Are you ready?

Usually, when I haven't blogged in a week, its because I don't have much to blog about. I am not a "I did this today" sort of blogger, I usually like to blog about things that are happening in my life. This past week has been a tough week on many levels and basically not stuff I want to blog about. Because I love blogging, I usually write my blogs in my head while things are going on, you know.. that's why I think to take pictures of weird things, or funny things... crafts, or events.
I have written a blog about this week so many times and it just doesn't come out right. So here is my take on things. This week, our family lost, yet another member. My second father in law, (my mother in law's common law hubby). Pudgy has been a part of my family for 24 years. On Monday, at the age of 56, he passed away suddenly, while waiting in line at the drug store to make some purchases. He was on his lunch hour from work, after having lunch with a few of his co-workers.
Shock vibrated through his friends and family for the first few days. I spent my time trying to remember what we talked about the last time I saw him. I wished I had hugged him good bye that day. But we did stand in the kitchen and laugh about something... which is just what I hoped we had done for our last conversation.
The rest of the week has been finding things... you know, at 56, your not really thinking your going to die. So your paperwork is sort of everywhere in the house. We had to collect all kinds of items from all kinds of locations. And actually, Pudgy kept very little paper work. He didn't keep old bills, or old income tax stuff...
For me, this is the 3rd memorial service in 10 months and the third father figure to die suddenly in our family. These sort of events start a person to think about how ready am I. When my dad died, he was very organized and had everything in a book, in a box, in his room. His banking was organized and his wishes were known. Terry's dad was also organized, and his wife Marie and he had talked about things since Frank had battled cancer the year before and this gave them a kick start to get things in order. This newest death is my kick start. "Pudgy" (nickname from childhood) wasn't ready, and who would be at 56. Besides thinking I need to enjoy life more, I also need to get papers organized and wills updated, etc.
My friend Linda gave me this list just a month ago, and its been hanging on my fridge ever since. I am typing it up for all of us to look at, and its a good thing for all of us to do. Dealing with death is hard enough, sudden or not. Having things already in the right spot is the nicest thing you can do for your family.

What you should have put in a binder
Your will - with executor selected and beneficiaries listed
Social Insurance Numbers
copies of birth certificates
RRSP, RESP, investment information
Life, home, car, medical and dental insurance
pension information
medical and dental providers
credit card information
line of credit
bank accounts
bills... Eastlink, Fuel, Mortgage, Car payments, phone service etc
Car registration copy
car bill of sale
Samples of Monthly bills
samples of monthly payments
Saving Bonds
Work phone numbers and contact names.
Information on your wishes upon death (bury or cremate)
Donor card or not
Ceremony/Music

Thanks to Don Rawding for this information (via Linda). I have started a new will and have talked to my kids about what they want, etc. They laugh it off, but I have a renewed drive to write things down. If I make my kids lives easier at the time of my death, I will thank my dad for inspiration and Pudgy for the kick in the pants to actually get it done!

The real thing...

pretty cool. Not my photo.. but I thought it was fun... and now Chantal can't complain about Peekaboo Lady bugs!
oh wait... oh oh.. ladybugs anyway!

Ladybug peek a boo

The front garden, which I call my sunny garden, is not only covered in snow, but its been covered all winter with the snow from the sidewalks and the driveway, making it even thicker with snow. I love when I walk down my side walk and I see some of my little ladybug friends peering out from under the snow, as the snow melts away. There are patches of green grass under the big pine tree and the south side of the house is completely free of snow! Some of my little ladybugs are braver than others. Some would rather hide under the foliage until it truly is spring but if you look at my Iris patch. I do see some green trying to make a statement!

International Shopping, right here at Sobeys

I zipped to the grocery store yesterday to pick up some stuff to do some baking and I was tempted by the yummy looking fruit and veggies that make me think of summer. When I think of summer and warmth I think of Paula right now, on her warm sandy beach in Mexico. Then when I reached to pick a few very beautiful tomatoes, I read the label and voila... they were from Mexico.

When I unpacked my grocery bag when I got home I had quite the international fair.

Black Grapes from Chili, Lemons from Florida, Pears and Strawberries from Florida too, and Cantolope from Guatamala. Local fair.... An English Cuke from Den Hanns.. just 10 km down the road!

In the pic you can see my shopping bag. Its a reusable grocery bag from "ENVIROSAX" and I bought it at Christmas as well as a few extras for some friends. They roll up quite small and fit nicely in the corner of your purse. I use mine every day, and I will buy at least one more the next time I get to go into the city and am near the kitchen store that stocks them.

Frenchies

My day started yesterday with a quick blog about how exciting it is to be on March Break. I had no plans for Monday, and after blogging I started my list of "clean out fridge, vacuum everywhere, laundry, exercise...". Just as I started to sort laundry, the phone rings and its my old friend, Heather GR and she is itching to go to Frenchies in Digby.... can I go...

She arrived at 10:30 to pick me up and off we went.. chatting all the way, catching up on a years' worth of news. Imagine, a whole year since we've seen each other. The hours' trip to Digby zipped by and we arrived at the Big Frenchies. I didn't take a picture inside Frenchies, cause I thought the 100 people in there might freak.... and there are only a few of my blog followers who have never been in a Frenchies. Pretty overwhelming exercise in bin surfing. Heather and I sorted each bin we were interested in, one on each side of the big bins. And even more chatting while we carefully sifted through tee shirts, blouses, pants, pajamas, jackets, sweaters and even the shoes. After paying for my bag full of goodies, we headed off for some lunch at the Dockside Restaurant. This was our view while we enjoyed Fish and Chips and even more chatting!

We went off to the second Frenchies in Digby and then down the road to Weymouth to "Jackies" which Heather had never been too. The second Frenchies in Digby was more junk bins than clothes and we found nothing worth sorting through but Jackies was a great discovery and we sorted through the smaller but fuller bins and we both came away with another bag full.
I spent $60 for the day(not including lunch) and came away with lots of good finds. I tend to buy things though at Frenchies that I end up never wearing, so I was very careful today to only take home things that I will wear.

Some of my finds... grey dresspants, brown capris, black jogging pants, 5 sleeveless collared shirts for the summer, 2 collared golf shirts (with sleeves) a winter sweater, a pink tee shirt, 2 long sleeved winter shirts, Red fleece jacket and a white blouse. Some brand names I found was Dressbarn, American Eagle, Jones of New York, Gap, Old Navy, Eddie Bauer and others that I have never heard of.

We got home at 5:30 and I was exhausted. I do think I am battling something like a cold or flu, as I have been tired for over a week. But I think the combination of 3 hours in the car, 3 hours of sorting clothes and a "way too big Meal", did me in, and I fell asleep before House was over and I didn't get to see the end.... Is it true... did the cat predict her death right?

Its March Break

Here I sit. So far my day has been normal. I got up at the regular time cause Terry has to work while I am off on March Break. I have my shower, do my morning routine, you know, all the creams that make us not so sandpaper like, and the hair products that fluff up the hair... then I drag myself to my cup of coffee that Terry has waiting for me by my laptop. I check my email, check my facebook, and scan for new blogs while I enjoy my coffee. Here I sit. Right now, it has just reverberated in my mind and body. I don't have to get up and make my lunch, get dressed, tidy the kitchen and buzz out of the door at 7:30ish. I am off for a whole week. It has only felt like March Break right this very minute. The weekend was the weekend. This is MONDAY... and I don't have to go to work.... awwwww.. wow.

Mollie's Limp

Last summer, first week of July, we had Mollie out to Margaretsville, along with our Ottawa family. As you can see, Mollie loves to dive into the water to fetch sticks but on this particular day, after just a few minutes of chasing, she developed a painful looking limp. The call of the water was so powerful that she ignored her ailment and continued chasing sticks, rocks, ropes.. anything.. until she couldn't walk anymore. We sat on a log and made her stay away from the water for a bit to give her booboo a break and then we headed back up to the car with Terry blocking her from going back in the water. From this day forward, she limped. The front leg, on the left hand side. We babied it for a month and when it wouldn't go away, we took her to the vet. Not just any vet, but "Jill's" sister, the vet. She pulled, twisted, bent and examined her leg. There was a profound limp, but Sarah couldn't quite pinpoint the trouble. What she did do though was give us that "vet" look, and the "talk" ... Mollie needed to lose weight. She also has arthritis and advised us on some great powder to add to her food. Great.. I thought... my dog is getting old. All of a sudden, we started treated her like an old dog. Helping her into the car, limiting her walks (as the limp was getting worse). We started to call her "an old dog".
Thankfully, after a month of this magic powder, she seemed to be less stiff and jumped up on her window bench with ease, and she sprinted easily across the yard to catch a ball, or chance a critter. But alas, her limp continued, and if she walked for any more than 5 minutes, she limped worse. The next big challenge for Mollie was that we needed to get some weight off her, and maybe that would help the limp.

No treats..... special diet doggie food. Walks were tough.... she limped so bad that it just wasn't worth the walking. Poor thing. She got one 20 minute walk each night, and then she rested all night and her limp would be not too bad. By October she lost 4 lbs... she went from 74 lbs to 70. That is amazing. I couldn't do that and I am over twice her weight...

November and December were successful too and by January she weighed 68 lbs. Our goal was a 10 lb loss so she was over halfway. Of course that 2 lb loss also included a grooming that probably saw her lose a half a pound of dog hair. With the weight loss, we hoped to see an improvement in the limp but it seemed to get worse.

The end of January came along with her second visit to the groomer. She loves the groomer because she gives her non stop treats and I wonder now if she shakes as badly with the groomer as she did yesterday at the vet to get her nails clipped. Well, anyway, off to the groomer she went and when she got home she looked stunning. Sleek and shiny, thin and young (except for the touch of grey on her face). e pranced around like she was a puppy and it was so fun to see her with all the energy. That powder is pretty awesome, I must say.

The next day, after I came home from work, she sauntered out the door to greet me and I noticed her limp was not very noticeable. And when Terry came home, I let her out and watched her run to Terry's car, and again, not much of a limp. We chuckled about the groomer maybe gave her a doggie massage to help her leg, but by that night, her walk showed that she had virtually no limp at all. The same the next day....no limp and for each day since than.. almost 5 weeks ago... she has NO LIMP.

Its our conclusion that the fateful day on the beach, she may have got something sharp jammed up in her nail, and it took two good nail clippings to get rid of it. What else could have cure that limp so suddenly...

We will be very careful from now on, when we take her to a beach!