It's a new year, a good time for a new slate, so here's a new chapter.
I resolved not to make any resolutions this year then realised I failed as soon as it came out of my mouth.
We spent the evening at the Gustafson's to bring in the new year. After driving Heather home I was stopped by the police and asked if I had had a drink, I said I had tried one 40 years ago realising this is my 40th anniversary as a D D. He said that will keep me out of trouble. I've driven a lot of different cars, there were times Fairchild,in front of MacDougall's cabin, looked like a parking lot.
Happy New Year everybody
Lots of Love
Edward, Ed, Eddie, Uncle Ed and Edwierdo
262 comments:
1 – 200 of 262 Newer› Newest»Happy New Year awesome family!
David says "thank you, Auntie Louise and Uncle Dave, for the birthday wishes".
Here's to a 2008 filled with joy, peace, and hope for all!
Cheers!
Cousin Barb
You're welcome David!
We've often wondered what it must be like to have a birthday on New Year's Day. It's a brand new year in every way!
Barb, that's a terrific wish for 2008. May it be returned to you and yours one hundred fold!
Cheers!
Ed,
This is a perfect time for a new posting on Ed's Edition - New Year's Day, 2008.
We absolutely must keep our family blog site going until Grey Cup time, when Marty will run his MSA original contest again. He has established a tradition that we should honour until we are all in possession of one of his minatures!
Are you listening, Marty?
LOL, Lucy
I'm posting just to get onto the new stream. BJ
Happy New Year, blogatives. I hope everyone finds 2008 filled with happiness, love and...
Music!
(New piano recording at the Art Facts blog today).
Kenneth
Kenneth,
Thanks for the wishes, and the recording. I have also added your blogatives to the Blogaddenda. Every once in a while a new word is coined. To date, in the blexicon and blogaddenda we have a total of 76 terms.
Mom
So, let's hear those resolutions!!! I'm going to try to use mt time better (eg. checking the blog once or twice a day, instead of dozens...)
Lucy here, Holly
I am resolved to be more IMPULSIVE!
I am going to do the nice things that come into my mind AS SOON AS POSSIBLE instead of putting them off and perhaps never doing them at all.
When I told Paul about my 2008 resolution, he said, "Does that mean I'm going to get more emails?"
See what I mean?
Hey Kenneth
Great Stuff!
Hey Lucy
I am listening and I will be launching a new and improved contest next time (maybe with a few more prizes and better rules).
As I paint for shows and such, I will collect the odd mini to put in the contest so I can have 1st,
2nd, 3rd, conselation prizes, worst score prize(maybe), etc. It would be nice if everyone could get a prize eventually.
Happy New Year Y'all
Love, Marty xoxoxo
Hi everyone,
Holly.. nice resolution idea. My resolution is to find at least one thing that I'm very grateful for each day and, connected to that one, I resolve to laugh out loud unabashedly every day!
Hugs to all.
Cousin Barb
Oh that's a good one, Barbara
In a variation on a quote by M. Poole: "(S)he who laughs, lasts!I've heard that people can even join laughter classes where they are taught how to let themselves laugh with gusto.
It seems that laughing is good for mind, body and soul.
HA HA HA HA HA LOL, Lucy
Wow, I was expecting to have a deluge of comments to go through, but yesterday was really slow proving once again the blog is a difficult entity to predict.
I find it rather sad there are people who need laugh training. It's always come quite naturally to me.
Resolutions: I don't really have any per se, although I am working on dropping some pounds.
Hey Thomas
I couldn't agree more...
Every time I try to lose a few pounds, laughing comes naturally to me too.
Marty
I think the blog is probably suffering from the Back to Work Blues. I know I am.
New Year's Resolutions:
1. Eschew obfuscation.
2. Don't be negative.
How'm I doing so far?
Now that is funny, Kenneth! You'll have the rest of us keeping our resolutions today:
I won't resist the impulse to respond to your resolutions, broken even as they're made;
Barbara will be laughing unabashedly;
Holly will feel that her time was well-spent checking the blog;
Thom may happily do some "trimming" - editorial at least;
and Marty will get the picture and join in the fun.
You're doing great!
Lucy
Happy Birthday, Holly!
You have a built-in party with Jamie, Eddie, Mia, Lui and Ellie on hand to celebrate your 33rd birthday with you all day long.
We DO hope someone will take over with party preparations to make this day special for you. Maybe there even will be a rice krispie birthday cake for a very deserving daughter, wife, mother, sister, niece and cousin. We hope so!
We toast you and your family as you celebrate this happy day. God bless you, Holly!
Lots of love, Louise and David
Lucy here,
Can you stand another of my silly games? I have set up a variation on the continuous nursery-rhyme song that we used to play in the car on the way to Regina Beach.
I'll give you an adjective/noun clue from a familiar nursery rhyme and all you have to do is name the verse. (No singing necessary, ME!)
Here's an example:
clue: empty cupboard
answer: Old Mother Hubbard
These are so quick and easy that I'm going to list 3 at a time. You can identify one or all of them as the answers come to you. I've got lots more where these came from.
Okay, here we go:
1. clean platter
2. carving knife
3. water pail
New year, same old resolutions. After 50 years of bad habits, they aren't going to be changed by a new year.
Lucy:
JACK SPRATT
3 BLIND MICE
JACK AND JILL.
Do kids still say nursery rhymes?
BJ
BJ, I think a few of the old nursery rhymes are still around and new ones are always being created.
BTW ... you easily recognized the first three on my list. Here are three more:
1. scary spider
2. broken egg
3. misplaced mitts
LOL, Lucy
My New Year's resolution?
No eating after 11pm...
except for tonight.
Little Miss Muffet
Humpty Dumpty
Little Bo Pittens
Love, Marty
Very funny, Marty
I'll give you 2 out of 3 and a star for creativity.
I repeat #3 for someone else to solve (misplaced mitts) and add three more:
1. tea kettle
2. wandering sheep
3. laughing dog
LOL, Lucy
3 Little Kittens
Polly put the kettle on
Little Bo Peep
Hey Diddle diddle
BJ
That was quick! You get full marks, BJ.
Time for more clues:
1. flower garden
2. silver buckle
3. striking clock
Love, Lucy
Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary
Little Bobby Shaftoe
Hickory, Dickory, Dock
How am I doing?
Love,
ME xoxoxoxo
Pardon Me. That's Bonny Bobby Shaftoe
OK
LOL,
ME xoxo
Thanks for the birthday wishes, Auntie Louise! I had a great day - I had a nap, took the big kids to see the Joe Fafard exhibit at the art gallery before it leaves tomorrow to make way for Andy Warhol, and had gnocchi, BJ's broccoli salad, and of course Rice Krispie cake for my birthday meal at Mom and Dad's house!
I'm familiar with my nursery rhymes because Mia loves to repeat them, and I sing Grandma's ABC song to my babies to see how many rhymes I can think of (usually only about 10, before I break the rhythm of the song taking too long to think...) - however, I see that I am going to have to be quicker if I want to get any responses! The big sisters seem to know them awfully well!
You're welcome, Holly. We're pleased to hear that your birthday was special in so many ways - right down to the rice krispie cake.
Betty Jo will be interested to hear that children do still say nursery rhymes. Grandma's ABC song makes them so easy to learn, doesn't it?
Watch this space for more clues.
LOL, Louise
Hi, Mary Ellen!
There you go. That was easy, wasn't it? You didn't have to sing a single note and you were spot on. Words like "little" and "bonny" easily get changed in the recitation of nursery rhymes. You correctly identified the buckle-wearing Bobby Shaftoe. You're doing fine!
Try these three:
1. love letter
2. wooly student
3. pastry thief
Luv, Lucy
Lucy, again
BJ ... your latest Bugle was fun from beginning to end. We started laughing as soon as the Michigan woman put her ice cream cone into her purse but the old farm lady's Carnation Milk slogan really does take the prize.
We're only going to sign our names this way once in appreciation for the monthly enjoyment you send our way.
LOL(laughing out loud)
Dipsy and Snazzy Chucklesniffer
I'm glad to hear that I am not the only one old enough to remember nursery rhymes. I am going to leave the latest ones for the younger crowd to solve.
I'm glad you and David enjoyed the Bugle, Lucy. The Nov issue was late because of all that happened that month, and the Dec issue just went out yesterday.
We are experiencing balmy weather and are expecting rain this week. Let's hope it doesn't turn into another ice storm! At least we are getting a minute more of light every day now. I hope everyone is enjoying the new year and planning on this one being one of the best ever.
Tootsie Dippindoodle
Oops, I spoke too soon. I have been waiting for someone else to provide the anwers, but no one has obliged. So here goes,
I sent a letter to my love
A dillar, a dollar
The Queen of Hearts
Where is everybody?
Love, BJ
Hi BJ,
I am beginning to wonder the same thing myself. Apparently nursery rhymes are not as popular as they used to be.
I'm awarding you three out of three on my lastest list. The first rhyme's name is "A Tisket, A Tasket" but you got the line about writing a letter to my love and that's good enough.
The Queen of Hearts did indeed have her tarts stolen by the Knave of Hearts. Well done!
My wooly student was the lamb in Mary Had a Little Lamb but the late arriver in A Diller, A Dollar is good, too. I missed that interpretation of "wooly" altogether. It seems that, once again, you have beaten me at my own game. I love it!
...and I am not going to give up on the rest of my blogatives so easily. Try this set:
1. weak bridge
2. broken branch
3. napping shepherd
Lucy Locket
Lucy again,
Using my November Bugle, I have been assigning some famous people their silly names ... just for fun.
William Shakespeare would be Boobie Wafflebutt!
Robbie Burns would be Doombah Chuckledoodle.
Here's a scary one...
Stephen King would be Crusty Farkledunkin.
Dan Brown, who cracked the Da Vinci Code, would be Sloopy Gizzardbrains.
LOL, Lucy
As the Bugle recommends, I am simply adding some silliness to a day spent undecorating our festive home after the holidays.
Lucy
1. London Bridge
2. Rockabye Baby
3. Little Boy Blue
Did I get them right?
Yes Holly, all three nursery rhymes are right. I'm glad I persisted!
Here are a few more:
1. Good boy
2. Burning candle
3. Royal mouser
Lucy Locket again
I didn't read the bugle, so I am missing something here..... Can someone put the instructions on the blog on how to do this name thing??
Just to let anyone know who kept an eye on Tasha's Blog (Tricia's good friend in Saskatoon), her cancer is back and she might be in need of some of the prayers that the Antonini Blog are so famous for! Her link is on Tricia's Tides too, I believe.
Sonia
Sure Sonia, this is a lot of fun.
Start with your first name:
Use the THIRD letter of your FIRST name to determine your new first name.
a=snickle
b=doombah
c=goober,
d=cheesey
e=crusty
f=greasy
g=dumbo
h=farcus
i=dorky,
j=doofus,
k=funky
l=boobie
m=sleezy
n=sloopy
o=fluffy
p=stinky
q=slimy
r=dorfus
s=snooty
t=tootsie
u=dipsy
v=snazzy
w=liver
x=skippy
y=dinky
z=zippy
Got it?
Now your second name is done in two parts:
Use the SECOND letter of your LAST name to determine the first half of your new last name:
a=dippin
b=feather
c=batty
d=burger
e=chicken
f=barfly
g=lizard
h=waffle
i=farkle
j=monkey
k=flippin
l=fricken
m=bubble
n=rhino
o=pickle
p=hamster
q=buckle
r=gizzard
s=lickin
t=snickle
u=chuckle
v=potty
w=hubble
x=dingle
y=gorilla
z=girdle
Use the THIRD letter of your LAST name to determine the last half of your new last name:
a=butt
b=boob
c=face
d=nose
e=hump
f=breath
g=pants
h=shorts
i=lips
j=honker
k=head
l=tush
m=chunks
n=dunkin
o=brains
p=biscuits
q=toes
r=doodle
s=fanny
t=sniffer
u=sprinkles
v=frack
w=squirt
x=humperdink
y=hiney
z=juice
LOL, Dipsy Chucklesniffer
Lucy again, Sonia
Thank you for giving us the latest news about Tasha. We were able to drop in on her, read her own account about what is happening and add our immediate support.
Love, Louise and David
Lucy again,
Okay then, blogatives, you seem to be "passing" again on my latest nursery rhyme clues. Let me try three more on the off-chance that the previous ones were too obscure.
1. heavenly body
2. trapped wife
3. rescued cat
Whatever else you do today, drop in on Kenneth's Art Facts and on Tricia's Tides.
Love, Lucy
Don't give up on us, Lucy!
Good boy = Little Jack Horner
Burning candle = Jack Be Nimble?
Royal Mouser = ?
Heavenly Body = Twinkle twinkle little star?
Trapped wife = Peter Peter pumpkin-eater
Rescued Cat = ?
I guess I'm having trouble with these feline ones...
Good for you, Holly! The four answers you have given are right. I got a good laugh about your having trouble with the feline ones.
Let's leave those two behind for now. Here are three more clues:
1. fiddling trio
2. kissing bully
3. bathing trio
Here's my guesses for the latest three.
OLD KING COLE
GEORGIE PORGIE
RUB-A-DUB-DUB
Signed,
Dorfus Gizzard Brains
xoxoxo
Okay, I'll take on the cats:
Pussy cat, pussy cat, where have you been?
Ding dong bell, pussy's in the well.
BJ
Mother Goose would be so proud of my nursery-rhyming blogatives today!
Holly ... you primed the pump with the first 4 correct answers
ME ... you got the latest 3
BJ ... you solved the 2 cat verses
Are you ready for more?
1. roast beef
2. bird pie
3. stale oatmeal
LOL, Lucy
Those were great pictures on Tricia's Blog, if you haven't checked them out, you have to! One of Marty's minatures is on there too. Amazing!
Sloopy Dippin Dunkin
Funny - that makes me crave a donut??
Oh wait! A contest. I might have the answers...
This Little Piggy
Little Jack Horner
Pease Porridge
Yes, Sonia ... good eye!
You have two out of three answers right. Little Jack Horner is eating pie alright but not bird pie.
So, we'll leave the bird pie for someone else and try three more:
1. fat pig
2. rabbit pelt
3. fat hen
Lucy Locket
Holy crap. I think I know one. Is it:
Sing a song of sixpense?
Oops. Forgot to sign my last post.
Sloopy Dippindoodle
Fat pig: To market, to market
Rabbit pelt: Bye baby bunting
Fat hen: Higgledy Piggledy, my black hen
Little Betty Blue
Lucy again,
Now we're getting some action here.
Sloopy Dippindoodle ... Sing a Song of Sixpence is right for the rhyme with bird pie. Good eye!
Betty Blue ... you sent me researching again. In the Higgledy, Piggledy verse the "black" hen is sometimes called a "fat" hen, too. My fat hen was in "One,Two,Buckle My Shoe" but you score 3 out of 3 again. Well done!
Try this trio:
1. pursued weasel
2. shrewd pieman
3. black wool
1. Round and round the mulberry bush
2. Simple Simon
3. Bah bah black sheep
Boobie Chucklefanny
Boobie Chucklefanny
Cousin Holly for the win!
(easily the best name yet).
Whoa!!!
You guys are way too fast. I didn't know there were more that 5 nursery ryhmes.
Where are you gettin' this stuff Luce?
Hey Sonia
That little painting on Tricia's Tides is the smallest painting I have ever done: 1in x2in barely.
I call that one; "On the Road To Little Arm".
How about that great rice crispie cake tricia mad?
Het Luce
Do you actually have more riddles?
Dorfus Rhinosniffer
Sorry about all the spelling mistakes
Hey Luce and Tricia made
Me again
Good eye, Boobie Chucklefanny!
You not only gave 3 correct answers on the latest clues but you have the funniest new name so far.
And, yes, to you too, Dorfus Rhinosniffer, I do still have a few more clues. Here's another set of 3:
1. wee nightgown
2. fresh rolls
3. cake maker
Lucy Locket
I think I know these three!
Wee Willie Winkie
Hot Cross Buns
Pat-a-Cake
Did you see Marty's "On the Way to Little Arm" on Tricia's Blog? Unbelievable!However, I do believe it because it's sitting in my livingroom. Did you see Tricia's Rice Krispie Christmas trees? Unbelievable! However, I do believe it because it touched my heart ( and my stomach )! The party we had on the 27th of Dec. was also unbelievable. However I do believe it because I was there. Karen had princess items ( even princess loot bags) everywhere. She told me she always wanted to throw a girlie party. She does it well! Thanks to Karen, Marty, Lui, Marie & Tricia for making my "day". The highlight was being with that bunch of family. Awesome!
LOL,
ME xoxoxoxo
Mary Ellen,
I love your description of your unbelievable birthday party, from your mini-miniature painting, to your own festive cake, to the royal theme. Feeling your enthusiasm is the next best thing to being right there with that "bunch of family" celebrating YOU!
BTW ... your answers to the latest three riddles are correct. I have two more sets of clues to bring our list of nursery rhymes to 45!
Here's one of them:
1. burning house
2. tiny arachnid
3. buttered bread
Lucy Locket
Ladybird, ladybird
Eency, weency spider
Little Tommy Tucker
BJ
Nice work, BJ!
Your correct answers bring us to my final set of nursery rhyme clues. Solve these and we will have named 45 familiar verses - (40 more than Marty thought possible but at least as many less than actually exist).
1. snoring man
2. talking pot
3. flowing stream
Lucy Locket
Hey Lucy
1. It's raining, it's pouring
2. I'm a little teapot
I hope I got at least one.
Marty
Both are right, Marty
With your help, we are down to one final clue for the nursery rhyme with a flowing stream. Too bad Dennis doesn't blog with the rest of us; he'd get this one for sure.
LOL, Lucy
That cake was awesome actually. So awesome that I dreamt of rice krispie cake after I saw the cake and have been craving it ever since.
Guess I will have to make me some!!!
Sonia
Row row row your boat?
I will post some pics of my birthday on my website so that you can see MY birthday cake too!
Done! I uploaded some pics from my birthday party to share with all - it was a real Antonini party!
http://112gustafsons.spaces.live.com
Yes, Holly
You correctly identified the final nursery rhyme in my series of clues.
Thank you for giving us the link to your birthday photos. Your cake really turned the event into a family birthday with each of you getting your own special piece of the cake.
We enjoyed seeing recent photos of Eddie, Mia, Lui and Ellie, you and Jamie, Ed and Deanie and Heather. It was indeed an Antonini party - from the group preparations, to the gnocchi main course to the rice krispie cake dessert. Well done!
Love, Louise and David
Happy Birthday, Geron!
Your mom and dad and Logan
Will have a lot to say
Because their son and brother
Is 9 years old today!
They'll wish you happy birthday
With cards and gifts and cake;
They'll make the day quite special
For the Birthday Boy's own sake.
We join your celebration
Sending thoughts and love your way
In this blog-wish for you, Geron -
HAVE A HAPPY, HAPPY DAY!
Lots of love, Louise and David
... Today we are relaying this special message from a dear friend...
"Hello to all the bloggers of the Antonini clan and New Year greetings from a blurker.
Louise told me of the blog way before the Reunion, and from the first view the family fun shone through (amazing to an only child!)
At a time when I needed cheering up some of the general fun created tears of laughter. Later, tears of a different kind and thoughts of you all at the passing of "Mom" - but what a remarkable life and an inspiration, and I shall try to remember an alphabet of prayers and gratitude.
Finally, a special 'hello' to Tricia - another source of inspiration, amazement, and witness to the power of prayer and the joy of life.
OK, that's enough!
By the way, you might like to know that Louise did not accept my offer of a 'wee dram' for New Year because she reckons I should keep the gift tin intact so that it becomes valuable in 20 years time. There's thoughtfulness for you!
From Margaret living in Cupar but blurking in St. Andrews!"
Welcome to the blog, Margaret. It might interest you to know that yours is the 4,100th posting on this monster of a blog. Whatever you might think about being 4,100, we consider it an honor and are happy to have you. I think it is very touching that you have been blurking and keeping track of Lucy's family. Please continue to join us on our journey through blogland.
BJ (Betty Jo-now the oldest surviving member of the family) from Ottawa.
Hi BJ,
First thing this morning, I enjoyed reading your response to Margaret's blog entry. Your update on the total number of postings is a surprise for all of us, I'm sure.
The way you signed off also stopped me up. You really are at the front of the line now, aren't you? Lead on, first child and top-notch sister!
Love, Lucy
Good Morning, Emmanuel!
We hear this is your birthday
And we wish you lots of fun
From your rising in the morning
To the setting of the sun.
We hope you're bright and cheery;
That you're feeling fit and fine;
That you're ready for excitement;
'Cause today you're turning 9.
May your family greet you warmly.
May your friends remember, too.
May your day be close to perfect.
May your birthday wish come true!
Love and best wishes,
Louise and David
Emmanuel says " Thanks for the birthday poem, Auntie Louise"!!! He has a bad cold today, so he is a little sad that he has to stay home on his birthday! Your poem cheered him up a little bit. Thanks again.
Hugs and love to all.
Barb
You're welcome, Emmanuel
We hope you get over your cold very quickly and that you are soon feeling much better. Even your birthday cake will taste sweeter when you are well again.
Love, Louise and David
Here in St. Andrews we have been up for several hours. It's after 1:00 pm for us and we're waiting for the rest of our blogatives to start their day, too.
You are 5, 7, and 8 hours behind us so we just have to be patient, I guess.
In the meantime, I think we'll go for a walk along the North Sea in the bright afternoon sunshine. We'll check in on you when we get back, though.
Luv, Lucy
Texas is up, taking our time, finishing up our coffee.
What's new in Blogland?
Hi, Kenneth,
We're back from our walk into town. On the return stretch we saw 4 skidoos in the waters off East Sands. The bathers were wearing full wet suits but it still looked like a foolish thing to be doing on January 12th on the North Sea at 2 degrees C. Brrrr!
Lucy
...what time is it?...
Hey y'all
Just got back from a walk on the beach. The ocean air is fresh and salty. The whales are jumpin' and the sailboats are in full tilt. I ran out of suntan lotion so we had to come back. Maybe after breakfast we'll go up to the top of the Calgary Tower and watch the bungee jumpers.
Love, from balmy Calgary
Marty
Hi everyone,
Just got back from walking in (on?) frozen slush. In the last 2 days we have had snow, freezing rain, rain, more snow, a sudden drop in temperature and lots of sunshine. Who knows--tomorrow we may be in shirt sleeves. I can understand the pioneers coming here, but why did they stay?
Lucy,
I really liked your birthday poems. I remember getting one from you several years ago, and how much fun it was. I don't keep many cards, but I still have that one. Keep on versifying!
Love, BJ
Marty ... very funny. There's no ocean in your area, you won't be needing suntan lotion for several months, and the Calgary Tower would get in the way of a bungee jumper's return bounce. I've got a feeling that you are making fun of those of us who do have a beach to walk along in winter.
BJ ... your walk on slush in Ottawa is more likely than Marty's fantasy outing in balmy Calgary. Like you, I can't help but wonder what made those first settlers stay beyond one Canadian winter.
I'm glad you like my birthday verses. As long as the rhymes continue to come so easily, I'll keep churning them out.
Lucy
Regina is up, back from a late evening birthday celebration, and now going to bed! Thought I'd check in to be the first to say hello to Lucy today!
Mission accomplished, Holly!
It was nice to find a bright good morning message when I checked the blog first thing this morning.
Thank you and good morning to you, too!
Lucy
Happy Birthday, Marcia
We wish you a warm and happy day in sunny California, with family and friends to celebrate YOU.
Here in St. Andrews we will not pass up this opportunity to toast your good health and happiness with a wee dram of single malt scotch. Only the best for the best!
Cheers and lots of love,
Louise and David
Happy Birthday, Bonnie!
We hope your Sunday birthday is a real weekend treat for you ... a day when Rob, Nicholas, Jessica, your parents, and others can focus on you in ways that tell you just how special you are to all of them, every day of their lives.
Here in Scotland, we will certainly be raising our glasses in a toast of thanksgiving for YOU, Bonnie, as you celebrate today. Cheers!
May the warm attentions of family and friends keep winter's cold from spoiling one minute of your birthday celebrations.
Much love,
Louise and David
Lucy again,
Today I'm watching the first matches in the quarter-finals of the Masters Snooker Championship. Right now Ronnie O'Sullivan, the best in the world, is playing our Scottish Champion Steve McGuire.
Between frames I have been reading the December 2007 Holiday Edition of the Barker Bugle. So far I have discovered:
... that my favorite alcoholic drink is usquebaugh (of the Scottish variety),
... that a PARADOX is two physicians,
... that there's hope for the British public in the study of "queue management",
... and that Santa is being encouraged to relocate to Kyrgyzstan.
I also wish I had been introduced to the Claus Family while I was still trying to teach grammar to my English students. I believe they would have understood that Santa is the main Claus, his wife a relative Claus, his children dependent Clauses, the elves subordinate Clauses, etc. If nothing else, that discussion would have been fun for all of us in the midst of our frustration.
Thanks again, BJ. Keep those Bugles coming our way!
Ooops that Maguire not McGuire ... that's an honest Scottish mistake.
Lucy
Stephen Maguire has just defeated Ronnie O'Sullivan 6 matches to 5 in the first round of the Masters, Snooker Championship.
Unbelieveable victory for Maguire!
Lucy
Lord, tunderin' jehosophat, miss a few days and have a tonne of catching up to do.
Whilst I do that, I have posted a new painting on Barking at the Big Blog for your viewing pleasure, if you're so inclined.
I was amazed at how long the Canada geese stuck around. The lake was completely frozen over before they high-tailed it for warmer climes.
As some of you may know, for years I shunned representational art, but inspired by my Uncle Marty and sister-in-law Johanne and motivated by the lust for money, I decided to start working on some saleable stuff. This is the first realistic painting I have done in... forever.
Unfortunately, my camera is crap so the photo doesn't do the painting complete justice, but it is what it is.
Sorry, specs of painting are:
Acrylic on canvas panel, 9" x 7"
Lucy here,
Thomas, thanks for the view of your first realistic painting in years. It captures the texture, pose and stamina of the geese in a prairie winter. The lakeside scenery in the distance reminds me of Regina Beach. Lovely!
Hey Thomas
Nice work!
I pick- Dallas 23 New England 25
in the Superbowl.
If I'm the only contestant, do I get the geese?
Marty
Hey Thomas
Don't panic.
I was kidding.
That's a keeper my friend. I wish that I would have kept my first animal that I painted.
Looking forward to seeing your new stuff.
Marty
Thanks, Marty.
You already lost anyway, Dallas is out, so it's going to be Green Bay (GO PACK!) and New England (22-21 for ugh! the the Pats). Maybe I'll win my own painting. Just kidding, it's not up for grabs, I need the cash.
Thanks, Louise, I'm glad the painting brought you back to Last Mountain Lake.
Here's another activity, a variation on the start the next word with the last letter of the previous one (I know my Mom will like this one). Countries of the world (I don't know why, but I started doing this on the toilet the other night (probably because there were no Archie comics or crossword books)).
The first round will be countries, the second round provinces and/or states, the next round cities and the final round other geographic features.
If there is no place (only the letter X is not represented in countries) please subsitute a fictional or mythical place.
Also, please try to include some tidbit of info about the place.
I'll start: Azerbaijan. Declared its independence from the Soviet Union in 1992, but is only officially recognized as a country by Armenia. It is almost 95 per cent Muslim.
NAURU (the smallest island nation in the world).
Phew, I think I'm finally caught up.
In order to do so, I skipped most of the nursery rhyme stuff. No offence, but...
Checked out Tricia's Tides (nifty cake and miniature painting, best to Tasha).
Kbub's muzak (great stuff, congrats... where the heck is my master?)
I'm not even going to try to keep up with all the birthdays etc... (I have a hard enough time remembering my own these days, so happy whatever to anybody who has had a whatever in my absence). Oh, but nice pics Holly.
Speaking of which, I saw the original of Tulips 1 today at Ed and Deanie's after massat the cathedral. I thought that painting would be giant, but it's pretty small (about 8"x10", I think), surprising, but beautiful.
Welcome honourary Antonini from Scotland AND I find it a little disturbing B.J. is now the oldest surviving member of the clan.
Marty: 4:30, it's not late, naw, naw, it's just early, early, early... interesting that this song is 4:50 long, you think they would have found a way to edit it to make it 4:30
FLUFFY DIPPINDOODLE
Happy 30th Wedding Anniversary,
Diane and Michael!
Birthdays are my usual focus but 30 years of marriage definitely calls for blog-congratulations on this, your Pearl Anniversary.
Cheers and best wishes for many more years of happiness together.
Louise and David
Lucy here,
UNITED KINGDOM ... full name United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland aka UK and Britain. Includes England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Calling code 44
@b@bigdog: where the heck is my master?
Dood, read your email. I sent you a bunch of info a week ago.
@Lucy: UNITED KINGDOM ... full name United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland aka UK and Britain. Includes England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Calling code 44
So does that end with an 'M', a 'D', an 'N' or a '4'?
Good question, Kenneth ... go for the M on the end of the words in capital letters.
Lucy
Holy cow, another contest that I missed the beginning of. My first answer is MYANMAR, the Asian country which used to be called Burma and is still thought of as that in most western countries. Its capital is Yangon, which used to be called Rangoon and is still thought.... etc.
Nice picture, Thomas. this is a new period for you, away from abstract, pointilism, etc.
Love, BJ
Darn it, I was just about to post a country beginning with the letter '4'.
Oh well... ROMANIA
AFGHANISTAN .... "Land of Afghans", an Islamic Republic divided into 34 provinces yet slightly smaller in area than the state of Texas.
Lucy
The NETHERLANDS or Low Countries. A Constitutional monarchy on the North Sea. Half the country is below sea level. Capital is Amsterdam.
That's a timely entry BJ,
Tomorrow night David and I will be crossing the North Sea on a ship called, King of Scandinavia. We'll spend Wednesday in Amsterdam before reboarding the ship for our return trip to Newcastle on Thursday.
Lucy
SENEGAL ... a republic on the Atlantic coast in west Africa. Its capital is Dakar. Its motto is: "One people, One goal, One faith".
Whew! that's a tall order, eh?
wow, this contest is not only fun, but educational
LIBERIA: Name means "land of the free" because it was founded by freed American slaves. The flag mimics the U.S. flag with a single white star on a blue field in the upper corner surrounded by the familiar red and white stripes.
Kbub: never got your email, sorry. What addy are you using? It's thombarker @ sasktel.net
ALBANIA... ALBANIA... You border on... the... A-... dri-... atic.
@dog, that's the email I used. I'll send it again.
In about 20 minutes, David and I will be leaving on our 3-day excusion. We'll be away from our computer during that time but we'll be back!!!!
LOL, Lucy
Dear Edward,
As you know, we will be in Amsterdam on Wednesday so .... Happy Birthday on the 16th!
E ven midweek, we
D are to
W ish you
A really fine and
R elaxing
D ay!
Cheers and lots of love,
Louise and David
We'll be remembering you, too, Grace-Anne
The 16th is your birthday
So we're dropping by to say
That you must feel very proud,
GRACE-ANNE
Because you're 6 today!
Your family will be likely
To remind you all day long
That their Birthday Girl is special;
And they'll tell you so in song.
As your brother and sister
Sing along with Mom and Dad
May your birthday celebration
Be the best you've ever had!
Lots of love,
Louise and David
AALAND ... a group of islands in the Baltic Sea. An autonomous province of Finland with its own country status.
DJIBOUTI
A tiny East African country whose main exports are desktop wallpaper jpegs and reflected sunlight. National anthem: Djibouti, Djibouti, How Must We Spell Thee?
IRAN. It used to be called Persia, and has not a very good record concerning human rights, especially for women!
BJ
Figures, Lucy leaves and the blog dies.
NEPAL: until 2006, the only officially Hindu country in the world.
LUXEMBOURG. A country in Europe that actually has as one of its official languages, Luxembourgian. It is one of the few countries in the world with a 100% literacy rate.
BJ
I'd like to see how they fudge that literacy data. I guess the illiterates wouldn't be able to read the report to dispute it.
GHANA: An African country where my dad probably helped improve the literacy rate.
Oh No! Now we're into the black hole of countries that begin and end with 'A'.
How about Argentinastan?
Nice save!
NAMIBIA: D'oh!, here we go again...
Hi Auntie Louise,
Grace-Anne says" Mom, can you read me the poem again? No wait.. mom..I'll read the poem myself again!" Now that she is 6, she'll be doing all of the reading on her own, and she's very good at it!
Thank you for the birthday wishes and happy birthday uncle Edward!
Hugs,
Barbara
Black hole indeed! There are 11 countries starting with 'A'. 9 of them also end in 'A'. the only two that end in 'N' have already been guessed. We may have to elminiate the As and arbitrarily start with another letter!
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA. Its capital is St. John's. St. John's is one of the only two capitals that are duplicates of other capitals. St. John's is also the capital of Newfoundland.
BJ
Instead of arbitrarily restarting at a new letter, we could get bigdog to retract Ghana and choose a 'G' country that doesn't end in 'A'.
Now anybody proposing a country ending in 'A' will be branded a "Blog Pooper" (or "Blooper").
Maybe it's a good time to start Round 2.
I am blurking this contest, since I don't know no countries, and I ain't got no time to do me no research.
yes, it is probably time to move on to provinces/states
ALABAMA, d'oh I mean ALASKA
never mind, how about: ANDHRA PRADESH (one of the 28 states of India)
Tsk,tsk. What is Lucy going to say when she comes home to find we have blogjacked her contest? I think I will wait to see what she has to say before joining the coup.
BJ
Thomas started this contest. Something about sitting on the toilet.
HAINAUT, by the way: a province in western Belgium.
Yeah, mom, it may seem like a Lucy contest but....
Kbub: very nice, Belgium, who woulda thunk?
From there we pretty much have to go to Tientsin, a province of China, which was briefly a "concession zone" (i.e. colony of Belgium after the Boxer Rebellion.
Yes, Thom,
This IS my kind of contest. The confusion over who started it all in the first place brought me some amusement while I was catching up on the blog. How could anyone have forgotten that you got your inspiration while sitting on the toilet?
NEWFOUNDLAND ... 10th province of Canada, joining nine others in 1949, giving rise to classroom celebrations for those of us who were school children way back then. (BTW... that's the same group of people who eventually saw the number of planets in our solar system shrink from 9 to 8!)
LOL, Lucy
Hi again Grace-Anne,
I'm so glad that you were able to read your own birthday poem. You are a very clever 6 year old!
Love, Louise
Lucy again,
Kenneth ... that national anthem of Djibouti made me laugh right out loud. It's an appropriate one, too. Even after looking closely I had to double check the spelling of Djibouti. Is there a verse about pronunciation, too?
Holly ... now that you have moved us on to provinces and states, we should have lots of material to work with and good general knowledge to share. I entered NEWFOUNDLAND in a couple of minutes. Well done!
Sorry Thomas,
I came late to your contest and was so eager to enter it that I forgot where it all started. You can call me a maroon. Unfortunately, I'm not nearly as well informed on provinces as I am on countries and capitals. I may have to be an audience in this one.
Speaking of contests... Bob and I went to a movie the other night and they flashed a contest on the screen before the movie started. Bob said: Oh, oh, don't tell your family about this! We have a reputation, I guess.
Lucy, Glad to have you back. You have a reputation, too. Why else, would I have attributed Thomas' contest to you?
Love, BJ
Holy cow, I missed the fact that we had moved on to states.
DELAWARE, the first of the 13 original states to form the Union.
BJ
ENNA ... a Italian province on the island of Sicily. Its capital city is Enna, so if you live there your address reads, Enna, ENNA. Do I hear a song coming on?
LOL, Lucy
Alberta!!
It ain't the Queen City of the Plains, but it'll do.
Marty
BTW... we had a wonderful 3-day excursion of Amsterdam, Newcastle and Edinburgh. I'll share just three highlights here:
Amsterdam ... an hour spent in the war-time hideout of Anne Frank. In what used to be her bedroom in the secret annex, her famous diary lay open (under glass) at the first page on which Anne introduced herself.
Newcastle ... three hours of experiencing the wonder of scientific studies in our origins, our world and our future. This was a wonderfully interactive facility which included star gazing, thrill riding and puzzle solving.
Edinburgh ... a live stage performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. We were mesmerized by the music, spectacle and colour of this performance.
The ferry, King of Scandanavia, was a floating city of excitement, entertainment and comfort.
Where do we go from here?
Love, Louise and Dave
Well done, Marty
That was an easy entry from a resident of Alberta!
AGUASCALIENTES ... meaning "hot water" in Spanish. Aguascalientes is a state of Mexico that is famous for .... you guessed it... its hot springs!
Anybody want to guess what province should come next?????
LOL, Lucy
Jamie and I have a dear priest-friend who comes from Aquascalientes. His name is Fr. Emilio Dias-Torres and our little Emilia is named partly for him (and partly for Mom's godmother Emilia, and partly for Jamie's great grandmother Emelia).
So I get SASKATCHEWAN (and finally get to participate in this contest!). The only Canadian province with entirely man-made boundaries, lending to our unofficial provincial motto - "SASKATCHEWAN: hard to spell, easy to draw".
Holly ... what an amazing connection from Aguascalientes and your friend Emilo to our own dear Emilia in Saskatchewan.
See what you started, Thom! ... a contest with a difference.
NUNAVUT ... the largest and newest territory of Canada, 1999. This northern area is the brunt of many a joke about others wanting to having "none of it".
Lucy
TEXAS!
The only state with its own emoticon:
\m/
Yes!
SUSSEX.
A county south of London UK.
Renowned for the emigration of David Butcher is search of a prairie rose transplanted to the Yukon.
XINJIANG region of China. They have a basketball team called the Xinjiang Flying Tigers.
Happy Birthday Kahless!
On this day you're turning 7
We will all remember you,
Since this date in 1918
Was Great-grandma's birthday, too.
Have a time of great rejoicing.
Let the fun and laughter flow.
May your eyes look on and sparkle
While your seven candles glow.
As your family gathers round you
And your friends join in the fun,
May this January birthday
Be a very happy one!
Lots of love,
Louise and David
GIBRALTAR ... a British Overseas Territory which is also claimed by neighboring Spain. Local people refer to Gibraltar as Gib or The Rock.
Lucy
Kenneth ... dare I ask if the Texas emoticon is a long-horned steer or a cowboy hat?
Luce
The Texas emoticon is the University of Texas salute: a hand gesture intended to mimic the horns of a longhorn steer, which is also the University's mascot.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hook_%27em_Horns
Thanks Kenneth
Your wikipedia reference is perfect. There's a picture of a hand making the very gesture you mention in your explanation of the Texas emoticon.
You've also made me feel that it's okay to ask what may seem to be a silly question.
Lucy
RHODE ISLAND. It is called the 'Ocean State'.
although most of it is on the Mainland, no part of the state is more than 30 minutes from the water's edge.
BJ
DURANGO .... an inland state of Mexico famous for its scorpions. You won't want to go there for a camping holiday.
Lucy
Oklahoma...The name "Oklahoma" comes from the Choctaw words: "okla" meaning people and "humma" meaning red, so the state's name literally means "red people."
Oklahoma has the largest American Indian population of any state.
Good place for me to find BJ's next mini painting ideas.
Marty
AR RUSTAQ
A province in Oman. I've been waiting to use one that ends in 'Q', so y'all know what to do next!
Lucy, there is no such thing as a silly question... only silly people
KBub, here you go:
QUEBEC: although there are those that would dispute that it is a "Nation" and not a province, the rest of us are clinging to its provincial status until the ink is dry on the divorce papers.
Of course, it is best known for being the lovely homeland of your equally lovely bride Johanne.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!
I know you and dad will be having a good time together again.
Lots of love to both of you
Edward
COMO ... a province in Northern Italy that is famous for being the home of the inventor of the electric battery - Allesandro Volta - in 1800.
O ... okay, what's next folks?
Lucy
9O
Thom ... thanks for the words of encouragement. BTW, have you forgotten that I was the one who asked what BTW stood for? Duhhh
Lucy
Happy Birthday, Grandma
Hail Mary, full of grace
the Lord is with you
Blessed art thou amongst women
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus
Holy Mary Mother of God
pray for us sinners
now and at the hour of our death
Amen
I hope I typed that correctly, I've got something in both of my eyes
You're welcome, Luce. I'm always trying to be helpful.
Greetings from Thérèse, Christine and Auntie Barbara in Regina. Barb joined us for supper tonight and we had a little birthday remembrance celebration for Mom with a rose covered cake and two birthday candles - a nine and a zero.
Barb wishes everyone a blessed New Year. She misses Mom, but enjoyed eating off of her orange plate once again. She says Mom is with her in her heart and her soul and she thanks God that she had her through the years.
'bye for now,
Thérèse
O - kay, Luce, we haven't touched on Russia -- former ruler of the "unfree" world -- yet, so I'm going to go with:
OMSK - an OMBLAST (what they call provinces) of Russia.
Hi, Thérèse, very nice story, how about a "God bless mommy and daddy..."?
Well, Thom, that wasn't the O that I was expecting from my Canadian blogatives. But I'll bet you knew that, too.
KENTUCKY ... referred to as the Bluegrass State, Kentucky also boasts the world's longest cave system. Its motto is the famous line, "United we stand, divided we fall".
Lucy
I would like to take this bloggortunity to express my admiration for Antonini & Sons (having spent my weekend stripping linoleum and laying tile).
:-b
Roses go to ...
Therese ... thanks for the New Year's message from Aunt Barbara and for her consoling words about Mom still being present to her. Your January 19th, 90th birthday celebration was a nice way for you, Christine and Barbara to get together and remember Mom.
Thom ... the single Hail Mary, simply typed on Saturday's blog urged us to recite again the prayer that Mom said most often in her lifetime.
Ed ... your image of Mom and Dad together again is our hope, too.
Ken ... for some reason, your admiration for Antonini & Sons makes me feel so proud of the three generations of craftsmen and artists I have watched at work in the flooring business.
Love, Louise
Good Monday Morning, Lui Per Irvin!
Happy Birthday Lui, dear;
We hear you're 3 years old.
May the joy you bring to others
Be returned to you, three-fold.
You're a blessing to your parents,
Ellie, Mia, Eddie, too;
And today they will be joyful,
Saying, "Thank you, God, for Lou!"
May your birthday celebration
Be a time of family fun
And the year that lies ahead of you,
A healthy, happy one.
Lots of love,
Louise and David
YUKON ... northern territory of Canada, right next door to Alaska. Yukon's capital city is Whitehorse, which was our home for ten years and also the birthplace of our sons, Paul and Alan.
NEW YORK (the state, not the city) because it is just an hour from us and we make occasional day trips to enjoy its many wonders.
BJ
KANSAS ... a "Heartland" state in the USA. Its nickname is "The Sunflower State". Once home to real-life aviation pioneer, Amelia Earhart, Kansas also lays claim to the fictional character, Dorothy, from the Wizard of Oz.
Lucy
Ah, this game is a pleasure.
Try as I might, however, I was unable to come up with a province or state that starts with S and ends with F, which would allow Luce to give us FIFE, the administrative subdivision (province) in which St. Andrews resides.
Therefore, I am going to go with SOUTH AYRESHIRE, another province of Scotland.
January 22, 2008
HAPPY 10TH ANNIVERSARY!
This date is one of celebration for every member of our family but especially for Tony's Antoninis and Marcia's Pinvidics.
On January 22, 1998, Marcia donated one of her kidneys to Tony. Their transplant surgery took place in Saskatoon. While Tony's medical team did all it could to help his body accept and benefit from that new kidney, Vic took Marcia home and cared for her in the early days after the transplant.
Ten years later, Tony is still going strong at 61 and Marcia is as healthy as ever at 56.
Congratulations... Tony and family!
Thank you... Marcia and family!
Toast Life... one and all!
Cheers!
Louise and David
Thom ... I'm honoured that you made the effort to find an area starting with an S and ending with an F ... all so I that could enter FIFE.
From here then, I will go a little south in Scotland to the county of EAST LOTHIAN which is just across the Firth of Forth from Fife.
How's that Thom?
Luce
Lucy again,
I sure hope everyone on the blog is taking time to click on kbub and visit Art Facts from time to time.
To date, we have our choice of listening to all or any one of four selections played by Kenneth in his return to classical piano after 20 years.
Besides that, we can listen to all 11 tracks of Thom's Twice the Usual album.
It's the ultimate in blurking!
Auntie Louise, Lui liked his poem, but wanted me to turn up the sound on the computer so that he could hear it, instead of having me read it. He had a good birthday and we have emerged in one piece from our month and a half long birthday crunch (starting December 7th with Mom, then Eddie, Jamie's mom, Jesus, Jamie's dad, me, Dad, then Lui). We have sung happy birthday so many times in the past few weeks that 18 month old Ellie, who still does not speak except for the odd "mama", said "Happy Birthday" last night!
Thanks Luce, I think that is one of my favourite place names ever: the Firth of Forth.
From the old world to the new: NOVA SCOTIA, second smallest in area and second most densely populated of Canada's provinces. Its population is roughly the same as Saskatchewan.
Marcia! Marcia! Marcia!
I almost forgot how much I love you.
Marty Silvano Antonini
Hi Holly,
Please tell Lui that we would have added sound to his birthday poem if that had been an option. Thanks for reading our greeting to him. (How is technology ever going to keep adjusting to the expectations of today's children? Imagine a blog with talking entries!)
We also got a good laugh out of Ellie's second and third words being "Happy Birthday". Good for her!
Love, Louise
AMAZONAS ... the largest state in Brazil is named after the Amazon River and is 98% rainforest.
Luce
PS to Thom ... Fife itself has some wonderful place names like Pickletillum, Cellardyke, Auchtermuchty, Pittenweem and Newport-on-Tay.
Lucy again,
I bought myself a new used jigsaw today. Someone probably got it for Christmas, assembled it during the holidays and donated it to the Cancer Society early in January. I found it in their charity shop this afternoon. It's called the Christmas Murder Mystery Puzzle.
You don't get a picture to work with but you get a book to read. You are told when to stop reading and assemble the 1000 piece jigsaw for further clues.
The solution is given in mirror image at the back of the book. I'm hoping I won't need to peek. Detective Lucy is on the case as "Holly Christmas investigates Two Turtle Doves"!
Happy Birthday, Michael
No matter which of your beautiful 2008 calendars we look at today, each one tells us that it's your January 23rd birthday.
M ay
I ts
C elebrations be
H appy
A nd its
E njoyments
L asting!
Cheers to you with lots of love,
Louise and David
I have always thought of Marcia as an angel for what she did for my dad and our family.
My mom and dad, along with Dustin, Keenan, Kelly and Holly are in Mexico right now soaking up the sun!
This is the email my dad sent to Jenalee and I on Monday... I am sure everyone can envision a mental picture of how much they are enjoying themselves.
"We´re having a grest time. Mom went parasailing yesterday and Kelly won the blackout at afternoon bingo. We are going to Puerto tomorrow and Keenan and Dustin and I are planning to go scuba diving on Thursday.
We´re all getting a lot of sun and liquor, and of course, food.
We will email you when we know what time our flight on Saturday is going to be.
Dad"
Yes - my dad spelled great wrong. Maybe it is a combo of great and best?
Marcia, and everyone else who has been there for support and with their prayers - There are no words that can express our thanks. Everytime my kids talk about grandpa, or about something grandpa did, or how excited they get about how grandpa fixed something - I am reminded about how precious life is.
Who would have thought 10 years ago that my dad would be scuba diving in Mexico? Just the fact that he has been given life back, and can enjoy his grandchildren and family - we are very fortunate, from all of us (and the fish in Mexico) thank you Marcia!!
Love Sonia
Me, too! Thanks, Marcia. What a gift you have given all of us - Tony!
Love to all,
ME xoxoxoxo
Sonia ... thanks for relaying Tony's message from Mexico. We remember now that he and Carol talked about this holiday when we visited them back in November. It's good to hear that it's all happening as planned. We like your explanation of his new word, too .... Grest!
Mary Ellen ... we were pleased to read your posting, too. It's funny how a few words on the blog can brighten our day the way yours have tonight.
LOL, Lucy
Fitting.
Another update from Mexico!
"The weather is clear, sunny and hot and mom and I walked about 3 hours to Bucerius and went by the Decameron where we stayed last year.
Hope it´s not too cold there and hope the cats are not being too difficult.
We'll check back on Friday and will have our flight times by then.
We love you
Mom and Dad."
Hi again, Sonia
Thanks for sharing the "clear, sunny, hot" Mexican weather with us on this chilly, wet morning in Scotland. As Tony would say, "Grest"!
It sounds like Carol, Tony, Kelly, Dustin, Holly and Keenan are making the best of their holiday before they have to return to Saskatchewan on the weekend. What a shock that will be to their systems!
I take it that you are looking after the cats. Never having had our own feline pets, we can't imagine how cats might become "too difficult" when they are left behind at home in someone else's care. I hope they're behaving for you. At least you are part of the family that they recognize as their own.
LOL, Lucy
Thom ... As a major player, I'm taking the liberty of moving your contest on to the next round - cities. Just because ....
SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN ... is such a nice place to start. Besides being fun to say, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan is the home of our own Vic and Don. Need I say more?
Luv, Luce
I think Sonia said she has to wear oven mitts while handling the cats, so that might give you an idea how "difficult" they are...
Oh, my gosh, Holly, I had no idea that a family cat might bare its claws and scratch the hand that feeds it. I wonder if Sonia knew what she was getting into when she agreed to watch the cats while her parents were away.
LOL, Lucy
Betty Jo's surgery went well yesterday. This morning, she even got rid of the eye-patch and will not have to wear it at all in the recuperative period. However, the surgeon suspects that the hole in Betty Jo’s retina may have been there a little too long and cannot/will not, of course, guarantee any improved sight in that eye. He does seem to be confident that there will not be any further deterioration.
All in all, we are content.
Bob
Good memory Holly!
It was actually Keenan's cat, Roland, who I really had to wear oven mitts to try to pick him up.
He likes me more now, no more oven mitts! This morning he seemed a bit lonely, I think he misses Holly. He let me pet him for a bit then he ran away. At the beginning of the week he was so cuddly. Maybe at that point I appeared to be just a visitor, now later on in the week he fears I am his new owner or something!
Good call on moving the contest along, Luce... looks like provinces/states kind of ran its course (or maybe it was just that bj was having surgery... congrats mom, glad you're "content")
NAIN, Labrador: where I spent the only summer I actually did field work in geology (still one of the greatest experiences of my life).
Bob,
Thanks for letting us know that BJ's surgery went ahead this time and that she is recuperating well. She waited a long time for this day to arrive!
The results of yesterday's procedure seem to have created a good news, bad news situation, though. We were hoping that the hole in the retina of Betty Jo's eye could be repaired so that her sight would actually improve. However, we are relieved to know that it will not likely deteriorate any further.
What a relief, BJ! Heal well, now.
Lots of love, Lucy
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