Doing our thing for the BC Wildfires...

White Spot announced a fund raiser for the Canadian Red Cross.  Thursday, we went to White Spot for a fabulous lunch! The White Spot has been around since 1929 and it just gets better.

The chefs at White Spot always have a summer menu.  This summer they've added the Turmeric Chicken and Halloumi Burger!  It's a BC chicken breast lemon-grilled halloumi, tzatziki, roasted red pepper dressing, BC cucumber, red onion and lettuce.  

It  was delicious!   I could have ordered it with fries and coleslaw but their Spot salad is excellent.  The dressing is amazing.  I hope they add this chicken burger to the regular menu.  Cec ordered a halibut burger but they were out of halibut so he had the same as I ordered with the fries and coleslaw.

Then I get home and see we've missed a memorable day!   How can one keep up?

It was National Lasagna day!  Who knew?   Better put that on my calendar.  I love the Olive Garden!

Travel Restrictions

         

I have been in many places in my life but I've never been in Cahoots.  Apparently, you can't go alone.  You have to be in Cahoots with someone.

I've also never been in Cognito. I hear no one recognizes you there.   

I have, however, been in Sane. They don't have an airport; you have to be driven there. I have made several trips there, thanks to my friends and family. I live close so it's a short drive. 

I would like to go to Conclusions, but you have to jump, and I'm not too much on physical activity anymore. 

I have also been in Doubt. That is a sad place to go and I try not to visit there too often. 

I've been in Flexible, but only when it was very important to stand firm. 

Sometimes I'm in Capable, and I go there more often as I'm getting older. 

One of my favourite places to be is in Suspense! It really gets the adrenaline flowing and pumps up the old heart! At my age I need all the stimuli I can get! 

And, sometimes I think I am in Vincible but life shows me I am not. 

People keep telling me I'm in Denial but I'm positive I've never been there before! 

I have been in Deepdoodoo many times; the older I get, the easier it is to get there. I actually kind of enjoy it there 

So far, I haven't been in Continent, but my travel agent says it is on the list….......

Aging Wisdom update

My doctor asked if anyone in my family suffered from mental illness.  I said, "No, we all seem to enjoy it.

I thought growing old would take longer.

My bucket list:  keep breathing.

Camping:  where you spend a small fortune to live like a homeless person.

 Just once, I want a username and password prompt to say, "Close enough."

Being an adult is the dumbest thing I have ever done.

I'm a multitasker.  I can listen, ignore and forget all at the same time!

Retirement to do list:  Wake up.  Nailed it!

Went to an antique auction and people were bidding on me.

People who wonder if the glass is half empty or half full, miss the point.  The glass is refillable.

I don't have grey hair; I have wisdom highlights.

Sometimes it takes me all day to get nothing done.

I don't trip, I do random gravity checks.

My heart says chocolate and wine, but my jeans say, please, please, please eat a salad!

Never laugh at your spouse's choices.  You are one of them.

One minute you're young and fun.  The next, you're turning down the car stereo to see better.

I'd grow my own food if only I could find bacon seeds.

Losing weight doesn't seem to be working for me, so from now I'm going to concentrate on getting taller.

My body is a temple; ancient and crumbling.

Common sense is not a gift. It's a punishment because you have to deal with everyone else who doesn't have it.

 I came.  I saw.  I forgot what I was doing.  Retraced my steps.  Got lost on the way back.  Now I have no idea what's going on. 

Happy Birthday Cheryl

I love this picture of you and Brad at Circus World in Florida.  Your red hair really showed in the Florida sunshine.

Richmond Thunderbirds Glockenspiel Days

High School Graduation Dress

This picture was taken on one of your dates with Dave.  Watching you grow up has been a blessing!    Have a wonderful 47th Birthday!

Happy Monday

 

Another holiday booked

May 2020 - Bus trip to Yellowstone, Sturgis SD & Mt. Rushmore - CANCELLED

June 2020 - Cunard Queen Elizabeth 11 day cruise to Alaska - CANCELLED

September 2020 - Australia to Hong Kong - CANCELLED

March 2021 - South Africa - CANCELLED

                                                        Let's stay in Canada

August 2021 - Ontario - CANCELLED - Inside venues closed at time of final payment!

                                                           Let's stay in BC

August 16th - we just booked a BC Ferries Vacation to Haida Gwaii!

We are taking the ferry from Tsawwassen to Duke Point and spending a night in Campbell River.  Then off to Port Hardy where we spend another night and the ferry to Prince Rupert leaves at 7:30 AM!   Get to the ferry 2 hours before departure, oh my!   

Ferry from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert with one stop in Bella Bella.  It's a long day, from 7:30 am to 11:30 pm, but when you see the route, it's very scenic!

We overnight in Prince Rupert and the next day, board another BC Ferry to Skidegate.  This ferry leaves at 10:00 AM and arrives at 5:00 PM.

We are here for four nights!   There is 140 KM of road on Haida Gwaii and Cec has just paid for his fishing license.  We will enjoy this gorgeous island.  Cec went their in the early 80's fishing and he loved it.  He stayed on Moresby Island but we are staying on Graham Island. 

Back to Prince Rupert and the drive home.  We aren't sure exactly which route, that's for us to figure out depending on weather and the fire situation.  

I booked through BC Ferries Vacations as coordinating the ferries and hotels was difficult.  Many hotels are booked and they save about 20% on the package.  Their hotels were really nice.  

Let's hope this one goes, 6th one lucky?

We had a pet for a short time

 

Last Saturday in the early evening, this crow was drinking water from the saucer of a plant on our patio.  When he left, he appeared to have a broken wing and was limping!   I phoned The Wildlife Rescue Association of BC but they were closed.  The website said to catch the bird and put it in a box with holes.  I don't know how easy it would be to catch a crow.

We got up Sunday and he was not in our yard.  We hoped he flew away but he appeared again on Sunday night.  He wasn't limping as much and I named him "Chester" (Gunsmoke if your old enough to remember).  He was eating the blueberries from our bush he could reach.  I looked in my cupboard and the granola has a lot of seeds so I thought at least that's organic and healthy.  Not sure if he would like it but we added some blueberries (no milk) and it was gone on Monday.  I've put a small water dish outside so he's always got water.  

He came back one night and we haven't seen him since.  Maybe he heard my call to the Wildlife Rescue people.  I hope his wing and leg healed and he wasn't taken out by one of our neighbourhood coyotes!   

Gone but not forgotton....Chester the Crow!

What I've learned....

I've learned....That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

I've learned....That when you're in love, it shows.

I've learned ....That just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day.

I've learned....That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.

I've learned....That being kind is more important than being right.

I've learned....That you should never say no to a gift from a child.

I've learned....That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in any other way.

I've learned....That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

I've learned....That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

I've learned....That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

I've learned....That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

I've learned....That money doesn't buy class.

I've learned....That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

I've learned...That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

I've learned....That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I've learned....That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

I've learned....That love, not time, heals all wounds.

I've learned....That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

I've learned....That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.

I've learned....That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

I've learned....That life is tough, but I'm tougher.

I've learned....That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.

I've learned...That when you harbour bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.

I've learned....That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away.

I've learned....That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

I've learned....That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

I've learned....That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, you're hooked for life.

I've learned...That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.

I've learned....That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

 

The Can Collector....

A man used to go to all the public functions, especially the movie theaters and he always carried a sugar bag to collect empty bottles and cans. His name was Albert (Tapper) Torney.  Everyone thought he was a bit eccentric and kids would tease and hassle him. Then it was discovered that he sold the empty bottles but only some of the cans.                               

After he died in 1998 (aged 86) his large collection of model cars made from aluminum cans was discovered.   This goes to prove you shouldn't judge a book by its cover - or a sculptor by his sugar bag. 
  
Some of his AMAZING collection —— 
  

  

  

  

  
  
  

  
  
  

  

  

  

  

  

  
And to think, many of us just played Kick The Can   with them. 

 

A different perspective on Residential Schools

Residential schools -- the other side of the story. Here is a letter by a person named Jim Bissell, which he wrote in reply to a Sun columnist related to the “Residential schools” that is leading to church terrorism (by non-native people).  

Lorne: I have been a follower of your writings for many years and although I agree most of the time with your opinion, even when I don't I still respect the way you present it. Suffice to say I am a fan. The time has come for 70 year old people like me to speak the little background. I grew up surrounded by 4 reserves and a large community of indigenous peoples. (95%). It was a community of wonderful, kind, very generous, very humorous people that remained that way even when very poor. Also I have a wonderful successful indigenous daughter with grandkids and great granddaughters. I am not a Catholic and I do not belong to any church. I belong to me and my family but I like Christian values.  

It should be noted that the missionaries though were very essential to our success in the northern communities at that time.  I had my first TB test administered by a missionary trying to stop a TB outbreak.  I got my first stitches from a wonderful nun.  I got my first tooth pulled by a missionary.  My first X-ray by the nuns. My first teacher was an angel called Sister Rita. I will never forget her and her deep love of all the children she met and taught over the years. My best teacher ever and she was not qualified by Government standards. So although I have never been a Catholic, their church has been very good for me and although I now do know of one very bad priest, most of the people were wonderful.  I can still see brother Fillion who later became a priest working all by himself outside the school window making a wonderful merry-go-round for the school yard.

There also were two residential schools in the community. When I arrived in the community, there were no phones, very poor roads, mostly winter access, and not a lot of services other than the churches. The mission school was there long before my time. It has been told to me by elders that many small children, some way younger than school age, were dropped off at the missions sick, hoping the nuns could heal them. Sad to say many died from measles, diphtheria, TB, smallpox, flu and many other conditions of the poor. Just the reality of the north. Years ago most of the dead were placed in the trees so the birds and other animals could take them back to nature.

It was the churches that convinced them that that part of their culture should be changed so that to stop the spread of disease so they started to bury the dead. If the dead were Christians, their grave was marked by a painted rock of a small wooden cross which rotted away in 25 years or so. No one could afford a headstone and if they could there was no one that made them at the time. Times were hard and in fact desperate in the 30's. Many people owed their lives to the missionaries and we tend to forget that.

They were not always right, no of course not, but they actually wanted to educate, feed and make the lives of all people better regardless of where they came from. The churches do not need to apologize for trying to educate the poor in the only system that would work for nomadic peoples, they need to say sorry though for protecting and moving about the few bad apples.(priests).

The Government saying they are sorry is meaningless. They didn't have a clue of the impact of their decisions at the time and they don't have now. Most of the older generation that did suffer are long dead and gone or have forgiven. It seems to me that many of the new generation just want to be victims and feel money would solve their pain. We need to understand that very few people wanted to live in the north under the isolated conditions at the time just to help out with a few indigenous peoples. After the federal government took over the school system, most of my junior high school teachers were immigrants from the British Commonwealth (India, England, Ireland and other countries) as no Alberta teachers wanted to live up there when they could live in or near a city with a doctor, bank, good grocery store, ambulance and my goodness even Policeman.

The quality of my education suffered because all of a sudden the nuns were not qualified to teach us in 1967 thus I had to try and take lessons from teachers with a very heavy accent and hard to understand and wanting to move close to the cities as soon as they could. Thank goodness the missionaries were there for the past 300 years. Were they all good? No, but many were wonderful and now that seems to be forgotten.

How many of today's critics have relatives that went up to those communities in those times to try and help? Not many, I bet. The media today is only telling half the story, so I feel we as witnesses have to speak up and speak to the truth. If you want I will take you to a sacred ground where hundreds of people were left in the ramps and trees or laid on the ground when they died. No one but historical memory marked their graves.

Please believe me when I say that the missionaries were not a bunch of evil persons out to kill little children like it sounds in today's media. That is not what I witnessed. The missionaries knew that the ancient peoples of our land could not continue to exist in a nomadic and isolated society, so they tried to educate them and of course change their culture to be more compatible with the conditions of the times. Were they right? Maybe, I don't know, but at least they were willing to try and help.

Like I tell my children, I cannot become indigenous like them but they can become Canadians like me and they are. There are more success stories out there than even you realize. The missionaries did not just throw bodies into the ground. Most were marked by a small wooden cross made by the brothers of the mission or parents of the child. Those crosses are long gone. Sad but true. I can also take you to the unmarked graves of many people that were not indigenous as well if you want. That was the way of the north.

Sorry to ramble on for so long but many things need to be said and if the elders of our society lack the moral courage to say them, we are doomed anyway. Please encourage people to stand up and be heard for the good not just the bad. Thanks and keep writing.

Jim Bissell

Alaska cruises are sailing

Yesterday, Royal Caribbean's Splendor of the Seas left the Port of Seattle for Alaska.  Holland America's Niew Amsterdam leaves on Saturday and the Majestic Princess, pictured above leaves on Sunday!   Silversea, Norwegian, Celebrity and Carnival will follow in the next few weeks.

I will follow the first passengers on the Majestic Princess on Cruise Critic.   A good friend of mine has booked the Majestic Princess on August 15th.  He's flying to Seattle if they don't allow Canadians to drive across the border.  He will get a COVID test before he leaves if it is still required.  Princess are covering all COVID costs on the cruise, including the COVID 72 hour test required now for returning to Canada.  This could change in the next four weeks but he's prepared to do it and anxious to cruise.

On Princess and Holland America the crew is 100% vaccinated.  I believe almost all the passengers will be vaccinated.  Should you have a medical reason not to get the vaccine you can cruise but the cruise lines will double check with your family doctor and it's at their discretion.  Unvaccinated for medical reason passengers have a lot of rules to follow.

Will I cruise?   Not as things are right now but if changes come and cruises are shown to be safe I will.  I would only book last minute to Alaska if I decide to go.

On Saturday new vaccine rules came out for cruises out of the US.  NCL says no mixing of any vaccines.  If you've mixed your vaccines you cannot sail.  Holland America and Princess say if you got two mRNA vaccines (Pfizer & Moderna) you are considered vaccinated.  If you've received AstraZeneca and an mRNA vaccine you are not considered vaccinated.  That makes our Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau not able to cruise on NCL!  Other cruise lines have not released any information on vaccines but it should come out in the next few days.

Your favorite place

 

This is an interesting question and everyone has their favorite place.  Whether it's memories with a loved one, a trip you took in your youth or an exotic trip it's always interesting to hear people's responses.

My favorite place is Bora Bora.  It's a small South Pacific Island northwest of Tahiti in French Polynesia. It is owned by France and no one other than French citizens can own property there.  It is an unspoiled paradise.  No McDonalds, Starbucks or KFC!  

Bora Bora is surrounded by sand-fringed motus and a turquoise lagoon protected by a coral reef.  It's known for it's scuba diving.  At the islands center rises Mt. Otemanu a 727 meter dormant volcano.  There are a lot of very expensive luxury resorts where some guest bungalows are perched over the water on stilts.

I've just enabled my comments so if you read my blog and want to comment on your favorite place I would love to hear about your favorite place.   

Some good advice

Good advice for those 60 yrs old and above.  This is for you. I really like what is said here and am going to try my best to follow it. Thank you to the person who wrote this. May God bless us all as we strive to be a blessing to others at this age, especially to our children.

🚩Between 60 and death. It's time to use the money you saved up. Use it and enjoy it. Don't just keep it for those who may have no notion of the sacrifices you made to get it. Remember there is nothing more dangerous than a son or daughter-in-law with big ideas for your hard-earned capital.

🚩Warning: This is also a bad time for investments, even if it seems wonderful or fool-proof. They only bring problems and worries. This is a time for you to enjoy some peace and quiet.

🚩Stop worrying about the financial situation of your children and grandchildren, and don't feel bad spending your money on yourself.  You've taken care of them for many years, and you've taught them what you could. You gave them an education, food, shelter, and support. The responsibility is now theirs to earn their own money.

🚩Keep a healthy life, without great physical effort. Do moderate exercise (like walking every day), eat well, and get your sleep. It's easy to become sick, and it gets harder to remain healthy. That is why you need to keep yourself in good shape and be aware of your medical and physical needs. Keep in touch with your doctor, do tests even when you're feeling well. Stay informed.

🚩Always buy the best, most beautiful items for your significant other. The key goal is to enjoy your money with your partner. One day one of you will miss the other, and the money will not provide any comfort then, enjoy it together.

🚩Don't stress over the little things. You've already overcome so much in your life. You have good memories and bad ones, but the important thing is the present. Don't let the past drag you down and don't let the future frighten you. Feel good in the now. Small issues will soon be forgotten.

🚩Regardless of age, always keep love alive. Love your partner, love life, love your family, love your neighbor and remember: "A man is not old as long as he has intelligence and affection."

🚩Be proud, both inside and out. Don't stop going to your hair salon or barber, do your nails, go to the dermatologist and the dentist, keep your perfumes and creams well stocked. When you are well-maintained on the outside, it seeps in, making you feel proud and strong.

🚩Don’t lose sight of fashion trends for your age, but keep your own sense of style. You’ve developed your own sense of what looks good on you – keep it and be proud of it. It’s part of who you are.

🚩ALWAYS stay up-to-date. Read newspapers, watch the news. Go online and read what people are saying. Make sure you have an active email account and try to use some of those social networks. You'll be surprised at what old friends you'll meet.

🚩Respect the younger generation and their opinions. They may not have the same ideas as you, but they are the future and will take the world in their direction. Give advice, not criticism, and try to remind them that yesterday's wisdom still applies today.

Never use the phrase: “In my time.” Your time is now. As long as you’re alive, you are part of this time.

🚩Some people embrace their golden years, while others become bitter and surly. Life is too short to waste your days on the latter. Spend your time with positive, cheerful people, it'll rub off on you and your days will seem that much better. Spending your time with bitter people will make you feel older and harder to be around.

🚩Do not surrender to the temptation of living with your children or grandchildren (if you have a financial choice, that is). Sure, being surrounded by family sounds great, but we all need our privacy. They need theirs and you need yours. Even then, do so only if you feel you really need the help or do not want to live by yourself.

🚩Don't abandon your hobbies. If you don't have any, make new ones. You can travel, hike, cook, read, dance. You can adopt a cat or a dog, grow a kitchen garden, play cards, checkers, chess, dominoes, golf.

🚩Try to go. Get out of the house, meet people you haven't seen in a while, experience something new (or something old). The important thing is to leave the house from time to time. Go to museums, go walk through a park. Get out there.

🚩Speak in courteous tones and try not to complain or criticize too much unless you really need to. Try to accept situations as they are.

🚩Pains and discomfort go hand in hand with getting older. Try not to dwell on them but accept them as a part of life.

🚩If you've been offended by someone – forgive them. If you've offended someone-apologize. Don't drag around resentment with you. It only serves to make you sad and bitter. It doesn't matter who was right. Someone once said: "Holding a grudge is like taking poison and expecting the other person to die." Don't take that poison. Forgive, forget, and move on with your life.

🚩Laugh. Laugh away your worries Remember, you are one of the lucky ones. You managed to have a life, a long one. Many never get to this age, never get to experience a full life.

My valued friends, enjoy peaceful life at this point in your life ...

Don't worry... be happy. 🥰

Saturday funnies

 

Eggs

Nic gave us another dozen eggs.  These sizes are incredible!  Look at the huge egg and beside it the tiny egg.  I can't wait to crack them both.  Nik loves his chickens and they all have names.   They lay many different sizes and colours of eggs.  Not bad for living in the city!  Thank you, Nik.

Cruising in 2021?

Last night on the CTV evening news they reported Canada's Minister of Transport, Omar Alghabra will be in Victoria today to make an announcement about the cruise ship industry.  It may be too late for this year for Victoria to accept cruises in 2021 but perhaps they can salvage the Canada/New England cruises out of Quebec City that take place in the fall.  It would depend on the cruise ship's response to this hopefully positive announcement.

Norwegian Cruise Line filed a lawsuit against Florida Surgeon General and the head of the Florida Health Department, claiming that the state's ban on vaccine verification poses imminent substantial, irreparable harm to the company.  Letting cruise ships sail with unvaccinated passengers is a recipe for disaster!

I booked my first passenger on the Majestic Princess out of Seattle to Alaska on August 15th.  The precautions Princess is taking make me feel comfortable about cruising again.  They are offering cruises to fully vaccinated people.  You must give them proof long before the cruise.  There is no masks required on board.  Should you get COVID all costs of health care are taken care of by the cruise line.  The ships are not sailing at full capacity so crowding shouldn't be an issue.  Dining is changed but I won't even explain the changes as they are many and very well thought out.  If your home country requires a COVID test 72 hours before you return home, Princess is doing them for free.  They are doing everything they can to ensure cruising is safe.  

Let's hope later today our Government lifts the cruise ship ban for fully vaccinated ships.  I also hope they open the US/Canada border for fully vaccinated travellers.  The travel industry has really taken a hit and it's time they lifted all the restrictions.  COVID is not going away and we need to learn how to live with it.

If you are unvaccinated, you are the reason we will not return to normal.  Look at Australia and in the US.  The variants are here and unvaccinated people are getting very sick.  

A great article from CBC:

CBC News

The Train of Life

At birth we boarded the train and met our parents, and we believe they will always travel by our side. As time goes by, other people will board the train; and they will be significant i.e. our siblings, friends, children, and even the love of your life. However, at some station our parents will step down from the train, leaving us on this journey alone. Others will step down over time and leave a permanent vacuum. Some, however, will go so unnoticed that we don't realize they vacated their seats. This train ride will be full of joy, sorrow, fantasy, expectations, hellos, goodbyes, and farewells. Success consists of having a good relationship with all passengers requiring that we give the best of ourselves.

The mystery to everyone is: We do not know at which station we ourselves will step down. So, we must live in the best way, love, forgive, and offer the best of who we are. It is important to do this because when the time comes for us to step down and leave our seat empty we should leave behind beautiful memories for those who will continue to travel on the train of life.

I wish you all a joyful journey.

~Unknown

The things I miss

The picture above is the Seven Seas restaurant in North Vancouver.  They had the best seafood buffet!

I miss Woodwards!  It was a wonderful department store.  We bought all our furniture on the 30/60/90 plan.  You put 25% down and paid it off in three more months with no interest.  Their food floor was the best!  Goats milk came in on Tuesdays and if you waited until Wednesday it was gone.  I always shopped on Tuesday's as Cheryl couldn't tolerate cows milk.

I miss the milk man.  I remember when I lived in Steveston and I wrote my milk man a nice note to cancel his service.  He was with Dairyland and I was never home when he came as I worked.  He wrote me back in very old person shaky writing note saying how nice it was to have me as a customer and he was sorry to see me and many others go.  So, I rescinded my cancellation and ordered butter, sour cream, orange juice and other things they offered besides milk and made a lot of chocolate pudding!  Then a few years later Dairyland cancelled home delivery.  

The Shoppers Drug Mart I go to added self serve checkouts.  I've avoid self serve kiosks at Safeway and other grocery stores.  Fresh Street doesn't have them and I appreciate that.  I went to the Dollar Store the other day and they've installed them too.  There was NO cashier but someone showing everyone how to use the checkout.  They are touch screen and with COVID still around, I will no be going back.  If I want to avoid the cashier I will find stores that hire people.  Should they all install self serve checkouts, I'll start using Amazon.  

Now I'm off to Fresh Street Market!

Dear Diary

MONDAY: It's fun to cook for Sam. Today I made angel food cake. The recipe said beat 12 eggs separately. The neighbors were nice enough to loan me the extra bowls.

TUESDAY: He wanted fruit salad for supper. The recipe said serve without dressing. So I didn't dress. What a surprise when he brought a friend home for supper!

WEDNESDAY: A good day for rice. The recipe said wash thoroughly before steaming the rice. It seemed kind of silly, but I took a bath anyway. I can't say it improved the rice any.

THURSDAY: Today he asked for salad again I tried a new recipe. It said prepare ingredients; lay on a bed of lettuce one hour before serving. He asked me why I was rolling around in the garden..

FRIDAY: I found an easy recipe for cookies. It said put the ingredients in a bowl and beat it. There must have been something wrong with this recipe. When I got back, everything was the same as when I left.

SATURDAY: He did the shopping today and brought home a chicken. He asked me to dress it for Sunday. I don't have any clothes that fit it, and for some reason he keeps counting to ten.

SUNDAY: I wanted to serve roast, but all I had was hamburger. Suddenly I had a flash of genius.  I put the hamburger in the oven and set the controls for roast. It still came out hamburger, much to my disappointment.

GOOD NIGHT DEAR DIARY. This has been a very exciting week!  I am eager for tomorrow to come so I can try out a new recipe.  If I can talk him into buying a bigger oven, I would like to surprise him with a chocolate moose.

 

Dinner and a walk

Last weekend we went to Meadow Gardens Golf Club for dinner with friends.  We had a lovely dinner in a gorgeous setting.  After dinner we went to the Alouette River for a nice walk along the dyke.  

A beautiful golf course on a beautiful night!

The Alouette River

These kids were having fun jumping off the bridge into the river!

Cec loved the walk as he's fished this river many times.  Lots of people swimming and fishing.  It was about 9 PM when I took these pictures.  It was a gorgeous warm evening.

It's nice the COVID restrictions have been lifted so we can have dinner with friends.

Muniba Mazari

The video below is very moving.  If you have ten minutes and want to be inspired, watch it.  Muniba Mazari is a Pakistan activist, anchor artist, model, singer and motivational speaker.  Muniba is 34 years old.  She became the National Ambassador for US Women Pakistan after being shortlisted in the 100 Inspirational Women of 2015 by BBC.  She also made it to the Forbes 30 under 30 list for 2016.  Prepare to be amazed!

Blueberries are here!

These berries were grown two blocks from my house.  I get them every year from the organic farm

I love blueberries.  We have four bushes in our garden.  This year they are loaded with berries.   Our back yard berries are not quite ready to eat.  This year blueberries are much earlier than previous years and the hot weather did not spoil the crop!   They are delicious.  I've already made a few pies and of course we've eaten our fair share.

I never took any pictures of my pies.  I gave this one to my neighbour who had knee replacement surgery and she posted it on Facebook!  

Blueberries have a lot of good qualities:

One cup of fresh blueberries contains:Trusted Source

• 84 calories
• 0 g of cholesterol
• 1.1 g of protein
• 0.49 g of fat
• 21.45 g of carbohydrates
• 3.6 g of dietary fiber
• 14.74 g of total sugars

That same one-cup serving provides:

• 24 percent of daily vitamin C
• 5 percent of daily vitamin B6
• 36 percent of daily vitamin K

Blueberries also provide:

• 9 milligrams (mg) calcium
• 0.41 mg of iron
• 114 mg of potassium
• 9 mg of magnesium
• 18 mg of phosphorus
• 1 mg of sodium
• 0.24 mg of zinc
• 9 mg of folate

Blueberries also contain copper, beta-carotene, folate, choline, vitamins A and E, and manganese.

As well as anthocyanins, vitamins, and minerals, blueberries contain a diverse range of phenolic compoundsTrusted Source such as quercetin, kaempferol, myricetin, and chlorogenic acid. These contribute to the antioxidant capacity of blueberries.

The large quantities of bioactive compounds place blueberries high on the Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI). This index rates foods based on their vitamin and mineral content, phytochemical composition, and antioxidant capacity.

Foods with the most nutrients per calorie have the highest rankings, and blueberries are placed among the top fruits and vegetables for nutrient density, with an  ANDI score of 132.  

ANDI is one of several rating systems for food nutrition, but further research is needed to determine the role of specific foods in disease prevention.

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