Spring Has Sprung??....Yeah, Right!!! Grrrr!

Spring seems to be having a hard time breaking through this year.  We have had a few very nice days, warmer than normal and then a couple days later the ground is covered in snow!  Nothing that lasts for very long or needing shoveling so there's no sense in complaining.

I went straight back to work after our March getaway to Ontario.  The month of  April started out sad when we lost a dear friend Corey.  He was such a bright light at the center, always full of mischief and smiles.  I especially loved watching him paint and hearing his input in our discussions.  What a big, kind heart he had and beautiful eyes with lashes that any woman would be envious of.

I also started a blog for the folks at Community Living Center to share what they are learning and accomplishing.  You can read it at http://www.clivingstgeorge.blogspot.com .

The rest of the month has been quite busy with Easter, preparing class lessons, finally getting back to some painting and spring cleaning the house.  Paul gave Billy's room a facelift with new paint and carpet!  Looks great and so much brighter.

One nice sunny evening we loaded up the van to go for our usual drive.  When we got to Lepreau, I noticed at sign saying "Old Saint John Rd".  I said I had never been down that road before but had heard there was a road from Lepreau to Lake Utopia, so let's go on an adventure.  The road was paved and we were enjoying the new scenery, then the road turned to gravel so I started looking for somewhere to turn around.  Before I knew it we were on a mud road with no where to go but forward, every place I thought I could turn around was flooded or oozing thick mud.  So onward we must go!!  WELL!!!  The road only got worse as we pushed forward, going through deep ruts filled with water up to the wheel wells.  I could feel the van sliding under my death grip on the steering wheel.  Britni was in the back saying, "Oh God, Oh God..."  George was calmly reassuring her by saying, "No need to worry Brit, Peggy's a good driver, isn't that right Peggy?"
So I joked around with them to keep everyone calm, all the while trying not to pee my pants.  Brooke's knuckles were white while she grasped the "Holy Crap" bar by her window and was frantically searching her google maps to see how far we would be on this logging road from hell!!  We must have been on it at least a half an hour before finally coming to the end and back to paved road near Lake Utopia.  Everyone cheered and George pipes up "See Brit, nothing to go on about, Peggy knew what she was doing!!!"  I was never so happy to get home in my life, it took awhile for my heartbeat to return to normal and we can all laugh about it now. My only regret is not having video taped that...could have won on Funniest Home Videos!

That's the thick and thin of what has gone on since I got back from Ontario...never a dull moment.

I spent the weekend home alone, having a nice quiet break and some time to get the paints out.  I am starting a painting class next month here at my house and wanted to try out a couple ideas.  Here's the results.

See you back here next month!

Back With An Update

It's been some time since I have sat down to blog. First time in almost 9 years I have let three months slip by!  I guess I've been busy...well first tired after Christmas then things started to pick up again in February.  I started back to work at the end of February at the Community Living Center where I used to work.  Then Billy, Britni,  Paul and I packed up and headed to Ontario for a couple weeks.  We had a great time visiting with family and friends, taking the Go Train to Toronto one day to visit the hockey hall of fame and travel to the top of the CN Tower. Thanks to my daughter, Kristie for coming along to help her mom out. Couldn't have done it without her!!
Mom and dad are doing great.  I was able to bring dad's truck home with us.  Billy affectionately calls the truck Jack after my dad. He likes to say "let's take Jack out for a drive!"  He sure does love my parents!
While we were in Ontario, Copper decided to run off from Brooke's to have an adventure of his own. For four nights he was out in the bitter cold and yet somehow managed to survive. Many kind people in St George were out day and night searching and finally on the fourth day someone spotted him running along the highway.  They pulled over and Copper hid under their car until Brooke was able to get there and coax him out.  Many prayers were answered that day!!
So now we are all back home and back to work.  I am happy to be back at the program and feel good about teaching lessons what I hope will help inspire the folks and help them in making decisions about their lives.
Now there is three months in a nutshell. If this winter ever decides to move on into Spring it will be a welcomed time for new adventures!

Here are some pics from the trip.

Billy pretending to drive!!

My awesome great nephew Rhys

Brit and Paul with the Stanley Cup

First time on a train!

A quick painting I did for Rhys who loves sea turtles

Brit and Billy with their new friend Sherisse 

The Windmill store

Wow..almost Christmas and I see I haven't posted since September! Billy and Brit are doing awesome and are eagerly awaiting the big day. Billy insisted on putting the tree up on Rememberance Day and last night was my first opportunity to wrap and get some gifts under it.

I have had a busy few months painting both canvases and wood signs. sold a few, gifted a few and hope to keep a few.  Paul is setting up a table at the flea market in St John again this Sunday to sell some.  He seems to enjoy all the people that stop by. I can't put into words how it makes me feel to know that he is so proud of my work..just fills up my heart.

We had a fun day painting signs at the Community Living Center last month. Everyone had the chance to make a sign to gift this Christmas and they were all proud as punch with their achievements.  This Friday is their Christmas dinner and dance so I volunteered to prepare the meal.  Today I am roasting two of the three turkeys and every day this week I will do something else in preparation. Glad I got my wrapping done last night...lol!!

And then....

It appears I got side tracked in my blogging once again and it is now New Year's Eve!
The dinner for the program went off without a hitch. Everyone had full bellies and then danced the night away, great time had by all!
Next was our own Christmas dinner. Britni was able to spend a night at her mom's and came home Christmas eve. Billy was invited to his brother Ricky's house for Christmas dinner which was his first family Christmas  since his mom passed away many years ago.  You can only imagine how excited he was...he was vibrating waiting to be picked up!
We had our dinner on boxing day. Kristie, Brooke and Brandon gave me a new laptop which not  only surprised,  but overwhelmed me. I think I was just tired from the busy month and had to shed a few tears to let go of some of the tension...lol.
Next was Paul's family Christmas dinner on the 28th. It was held in their church hall which worked great. Lots of room for visiting and for little feet to run off their pent up energy.
I squeezed in a painting party with his sisters the next day, it was a nice afternoon and even more special since all 5 of the girls were home and able to get together.
So now it's time to ring in a new year. I don't know how 2017 can be much better than 2016 but I am looking forward to whatever is in store for me.
I wish you all joy and happiness in the upcoming year. I will raise a glass to good health and great memories!
Cheers!

Answered Prayers

I make plans every day for one thing or another.  Plans for today, this week, next month, even sometimes a year in advance.  It's nice for me and most people to know what is coming up, helps us stay organized and can give us something to look forward to.

I wish it was that way for the girl that lives with me. (I won't say her name for privacy reasons even though she did want me to write about her on my blog).  Her life can be turned upside down just by telling her we are going grocery shopping after lunch.  Once she has been told this, nothing else matters.  She can't stay focused on anything else and constantly asks, "What time are we going, can we get lunch stuff, am I going to see one of my family or friends, can I put my shoes on now?"  It goes on and on until I want to pull out my hair.  I have learned over the past three years not to mention anything until I have my keys in hand. Sometimes I slip up or she will overhear me mentioning an errand to Billy so if I plan on leaving in an hour I tell her we are leaving in three hours which usually buys me time, it's usually the last hour that her anxiety builds.  When I call her to get her shoes on an hour later she is happy and excited to be going!

Now I am making plans for a trip to Cape Breton in July for her, Paul and I.  If I tell her, it will be three months not only of anxiety for her but time for her to try to sabotage the trip.  It's not that she doesn't want to go, I think she knows if her behaviors become too much I won't be able to take her, the vacation will get cancelled and she won't have to think about it anymore.  I can never be sure exactly what she is thinking because she can't seem to explain her feelings except through her behavior.  So, I won't tell her, the night before we leave I will cautiously pack her bag and put it in the van.  When we are on our way out for a drive the next morning to get a coffee I will tell her where we are going and she will be thrilled.  She really does love surprises, which when I think about it, for someone with autistic tendencies is rather unusual.  Just goes to show how each person with a disability can not be defined by the label some doctor gives them.

Now when things do go haywire and the behavior explodes what do I do?  At this point there is no talking to her, she has gone beyond the ability to think clearly and to understand what I am saying.  As calmly as I can, I redirect her to her room away from anyone or anything she can harm.  Since I am human some days are easier to maintain my own control during these situations than others. There is absolutely no point in trying to explain anything to her at this time.  The only thing I say is "when you are calm we will talk".  She wants me to say something, anything to keep the drama going.  I Do NOT physically restrain her, just quietly redirect her back to her bed when she comes at me arms flailing.  Eventually she wears herself out and when she has calmed enough I sit with her on the bed and give her a hug.  Even though she is still calling me every name in the book and babbling nonsense I know its almost over and soon she will be filled with remorse and I feel she needs to know I care about her.  I understand she hates acting in this way but for whatever reason has no control over it, so I wait, and let my own heart rate return to normal.  I wait sometimes hours, sometimes as long as a day before discussing the outburst.  I wait for that teachable moment, in the calm when I can be heard and she can think clearly.

She really has changed in leaps and bounds and I am so proud of her for making progress. I often hear from people that I am special for doing the job I do.  It takes a special kind of person to look after those guys, people say.  It takes patience, understanding but most of all I think it really just boils down to wanting someone who came from chaotic beginnings to just have some peace.  Maybe I just want to be the answer to someone's prayer.  What I know for sure is that the folks I care for may come with some challenges but it wasn't until they came into my life that I felt like I was really doing something special and that they are the ones that answered my prayer.

Playing Catch Up

It's not surprising that I have not posted for August.  I knew it was going to be a busy month with visitors from Ontario,  a trip to Ontario and then more visitors. Add to that having my kitchen renovated and all the disorganization that comes along with it there was no time left for blogging.

It was a great time though,  spending lots of time with friends Debra and Randy Vinzce, Elsie and Donny McCurdy and then a visit from a lady I used to take care of when I worked for Community Living Brant.

After returning from Ontario it was a rush to preserve all the peaches, cucumbers and tomatoes I brought back. Melody, Britni, Billy and George were great helpers and in two days we put up 24 quarts of dill pickles, 26 pints of chili sauce, 26 pints of tomato butter, 10 bags of freezer pickles and 18 bags of peaches!!

When my guests from Ontario arrived it was a great 5 days of relaxing and traveling around. We followed it up with an overnight stay in PEI doing some shopping and having a blast at the Sandpit amusement park.  Billy and George especially loved the go karts!

Now that my kitchen is almost done, just waiting for new flooring to be installed life is getting back to normal.

Yesterday I spent an enjoyable afternoon painting with Paul's sister Denise.  It's no surprise to me that she did an awesome job on her first painting. She is a very crafty and talented girl! I hope we get to do it again soon 😀!!

So now it is time to relax a bit before October and everything that month has in store. Three birthdays, Thanksgiving and Halloween.  I do still have a couple days trips in mind for September but to me that is included in relaxing...hahahaha!!

See you back here in October!

Busy, Busy, Busy

The middle of July already!!  So far the summer has been great, a nice amount of rain to keep the grass green and lots of warm, sunny days for traveling and being lazy :)  My friend Michelle helped me stain the deck, a lot of work and it got pretty hot out there before we were finished but the results were worth it in my opinion!

 I also painted my doors purple and got the flower beds landscaped so it was a pretty busy time leading up to our trip to Cape Breton!!

Our trip to Cape Breton with Britni was great.  We stayed at the Fieldstone Garden Guest house on the Cabot trail which was very comfy.  At the front of the property was a leather shop where I was able to purchase leather strap door handles for my soon to be updated kitchen cupboards and drawers.  Britni, as usual made lots of new friends and Paul was impressed with how high up we were overlooking the ocean, so a successful trip for everyone.

Billy had another great week at camp this year and is now looking forward to his next vacation at the tree houses in Miramichi with Mike Evans.

I finally got up the nerve to display my paintings at the town farmer's market last week.  I was so surprised by the number of paintings I sold and all the positive feedback on my work.  What a great incentive to keep going.

Paul even managed to come for a look around, he had hernia surgery on the Thursday before and was at my house recuperating.  Billy loaned him a walking stick he had made and he slowly made his way around the market, happy to be out of the house.  Now he is back at his home well on his way to full recovery and anxious to get back to work.

Last night while out for our drive we stopped at the old Pocologan School which has been turned into a home.  They were selling all the contents and the property so I had to have a little look see :).  What a wonderful couple that own it. I was over the moon happy to find a farmhouse style sink...BRAND NEW...for sale.  This is exactly what I was hoping to have in my newly renovated kitchen.  Now all I have to find is the counter-top, and of course someone to install it :).  The kitchen cupboards are being refinished, (painted) the week I am away.  Going from pine wood grain to an antique cream.  I am hoping this will brighten up the kitchen!

August 12th we leave for Ontario.  My friend Elsie and her husband Donny are coming with me this summer.  My main objectives for the trip are of course to visit mom and dad in their new rooms at Leisure Living and to stop at St. Jabocb's market on our last day to get my cucumbers, peaches and tomatoes for canning. In between I hope to see a few friends and relax as much as possible.

So that's the update for July, see you back here after my trip to Ontario and once the canning is all done!

Summertime....

And the livin' is easy....This song comes to mind when I think of summer.  The season I think most of us look forward to all year, the season that comes and goes so fast and the season we pack so many enjoyable activities into.  This summer is shaping up to be chock full of visitors, vacations, day trips and of course all the great food to go along with it.

So far June has started out kind of slow with the cooler temperatures and rain.  With a bit of help I have got the inside of the house whipped into shape for my upcoming visitors from Ontario.  Billy and I have managed to keep the lawn work done in between rain showers and soon the flower beds will be getting their face lift. Paul built me the cutest little flower box that sits under the window in front of my van full of pretty blooms and draping greenery.  The front veranda is adorned with two huge hanging baskets of purple petunias that stand out nicely against the yellow siding.  I am hoping to have all my outside doors painted deep purple this summer too...love me a little splash of colour!!

I spend a couple days a week relaxing at Paul's house.  It's nice to take my paints and just spend some time painting with no distractions. This is my most recent painting which I really like.  I want to do a few more of them with different types of flowers on each.

We still enjoy our evening drives.  Last night we ventured down to St. Andrews for a delicious supper at Old Time Pizza and a cruise along the water.  This little deer was out for her evening walk and stopped to pose for a picture.

Tomorrow is officially the first day of summer and overall I would say I'm ready!!  Bring on the visitors, vacations, add a little bit of crazy just to keep things interesting and happy summer to all!!!!!

Setting things Straight

Spring has arrived, the snow is gone now for another year and April slipped right past me.  I guess nothing too exciting happened last month to write home about.  So now it is May and I can feel the excitement of trips and guests arriving starting to build.

Brooke left for Ontario to visit friends on April 29th so Melody and George have been camping out with us for the week.  We have been having a great time with lots of laughs, bonding in the kitchen, and of course enjoying our drives when all the good talks happen.  I thought I would wrap up the week with a trip to Miramichi for a couple nights.  We leave tomorrow (Friday) and will be back sometime Sunday evening.  Monday Brooke will be back and our visitors will return home and life as I know it will return to normal.

Something interesting did come to my attention this week.  Rumor has it that someone in town heard that Billy helps out around the house and yard.  Their opinion is that because Billy pays rent he shouldn't be doing work around the place.  I will admit that my first instinct was to be pissed off that someone who knows nothing about us had the gall to judge.  Then I thought about it and my opinion is that they are just another negative Nancy with nothing positive going on in their own life so they sit around Tim Horton's exercising their loose tongue.  I asked Billy if he had ever been told this by anyone and this was his reply: "No, but if someone did say that to me I would set them straight.  I would tell them Peggy does nice stuff for me so why shouldn't I do nice stuff for her?"  This is one of the things I love about Billy.  He doesn't have a problem telling it like it is!  This is called a reciprocating relationship, a concept many adult children don't understand.  Billy gets it! When you do nice things, nice things happen even if that nice thing is only the good feeling you have for doing something nice.  Billy takes great pride in every little job he does around here and also the jobs he does for the town and anyone else that asks him for help.  He has so much energy that if he doesn't burn it off in a productive way it can build up and wreak havoc on his nerves.

I will tell you my thinking behind Billy helping out.  If I had an adult son living in my home I would expect him to pay rent to cover the costs of living.  I would certainly also expect him to help out with day to day tasks around the place.  This is a home and we think of ourselves as a family, not a special care home, not a group home, a family.  I  think people living in group homes and special care homes miss out on so much if they are not allowed to help out to the best of their ability.  They miss out on the pride that comes from a job well done and the feeling of gratitude they get from the recipient of that help.  They become totally dependent on someone else for every little thing and can also become expectant of having everything in life handed to them.  So many people I know have gone from living a life with purpose and skills into a home where they have lost those skills and become dependent with not much reason to get out of bed in the morning.Could this also be the reason behind so many people with disabilities suffering from depression?  Hmmmm??  

 I do believe in some circumstances a person with a disability can be exploited, made to do work and not receive their just rewards.  This is the reason sheltered workshops are becoming a thing of the past.  All people hired to do a job should be paid nothing less than minimum wage, period.  However, when being a part of this family we know that if we do the work together we have more time and money to do things we love to do.  The time and money we save allows us to travel to visit family and friends, explore new places, meet new people.  There is never a day where we are staring out the window watching the rest of the world go by wondering where they are headed or wishing one of those cars full of people would stop in and visit us.  No sir, we are far to busy for that!

The greatest compliment I have gotten was from Dr. Lister.  He grew up with Billy and has been his family Dr. Billy's entire adult life. He said to me "I have never seen Billy so happy, keep up the good work and keep doing whatever it is you're doing."  That was the best payment for what I do!

So there is my rant for today.  If you have an opinion, please feel free to comment below.  Now it's time to finish laundry and pack our bags for tomorrows adventure. A group of people, living together, helping each other along the way, heading off on that ribbon of highway, reaping the rewards of our hard work and dedication to our family!

Have a nice day and enjoy your Timmies :)

A Break in March

Tired of winter I decided a trip to Ontario was in order.  I packed up the van on March 17th, picked Brit and Billy up from their day program then surprised them with the news that we were heading to Ontario!!  We had a nice relaxing drive up, despite the snow we ran into around Edmunston to Riviere Du Loupe, Que. where we stayed for the night.  Friday morning when we left Riviere Du Loup the ground was covered but the sun was shining and the roads were clear.  With stops in Brockville and Napanee  we made it to Mount Hope around 8pm Ontario time where we stayed for the night.

It has been a relaxing week, enjoyed spending time visiting with my grandbabies Jaxx and Scarlett, Kristie, mom and dad, all my siblings and my friends Christy and Pat.  I am so grateful to have such good friends as Debra and Randy Vinzce who opened their home to me and my gang.

We finally made our way to downtown Toronto for a visit to the Ripley's Aquarium.  It was just amazing having sharks, stingrays and all sorts of other fish swimming over top of us and all around! Brit and Billy both enjoyed it as well as seeing the CN Tower up close.  

After a long week of studying for exams, Debra and Josh needed a relaxing evening so I introduced them to the Art Sherpa and they each painted a Bohemian Elephant.  We had a lot of laughs and a wonderful evening. Even though the paintings aren't quite finished yet they are amazing!!!

March 19th was dad's 87th birthday and Pat threw a party for all us kids to spend time with mom and dad.  Mom wasn't feeling quite up to snuff but it was a great time being all together again.  Thanks Pat for hosting the party and all you do for our parents!!

Tomorrow we have been invited to Easter dinner at Pat and Dan's, Andrea is going to paint a picture with me!  Thanks for the invite Pat!!! 

So, after a few trips to Dover, parties and visiting it will soon be time to head down the road again back to our life in St. George, NB.  

What the.....!!!!!!

Well I don't know where January went, sorry for the delay in posting.  It has been such a great winter, nothing exciting happening but weather-wise it's been a real treat. Today is February 5th 2016 and we are getting a nice amount of snow.  Its been snowing all day and once again everything is covered in a blanket of white.  We have had other days like this and then afterwards a few warm days and it just disappears.

If you follow me on Facebook you will see that Brooke and I have taken up acrylic painting, such a fun bonding time with some pretty impressive results.  We watch and follow along with Youtube videos provided by The Art Sherpa, Cinnamon Cooney.  These are such great tutorials for beginner painters and even those with more experience.  Next week I am planning a painting class at the program Brit and Billy attend to get them started following the Sherpa.  We are going to paint Birches in Snow which Brooke and I painted last week.

I spent a couple nights in Saint John for my get away this month.  It was so relaxing just not hearing my name being called for two days...LOL!!!  Tomorrow George and Melody are coming to stay over night so Brooke and Brandon can have their break as well.  It's nice that Brooke and I can switch off like this for respite, very convenient and can be last minute planning.

Other than painting up a storm, nothing is really happening in my happy little world which is always a good thing.  When too much starts happening we somehow manage to go off the rails with behaviors and that is never a good thing.  I am hoping, if the weather permits and my friends Debra and Randy are up for some visitors, to squeeze in a road trip to Ontario for a week in March just to break up the winter and perhaps celebrate Dad's birthday with him.

Here's a few of my latest paintings so we can compare in March to see if I improve.

See you back here next month, take care my friends :)

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!!

Well here we are nearing Christmas once again. What a rollercoaster of a year it has been.  So many of my friends and family have lost loved ones, my parents have battled through illness all while moving forward with the new changes in their lives.  I, myself have been dealing with personal issues I wish could be different yet still, here we are. Even though there may be dark clouds over part of my year I still have so many great memories that help sustain me.  Lots of trips to visit with family and friends, meeting new people and making new friends.  Having the opportunity and privilege to care for such appreciative folks and helping them reach their goals!  I have people that love me near and far that give me support and encouragement, that laugh with me and cry with me, and when the crying is over, laugh with me again.

So onward full steam ahead I go into the Christmas season. Now that my shopping is done I can focus on baking, mailing off some special packages and watching the Christmas specials.

It looks like we are going to have a green Christmas this year, the temperature today, December 13th, is 12 degrees, sweater weather here in St. George, NB!!  So many of my childhood Christmas memories are covered in snow, like building forts, snowmobiling, tobogganing and skating over the holidays.  Thankfully my mom and dad created other traditions that required no snow.  Having Christmas parties, lots of Christmas music playing, attending the Christmas Eve service at Church, bundling up 5 kids and going to Grandmas for Christmas (even though we wanted to stay home and play with our new toys), decorating the house and of course lots of baking.  Even though pinterest gives me every recipe under the sun, I still count on mom's old recipes to make Christmas feel just right to me.  Snowballs which are peanut butter balls dipped in glaze and rolled in coconut, jam tarts and sugar cookies always make the list.

I had a great day baking with Paul's sisters Denise and Claudette.  Together we learned the secret to melt in your mouth shortbread cookies.  So delicious!!!  I am so glad we started up this new tradition and it always brings up memories of past Christmases baking with my kids.  Another tradition we had when the kids were young was  trip to Simcoe to see the lights.  Now I have found a few places out here that have lights to music that we go see.  I am happy that my parents started traditions with me to pass down.

Brooke and I have set up a workshop in her basement and made a few Christmas gifts.  It's nice to have a place to work and not have to clean up and put everything away when we are finished working for the day.  Dad gave me a few tools before they moved so I am learning as I go how to use the power tools and so far I still have all my fingers attached.  We also have an area for painting which inspired me to dig out an old cast iron frying pan I found at Paul's house.  He used it years ago when he took his kids camping.  Now he can hang it by his wood stove as a reminder of good times :)

Brooke found this quote for her boyfriend's mom who recently lost her mother.  We made the sign from scraps of wainscoting and she painted it, I think it turned out very nice.

These are what I call my "Little Scrappers" because they are made from the scraps leftover when we did some renovations at Brooke's house.  The round snowmen sitting on the ends are not attached. They are just some little decorations I made with old cd's and battery operated tea lights for the nose.

Now you know what I've been up to the past couple of months.  Soon the big day will be here and gone and we will move forward into a bright and shiny new year.   I hope this Christmas season you and your families are enjoying traditions old and new.

Merry Christmas from our house to yours, see you in the New Year!!!

Summer Wrap Up

The leaves are turning and summer is ending.  What a fantastic summer I have had!!  So many awesome trips and fun visiting with family and friends, making some new friends along the way.

September brought me back to Ontario for the auction sale of mom and dad's household items.  The sale went well and the house was emptied.  After many trips in and out of the house over the past month, my sister has been working hard to ready it for auction on October 31st.  I was able to bring back a van full of treasures and memories, all of which have been placed throughout my house as loving reminders of my parents and grandparents.

My good friend Elsie came along for the trip providing lots of laughs and great company.

We hope to make this a yearly trip so we can load up on the fresh fruits and vegetables at St. Jacobs.  I bought a half bushel of baby cuc's for half the price I would pay here in New Brunswick.  If I had more room and more time once returning home, I would have bought more things but the dill pickles and pickled pumpkin we made will make a nice addition to our Thanksgiving and Christmas buffets.

I learned that Melody (she lives with Brooke) loves canning and was a great help.

 After the trip to Ontario it was time for Britni's vacation.  We ventured off to Nova Scotia, travelling the coast down to Digby then around to Lunenburg stopping at lots of roadside stands, gift and craft shops and antique stores.  Britni made lots of new friends and got to have lunch at The Salt Shaker restaurant where John Catucci from You Gotta Eat Here (one of her favorite tv shows) filmed.

Home again but not for long.  A beautiful Saturday beckoned us out into the sunshine to pick some apples.  We loaded everyone into the van and headed up to Gagetown, Charlotte's orchard to get some nice Courtland and Mac's to make pies, apple dumplings and applesauce with.  With many hands to help it didn't take long to pick a bushel plus another 20 lbs!

Brooke and I volunteered to make apple dumplings with homemade caramel sauce for the Community Living Center Thanksgiving lunch with some of our bounty.  Always nice to give back when we can :)

Brit celebrated her 30th birthday on the first of October, next is Thanksgiving, my birthday, Billy's brithday (big 55) on the 28th and then wrap up the month with Halloween.  Never a dull moment, we are so lucky!!

My mom is going in for her reversal surgery tomorrow.  We will be praying all goes smoothly for her this time and before she knows it she will be healed up and once again moving forward with her life. 

Cheers everyone and Happy Fall!!!!!! 

Loving Life

So here it is, August already.  What a wonderful summer this has been so far.  We enjoyed a successful trip to Ontario in June for my mom's 80th birthday with Paul, Billy, Melody, Brooke and Brandon.  By the time we fly in and fly out, we really only have 5 days to try our very best to see who we can.  It's always a challenge to try and squeeze into peoples busy schedules.  My goal is always to visit mom and dad of course and they are always accommodating.  It's not quite as easy to catch up with the kids and grandchildren as understandably their lives are busier but I always cherish anytime they have for us.

Mom and dad are still waiting for their two bedroom suite to be completed at Leisure Living and in the meantime, Mom remains at Pat and Dave's.  I learned so much during this visit, one thing in particular is the crazy high cost of living in a retirement home.  My dad worked hard his entire life to support his wife and children and now all of us want the best for both him and mom, as I'm sure any children would.  I am happy for them that through the sale of their home, they will have security to stay together and live in the comfort they so deserve.  I think the hardest part for my parents right now, is going through all their possessions and deciding what to do with everything.  So many treasures collected over the years and having lived through tough times they appreciate every little thing so much.  In the end though, material things are just that, things.  I think I will try to keep my house uncluttered as much as possible so if the day should ever come, my kids won't have too much trouble helping me move on into my next phase of life.

Now as for the rest of June and July.  Billy, Melody and George enjoyed a week at bible camp.  George and I had a great trip to Newfoundland, for me it was the last province I had yet to visit so that is now checked off my bucket list.  I couldn't have had a better travelling partner for this trip as I got to meet and visit with the locals and hear all kinds of stories.  Newfoundland is a beautiful province and the people are fantastic, so friendly and helpful. We actually traveled the  entire coast from Port aux Basque to the tip of the North Peninsula to St. Anthony's during our week visit.

This is the lighthouse at Lobster Head Cove.
Upon returning home from Newfoundland, I was blessed with a visit from Christy and Taylor Patterson.  It was so great to be able to spend a few days with them laughing and travelling around.

While I was away Brittany, Brody, Scarlett and Brittany's mom Gillian were in New Brunswick doing some sightseeing.  They picked up Kristie and moved her back to Ontario where she is making another start there.  I wish Kristie the best of luck, lots of happiness and success in whatever path life takes her on.

So now for August.  My lifelong friend Pat Pettitt and her daughter Andrea will be arriving around the 10th.  This will be their first trip down and I can't wait to show them around our beautiful Charlotte County.  More friends, Debra and Randy are coming around the 19th to camp at New River Beach so lots more time for quality visiting.

September brings yet another and my final trip back to Ontario this year.  I am returning only to pick up a few things from mom and dad's house that they want me to have and then quickly drive back home to take Britni on her vacation.

As you can see, life is busy but mostly with doing amazing things with amazing people.  I feel blessed in so many ways for all the wonderful family and friends I have!!!

Let The Summer Fun Begin!!!

So April and May were a couple of difficult months this year.  Mom and dad had their world turned upside down but have both managed to come out smiling.  Yesterday mom was finally released from the nursing home where she had been recovering from her surgery in April.  She is now temporarily living with my sister Pat and her husband Dave until a double room is available at Leisure Living.  Dad has settled into his new home there but is still anxiously waiting for mom to join him.  Everyone will be together for the celebration of mom's 80th birthday on June 20th. Our cousin Rob is even flying in from BC to join us, can't wait to see him too!

Back here in New Brunswick it has also been a busy couple of months. Billy was recognized by the Town of St. George for all his hard work and dedication to keeping the town clean. He received a nice certificate which he is very proud of.   Both Brit and Billy finished up another year of Special Olympic bowling and are now planning their summer vacations.  We have numerous visitors coming this summer during the months of July and August which is always so much fun and the highlight of my summer.  Also stuffed into our summer is a trip to Newfoundland for George and I, a week of camp for Billy, Melody and George, a weekend stay in the treehouses in Miramichi for Billy and a vacation for Britni, destination still undetermined.

Kristie and Brooke are both doing well here and I'm so thankful to have them close.  We have so many laughs together.  Brooke has registered for school in April 2016 for makeup and nails so I'm sure Kristie and I will get to be her guinea pigs.

Now it's time to get my bags packed.  Paul and I will be arriving in Hagersville June 19th and then heading back here on the 26th.  Brooke and her friend Brandon are driving up and bringing Billy and Melody with them.  I expect it will be a fun filled week spending time visiting Brad, Brittany and all my grandbabies, family and friends. So shine up the marble board dad....see you soon!!!

You Just Never Know

April 9th mom was rushed into emergency surgery with a perforated bowel.  After a 3 hour surgery she spent time in the Simcoe General Hospital recovering.  So far it has been a long, hard recovery process for her.  She was finally able to leave the hospital and go into Cedarland Garden nursing home where she is currently receiving excellent care.  She is still battling some infections, bad reactions to some of her medication and now gall stones.  This woman just can't seem to catch a break!!!

Meanwhile back on the Martin homestead my dad was left on his own.  At 86 years old he is still very sharp in many ways but does have bouts of forgetfulness which didn't leave him the option of living at the house on his own.  I spent a couple of weeks with him discussing mom's situation and the prospect of him moving to Leisure Living where he has lots of friends.  Of course this decision didn't come easily for dad, he didn't know what would happen to the house or what mom's long term prognosis would be.  After the better part of the two weeks, lots of talking and a visit to Leisure Living he decided it would be best for him to move.

I can't imagine the loneliness and worry both mom and dad have at this point.  After being married for 60 years to now be separated, living in different towns must weigh heavy on their hearts.  I know dad wishes mom was living with him to take care of him and I'm sure mom wishes she was well enough to do that but as we have discovered, life happens and your life can change in an instant.  You just never know.

So once again I have lessons to learn from my parents.  I watched them struggle while I was there and now that I am home I continue to call them every other day or so to check in.  Even though their worlds have been turned upside down both of them still have their senses of humor and never fail to ask how everyone else is doing.  They really are selfless when it comes to their family.

I must also give them credit for the family they have raised.  My oldest sister is basically on her own taking care of both mom and dad, making sure their medical and financial needs are met.  She has a loving family of her own that have her back and us four brothers and sisters that appreciate her dedication and we help out when whenever possible.

I am looking forward to returning to Ontario on June 19th to celebrate mom's 80th birthday on the 20th.  I hope and pray that she will have regained some strength by then but we will meet her wherever she is to help her ring in this milestone.

In closing I will just say, kids...be good to your parents, visit them, call them and show them you care.  You just never know....

Just Before We Spring Ahead

Here's hoping the worst of winter is now over and we are on the other side heading into Spring.  Snow is still piled high here in St. George, NB, but the temperature is on the upswing and soon the fog rolling in off the salty sea will start melting it away.

Billy, Britni and I had a fabulous trip to Ontario for my parents 60th wedding anniversary.  We had clear roads with no traffic snags all the way there and back.  As always it was so nice to see family and friends.  We all enjoyed our stay at Debra and Randy Vincze's home as well as our few nights at the Days Inn in Brantford and a couple nights camping out in mom and dad's basement.  Devine's restaurant in Jarvis was host to the Anniversary dinner and I'm sure all the locals will agree with me saying it was a top notch meal.  I was thrilled to be asked to drive the Maid of Honor and after 64 years still the best friend to the bride along with her husband to the festivities.  Just spending time with Dorothy and Oakie brought back so many great memories of visiting their home for vacations when I was a kid.  Lucky for me their daughter Kim came to their house before I got there to pick them up so I had the chance to visit with her as well.  Kim and I had so many fun times together growing up.  I would spend a week in the summer at their home in the city and then she would spend a week with me on our farm.  A real life Country Mouse City Mouse story!!  Even though life has led us down different paths over the years it was so good to fall back into that easy laughter and friendship.


Brit's favorite part of the trip was line dancing at the Army Navy Club in Brantford.  She made lots of new friends, especially one named Mark and danced her butt off.  She had a blast!!

Billy enjoyed shovelling some snow for everyone, the big meal at the Burger Barn and spending some time with his little buddy (my grandson) Jaxx. (That was my favorite time too!!)

So there are a few of the highlights of our first winter vacation together. 


See you next month!!!

Brrrrrr.....

Happy belated New Year everyone!!  What a winter we have been having so far.  Wasn't it weird to have no snow and such warm temperatures in December?  I believe it was 12 or 13 degrees on Christmas day.  Too bad it had to end in January, we have seen temps of -35 on more than a few days so far.  Today it's mild though and what little snow we have is melting away again.

So how was your Christmas??  Mine was absolutely great.  It was so much fun to have Brooke, Brandon, Paul, Billy, George and Melody here Christmas morning for breakfast and to open presents. Everyone bought for each other so there were a ton of gifts under the tree but it didn't take long for everyone to dive in to see what "Santa" brought them.

Kristie left us to return to Ontario just before Christmas, we all wish her well but I am selfishly sad because I'm going to miss her.  My daughter in law Brittany called days later to say she and my grandbaby Jaxx are coming for a visit in January so that cheered me up...can't wait to see them both!!

Wow!!!!  Sorry but time seems to have gotten away from me!  Where did January and now half of February go???  This has been one crazy winter.  The mild temperatures in December sure spoiled us for what we have now received.  We have had more snow this month alone than this area has seen in years and the temperature has held between minus 20 to minus 35 all month so none of the snow has had a chance to melt.  Saint John declared a state of emergency and well over 9000 dump trucks of snow had to be removed from the downtown.

My heat pump went on the fritz and we are running low on wood for the woodstove so we had to hunker down at Brooke's house for a week until I could remedy the issues in order to keep everyone warm and safe.  We called it our "Staycation" and everyone had a great time together.  Just as we were gearing up to come back to our house I received a phone call from our social worker.  She had received an email from a someone (she couldn't say who it was from, although it wasn't hard to figure out...lol) saying there was a concern that Brooke and I had moved in together with all 4 people we support and were running an illegal Special Care home!!!  We both had a laugh over that when I explained the situation and I understood she was just doing her job following up on the email.  It made me a little sad to think that some people always want to think the worst of others even when they are looking out for the best interests of the people they care for.  I believe that this person in particular has screwed the system so many times that she is always trying to shine a bad light on others to take the eyes of herself.  Oh well, I will carry on as usual and have peace knowing that what goes around always comes around.

Now, if the snow ever stops I am heading back to Ontario this Thursday for my parents 60th wedding anniversary.  I have been looking forward to and planning for this since the fall, I hope the weather doesn't interfere with our plans.  My good friend Christy Patterson is flying out tomorrow to drive back with me, Billy and Britni.  I can't wait to see her and have some girl visiting time. She is also driving back out with me when we return for a little vacation.  Once in Ontario we will be staying with other good friends Debra and Randy Vince.  Here's hoping the weather is good so we can get around to visit people and also have the chance to take in the Ripley's Aquarium in Toronto.  That may have to wait until summer though.

Paul was down for Valentine's Day.  He took me out for a beautiful supper at the Mediterranean Restaurant in Saint John and spoiled me with flowers and a teddy bear,  What a sweet man he is!!

So that is what's happening in my happy little world.  Stay warm and safe everyone!!! Cheers til next time.

Preparing for Christmas

Here we are at the end of November already and Christmas is speeding towards us.  We had our first real snow on Wednesday, November 26th, the night Kristie and Brooke headed out driving to Ontario.  So anxious were they to get there, they couldn't wait until Thursday when the storm would stop and and the roads would be cleared.  Luckily they made it to their destination without incident.  In their absence I have the pleasure of George and Melody's company along with their dog's Zeus and Charlie.  Should be an interesting 10 days!!

This month Paul and I attended the Christmas Craft show in Saint John at Harbour Station.  The place was packed with vendors selling a wide variety of crafts, food, furniture, clothing and so much more.  As usual I look at the crafts and think, "I could make that!" and for once came home and actually did.  I picked up a couple pair of old skates at Value Village and filled them with Christmas decorations, sparkly foliage, baubles and finished them off with red and gold bows.  I'm very happy with the results and love how they look hanging by the wood stove...very nostalgic.

This week to help break up the monotony and to keep all the folks busy, we will be starting some Christmas baking.  Peanut butter balls for the freezer and some sugar cookies are on the agenda.  The second Saturday of December Paul's sisters, Denise and Claudette are coming over to bake and I have a very ambitious list of recipes to accomplish in one day but we will try to get through it.

The majority of my Christmas shopping is complete and I'm hoping by the end of this week it will be all done and ready to wrap.  The house is decorated and looking very festive, snow on the ground and my first fire of the year really help set the mood to get things done.

Time to make breakfast for the troops now.  Enjoy your day and see you back here in December!

Short and Sweet

It appears that October got away from me, such a busy month celebrating all three of our birthdays, Thanksgiving and Halloween!
I had a great birthday with Kristie, Brooke, and all the folks we care for.  After a great supper we headed down to Oven Head beach to take a few pics and then home for cake.  Thanks Kristie and Brooke for the awesome, red Kitchen Aid mixer.  Christmas baking will be a breeze once again!!

What wonderful summer and fall seasons we have enjoyed, lots of new adventures, shopping trips, laughs and overall good times spent together.

Now what is the best thing about Halloween being over with?  Christmas is just around the corner so decorating and baking can commence.  I love this house the most during this time of year, decorated and so cozy feeling with all the evergreen garland draping the stairs and soft candles burning, the warmth of the wood stove and the smells of cinnamon wafting through the rooms.

Today, November 2, we are getting our first taste of the winter to come with a dreary day of freezing rain and a dusting of snow on the ground.  Hopefully the weather is all clear by the end of the month when Kristie and Brooke are planning to drive back to Ontario for a visit and early Christmas celebrations with family and friends.

Take care and I'll see you back here in December :)