Musings on a Small Life

My mom, Judy, would have been 85 today (December 19, 1940 - March 15, 2023).   Mom in 2017, I think. The ubiquitous cigarette and large glass of white wine!   When she'd had a bad day, she'd call me (she lived in Halifax) and say she needed a "Kimmy hug." She'd do the same with her friends and step-daughter as well, call and say she needed a [insert name] hug.   I have often wished for a "mummy hug" since she passed, even if only via phone, especially on more challenging/frustrating days.   An old film pic, scanned, probably from the late '80s or early '90s.   Last night I dreamed she and I were heading into the old Sears store that used to be in what was then the West End Shopping Centre in Halifax, when I lived and worked there. I was following behind (this is the dream, of course) and in typical Judy fashion, she was making a beeline for whatever she wanted. Mom never liked to putter around, she was always zip, zip, zip, get 'er done.   Wh...

I took last Friday and today (the 12th) as vacation days, as a birthday gift to myself. (My birthday was the 10th.) A friend of mine, now retired, always took her entire birthday week off and would treat herself to a spa day, shopping, etc., and while I don't take a week at this time of year (usually too rainy/muddy/cold), I do take a day or two, depending on what day of the week my birthday falls.   Note: This post is very pic-heavy, and it's best to click on the first one to enlarge it and view them that way.   This year I lucked out, because Saturday was gorgeous! I left the house early in the morning and bused up to a nearby Starbucks for my freebie, then caught another bus to downtown for a LONG (about 3 hours) walk through campus and all along the waterfront, over to Portsmouth Olympic Harbour, through Lake Ontario Park and then Trailhead Place. Believe me, my feet were very happy to bus home after that! LOL.   There were a lot of joggers passing me, but I was happy...

Smooshed, and with a bite already taken (by me, of course). This is why my weight is trending in the wrong direction. :-P But it was good, even smooshed! **** Today (April 10) is my birthday, hence the sweet treat. It was proceeded by a quarter chicken leg and garlic green beans from Swiss Chalet, via the Door Dash delivery app. Worth the expense on a special occasion. It was a strange day, really. Typically I would take the day off work, though this year it's a holiday, being Good Friday. And typically I would take myself off to window shop, have a treat from a café, and pick up a slice of something yummy from a good bakery.  Not this year of course, and I think anyone who has a birthday (or anniversary or other special occasion) should choose a day in another month, when things are back to semi-normal, and have a re-do. I've decided I'm going to do just that, though it appears it won't be for some months yet. I only hope I can have that re-do befo...

[This a long post, so apologies in advance.] There were/are three things to celebrate this week: First, my birthday on Wednesday! I now am old enough to qualify for a senior discount at two local chain drugstores. (They start "young" here, at 55.) I went at lunch time yesterday and got my first discount. 20% off regular priced items every Thursday at Shopper's, not sure what day of the week for Rexall, as I don't typically shop there. I treated myself to this mini-raspberry mousse cake, from Farm Boy, though I was too exhausted on my birthday to eat it. I ate it for breakfast yesterday (Thursday) instead. Yum. Second, the new toilet installation! The plumber called shortly after I got home from work on Tuesday, said he would be at my house between 1 PM - 3 PM on Wednesday. That derailed my plans for a leisurely, fun birthday (breakfast out, a ramble for some pics and then some errands and clothes shopping). I should note that I no longer work on my birth...

Thank you for all the good wishes for Nicki's birthday! He certainly had a better day than I did. LOL. He got Steak Frites as a breakfast treat (one of the Weruva TruLuxe flavours). He got sunshine and a view out the front door. He got a box! (I had ordered several cases of food from PetSmart, on sale, and they were delivered yesterday.)  He had a biscuit-making session. And gave me his lovey eyes, all purring and content.  Plus he got a cosy nap! He also got plenty of outdoor time, as it was unseasonably warm and I was home for the plumber (kitchen faucet). How does a kitty day get any better than that?  :-) Which brings me around to MY day....The plumber cost double what I had anticipated, and even after he replaced the innards of the existing faucet, the problem remained the same, plus it was leaking inside the brass part where water shouldn't be. (He showed me.) So I ended up having to replace the faucet with the cheape$t Moen he had on ...

I want a button that says "I Survived CUPA 2015." I'm beyond exhausted, wish I had taken today and tomorrow off, as the other two on our planning "committee" did. Smart women. I'm considering asking for Friday after all, but if I do, it's with the knowledge that school now is out. (The fleas next door with their "charming" mother will be home.) All in all I think the conference went well. The event service at the Delta was lacking in the details (ran out of water on the tables Monday afternoon, had to ask for salt/pepper and butter for Tuesday's breakfast, ran out of napkins yesterday morning), but the food was good, and there was plenty of it. A few other things that came with our choice of venue, i.e. nothing is perfect. We had a fantastic meeting room, windows on three sides, and I took pics every chance I got. 83 snapshots in the following Picasa link: [Link removed] You'd think all I did was take snapshots of the ma...

I took Friday as a vacation day (my birthday, as some already know) and I'm off tomorrow too. I highly recommend a four-day weekend, wish I could work 80% and still be paid 100% of salary, benefits and pension. Wouldn't we all?  :-) Friday it poured rain most of the day and I spent the morning and early afternoon running errands and doing housework. Always a fun way to celebrate. LOL. I had a doctor's appointment in the afternoon (switched from the 13th) and I'm so glad I went then. It was a different resident this time, and she was very thorough. Doesn't think my leg issues are anything other than mechanical and/or a pinched/blocked nerve or nerves. But she's sending me for blood work to check for common illnesses that would have this as a symptom, as well to check my B12 level. I told her that I doubted it was a B12 deficiency, since this only started 5 - 6 weeks after I started physio. They'll also send me for an MRI, though that will take a while. Ho...