WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK

You know those menials tasks that you really should do? The ones you avoid by surfing the internet or watching TV or eating or whatever? 

Sometimes you just gotta buckle down and get them down. Take ironing for example.

This weekend I packed away my winter woolies and got out my summer slights. I actually don't mind this job, it's the one that comes after it: The Ironing.

All those pretty summer dresses are sleepy and wrinkled after spending the winter closeted away in a bag. So down to the cold, uncomfortable basement I go and pull out my antique wooden ironing board and I iron away.

On the bright side, the kitten keeps me company. I'm ironing where I keep his food so he thinks treats may be involved plus the cord on the iron is pretty intriguing. Eventually I start to appreciate the satisfaction of ironing out all those wrinkles and how the iron gives a little hiss of steam, like a crowd roaring. Congrats! Another dress done! Whistle while you work!

I just returned to from a week of holidays. It took me a while to get back in the swing of my job routine. I was pretty sure I had put all my toys away before I left but after sloughing through about two hundred emails it seemed either somebody moved some of my toys or I couldn't remember where or what I was doing with them! 

By Wednesday I was back in the groove. It was time to get down to one of those menial mindless jobs that I avoided before my vacation. 

Back to Medical Records I go to prep materials, in this case, stuffing Yellow Folders, a palliative resource.

Not much going on in here. It's an enclosed room, not very pretty. 

Back in it's heyday, this was a hopping spot. Full of staff coming and going to either find a file or put one away. But a few years ago we went paperless and now the filing rows are mostly empty and I've taken over with all my palliative resource material.

Just me and a lot of paper back here. So I bring my trusty phone with me and crank the tunes and rock it out. Occasionally I sashay up one of these aisles and back for my personal amusement. 

I'm whistling while I work, and I'm getting it done, these menial, mindless tasks. 

I THINK I ATE THE WEST COAST

The primary purpose for our trip to Vancouver was to spend time with my son Adrian and his wife Carolyn and to see some of the sights. 

But after looking through my pics, I think what I really did was eat my way through the West coast!  Here's proof.

We landed in Vancouver about 12:30 which made it about 3:30 my stomach's time and I was Hangry. Adrian and Carolyn took us to a little french bistro right around the corner from their house. Let the eating begin!

Avocado on toasted french bread with salad. This was perfect along with a bowl of roasted garlic potato soup after our flight.

Sheldon and I took a side trip for a couple of days to Victoria. Our first meal was at Little Jumbo.

I had a plate of perfect asparagus and Chickpea fritters. 

We stayed at the Abbeymore B&B and let me tell you, they take breakfast seriously! Each morning we were treated to a new set of courses, but here was morning number one:

We were started off with a strawberry smoothie and fresh juice and a homemade blueberry flan. Lord Ha Mercy!

Then came a fried egg on greens and tomatoes and cheese and I don't know what all that goodness was. Needless to say, lunch is not required after breakfast at Abbeymore!

But we were ready for dinner! This time we went to Cafe Brio. I had the homemade Papardelle with roasted squash and Sheldon had the pork dish. Both were perfect!

And dessert was sticky toffee pudding and Flourless Chocolate torte.

We headed back to Vancouver and Adrian and Carolyn took us to a scenic seaside town called Deep Cove. We were going to take a 2 hour hike so sustenance was required. 

Of course, after that 2 hour hike everyone goes to Honey's Donuts! You know what they say...when in Rome...

On our last day of the trip we headed downtown Vancouver to Yaletown and checked out the shops. Stopped in for a refuel!

That evening we went to the Seasons Restaurant which is beautifully set in a park overlooking the city. We had a rainy misty day but you could still see the mountains. I snapped a pic of Adrian's meal, an Italian Sausage Pizza with fennel, sun-dried tomatoes and provolone cheese

There was so much more like the Earnest Ice Cream (best I've ever had) and it's a good thing we walked a lot. One day my Fitbit clocked over 27,000 steps and the whole week came in at over 132,000. 

So, if you are going to B.C., there are lots of amazing places to eat and if you are a Foodie, you have landed in paradise. But I'm sorry if half of it is gone, I think I ate the West Coast.

A STRANGE NEW LAND

Canada is an amazing country! Yesterday, we were in Ontario where it is brown and gray. In fact, as our plane de-iced and took off, we left behind one of the biggest, baddest ice storms Ontario has seen in a while. 

Five hours later, we land on the west coast, a strange new land. It's a little discombobulating..

First off all it’s very green and flowers are sprinkled everywhere! 

The trees are frothy pink and white with blossoms!

There are fairies living here!  I came across the door of one little fairy house on my morning walk.

And there are lions with their paws out asking for fist pumps

So I obliged.

There are real fisherman here. REAL fisherman, straight off the ocean with weather beaten faces and their boats are loaded with fresh fish.

If you are really gutsy, you can wear leggings like this:

Not me though. I'm not gutsy or young enough to slip these cats on.

It's an amazing country, full of wonder and variety.

I love living in Ontario, like the west coast it's full of wonder and beauty. But right now, with the biggest, baddest ice storm covering my home town, I'll take hanging out in this strange new land for a few more days.

THE ART OF A GOOD GREETING

Yesterday, I was dragging a bench into the kitchen so I could put something away up high, (first world short problems) and in the process it tipped over and inside I found this long-lost card:

It say's "Hi, I'm Cindi" and inside it says "with an Eye". This card always made me laugh - still does! Now that's a good greeting.

But our new kitten DandyLion, he's having a little trouble with the greeting business. He's lacking finesse.

And he gets a little too rambunctious.

That's Dandy - about to chomp on my toes under the blanket. Simmer down Dandy, simmer down..

And because of this, he's having a little trouble with our other cat Sasha..

He doesn't seem to notice that her ears are back in disdain.

Or the Danger, Danger look she is giving him from a distance. If looks could kill, Dandy and I would have both been incinerated.

The result being a lot of hissing, spitting and growls from Sasha.

And a nasty scratch across his nose.

Maybe DandyLion should send out a greeting card first.

GOING ON A JOURNEY

On Good Friday Ronja our german student, headed back home.

I snapped a pic of her luggage which she hoped was not over the weight requirements as it carried her life belongings back over the ocean to Germany. We will miss her. But that's part of the journey isn't it?

Life is full of journeys - we take them all the time, every day in fact. They consist of beginnings and endings; you begin a new experience or meet new people and then comes the end of the journey and you have to say goodbye. They can be full of adventure or you might wish you could turn around and had never walked out your front door!

Some journeys are planned, some are not. A sudden life illness or change will send you on an journey you had not expected to be taking. And all journeys, planned or not, exciting or dreaded, all have a measure of uncomfortableness to them. Bumps in the road.

Think of the Easter story - now there's a journey! Christ agreed to walk the road of self denial, carry the burden of our sins on the cross knowing it would lead to pain and death. He had a last supper with his friends, said his goodbyes and resolutely, without a word of complaint started down the dark path. But this uncomfortable journey took a surprise turn. He rose victorious!

Every day is a journey with a beginning and an ending. There will be hellos, goodbyes, new adventures, bumps in the road. 

I wish you all a Bon Voyage!