Family has made me too busy to keep up with the Blog!

Sunday April 25, 2010

It has been a busy week and I have not published anything until today.

Tuesday last week I spent a few hours with sister Joy catching up on her news and listening to how her life is going.  She has had it with Telus (thirty years in Aug. 2010) and is now prepared to chuck the whole thing. Stress leave etc. etc….. and  feels she has to move on to another phase of her life.  Having watched Eric and Erika as well as many of our friends be tortured by the ongoing downsizing and moving of Telus jobs offshore I can understand that she is fed up with the whole thing.  A difficult situation but she seems good and I hope it will all go well for her.  She will at least retain her pension for the future. 

Eric spent Tuesday with Brian  and helped with his sailboat diesel engine maintenance.  Brother David is close enough by that he cycled over to the boat after work and the brothers had a visit and dinner together.  Nice!  Fran and I had a quiet afternoon and dinner together.  When Eric got home he had a cold.  Jason (Ian’s son) and wife Deb’s daughter Ella was a little germ fest last weekend and Eric now has a cold.  Muchos snot!

Wednesday April  21, 2010

Off to Mom’s to pick her up for lunch at Eric’s sister Kathryn’s.  I had a brief look at her new senior’s residence and was really impressed as it was kind of like going into a grand hotel with a beautiful dining room.  Very, very, very nice.  Her room is really tasteful with all her possessions and furniture fitted into the small studio apartment.  She seems really happy there and the meals are great. We are all so relieved  that  she is safe, happy and well fed in her new place. 

We had a good lunch with Kathryn and husband Gary at their house close by and even got to see Kaitlin (third in line of four) when she got home from University for the day.  A really nice afternoon. 

We had a dinner with Fran (Barney was getting the boat ready for the next day’s sailing so he stayed on the boat ) and then an early night as we were heading back to Kelowna the next day.

Thursday April 22, 2010

We picked Mom up from her place in New Westminster around 10am and headed out the freeway for Kelowna.  It was a sunny day but a slow trip out the valley to Hope.  Lane closures for little bits of construction slowed the traffic so that we lost about 45 minutes on the way out.  We had lunch in Hope and then an arrival in Kelowna by 4pm.  A slow but uneventful trip. 

Friday April 23, 2010

I spent a good day with sister Anne at Costco.  We went to look at plants and that kind of escalated into an out and out shopping trip.  A few good plants, clothes, food etc. etc. etc……  Fun!  Anne is always so generous with her time when I come to town and always does whatever I want to do.  What a great sister! 

Saturday April 24, 2010

Today was the day for the family dinner with Tycho relatives and a couple of Ian and Linda’s close friends (Basil and Brenda.)  Linda and I spent most of the day preparing the turkey dinner and then cleaning up after.  Just the usual for a big dinner!  Lots of good food, chat and family fun.  Everyone had a good time and it’s something we don’t often get an opportunity to do.  Eric spent most of the day lying down as his cold is still giving him grief but he rallied for the dinner and visited with the family. 

Sunday April 25, 2010

Today we packed up to go home.  We have been away for six months and it is time to get going and laundry was done and most things stowed away.

I had lunch with sisters Anne and Elisa along with niece Adrian (Anne’s daughter at Rose’s down on the lake and it was a good visit.  The weather yesterday was lousy but much better today so we got to sit outside in the sun. Bueno!

  Anne and I hit Art Knapp’s again on the way home and I picked up a few more plants and (Anne did too!)   After the winter of 2008/2009 I am hesitant about buying plants that I think won’t survive (even properly zoned ones) as I lost at least 40% of my perennials that winter and a lot of them that I can’t replace.  It was definitely a wakeup call as to what mother nature can really do if she sets her mind to it! 

I cooked an orange (Mexican shrimp) stir fry for dinner and had a good visit with Doris (Eric’s mom – soon to be 88) as well as Linda’s mom Ena soon to be 91!)  I have been distracted with family and also being unable to find the time to add pictures to the blog.   Oh well, I can add them later if I have time.  Right!

  Tomorrow morning we hit the road for home and hopefully we will make it to Prince George and if not, at least Quesnel.  If all goes well we’ll be home on Tuesday night and then Wednesday we can try to get the house up and going.  We shut off the water while we are away and there is always the possibility of leaks when you fill the lines and start up the appliances again.  Wish us luck!