Mixed Blessings

You know how your day can start out as one thing and end up as something else?  How things can change on a dime?  Or is the phrase, turn on a dime?  What does a dime have to do with change, blessings, or mixed anything?

Before I tell you about today I have to talk about yesterday. I mean they are connected although today’s events can stand alone.  But, yesterday morning I attended my nephew’s wedding.  It was held in an old heritage church and followed by a catered picnic luncheon for about a hundred people.  Perfect size for the church and the celebration. Perfect combination of tradition and casual. It has to be the most delightful wedding I have ever attended (or hosted).  The weather cooperated and those two hardworking  deserving people, now man and wife, who have earned every moment of happiness are off on a wonderful honeymoon.

The word ‘quaint’ comes to mind and reminds me of comfort, simplicity and hard work.  The entire village is a working village as things were in 1914 with a fire hall, blacksmith, and shops.  The grounds, green and lush, made me think of weddings of long ago, before the invention of glitter and glam.  A Piper piped the guests into the church and out again.  The groom and his best man wore kilts.  There was absolutely everything. Minus the modern attire it very well could have been a wedding from a hundred years ago.

Then that same evening, following the festivities I traveled to a nearby town where I attended yet another feast to celebrate our 48th nursing anniversary. We graduated in 1969 but went into residence in 1966.  In those days nursing students lived at the hospitals.  It was an incredibly intense education and applied labor.  And of course the system no longer exists having gone the way of the dinosaur.  Education by immersion.

Oh yeah, the dinner –

Now how can you go wrong dining at a Wine Den.  We had a separate section that gave us plenty of time to circulate and chat for a lovely few hours.

Now-a-days we all live within a few hours of each other, but over the years there were travels to the states, Calcutta, and New Zealand and heaven only knows were else.

Well all  this chatter is about my blessings in the last 24. Nothing ‘mixed’ about them yet.

This morning I awoke thinking I would spend the whole day writing.  In a serious fashion, you understand.  That means closing the door, taking the computer off the internet to avoid temptation, putting my phone in another room, and hunkering down for the duration.  I imagined my great joy and well earned weariness by the end of the day.  I quickly rose excited about the day ahead.

Darn.  Then I remembered I had to go to the pharmacy and pick up a prescription. Perfect.  Do it early before crowds start crowding.  Off I went. Wonderful expedient success and the most cheerful pharmacist I have ever met.  Here she is on a Sunday morning away from her husband and young family, at work.  And happy!  She cheered everyone up and told me, ‘I love my job and people’.  And it showed.

So very cheerily and medication in hand I thought, well before I go home I should just pop into the grocery store next door.  I have to tell you, I LOVE CHILI or chili con carne as they used to call it.  I put lots of vegetables for nutrition with a pork/beef combination and make it very spicy.  (You can imagine not everyone loves my chili but what counts is that I do.)  And I make enough for about 12 meals which I freeze.  I could eat it every day.  Okay I do eat it every day.  That’s just how I am.

So I shop, because this is Autumn (chili season), even though the temp today is going to be 27C or 80.6 degrees F.  I choose to ignore that.

Beef, pork, onion, green pepper, celery, kidney beans, tomato paste and sauce and lots of spice.  Well when I get home I can’t start to write yet. I find myself chopping, cooking, mixing.

Even though my plans changed I still counted the day as one big blessing.

Then: my stirring spoon slipped in the pot and my good yellow top was covered in sauce. ( Don’t even ask why I would not have changed.  The fact is the weekend had gone so well I thought I could cook all dressed up.) I ran to the bathroom sink to immediately rinse out my top, threw on one I should have been wearing, and returned to the kitchen. my stir spoon with a plastic handle had fallen to the stove top and I snapped it up only to discover it was on a hot part of the burner and I ended up holding a hot spoon with melted hot plastic in my palm.  Which I dropped immediately making even more of a mess.

I cleaned up my hand, applied some Flamazine which helped, but I still have blisters on my palm (no I will not show a photo.)

So a top I hope can be saved, as yellow is my favorite color, and multiple burns, but the chili is done, in containers with some in the fridge and some in the freezer, and no I have not started writing yet.

Mixed Blessings but all in all an excellent weekend.

 

SHAWN ROCK ROCKS!

The Real Royal Wedding

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SHAWN ROCK ROCKS
 
Coming Soon!
 
Y’all will remember The Real Royal Wedding that took place May 14, 2011 and the MOG (Mother of the Groom).
 
Fascinators were at a minimum probably because Princess Beatrice was unable to attend but the Royal Chef truly rocked. I have had requests for more about this culinary delight, his business and where you can find him.
 
So I thought I would whet your appetites by letting you know  I am in the process of setting up an interview so I can accurately portray the story and skills of this incredible man and his team.
 
Hopefully I will have the delicious details soon!

 

My Son My Speech

I am trying so hard not to share every little thing about our own personal Royal Wedding, but here is just one more. I must admit to more sentiment than humor in this one but hope you will give it a look because it is just a tiny look at one man’s life. This is my speech at the Wedding.

My Son
Before R was born we dallied with a number of names looking for just the right moniker. His dad called from the ER one evening to say a little boy had been brought in with red hair and blue eyes and his name was R. Just that easily our baby ..if a boy..had a name.

From birth he brought lightness, joy and an amazing skill with people. Naturally, balanced with that, came stubbornness and tenacity.

R marched to a different drummer with his first steps and to this day he often seems genuinely surprised that the universe actually may have it’s own drummer .

WE, all of us here, have a drummer of some sort to keep our rhythm of life.
R is one of those rare souls that has a whole marching band.

This is the stuff the shakers and the makers of the world are made of. This is the stuff of an incredible man, my son.

So my son, This is you

2 years old….
R don’t run with a stick in your mouth
R don’t run with That stick in your mouth
R get in the car we are going to emerge

3 years old.
Ryan go play Mommy’s doing laundry
“Drink Mommy”
Ryan that is bleach!!
Hello…poison control…this Mrs B
R get in the car we are going to emerge

R it’s okay if you do not eat dinner but you get nothing more til breakfast
“Drink mommy”
Hello poison control..this is Mrs. B. R drank my Lemon Up hair conditioner
R get in the car we are going to emerge

Hello poison control?
Hello Mrs. B what did R take this time.?

His Generous Nature

R was in hospital for a couple of days. Breakfast came the next morning. The little girl in the crib next to him did not get breakfast. R crawled out of crib, into hers and gave her an orange.
A sign of his generosity.
Nurse…”Chris, R gave the little girl next to him an orange..we had to cancel her surgery.”

One snowy Thanksgiving Day R came home for dinner. He was living in Simcoe and was glad for the left overs I sent with him. When I called the next day I asked if he enjoyed the food. He said, “Mom last night I looked outside and saw a homeless man in a doorway so I gave him sandwich and soup,and gave him my blanket. He was asleep so I covered him up put the food beside him.”

People Skills and instilling confidence..
Eunice…you know Chris. I was nervous about letting the boys go canoeing..but R reassured me that he is an expert canoeist.
Me ….Eunice..R has never been in a canoe before

Val…Chris. I don’t let Andrea go out in cars with kids but I always know she is safe with R driving
Me..Val, R does not have a drivers license

Sincerity
R has an amazing group of friends, a band of brothers of substance, talent and great humor. This is one of the rewards that life has brought this man of strong moral fiber.

And then a few years ago came a young woman who first said to me…R makes me laugh!
And over the years I have seen them laugh, work, and struggle and survive and grow.
Last night my son said to me, “Mom I’m sorry it has taken me so many years to marry but I had to wait until she was ready. And if I had to I would have waited forever”

Oh yeah and if I come across my other son’s speech from his wedding I will share it…cross dressing, pyromania all at the age of 2 and a loving heart!

Ten Fav Things For Mama Kat

The Wedding

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Current 10 Favs Include more than one person.

 

1) I love Kilts and Best Brothers – and yes the kilt was worn au naturel as demanded by tradition.

 

Groom Kilt Brother in Tux

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2) I love the women who make my sons happy!  Heidi who has been married to

 

Tom for 9 years and says she could not have had a more perfect husband, and

 

Mary Beth or MB who has just married my son in the Kilt.

 

 

3) I love that both men are good men, well regarded, who love laughter and

 

general silliness and are devoted to their wives.

 

 

4) I loved this wedding that was so laid back that when the minister asked what

 

symbols they brought to signify their love, the bride answered our rings..but

 

they are in the other room.  Yes everyone chuckled and waited while the maid

 

of honor set off to retrieve them.

 

 

5)  I love my exhusband who gave a wonderful speech about his son and even

 

the exe’s wife who to my knowledge had no disparaging remarks to make about

 

me…at least that I heard.

 

 

6) I love my son, the groom, Ryan, who believes in his roots and family and

 

who wore a kilt to honor my mothers family the Jenkins.

 

 

7)  I love my son Thomas for his devotion to his family, his crazy humor, and

 

his wild appreciation of life.

 

 

8)  I love MB’s family who have taken Ryan as one of their own.

 

 

9)  I love my sister Jane who provides more support than she can ever know.

 

And yes the bra..when she saw my perfect dress she said a strapless bra would

 

be perfect.  I do not have one I said.  Yes! you do she said as she whipped

 

her dress off and promptly gave me hers.  Right there.  Right then!

 

 

10)  I love my grandsons..Tom and Heidi’s sons who think I am the coolest

 

grandma in the world..because I tell them so

 

 

And really there has to be one more..sorry Mama Kat I know I am breaking the rules. 

 

11) I love every reader, every one of you who comments on my blog.  You are the best!

 

Mama

Weddings, Cleanses, Trains, and Automobiles..No Planes Thank God!

Weddings, Cleanses, Trains, and Automobiles..No Planes Thank God!
 

You all know -well those of you who read me, the others won’t of course – that I have been completely, let me repeat that, completely laid back, calm, mellow, chilled, composed, placid, tranquil, serene, collected, loose, about this whole wedding thing coming up Saturday. And all without the aid of fermented distilled liquids or other aids.

Vino

 
For you dear folk that have inquired as to my cleansing attempt to appear perkier for the day….it was disaster! Within two days I noticed an increasing accumulation of fluid and the ‘belly fat” it promised to eliminate. Next day up four pounds! I quickly remedied that by enlisting the help of my good friend Senekot. Some may resort to the help of a personal trainer but Senekot is cheaper and quicker. I cut calories, worked out more and grew and grew and grew.
 
I got a dress far lovelier than I ever thought possible that fit in the store. I may have to wear an old robe and just carry it on the hanger as I walk down the aisle as Mother of the Groom. MOG. One dear blogging friend said that people would say, “that Chris, she is so MOGnanimous ” Now I fear they may say, “that Chris she is so huMONGous! Just kidding there – all is back to normal. The problem is I wanted better than normal. No glowing liver or colon to display. Probably better that way.
 

Wedding Robe

So did not sleep as panic stepped in to smack me upside the head last night. “You fool”, it said. “How dare you think you can sail through this unscathed by worry, stress, and fear”?

Away I say!

 
This morning bought train tickets for sis, Aunt and me.
This morning printed off hotel confirmations for sis, Aunt and me and made one more reservation for another.
Bought the wine for the rehearsal party and had it delivered.
 
Still must do haircut, manicure, get silky undies…since my innards are no longer worth displaying.
 
My credit cards are creaking from mounting costs but not yet broken. (Hang on babies just til Monday). Am hosting breakfast the morning after at the King Eddy so Monday it must be.
 
So:
Cost of wedding prep……………………………………………mucho dinero
Cost of panic, fear, stress, worry, sleeplessness, panic again……………………………………………………………………priceless

I AM MOM! No really…I AM!

Those of you who know me well, know that I tend to look at things differently.  For me Mothers Day is not a celebration of me, but a chance to honor my children!  For without them, how could I possibly be such a super mommy?   While I do not usually publish family pics, today is special so let me introduce my crew.

My youngest Tom, with G1 and G2 Rowan (left) Caleb (right)

 

Tom posted this on facebook tonight:

I love you and thank you for all you have done.

The love of a mother is beyond compare
One who dearly loves and is always there
From scraped knees
                                                       To falls from trees
                                                       A mother cares for all
                                                       From “I told you so”
                                                        To “That’s a no-no! ”
                                                       A mother answers the call

Heidi (DL)with Rowan a great Mom!

                                        Mothers cook, mothers clean, some even work a job
                          Even with all their strength, a mother still knows how to sob
                                    Mothers should be honored for all they have done
Every day of the year, not just one
There is nothing better than a mother’s love
For her time on this earth   thank  God  above
A mother’s love endures forever
Its unbreakable bonds no on can sever
No matter how much I have grown
My mother’s love is always shown
She has become a mentor and a guide
Within her always I am able to confide
No better payment for her I can find
Then to love her with heart, and with mind
To the one who bore me; I share my emotion
To the one who raised me; Absolute devotion
To this woman I express my joy
You will always be my “mommy” and I your “baby boy”

“Glaedr the poet.”

 

And here below are Ryan and Mary Beth, my son and future DL (by this time next week!)

Ryan and my future DL (wedding is one week from now!)

 So I celebrate my offspring and their chosen partners who by the way may officially be daughters in law, but in this family they are daughters!

It also gives me the perfect chance to show who I blame for my quirkiness, my  wit, my insanity, my screwy humor, cause while they simply received the “crazy” gene, it is much more exacerbated in them, and it is very very very infectious!

See where the smile and silliness comes from?

MOG…Fascinators…Detox..Dress..Oh, No Dress..Rehearsal Party

MOG.. Fascinators…Detox…Dresses…oh, no dress..Rehearsal Party
 
My good blogging friend Merrilymarylee@wordpress.com messaged me, surprised somewhat that with eleven days to go to the Real Royal Wedding, I am still blogging merrily away. Well actually she is merrily doing things by virtue of her moniker. I guess that means I am burning…a..bridge ..or two…ss we most likely live up to our names. Or I like to think we do.
 
That got me thinking that perhaps I should do a little checklist to see how ready I am. Something tells me I should look at priorities first. And I would if I could figure out what they are.
 
Oh yes..

Fascinating Fascinator? Not

First – the fascinator issue. The guests of the OTHER Royal family certainly made a statement and it will be interesting to see if anyone dares don dinky headwear. Although judging by some, are you listening Beatrice, not so dinky and not so frivolous. After consulting the MOB ( that’s Mother of the Bride not the real MOB with guns and fedoras), we, the royal Mums will not be so adorned. Instead we shall be resplendent in our God given growing out of follicles, nature’s own. I believe she will visit a salon while this Queen Mum will wear a style nest described as what ever my hair wants so it will be. 
 

Detox Not

Second – Detox. Something that promised to perk me up, cleanse the systems liver and colon. Geez, stopped after four days. Gained four pounds and definitely not perky. Darned probiotics. Now working on getting rid of those effects!
 
Dress – Still haven’t got one but after the cleanse effect have decided to cave on the ‘I will never wear a Spanx’ issue. So will get one of those. Spanks yes. Dress, hopefully!
 
Rehearsal Party – as MOG I host this little soiree. Tried to get a caterer who did not return by calls or emails. The affair is in Toronto and I am not. The MOB, not the Mob with guns and fedoras, the other one came up with a fab idea so is helping.
 
Just have to get train tickets for sis, me and auntie and then looks like I am done
 
Yup, I have lots of time to blog. Come to think of it I guess if it was my wedding would still have time to blog?
 
The only thing left on my list for this Royal Wedding is…to HAVE FUN!
 

My dress Not

DETOX & CLEANSE…WHAT???

DETOX & CLEANSE…WHAT???
 
So, it is fourteen days to my son’s wedding and no I am not ready …yet. But that is of little consequence, as I live my life not ready. I tried to change that a few times. You know the not being ready and stuff but I swear it is part of my genetic makeup. And I have faith that it will work out and it always does.
 
Now I am pretty happy with who I am and how I look. I love my body; the way I move, the way I think, the fact that I do laps most days in the pool, I have energy and I revel in the joy of life. And no I am not particularly attractive nor would I fit anyone’s idea of a perfect weight but that is also of little consequence. I am young, generally only date men years younger as that is where the mutual attraction seems to be, but do not think of myself as age discriminate.
 
That whole thing is not where I used to be in my head, it has grown and developed over the years. Yesterday my sis and I decided to look through the mall to see what kind of suitable dresses might be out there. One sales lady asked what I was looking for and I told her my son’s wedding.
 
Well she directed me to a rack and my response was …Oh no they are all too old looking. I’m only sixty-four. I don’t want old lady dresses! She darn near choked on her chewing gum! But that also is of little consequence. No Heimlich maneuvers were required and no sales ladies were hurt.
 
I decided a little Detox & Cleanse would be in order. Just to perk me up. Though I must confess that I have tried it before and lost interest after a few days. Losing interest in such things is also part of my genetic makeup.
 
I chose natural capsules of some sort: two twice a day for seven days and then one once a day for seven days because that works into my time frame for said miracle. It promises to; reduce belly bloat ( I did not know that is what excess adipose tissue of the abdomen was), reduce body waste build up (I thought nature sort of took care of that in the form of evacuation of..), support colon and digestive system (is that not the same as above?), support the livers natural detoxification process, make you feel lighter and more energized. Gotta say the last two points sold me.
 
So no dress yet. Actually a lot of things not done yet, but by all that is mighty my colon and liver should look great for the wedding!
 
Now I am off to swim and yes to do my taxes, as they are due TODAY!