your photographs mum" Ali said by way of consolation.

As I was in the middle of wringing out a towel, I saw a massive spider in the sink. I let out a roar. This was the final straw! As I looked closer, I saw he was one of my Halloween spiders which I use to scare others. Now the little monster was scaring me. Serves me right. Where did he come from?

Just to think all this massive destruction - which took me all weekend to clean up after - could have been avoided, if Tessa had been a good cat - and urinated in her litter box - like she is supposed to do!

Ah...Just like the cat... Happiness has it good days and bad days!

Choo Choo for now,

Love,

Patricia xxx

Thursday, September 26, 2013

AT LAST MY SUNSHINE VILLA!


It is widely known that 'Patience is the Mother of Miracles' (well actually it's Persistence) but it's the same difference...right? So, thanks be to God and his blessed mother they finished the two front pillars today - after me nagging them like the shrew that I am, otherwise I'd have two unpainted pillars until next Spring. The minute the painters finished them I got Ali to quickly get her camera to catch the last of the summer sunshine today. They are calling for rain over the next few days (a Canadian expression). I often used to wonder who is calling for rain or snow or sunshine? But rain or shine my lovely sunny happy 'Sunshine Villa' brings a smile to my face and my heart. It was worth all the last few weeks of groaning..will they ever finish??

Just in time for Halloween! I did not get to clean the front porch yet...I had to grab the camera before the sun went into winter hibernation!!
This is my very favourite outdoor room. I am not allowed to put the porch furniture back for another two weeks. Twenty eight days to be precise, so Tyler my painter said "Not a day before!" I think he is being too careful. The furniture is screaming to be let back onto the porch.

Oops! I should have opened the blinds and the curtains. I was in too much of a hurry to get the photos before it got dark. The windows do look messy and Kevin's office on the extreme left is not missing a blind as it looks. That's Vicky's room with the little porch. Sweet to sit out on it.


Doesn't my mellow yellow house make you think of custard and butter and all things yummy and sunny? I was inspired when visiting Lake Como this summer. This colour is particularly popular over in Italy...wishful thinking!!


Getting the last rays of summer...Halloween is on it's merry way!! Soon I'll have happy witches hanging from the rafters...5 to be precise!
The side view showing a garden that has been badly mistreated by builders and roofers this past summer. It's in dire need of some TLC!
                                                     HOME SWEET HOME!!
                                                      WELCOME ONE AND ALL!!




Jee the porch looks filthy!! Pardon will have to wash it tomorrow.


If you want to see what 'Sunshine Villa' looked like before, scroll down to renovation hell!! I was suggesting to the girls we should have a Yellow House party and invite all the neighbours and people around who have a yellow house...would be fun!! There are some very interesting yellow homes around Victoria. Naturally, my eye is now drawn to all things yellow. I have been wearing yellow a lot and yesterday a patient jokingly put his hands up to his eyes ...agh he was blinded by the light! He is a Welshman with a good sense of humour.

Must go wash the porch...only joking!! The rain will wash it for me tomorrow haha.

Bye for now,

Love,

Patricia xxx










Saturday, September 21, 2013

ARE WE BECOMING OBSESSED?

I think I was on Day 2 of the '21 Days to a New You', when I decided flip this! I no longer want to one of the obsessives. It's true what somebody once said - Seize the day...think of all those ladies on the Titanic ship who declined the dessert trolley!

I was walking on the chip trail the other day and enjoying the nice sunshine. The ducks were paddling on the pond, birds were humming, luscious ripe berries were waiting for me on the bushes. Everything was perfect...until the Running Humanoids entered! The joggers began to pant and sweat their way past me and of course because they were running, their conversations were loud and easily heard. Every single word from every jogger mouth was - you guessed correctly - it was about FOOD PORTION CONTROL!! "Oh ma gosh I was at a party and when the plate arrived I was thinking about the portions" one runner said to the other. But did you enjoy the party and the food? I wanted to ask her. Long ago we never used to beat ourselves up about this. Parties were to be enjoyed and not guilt trips waiting to happen. Then somebody else walks past me talking about the positive effects of green ginger tea, especially when you felt sick - well at least that was a useful bit of information.

I go home and turn on the t.v. with my breakfast and yes! more health stuff and Dr. skinny Oz helping us beat life threatening diseases... and Dr. Phil helping us keep mentally healthy...I switch channels and Yes! more ads for erectile dysfunction, which thankfully I don't suffer from, and then I change channel for the second time, so I can enjoy my breakfast - more ads for food, pills, weight loss miracles, and the list goes on...!! I decided to switch it off, so I could really enjoy my breakfast of fried eggs, bacon, sausages, black and white pudding, hash browns, and butter baked beans - in your dreams Patricia!! No my sad breakfast was natural yoghurt, 2 tbs. of ground flaxseed, fruit - They got me! I've been sucked into the department of Obsessives - I've become ONE!!

ENUFF says I to myself. We are becomming obsessed with being obsessively perfect. We are missing out on life, and beating ourselves up in the meantime. There is life to be lived, shirts to be ironed, donuts with cream and jam to be eaten, dogs to be walked, fish 'n greasy chips to be enjoyed, life to be lived. The Media need to get off our case and let us just BE!

Like if you agree with me! Now I must go and walk those little mutts before they soil that carpet.

Carpe Diem!!

Love,

Patricia xxx

Monday, September 16, 2013

21 DAYS TO A NEW YOU!

They say it takes just 21 days of consistent good behaviour to form a habit. I suspect dogged persistence and steely determination are also par for the course! I returned to my T.O.P.S (taking off pounds sensibly) group on Friday and they welcomed me back with open arms and weighing scale!! They are such a lovely bunch of ladies.

I also signed up for an 8 week fitness class starting on Tuesday at my local rec. centre. It will be twice a week plus my Zumba on Monday evenings. Also over the winter I will be doing a meditation class...so you can see I will be giving my couch and the t.v. a bit of a break!! God loves a trier. I noticed a bit of a dent developing on my side of the couch...not a good sign. So it's goodbye couch and goodby t.v. (well not exactly...more like see you later alligator!)

Dang! I just discovered my Zumba classes clash with the 'Dancing with the Stars' which starts tonight. No...I shall be good. I enjoyed the Zumba and I think the DWTS is also on later in the week. Life is about choices...hard choices...but you've got to 'Focus to Win'...right?

I am now wearing my good intentions on my wrist and so far so good! When I was in Value Village I found one of those rubber bracelets with the words 'Believe' and 'Hope' written on it. It is twice the size of the usual bracelets and in vibrant rainbow colours. So far it has brought a smile to many people's faces and stops me in my tracks when I go to the fridge for a double-dip! The bracelet is so visible it makes me stop...Believe I can overcome the hunger pang...and Hope for more self-discipline. The best 99 cents worth ever!

If you need a gentle reminder to keep you on track...try the bracelet idea. So far it is working for me.

Talk Soon!

Love,

Patricia xxx

  

Sunday, September 15, 2013

HAPPY DAYS!

Today was wet, wild and positively whacky!! When I was in town I saw a skateboarder crashing into a fast food delivery vehicle. She could have been badly hurt, but thankfully she wasn't. The driver of the car was more shaken than she was. Next, I witness this huge fight going on between two irate motorists who had also crashed into each other 'F**k back to your own country' one irate fellow was saying to the other as a street audience began to converge. No, it wasn't a movie - this was for real! The more irate of the two was reversing out from his space (having effed and blinded until all around were fully educated on eff words) and so irate was he, he then nearly crashed into another car. Horns began honking and honking and honking...

I continued on my mission as it was nearly closing time and I had to collect a pair of earrings I had left in to be fixed at the bead store. The bead store on Johnson street is Victoria's best kept secret. I buy old jewellery from flea markets and Lori magically designs and transforms them into fabulous bling for next to nothing. They string broken pearls, fix any kind of jewellery, design and make rosary beads - you name it they do it! Since bling is my thing, I love this shop. They bring in fantastic gems and rocks from all over the world. Two sisters Lori and Susan run the business and I enjoy going in for a chat when I pass their door. I was telling them about the two incidents and that the world outside was mad today. Susan's reaction was "So that explains why everybody was so weird and feisty today!"

As I was returning to my car, I had to cross a street walkway. Two cars were coming towards me. One stopped to allow me to cross over. But the other one was going SO fast he could not stop and nearly brought me along for the ride - on his windscreen!! He missed me by about a quarter of an inch.

Shaken but not entirely stirred, as soon as I got home I had to see what the frickin' hell was going on up above in the planet world and Yes! you guessed it WW3! - Mars and Mercury are not on friendly terms at the moment (understatement). Mercury is the God of communications (cars, etc.) and as we all know - Mars is the God of War!! So that explains why motorists were going nutz!! The big news is that the planetary war will continue for another few days. My advice to myself as I prepare to meet my Project Manager tomorrow to protest at the way our reno budget is way-over, is to 'Zip the Lip' and bite my tongue if I need to. The next few days - for all of us - calls for 'Patience'. Talk about patience, I have to share a joke I saw on the internet today about patience -

'Be Patient - even a toilet seat can only handle one ass hole at a time!'

So, with all this consternation going on in the world why the title 'Happy Days?'. I decided we all need a laugh today...

So, without further ado...let your dainty little fingers dance over to 'POLLY'S PLAYLIST' and see what a treat I have in store for you!! It is an Irish family group called 'Crystal Swing' performing their rendition of 'Happy Days'. In real life Candy Boo Boo is the daughter, Rockin' Ricky is her brother and their mother is Ms. Humming-bottom.
I just love this group!

Enjoy! and check out Crystal Swing's other fun songs on You Tube.

Choo Choo for now and 'Zip the Lip' over the next few days!

Love,

Patricia xxx

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

ZUMBA ZUMBA ZUMBA!!!

Zumba Zumba Zumba...I took the bull by the horns as it were and joined up for weekly Zumba classes which began last night. Our instructor was a teeny tiny little Japanese Cheerleader who resembled Zlata the world's bendiest woman. The things that girl could do with her body! She danced non-stop for a full hour and I was in awe looking at her from behind. There is no way I could ever hope to come even near Zlata's Zumba level. I wisely stood at the back of the room with the other dance dunces. By the time the class was finished, I could barely walk to the car.

I would give up chocolate...but I'm not a quitter haha!!, which is why I've decided to Zumba my way to fitness, and get energized for the dancing classes I hope to do with Kevin. I have warned him...so he knows it's coming!! He'll have to get out those dance shoes. The two of us just love watching 'Come Dancing' and 'Dancing with the Stars'. This year I'll be rooting for Valerie Harper who used to play the part of 'Rhoda'. She has brain cancer and was sadly only given a few months to live. Miraculously, her cancer is currently in remission so she is taking the dancing challenge. Good for her.

Because of the zumba last night I could barely walk the chip trail this morning...well I could walk, but not run, unfortunately. I found myself chasing a car but couldn't keep up with it. A harried mother was rushing to the nursery with her little baby this morning and passed me by in her car. Next thing this orange bag fell from her car and out of the bag all the baby's supplies for the day came tumbling - diapers, feeding bowls, bottles, etc. That poor mother must have been so rushed she drove off with the diaper bag on the car and not in the car! Poor thing, I felt so sorry for her. Imangine how she must have been when she got to the daycare and no diaper bag! Maybe if I hadn't been doing the zumba, I could have caught up with her speeding car...no I don't think so!

The lesson I learnt today - three times in fact - was 'Less haste more speed'. Everything comes back to being in the 'Now'. When I'm not 'fully engaged', I drive in the wrong direction and have to backtrack. Brian the carpenter's assistant was to clean the windows for me today, before putting up the storm windows but he was rushing and didn't do it, now tomorrow he has to backtrack and clean the windows! When I'm rushing, just like that poor mum this morning, I always forget something and have to return home for it...Even though we all know that to be true, we still leave things to the last minute, still don't leave on time, still let our minds wander when we're driving...still let small things bother us...Maybe we're all just suckers for punishement - eh? Twenty one days is all it takes to change our habits...I can never make it to the 21st day. I'm currently on Day 2 of my good habits!!
Something to choo choo on!!
Love,
Patricia xxx 

Saturday, September 7, 2013

ONE HUNDRED YEARS FROM NOW...

"Do you want to make a time capsule to stick in this pillar?" Bill my beloved builder asked me the other day "This pillar isn't going anywhere for another hundred years at least" he said with a smile...'we hope' says I under my breath. They sure cost enough to rebuild! Then it got me thinking...why not!

It was such a strange sensation wondering who was going to be living in my home one hundred years from now? Who was going to open this time capsule I had made? Where will I be? Where will any of us be one hundred years from now? One thing is for sure, the worries we have today will no longer be our concerns 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 or 100 years from now! Something to hope for eh.

So with great care, I put together a little love package for the future dwellers of 1007 Joan Crescent. In it I put some coins, a luck of the Irish card, a blessed medal, card with information on our family and wishing them luck. I also put in a St. Michael's medal to keep the devil away, and also the St. Michael's prayer to ward off evil.

Bill's assisstant Brian carefully taped it to the inside of the pillar before it was encased in concrete. Sealed forever and a day. Every time I look at those pillars, I will be thinking of the little time capsule inside. Weird is the only way to describe how I feel about it all. The transience of life and all that...

Apart from the message inside the pillar, I got to thinking about what else I want to leave behind me for others to enjoy and I wrote my bucket list. It's top secret, but it was fun to do. What do you want to leave behind for others to enjoy? Kind actions? a book? beautiful garden? art work? Loving family with treasured memories of you? family recipes?

Something to choo choo on!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Love,

Patricia xxx

Thursday, September 5, 2013

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALL YOU LOVABLE VIRGOS!

This past Labour weekend, I did just that - Labour! For the first time in my life I can truly say I laboured with zest, and gave of my best, and lost 4 lbs. of sweat equity into the bargain - that's how seriously I toiled. I don't have any desire to find those lost pounds. Enooo, they can stay in the Lost and never Found department - forever!

There is nothing to equal the joy of a squeaky clean, nicely organized home with a place for everything, and everything in its place (actually a delicious Indian butter chicken meal is a joy too). Easily known the sun is currently in the sign of Virgo - the astrological Queen of clean! Happy birthday to all you beautiful, gentle, hard working Virgos - this is your time to shine!

My beloved Momma turned 91 on Tuesday. God bless her! And my darling daughter Victoria turns 21 today. God bless her too, and not forgetting our furry feline daughter Tessa who shares Momma's birthday and turned 13 in cat years Tuesday. God bless her three. And of course there is my gorgeous Colin Firth who celebrates his birthday on September 10th. I'll be sending him a birthday kiss - in person. Hopefully, he will be visiting Victoria soon to see his ex-wife who lives here, and his boys. So lots of amazing Virgos in my life.

I'm taking full advantage of that industrious full moon in Virgo today. New broom sweeps clean - boy this broom is the best one I've ever had. The floors are so clean I can't bear to walk on them - you know that feeling? Because Virgo is my astrological polar opposite, I want to take on board all their qualities which I lack, such as discipline, and steely determination.

Talking about Virgos, I was watching Candy Spelling on t.v. recently. She is the millionaire widow of movie mogul Aaron Spelling and mother of Tori Spelling. She sold her LA mansion for $150 million - the largest house in the world - and the most expensive. She is now in the process of decorating her two floor condo which she bought for $35 million recently and painstakingly attending to every small detail. She is a self-admitted 'fine-detail orientated' type. "Maybe it's because I'm a double Virgo" she confessed as she showed the camera crew and us voyeurs around her fabulous mansion in the sky, equipped with a state-of-the-art swimming pool, and the largest rose garden in condo history, which dare I say comes with her own 'Candy Spelling' rose. If you have $10,000 to spare, you too can have a rose called after you. Actually that's a bargain if ever.

September is the month to get all those loose ends tied, unfinised business as it were, and of course your home cleaned and organized from roof to basement in North America, and from Attic to ground floor in Europe. So get going...October is all about fun...Thanksgiving, and the beauty of the falling leaves...Not forgetting my favourite holiday of all - Halloween! Yippee it's on its merry way!

Talk Soon!

Love,

Patricia xxx