Congratulations on your fourteenth wedding anniversary. In this month of hearts and flowers, we wish you happiness and good health to last the whole year through.
Wherever this year takes you, may all your roads be smooth, safe and exciting. Cheers!
From the freezing rain capital of the world: A perfect weekend occured for the first weekend of Winterlude. Both days were sunny and ideal for all the events of our 2-week fetival However, with the temperature hovering at zero we are holding our breaths that it doesn't rain again. It is easy to love winter on a day like today.
Congratulations! Last year in our travels, we missed posting a wish for you on this anniversary date. This year we are in western Canada, determined to send greetings your way.
We are especially happy to recall our summer meeting in Ottawa, with you, Kelly and with Dehlia and Piper. We hope today's celebration is a family event, filled with memories of good times.
May you and Tim enjoy your anniversary day and may you have many more happy years together. Cheers!
I have to say something. I was working on the block quiz, almost had it too. I noticed it first thing Saturday afternoon so I immediately ran out to Home Depot and got myself an eight foot 2x2.I was going to get a ten footer but I figured I could get 48 blocks out of an 8 and that should be all I needed, a few hours later I went back for the 10 footer. That's the one I had the accident on, while cutting it up one of the blocks flew up from the blade and caught me in the forehead, caused a bit of a gash, Deanie said she'd drive me to the hospital for 3 or 4 stitches but while she was getting ready I found some crazy glue that did the job. She said, "What the hell did you do?" I said, "I glued it together myself, this glue says 'bonds skin instantly'" She says, "That's not an instruction, that's a warning!" "Oh" I say. She takes off her coat "Well, I know why they call it crazy glue now" she says. Anyway, back to the puzzle, I put on a hard hat, goggles and gloves and finished cutting the blocks, with 108 blocks this should be a piece of cake, the raw wood of the blocks did kinda suck the markers dry so I had to run out to get some new ones, everything was closed except Shoppers Drugs, I'm not sure what time it was but I was the only one in the store except of course the clerk, oh, and the security guard, he was a little baby faced guy but the 4 foot chain from his wallet to his belt and the cans of mace strapped to each forearm made him look a lot more formidable. A few hours later I had two of the blocks figured out and separated from my discards when Deanie called me for church. Already, I thought, oh well, I'll get right back to it after church. After church I dropped Deanie and the kids at the house while i went to pick up Heather for brunch at our house. When we got back I couldn't believe my eyes, the kids had been playing with my blocks, discards and all. They were all sitting around a group they had strung together...nousvousaimonspapa...Eddie was there with a marker in his hand. "What's the meaning of this?", I questioned. He said, "It's French, it means we love you papa. What a great day! Good job Mary-Ellen.
Hey Loved, What you did with the blocks is much more creative, clever, and entertaining than what I did. I just used logic. You used every funny bone in your body, and every humourous brain cell in your head. Then for a finale, you threw in the joy of being a Grandpa. AWESOME!
Ok. So I've been enjoying the mild winter, but believe it or not it has it's drawbacks. I stepped out one morning after a freezing overnight rain and when I hit the driveway I lost all control and started sliding down the incline like I was on skis, though I may have pulled a number of muscles staying upright,I ended up on my feet, albeit, it was in the middle of the street. That's not too bad on Wilkie Road, we have a few hours during the day when some cars rumble down it, fortunately for me I picked a good hour. Had I slid onto the 401, it would have been "bye, bye, Antonini". That's not my saying, I was visiting our Grandpa Silvano one day and he related an early childhood story in which he was riding a bike down a hill in Italy when his chain broke and he was rapidly approaching a narrow ravine traversed by a simple plank, he studied his speed, measured his chance of success of crossing safely and came up with "Bye ,bye, Antonini." I'll always remember that story. I played him checkers you know, not one of those games where he starts with 4 and you start with 12, well, I did play one or two of those but got tired of losing. I got smart, I took his books and his notes, he had this ink stamp that stamped out a checker board and two checker stamps with red and black ink pads. I learned how to use the books and challenged him straight up 12 against 12. He smiled, with books in hand I matched him move for move, we were even steven down to four men a piece, he made a move, I made a move, he moved, I jumped, he moved, I jumped again. Oh.Oh. Anyways, about this mild winter, isn't it great.
Dear Loved, Starting my day with another good laugh. Also a tear or two as I read about Grandpa A. I had never heard the bike story before, and didn't know about the ink stamp or the checker games you played. What a wonderful memory for you! Thanks, and please tell us more! Love, BJ
Like BJ, I laughed and cried over this latest story, Ed. As it turns out, the family in Italy also likes to hear about Grandpa A. There, Luigi is a chess champion and when I told him about Grandpa's checkers books he said he'd love to see them someday.
Having been in Maniago myself, I am trying to imagine the hill on which Grandpa lost his brakes. While I was there, I could easily imagine him playing in the nearby hills and exploring old castle ruins.
Your "bye,bye Antonini" story also brings me closer to Dad on this 17th anniversary of his death. It's amazing how "real" he and his dad before him still stay in my mind and heart. Thanks for the memories! Keep them coming.
Thanks for all the stories and memories. There are days when I really miss Dad. He was wise as well as good, and talking to him about stuff, always made me feel better. What a gift he was to us all.
We just returned home from visiting Tony and Carol in Victoria, we had a great time and while we were there we worked on a jigsaw puzzle, it's the first time I've done a jigsaw since someone sent me a jelly bean puzzle along with a week's supply of jelly beans to eat while I was doing it. It took me a lot more time to finish the puzzle than it did to eat the jelly beans, I think I averaged about 7 pieces a day, of course the jelly beans were gone the first night. The puzzle we did in Victoria wasn't nearly as tough but it was still a challenge, we needed my sisters there. It's reported that all the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put Humpty together... Louise coulda, if Mary-Ellen, Vic and Betty Jo helped they'd do it over coffee.
LOL! Thanks for the kudos, Ed. But I am not in the same class as Vic and Lucy. And Mary Ellen won't mind me lumping her in with me. We ae both amateurs compared to the other 2. We do have a lot of fun doing them, though. Glad you and Tony are keeping up the tradition.
I remember the jelly bean puzzle, Edward! You brought it over to Mom's apartment for me to do after you were finished with it. It was a tough one for sure. That's the way I like 'em, too.
Over the years I have discovered that jigsaws are even more fun when others are working on them with me. I think that's why they have become part of so many of the special occasions in our lives. People gather around and the fun begins.
You can get a lot of mileage out of old puzzles, too. During my December stay in Calgary, Marty and Karen gave me four of their favourites which I will now pass on to others.
BTW...I'm curious, Ed. What jigsaw did you guys assemble in Victoria?
We hope you are having a happy family gathering to mark your Sunday birthday in Santa Clarita.
Cold weather won't keep us from raising a warm toast to you on this special occasion. May you be surrounded by love as you celebrate today and may the year ahead be joyful. Cheers!
I've known for a long time now that women think a little differently than men. I just haven't figured it out yet. My little 5 year old grand daughter Ellie has been using me as a punching bag. Not in a mean way, mind you, more of a 'hey! I'm talking to you' or 'don't go to sleep'or 'I like the feel of my little fists hitting Papa with out fear of retaliation, which is what she'd get from Eddie, Lui or Mia, and of course Beata's still off limits. Anyway, back to my original thought, Deanie said to me, "You better talk to Ellie about hitting you." So I did. Ellie is still young so she makes mistakes and hauled off and plowed me one in front of her mom. Opps. Holly and Deanie simultaneously asked "Didn't Papa talk to you about hitting him?" "Ya." Was her answer. "And what did he tell you?" Deanie asked. Ellie looked at me, then at her mom. "He said, don't hurt your hands." Whoa! What are they looking at me for.
This one made me laugh till I cried, Edward. It also brought a smile to the face of my friend, Margaret in Cupar, Scotland. She told me so in an email that she sent to me today.
If you are keeping a file of Papa's stories, make sure you include this wonderful tale for others to enjoy.
Your day is already moving right along, a few time zones east of us. We hope that all is well for you as you celebrate your 44th birthday on this last Monday in February.
Have a very happy day from beginning to end. May the year ahead be one of the best for you in every way. Cheers!
You are in our thoughts today as you celebrate your birthday in Cupar, Scotland.
We hope your teaching week is off to a happy start and that you are already enjoying a relaxing Monday evening at home.
Give our love to Peggy the next time you are speaking to her. We'll be seeing both of you very soon now. For now, though, we wish you "Happy Birthday" across the miles.
Today we are in West Kelowna as you celebrate your 29th birthday in Regina. We hope the sun is as warm and bright over Saskatchewan as it is here in BC.
Whatever the weather, have a happy, healthy day. May it be followed by an entire year of good times for you and Keenan. Cheers!
Believe it or not, this is the second time Ed's Edition has celebrated this day with Leap Year entries. I went back to check what we had to say. We wondered then if the family blog would last.
Four years later, we're still here. 2016 here we come!
...and thanks to you, Lucy, for keeping it going. I check it every day, even though I don't often comment. I love seeing the birthday wishes, and watching the solving of puzzles, and reading the funny stories, and seeing family love in it all. Thanks to everyone.
Now, I must close out Feb. with the final verse of You can't get to heaven.
Oh, if you get to heaven before I do, Just dig a hole, And pull me through.
45 comments:
...posting on Ed's blog
cause the Lord keeps count in Peter's log.
.......on the interNET
cause the Lord, He uses a fishingNET.
...on Facebook's page
cause the Lord's not in the high-tech age
Wow, I wasn't sure anyone was going to catch on, and originals to boot.
...in a Cadillac
cause the Lord, he drives a Pontiac
Oh, I can do that too:
...on roller skates
cause you'll roll right by those pearly gates.
...on Groundhog Day
cause the Lord ain't here to point the way
...in a trolly car,
cause the darned old lines don't go that far
.......in a limousine
cause the Lord don't sell no gasoline.
...in a rocket ship
cause a rocket ship won't make that trip.
.......with powder and paint,
'cause they make you look like what you ain't.
**14**14**14**14**14**14**14**14**
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, LOUISE AND STEPHEN!
Congratulations on your fourteenth wedding anniversary. In this month of hearts and flowers, we wish you happiness and good health to last the whole year through.
Wherever this year takes you, may all your roads be smooth, safe and exciting. Cheers!
Lots of love,
Louise and David
**14**14**14**14**14**14**14**14**
Yesterday I struggled with one of those "Dicey Word" puzzles that Mary Ellen does with such apparent ease.
Can you create four alphabetical blocks that will spell all these words?
AXIS HEMP
CURB JEST
DIGS QUIP
DUKE VICE
GRAY WHAT
GULF ZEAL
Lucy
Hi Lucy,
I love a challenge!
The four blocks contain the following letters.
#1 - A C D F J P
#2 - B E G Q W X
#3 - H S U V Y Z
#4 - I K L M R T
N and O are the missing letters.
Thanks for the fun.
By the way, we are having spring in Calgary. What's happening in other places?
Love,
ME xoxo
Nice work, ME! I must find out what strategy you use to solve those dicey problems.
BTW...it is like springtime in West Kelowna, too. Rather cold at night, though, here on the shore of Okanagan Lake.
Lucy
**12**12**12**12**12**12**12**12**
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, JOHANNE AND KENNETH!
Superbowl Sunday may be foremost in everyone's mind today but we are also remembering you as you celebrate your 12th wedding anniversary today.
Congratulations! May there be many more years of happiness in store for you as you share your lives with one another. Cheers!
Lots of love,
Louise and David
**12**12**12**12**12**12**12**12**
From the freezing rain capital of the world: A perfect weekend occured for the first weekend of Winterlude. Both days were sunny and ideal for all the events of our 2-week fetival However, with the temperature hovering at zero we are holding our breaths that it doesn't rain again. It is easy to love winter on a day like today.
BTW...I can't even figure out the block questions, never mind the answers. Way to go M.E.
**8**8**8**8**8**8**8**8**8**8**8**
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, KELLY AND TIM!
Congratulations! Last year in our travels, we missed posting a wish for you on this anniversary date. This year we are in western Canada, determined to send greetings your way.
We are especially happy to recall our summer meeting in Ottawa, with you, Kelly and with Dehlia and Piper. We hope today's celebration is a family event, filled with memories of good times.
May you and Tim enjoy your anniversary day and may you have many more happy years together. Cheers!
Love and warm wishes,
Louise and David
**8**8**8**8**8**8**8**8**8**8**8**
I have to say something. I was working on the block quiz, almost had it too. I noticed it first thing Saturday afternoon so I immediately ran out to Home Depot and got myself an eight foot 2x2.I was going to get a ten footer but I figured I could get 48 blocks out of an 8 and that should be all I needed, a few hours later I went back for the 10 footer. That's the one I had the accident on, while cutting it up one of the blocks flew up from the blade and caught me in the forehead, caused a bit of a gash, Deanie said she'd drive me to the hospital for 3 or 4 stitches but while she was getting ready I found some crazy glue that did the job. She said, "What the hell did you do?" I said, "I glued it together myself, this glue says 'bonds skin instantly'" She says, "That's not an instruction, that's a warning!" "Oh" I say. She takes off her coat "Well, I know why they call it crazy glue now" she says. Anyway, back to the puzzle, I put on a hard hat, goggles and gloves and finished cutting the blocks, with 108 blocks this should be a piece of cake, the raw wood of the blocks did kinda suck the markers dry so I had to run out to get some new ones, everything was closed except Shoppers Drugs, I'm not sure what time it was but I was the only one in the store except of course the clerk, oh, and the security guard, he was a little baby faced guy but the 4 foot chain from his wallet to his belt and the cans of mace strapped to each forearm made him look a lot more formidable. A few hours later I had two of the blocks figured out and separated from my discards when Deanie called me for church. Already, I thought, oh well, I'll get right back to it after church. After church I dropped Deanie and the kids at the house while i went to pick up Heather for brunch at our house. When we got back I couldn't believe my eyes, the kids had been playing with my blocks, discards and all. They were all sitting around a group they had strung together...nousvousaimonspapa...Eddie was there with a marker in his hand. "What's the meaning of this?", I questioned. He said, "It's French, it means we love you papa. What a great day! Good job Mary-Ellen.
Loved
LAUGHING OUT LOUD!,
Loved,-- Forget the blocks, use the markers to be a writer!
Hey Loved,
What you did with the blocks is much more creative, clever, and entertaining than what I did. I just used logic. You used every funny bone in your body, and every humourous brain cell in your head. Then for a finale, you threw in the joy of being a Grandpa. AWESOME!
Love,
ME xoxo
How can a silly little puzzle inspire that kind of writing? We are still laughing at your story, Ed.
....and "ditto" to the comments of Betty Jo and Mary Ellen. We want more!
LOL, Louise
Ok. So I've been enjoying the mild winter, but believe it or not it has it's drawbacks. I stepped out one morning after a freezing overnight rain and when I hit the driveway I lost all control and started sliding down the incline like I was on skis, though I may have pulled a number of muscles staying upright,I ended up on my feet, albeit, it was in the middle of the street. That's not too bad on Wilkie Road, we have a few hours during the day when some cars rumble down it, fortunately for me I picked a good hour. Had I slid onto the 401, it would have been "bye, bye, Antonini". That's not my saying, I was visiting our Grandpa Silvano one day and he related an early childhood story in which he was riding a bike down a hill in Italy when his chain broke and he was rapidly approaching a narrow ravine traversed by a simple plank, he studied his speed, measured his chance of success of crossing safely and came up with "Bye ,bye, Antonini." I'll always remember that story. I played him checkers you know, not one of those games where he starts with 4 and you start with 12, well, I did play one or two of those but got tired of losing. I got smart, I took his books and his notes, he had this ink stamp that stamped out a checker board and two checker stamps with red and black ink pads. I learned how to use the books and challenged him straight up 12 against 12. He smiled, with books in hand I matched him move for move, we were even steven down to four men a piece, he made a move, I made a move, he moved, I jumped, he moved, I jumped again. Oh.Oh. Anyways, about this mild winter, isn't it great.
Dear Loved,
Starting my day with another good laugh. Also a tear or two as I read about Grandpa A. I had never heard the bike story before, and didn't know about the ink stamp or the checker games you played. What a wonderful memory for you! Thanks, and please tell us more!
Love, BJ
Like BJ, I laughed and cried over this latest story, Ed. As it turns out, the family in Italy also likes to hear about Grandpa A. There, Luigi is a chess champion and when I told him about Grandpa's checkers books he said he'd love to see them someday.
Having been in Maniago myself, I am trying to imagine the hill on which Grandpa lost his brakes. While I was there, I could easily imagine him playing in the nearby hills and exploring old castle ruins.
Your "bye,bye Antonini" story also brings me closer to Dad on this 17th anniversary of his death. It's amazing how "real" he and his dad before him still stay in my mind and heart. Thanks for the memories! Keep them coming.
Love, Louise
I have also been cherishing memories of Dad today. What a good man he was.
Thanks for all the stories and memories. There are days when I really miss Dad. He was wise as well as good, and talking to him about stuff, always made me feel better. What a gift he was to us all.
Love,
ME xoxo
**9**9**9**9**9**9**9**9**9**9**9**
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SADIE!
We hope your 9th birthday celebrations are in full swing as evening approaches.
There are so many neat things about the number nine - (like the way that the digits in its multiples always add up to 9 or one of its multiples).
But today, the nicest thing about 9 is YOU!
Have a very happy birthday and a great year as a nine-year-old.
Love and warm wishes,
Louise and David
**9**9**9**9**9**9**9**9**9**9**9**
We just returned home from visiting Tony and Carol in Victoria, we had a great time and while we were there we worked on a jigsaw puzzle, it's the first time I've done a jigsaw since someone sent me a jelly bean puzzle along with a week's supply of jelly beans to eat while I was doing it. It took me a lot more time to finish the puzzle than it did to eat the jelly beans, I think I averaged about 7 pieces a day, of course the jelly beans were gone the first night. The puzzle we did in Victoria wasn't nearly as tough but it was still a challenge, we needed my sisters there. It's reported that all the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put Humpty together... Louise coulda, if Mary-Ellen, Vic and Betty Jo helped they'd do it over coffee.
Have a great day
Loved
LOL!
Thanks for the kudos, Ed. But I am not in the same class as Vic and Lucy. And Mary Ellen won't mind me lumping her in with me. We ae both amateurs compared to the other 2. We do have a lot of fun doing them, though. Glad you and Tony are keeping up the tradition.
I remember the jelly bean puzzle, Edward! You brought it over to Mom's apartment for me to do after you were finished with it. It was a tough one for sure. That's the way I like 'em, too.
Over the years I have discovered that jigsaws are even more fun when others are working on them with me. I think that's why they have become part of so many of the special occasions in our lives. People gather around and the fun begins.
You can get a lot of mileage out of old puzzles, too. During my December stay in Calgary, Marty and Karen gave me four of their favourites which I will now pass on to others.
BTW...I'm curious, Ed. What jigsaw did you guys assemble in Victoria?
LOL, Lucy
***********************************
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JULIANA!
Greetings from snowy Westbank.
We hope you are having a happy family gathering to mark your Sunday birthday in Santa Clarita.
Cold weather won't keep us from raising a warm toast to you on this special occasion. May you be surrounded by love as you celebrate today and may the year ahead be joyful. Cheers!
Lots of love,
Louise and David
***********************************
I've known for a long time now that women think a little differently than men. I just haven't figured it out yet. My little 5 year old grand daughter Ellie has been using me as a punching bag. Not in a mean way, mind you, more of a 'hey! I'm talking to you' or 'don't go to sleep'or 'I like the feel of my little fists hitting Papa with out fear of retaliation, which is what she'd get from Eddie, Lui or Mia, and of course Beata's still off limits. Anyway, back to my original thought, Deanie said to me, "You better talk to Ellie about hitting you." So I did. Ellie is still young so she makes mistakes and hauled off and plowed me one in front of her mom. Opps. Holly and Deanie simultaneously asked "Didn't Papa talk to you about hitting him?" "Ya." Was her answer. "And what did he tell you?" Deanie asked. Ellie looked at me, then at her mom. "He said, don't hurt your hands." Whoa! What are they looking at me for.
Have a great day
Loved
This one made me laugh till I cried, Edward. It also brought a smile to the face of my friend, Margaret in Cupar, Scotland. She told me so in an email that she sent to me today.
If you are keeping a file of Papa's stories, make sure you include this wonderful tale for others to enjoy.
Love, Louise
Hey, we should have a contest to find a title for your papa stories book. And then we coud have one for each chapter. LOL again!!
*ONE*ONE*ONE*ONE*ONE*ONE*ONE*ONE*
HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY, THOMAS!
ONE is fun for nobody more than it is for the excited parents of a ONE-year-old like you.
Have a ONE-derful family day!
Lots of love and warm wishes,
Louise and David
*ONE*ONE*ONE*ONE*ONE*ONE*ONE*ONE*
**44**44**44**44**44**44**44**44**
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KENNETH!
Your day is already moving right along, a few time zones east of us. We hope that all is well for you as you celebrate your 44th birthday on this last Monday in February.
Have a very happy day from beginning to end. May the year ahead be one of the best for you in every way. Cheers!
Love and warm wishes,
Louise and David
**44**44**44**44**44**44**44**44**
**********************************
BIRTHDAY GREETINGS FROM CANADA, MARGARET!
You are in our thoughts today as you celebrate your birthday in Cupar, Scotland.
We hope your teaching week is off to a happy start and that you are already enjoying a relaxing Monday evening at home.
Give our love to Peggy the next time you are speaking to her. We'll be seeing both of you very soon now. For now, though, we wish you "Happy Birthday" across the miles.
Lots of love and birthday hugs,
Louise and Dave
**********************************
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARGARET
Have a great day
Loved
***********************************
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HOLLY!
Today we are in West Kelowna as you celebrate your 29th birthday in Regina. We hope the sun is as warm and bright over Saskatchewan as it is here in BC.
Whatever the weather, have a happy, healthy day. May it be followed by an entire year of good times for you and Keenan. Cheers!
Lots of love,
Louise and David
***********************************
Happy February 29, 2012!
Believe it or not, this is the second time Ed's Edition has celebrated this day with Leap Year entries. I went back to check what we had to say. We wondered then if the family blog would last.
Four years later, we're still here. 2016 here we come!
Love, Lucy
...and thanks to you, Lucy, for keeping it going. I check it every day, even though I don't often comment. I love seeing the birthday wishes, and watching the solving of puzzles, and reading the funny stories, and seeing family love in it all. Thanks to everyone.
Now, I must close out Feb. with the final verse of You can't get to heaven.
Oh, if you get to heaven before I do,
Just dig a hole,
And pull me through.
LOL,
ME xoxo
Happy Leap Day to all.
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