CHRISTMAS AT OUR PLACE

                                 WELCOME TO OUR HOME - COME IN!

TWEEDLE DEE & TWEEDLE DUM - OUR ONLY WELCOME DEER!

                     OUR VICTORIAN WINTER WONDERLAND

THE DINING ROOM BEFORE PUTTING UP THE SOCKS FOR SANTA!

                       GETTING READY TO FEAST...YUM YUM!

IT WAS SNOWING OUTSIDE AND WE WERE ALL COZY INSIDE!

NOW THAT CHRISTMAS IS OVER, LULU LOOKS JUST HOW I FEEL - NO I WOULD NOT WISH TO POSE LIKE THAT!!

                                                    ***

Where did Christmas go this year? Like the snow, it was here one minute and gone the next.  Such a flurry of excitement and then...it disappeared in a New York minute. I guess time flies when you're having fun!! One of my favourite Christmas events this year was attending the Victoria Symphony's 'Sentimental Christmas' on December 15th and singing along with Kevin and the girls.

Sharing the stage with the tenors at the Royal Theatre on December 10th was also a novel experience. We squeezed in a few great movies too. Jennifer Lawrence was the queen of the silver screen this Christmas. We really enjoyed both her movies - 'Hunger Games 2' and 'American Hustle'. You can tell she is a Leo - drama comes naturally to her. I'd highly recommend both movies.

On the 23rd I had some friends over. This time I decided to serve an Empress Hotel style afternoon tea, which was a lot of fun, and very little washing up afterwards! We had some visitors from out of town, and some local friends. For starters I did a bowl of mixed berries with a dollop of cream - just like the EH. This was followed by a selection of finger sandwiches, which were very filling, some sushi, as one of our guests was from Japan (I've never seen Japanese eat bread so I was worried!) and some delicious olive and feta tapenade with crackers.

Dessert consisted of a generous selection of tiny bite size pastries, which were quickly devoured - lemon squares, mini chocolate eclairs, rum balls, fruit cake, tiramisu, chocolate mousse, mini cheese cakes, candy cane flavoured cup cakes, butter tarts, and mocha chocolate cups - yum yum!! Last, but not least, some Baileys Irish coffee, and Butler`s Irish mint chocs. A simple, yet satisfying little feast. Later the kids pulled some fancy crackers. Per tradition, I adorned some Christmas tin cans, and filled them with sweet treats for our visitors to take home with them.

Christmas Eve was all ours to enjoy, though Kevin had to work until 2.00 pm as some folk needed to see him - desperately! Christmas is a stressful time for many. That evening we went to the 'Irish Times' pub and eatery for our traditional Christmas Eve office party - just Kevin, Ali, Victoria, Claudia and myself. It was jam packed, and pumping with pre-Christmas excitement. Later, we strolled down a beautifully adorned Government street, to view the Christmas trees at the Empress Hotel, and enjoy all the lavishly decorated shop windows.

Each Christmas the Empress Hotel has its annual Festival of Trees event, where all the local businesses display their individually decorated tree, and you can vote for your favourite. The hotel was alive with all the Christmas buzz. Mr. and Mrs. Claus had just arrived, and were reading to pyjama-clad children by the huge roaring fire (made me want to be a child again!!) All the restaurants were buzzing...Christmas had well and truly arrived! We decided we would like to have our office party there next year - God willing.

Another tradition of ours, which we did after the Empress Hotel, was to drive around the city and neighbourhoods, gazing in awe at the bedazzling Christmas lights. This year they were spectacular. Some homes had begun their lights and Christmas set-up several months ago - insane I know! The more elaborate homes had a little collection box for charity, and free candy canes, for grown ups and children alike. I just love all that Christmas razzle-dazzle. The electricity bills at some homes I believe are over $1000 for the month of December!

I never before braved Boxing Day sales, but this year I did. Victoria was working at Banana Republic, and it was well and truly BANANAS!! I got fabulous bargains and I'm thrilled to bits with all my purchases. 50% off the sale prices, and then an additional 10% off. Sweaters that were originally $89 down to $11. I love the BR bling and got a few pieces because they were gorgeous, and such fantastic value. We also gave each other loads of Bay gift cards for Christmas. We get them from Visa as a thank-you for all that spending!! I got a brilliant German frying pan (should have got it 30 years ago!!). It is supposed to last forever. The original price was $235 and I got it for $60 with my Bay card. Also got a classy Ralph Lauren navy cardigan with crest - original price $189 down to $60. I'll get loads of use from it. Sales were good this year.

The best news we got this Christmas was that Ali has secured an internship with Vancouver's prestigious 'Western Living' magazine. She starts on Thursday. As I write, She is winging her way back to Vancouver, with Kevin and Victoria. I miss them already!! Claudia has to work, so I am staying with her and our little animal babies. I have been invited to a friend's birthday party tomorrow, so I'll have to wait until Tuesday to begin my healthy eating again!!

My 2014 project is to live more simply, and see how long I can last without buying any bling, clothes or shoes. I'll keep you informed on the project and my willpower.

So, without further ado, I am sending lots and lots of love and good wishes your way!

Keep HOPE in your heart, and let there be LOOOOOOVE!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Love,

Patricia xxx

IT'S O.K. TO BE HAPPY WITH A CALM LIFE

The above words of wisdom greeted me when I turned on my computer yesterday. I totally agree. Peace and Calm are the gifts of a strong and deep faith. I had a long conversation this morning with a taxi driver from India about the same thing. We were discussing life, and all the manure that hits the fan from time to time. "It's good that you are a deep thinker" he said, with respect. Whether he meant it or not, nonetheless, it touched my heart.

At the moment, everybody in the world is freaking out - Christmas is around the corner - presents presents presents...dieters feeling the stress (talk to me about it!!)  - alcoholics feeling the stress - financially strapped families feeling the pinch. Drivers are erratic on the road - did you notice? At mass on Sunday, Fr. John was talking about this, and apparently somebody in America was shot because he snatched a car space from another!! I'll admit when that happens to me, I just take a deep relaxing breath...O.K. being honest - sometimes I use the eff word. They can't hear me, so it's a waste of time, but better than shooting them dead you'll agree!!

So, in the midst of all this Christmas excitement, I went to mass yesterday to pray for my friend Aileen O'Neill, who was undergoing major surgery. The process of sitting in church and praying was as soothing to my soul, as a frothy cappuccino on a cold day. It was heavenly - if you'll pardon the pun. Outside the church, it was noisy with all the Christmas hustle and bustle. Inside, it was an oasis of perfect calm, illuminated by the gentle twinkling of church candles. Bliss...

I left St. Andrew's with such a lovely warm fuzzy feeling inside of me. Better than all the parties in the world - better than all the shopping in the world - better than chocolate - Yes! better than chocolate. After this wonderful experience, I said to myself 'that's it! I'm giving myself the gift of faith this Christmas, and the time to develop it properly'. I want to feel that happy and calm every day. I deserve it - you deserve it - we all deserve it. And the good news - It's free!!

My friend Monica phoned me from Calgary this morning. She has survived breast cancer. She asked me to pray for a friend of hers, whose brother has just commited suicide, and her 21 year old adopted daughter has just been diagnosed with ovarian cancer - Hell multiplied by a hundred you'll agree! Thank God, that woman has a strong faith. How could you cope with a double whammy like that just before Christmas? That same woman, who is a retired lawyer, has 8 children of her own, plus two adopted children. What planet do these Superwomen come from? I ask myself.

Monica's words of wisdom for Aileen - and everybody - are as follows:-
(These words were given to her by a deeply devout priest who stormed heaven for her when she had the cancer).

When stressed, take a deep breath, close your eyes, and repeat these words -

                          JESUS IN...(as you breath in)

                          EVIL OUT..(as you exhale)


Try it - I guarantee you'll feel something...earth moving? Perhaps - if you pray hard enough!

Love,

Patricia xxx   

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU AILEEN!

My FB pal Aileen O'Neill will be undergoing major surgery on Wednesday 18th December. If you are reading this, and have a few moments to spare, it would make me very happy if you could please say a little prayer for her. She is a wonderful woman, a loving mother and wife, and does everything in her power to make the world a happier place for everybody. She has courage, integrity, good nature, and generosity of spirit. I hope her surgery will be easy on her, and that her journey back to good health will be a speedy one.

Lord Jesus,

Please send a chorus of Angels to surround Aileen during surgery, and be with her every step of the way. Help her to feel the power and magnitude of your love, and to know that with you on her side - nothing can go wrong! You alone Lord Jesus have the power to heal her body. Please give her husband and children the strength, resilience, and support they will need at this difficult time. Let only good come from this, so that when it is all over, Aileen will be back to her resilient, optimistic and positive self. As always, we trust in you Lord Jesus. You, and you alone have the power.

Please guide the surgeon's hands on Wednesday...

Thank you Lord!

Love,

Patricia xxx

WHAT IS CHRISTMAS REALLY ALL ABOUT?

I love love love this picture...doesn't it warm you heart? When I first saw it, I went oohing and aahing, 'See that's what Christmas is all about". Then Ali said "Mum it's fake!" I said "NO! it can't be!" I didn't want it to be fake. If you look at the website beneath this picture, you can see other wonderful fantasy photos.

Is Christmas a fantasy? Yes of course it is, but don't we all need a little bit of fantasy in our lives? We need a full month of Christmas to help get us through the remaining 11 months. Right? Christmas is about watching cheesy romantic movies in front of a big roaring fire, singing jolly happy songs, jingle bells, generosity, glitz, twinkling fairy lights, Santa Claus, being nice to each other...because it's Christmas! - parties, food glorious food - and lots of it!! So what is not to like about Christmas?



http://www.alisonjackson.com/category/royals/

So far this Christmas, I've watched all my favourite movies - regulars such as 'Christmas with the Kranks', 'Love Actually',  'Let it Snow', 'Cedar Cove Christmas' to name but a few. I have yet to see Chevy Chase's Christmas Vacation - then I can tick it off my must-watch movie list. Christmas music is still playing 24/7 in the kitchen. We even had a little drizzle of snow recently to add to the ambience. Now that it's gone, I don't know how on earth I survived in Alberta for all those freezing winters!

Yesterday, we went to see Jennifer Lawrence in her much acclaimed movie 'Hunger Games', and it did not disappoint. I was glued to the seat for the full two and a half hours. She is a superlative actress. The setting was as dark and bleak as a nazi concentration camp, with the same overriding sense of fear and danger. The sumptuous costumes and make-up added a bit of relief, but the star of the show was undeniably Jennifer Lawrence. She held us all spellbound. A must-see. But be prepared - it's not a feel-good Christmas movie. If that's what you want, you'd be better off watching 'Love Actually'.

Today, I went back to the Royal Theatre with Kevin and the girls. This time I was in the audience with the family - way better! We went to hear the Victoria Symphony perform 'A Sentimental Christmas' which was absolutely delightful, and heart-warming (the girls may not agree!). It was a jolly-holly-happy-singalong designed specially for children and seniors. The audience were encouraged to singalong to such songs as 'Deck the Halls', 'O Come All Ye Faithful', 'Twelve Days of Christmas', 'Jingle Bells' and 'Silent Night' to name but a melodious few. I found my choir experience really helped. And I just loved loved loved it. 

After all these years, I've come to the realization that Christmas really is...what you make it. You get out of it, what you put into it...and then some.

Cheers!

Love,


Patricia xxx

FRIDAY THE 13TH!

Yeah! I love Fridays, especially when they fall on the 13th of the month. I don't know why some people are iffy about that date. I hope it turns out to be a nice day for everyone. I'm planning on celebrating...

I'm meeting up with 24 of my TOPS lady pals for our annual Christmas lunch today. I plan on wearing my ever-so-daring fascinating black and red fascinator. Anita said she will wear hers - if I wear mine! Claire's were selling them off after Halloween from $24 to $6 - they look a million bucks, so I bought five to give to friends. I sent one to mother, and I am also bringing one over to my hairdresser Chantelle today, as a Christmas present, to wear to her husband's office party. Chantelle is my fabulous hairdresser from South Africa. She is the most adventurous person I know, and currently has her hair coloured a beautiful hot pink shade for Christmas. She turned 50 this year, and lives every day to the fullest. The last time we met, she was wearing a hot pink top to match her hair, teamed with a short kelly green skirt and wild patterned tights. It looked sensational. "I don't give a cat's rattle what people think!" she says with a laugh. "I do it for me - I can't live without colour" - my sentiments precisely!

It's one thing I've noticed about my older lady pals - they sure live life with gusto! I enjoy hanging out with people like that. Later, Kevin, the girls and I are going to Government House for their annual Christmas event. From 5.30 - 6.30 p.m. the house is opened to the Public. You can wander around, enjoy the decorations and Christmas ambience. Government House is where the Attorney General resides. Later, from 6.30-7.30 there will be a Christmas Carols sing-along out in the lawn. I went to that last year, and enjoyed it very much. They handed out complimentary cookies and apple cider while people sang along to Christmas songs. It is a really nice family event for young and old. Thankfully, the cold snap has passed. I will try and get some photos.

Tomorrow d.v. Kevin, the girls and I are going to see the latest 'Hunger Games' movie, with Jennifer Lawrence, who happens to be Kevin's favourite actress. I enjoyed the original movie - though I don't normally like any movies with a violent theme. I'll keep you posted.

That's about it for the weekend!

Talk Soon,

Love,

Patricia xxx
 

AN EVENING WITH THE TENORE

Was it a night I shall remember with fondness for the rest of my life?...Enoo. But it was an experience, and I'm always game ball for a laugh! My pal Anita and I anticipated the three tenors would be tall, dark, and handsome hunks - like their Italian counterparts. No no no...such luck! Air brushed posters are like on-line dating photos - deceptive! When three slightly built fellows appeared at rehearsal, one wearing a baseball cap, a cloud of disappointment washed over all the ladies' faces. And they weren't the Canadian Tenors either - No, they were a splinter Trio from somewhere.

As far as the night went, all the real-deal entertainment went on behind the curtain. Boy, if you ever knew what goes on backstage before the show begins - you'd have immense sympathy for the poor unfortunates having to sing for their supper. I made the decision last night - I'm not cut out for show business. If you think it's as easy as it looks - think again. It's darn hard work.

You could cut the tension with a knife. Nerves were all around like hopping fleas. The choir had nothing to do but croon, and whisper a few sweet nothings, and a Gloria, here and there. At the rehearsal beforehand, one poor girl in the choir had a major panic attack, another nearly fell off the riser, dragging the rest with her, while a third went into a thundering attack on a girl who appeared from nowhere - wearing perfume!! Aagh...perfume is akin to poison in the choir. I know, because I was once an offender.

Nobody knew who this mysterious girl was. One of the ladies from the Perfume Police took her on. "Don't you know you are not supposed to be wearing perfume? And who are you anyway?" The girl brushed it off, while the perfume police tut-tutted in annoyance. She was young, beautiful -and to add insult to injury - was wearing aaagh...Perfume!!

Because the nerves were so bad, and perfumed sprays, deodrants and potions or lotions of any description were not permitted, the BO was pow wow!! Imagine Marilyn Monroe if the perfume police wouldn't allow her wear her Chanel #5? I personally feel they go a bit overboard on the perfume thing. Later, the head of the PP reprimanded me for making too much noise on the riser behind her. The boards were creaking, and it was hurting her ears. Maybe if I had not eaten that Thai they wouldn't have creaked so much. To add to my excitement, before I went on stage, the arm fell off my glasses, so I had to memorize my lines in an instant!!

In the second half, we were joined by around 100 exhausted children. Their tired little voices were the oil to our water, as we had never practised together. Kevin and the girls said they couldn't hear a word we were singing. The tenors had amplified their voices, so ours was barely audible. The feeback from Kevin could be summed up in one word 'Brutal'. That's what I love about my man - his honesty!! He said the tenors were 'average' but they overdid the fundraising for Africa component of the show, and were very aggressive about it with slide shows. This had come too soon after the Philippines tragedy, when everybody in town had emptied their wallets to help. They only had ten people sign up at the intermission, and were very disappointed "Our goal was at least twelve" one tenor announced.

All in all the evening was hilarious - if not exhausting!!

Choo Choo for now,

Love,

Patricia xxx

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY DEAR DADDY!

Dear Daddy,

It is a year today since you left us. I hope that your arrival in heaven was as peaceful as your departure this end. We miss you so much, and not a day goes by that we don't think about you. Your memory will remain forever in our hearts. I know you read my blog in heaven - so this one is especially dedicated to you!

The best thing I did was put your photo in almost every room in our house. That way I see your lovely smiling face everywhere I go! I still cannot look at it too closely, as the tears well up. 365 days is not enough time to fill the void you left behind. I think you like my kitchen the most, and I know you enjoy watching me cook, and pottering around the place. Nobody - absolutely nobody - can cook bacon and cabbage like you!

Just like Nelson Mandela who died recently, you too left a wonderful legacy of love behind. Interestingly, Nelson Mandela's birthday was four days before yours, and he died four days before your anniversary! Two wonderful, loving, and kind-hearted men you were...Hope you'll show him around, and make him feel welcome - I know you will!

St. Peter texted me from heaven the day you arrived. He asked me if I felt you deserved to enter the pearly gates. I told him absolutely! In fact I put in a good word - or more like ten,  on your behalf. I told him about all the life lessons you had taught me, such as the importance of kindness, humour, generosity, self-sufficiency, hard work, giving people the benefit of the doubt, enjoyment of good food, and the importance of family. He was suitably impressed.

The girls tell me I have your eyes, and all your mannerisms. I am delighted that they see you in me, because I noticed the same thing - and it makes me very very happy!

You were the best daddy in the world - and you better believe it! And No, it's
not the blarney, as you just whispered in my ear - it's the truth - from my heart to yours. I know we are as close as ever, even if I cannot always see you - I do feel your presence. And for that, I am deeply grateful. There will be a place at the table for you this Christmas - and every Christmas. No oceans shall ever again separate us.

Love you forever Papa Bear, and Happy Anniversary!

Patricia xxx

PARTIES PARTIES PARTIES!

Why is it I only enjoy parties when I host them myself? (because I can escape into the kitchen when necessary!!) I'm just back in from a party, and boy was it ever boring! I missed Kevin who was in Vancouver painting the condo. I went to be polite since these people had been to our St. Patrick's party. I couldn't wait to get my legs out of the place, but it wasn't easy. I was cornered by this seriously intense couple, who I didn't know from Adam. I was caught like a spider in their fascist web. They wanted to know my opinion about the wild deer running around the neighbourhood - I wanted to know 'what's for supper?' I wasn't in the mood for a heavy yackety yack session about the deer - I just wanted to satiate my tummy!

Deer is a big 'political' issue in my neck of the woods. There are the deer haters, and the deer lovers. Since I have just become a vegetarian again - no prizes for guessing my opinion on the matter! I told them I had absolutely no issues with the deer, since they were just a grown up version of my cute little chihuahuas. They were not impressed. I did however inform them that my husband, who is a passionate gardener, did not share my views, but that he was now more laid-back on the matter, and only plants deer-hostile shrubs and flowers. His trial of putting animal blood around his precious tulips had failed miserably, and was only driving our carnivor dogs crazy. Apparently animal blood is supposed to frighten the deer away. Whatever about the deer, I found the pong from it totally disgusting!

Suddenly, Mr. Deer-hater told me that in his opinion all the deer should be rounded up, shot, killed, and given to the street people as food, so the street people would not be annoying folk begging on the street. Whot?? I thought he was joking at first, but no, he was 'deadly' serious. We had started talking about the deer, but then the conversation progressed on to the street people, which were an even a greater nuisance in his opinion. He blamed the previous Alberta Minister, the late Ralph Klein, for the huge influx of street people to Victoria. Apparently Ralph Klein didn't want the panhandlers in Calgary, so he gave thousands of them a one-way ticket to Vancouver "which is why we have thousands of them in B.C." He referred to 'them' as if they were on the same level as the deer - shoot them all!!

Having made a lot of time-wasting, superficial chit-chat, before being 'trapped' by this strange couple, the lack of music at the party, no decent food to eat on a proper plate with a knife and fork (don't like paper plates), hardly seeing the host or hostess, as the door was opened by a guest - I could have come in empty handed for all anybody noticed! That is why I prefer my own parties. I cook the food I like to eat, play the music I like to hear - and can escape into the kitchen haha!! Somehow I get the feeling a lot of people feel the same way as me. So the question I am asking myself tonight is 'why the hell do I go to parties?' People only talk to each other to be polite, but there is a terrible 'awkwardness' in socialising with strangers - and I could have been at home enjoying my own company and writing my christmas cards!!

I better go now and feed the deer - ha ha!

Have a great weekend!

Love,

Patricia xxx

FIVE DAYS TO GO!!

There is nobody to blame but me, myself, and a little piggy. Three weeks ago I discovered the most amazing toe-tingling, finger-lickin' delicious dark chocolate peppermint bark. It's a Christmas special, and it's soooo good! I have been buying it by the truckload to give to friends. But since Christmas is still a few weeks away, the boxes have been diminishing, and my waist expanding. Now, I have just 5 days to squeeze into my LBD. It's not looking good. And, I have 5 days to learn 5 new songs before our concert with the Canadian Tenors next Tuesday.

I should be breaking out in a sweat - I deserve to. My pal Anita winked at me last night at rehearsal, and whispered into my feverish ear "don't worry - it all comes together in the end!" I know she's right and besides, I'm excited to do something new - 'Feel the fear and do it anyhow!' I'll let you know how it goes...

Food is all around...every sight and every sound...I have a Christmas party on Saturday and a 91st birthday on Sunday. Actually, that's a happy story. My Irish widow friend Noelle, is turning 91. She is madly in love again, and has invited her 93 year old boyfriend to the party. It promises to be a wild party. The nice thing for them is they don't have to practise safe sex any more (TMI!). I guess that's one perk of getting old - let's just say the only perk!  Do I hear wedding bells?...it's looking good. At 91, this woman has more go in her than women half her age. She met the new fellow in her retirement apartment, and love blossomed...sweet. It's never too late!!

I have been listening to Christmas music 24/7 for the past three weeks, and must admit, it's getting to me...just an itsy bitsy bit. Overkill? Perhaps. I blame the music for all that peppermint bark I consumed. "We're way ahead of ourselves this year" Kevin remarked the other day, and he's right. I've spent so much on Christmas decorations over the years - I like to get full use from them and to savour every precious moment. Besides, I'm a retailer's dream customer. If they are nice to me, or look as if they have 12 starving children at home, I'll buy something from them.

I did that the other day with a sweet Russian girl I met. She was standing at a butt freezing kiosk trying to sell nail stuff. My heart went out to her - she could have been my daughter, and may have been trying to escape prostitution on the mean streets of Moscow...or so I wildly imagined. She gave me two kits for the price of one - and guess what? It's brilliant. My nails have never looked so good. People keep remarking at how nice they are looking. So there you have it. And I just felt sorry for her...goes to show. One good turn leads to another...two presents for the price of one!

On that happy note,

Choo Choo for now!

Love,

Patricia xxx

PHILOMENA

I went to see the movie 'Philomena' yesterday and found it most offensive, both as an Irish National, and as a Catholic. I promise you - we're not all savages! As I left the cinema I put on my best Canadian accent in case I got a dirty look from the back seat rebels. I didn't imagine the rumblings I heard coming from them, in between the popcorn munching - 'Those Catholics are all bloody Nazis!' I can't say I blame them - given the bias against Catholics.

In fairness to Hollywood, they present a far better version of the Irish, than the British do. For one thing, they make us likeable and intelligent - unlike the producers of 'Philomena'. Though critics gave the movie rave reviews, I beg to differ. I did not like Philomena's personality as portrayed in the movie. She came across as being an ignorant woman of low intelligence. I found the journalist's communications with her to be both patronizing and awkward. Her comments about being afraid her son would be obese "Because the Americans are all huge" was just one of the many cringe-inducing moments in the movie. An Irish person giving this movie rave reviews, is like a turkey voting for Christmas. In a country where we rely heavily on tourism - the movie did us no favours. The families who dumped their pregnant daughters into convents were little better than the sadistic nuns who 'dealt' with them.

Since I'm not an atheist like the creator of the movie, and am indeed fortunate to have a faith that sustains me, I did find the movie a bit extreme, and almost adolescent-like in its disdain for Catholics. I guess I'm a little jaded of all this 'knock the Catholic church' sentiment. There is so much of it around currently. Not all Irish Catholic nuns and priests are evil people. I truly have some sympathy for the genuine folk who have given their lives to God. The Irish missionaries who travelled far from  home to spread the good news, and help the poor in 3rd world countries. These are the Irish Catholics whose stories we need to hear about - not the pedophiles who exist in every level of society where evil is rampant.

For one thing, nuns do not sell statues and gifts in their convents, as the movie portrayed. That is usually done in churches or shops. It is unrealistic that a person could walk into a rural church, and get confession on the spot. Churches usually have specific times for confessions. Also, when a person is praying in church, a priest would never come over and idly chat to you. If you are praying, your privacy would be respected. These small errors showed the writer's ignorance about Irish Catholicism.

Normally I love Judi Dench as an actress, but I felt that she wasn't a good fit for the role of Philomena. I think Irish actress Brenda Fricker would have been brilliant in the part, and would have conveyed that Irish gutsy spirit in a more convincing manner.

This movie didn't mooooooove me! The Irish Republican in me didn't like the way the British told our story. Enooo! Really, it could have been done far more convincingly if the viewer could have seen a less biased version. In all fairness -sadistic, money-mad lesbian nuns  - is that really all there is to Catholicism?
Once again - I beg to differ.

Now that I've got that off my chest - I need a cup of tea!!

Love,

Patricia xxx

THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!

I just love everything to do with Christmas - O.K. I did say that about Halloween only a few short weeks ago. I love Halloween too. It appeals to the witch in me. But Christmas - now that's something else! It brings out the Good Samaritan in just about everybody. "Oops, sorry for crashing into your gorgeous new silver Lexus...I was rushing to the shops!" "No worries love, it's just a car. Forget about it - it's Christmas!" - What's not to love about that? Now's the time to ask for that raise, or propose - anything really. There's a short window of opportunity - so grab it by the antlers!

Vancouver's FM 105.3 radio station is currently playing non-stop Christmas music. It's on 24/7 in my kitchen. My now flea-free pampered pets, Lulu and Chichi have requested that I keep it on. They're addicted, and it helps them tolerate each other. Tessa can hear it upstairs and pats her tail to her favourite songs. All the world is happy...except poor Harry! He got caught yesterday. I guess it was inevitable. On a more positive note, he has gone to his heavenly reward. He can eat all the peanut butter he wants to his heart's content! No traps up there. I'll miss our little midnight rendez-vous.

A friend recently introduced me to Earl Grey loose leaf tea. I am currently addicted, because I can enjoy it without a biscuit. It is so much tastier than the tea bag. I also like the ritual of using a tea pot, and tea cosy. So traditional. In a way, it is a metaphor for life. Why rush? Don't we deserve a little break now and then? Deferring gratification for three minutes, as the tea brews, only adds to the pleasure.

Talk about pleasure, the store where I purchased the Earl Grey tea was what I would call - a destination food emporium - the intoxicating aromas, copper coffee urns, spices, felafels, turkish delight, exotic teas, walnut baklavahs, hmm sumptuous. Dusty village music from far away lands transported me...I had to stop myself from doing a belly dance around the teeny tiny aisles.

Just about everything in that shop excited my taste buds - except perhaps the owner. He was a charming man, with a bit of a roving eye! When I asked him if he sold hummus, his velvety smooth reply was... "Are you going to be kissing anybody today?" (not you Mista!). I had to think about it for a second.. and then I got it - Yeah! it must have tons of garlic in it. I was given a sample, and suddenly angels appeared. It was absolutely delicious - the best ever. All that garlic will keep the vampires away until next Halloween - at least!

On that delicious note - Choo Choo for now!

Love,

Patricia xxx

MY PAL HARRY

Harry joined our family some time ago, and it looks like he's here to stay. We meet every night when all the rest of the family are tucked cosily into bed. In case you're wondering - he is a mouse - and a very cute one at that. The first time we met, I was working on my computer and heard the patter of tiny little feet dancing around in the dining room. It's where I hide my secret stash of chocolates, biscuits, and little nibbles. When I went to investigate, I caught him red handed, and he looked at me with big guilty eyes. He was standing on his two little paws, and cowering in the corner. I said "Off with you and never let me see you here again!" - no such luck. I should never have looked into his bewitching eyes.

I have had to move Lulu's food plate, because Harry has been getting into that as well. This past weekend has been HELL! I was supposed to have started putting up the Christmas decorations, instead I spent the whole weekend exterminating. Single handedly, I fought a savage army of pests. I discovered that the dogs and Tessa the cat had fleas - as if Christmas upon us wasn't enough excitement! Between Harry and the hopping fleas, I had my hands full.

Just because I was nice to him, Harry is now getting very bold and running around the place as cheeky as you like, in broad daylight. If you are reading this, and a regular visitor to my home - Wait! until I have all my attackers demolished - otherwise you're in for some itchy little additions!

I guess it is one of the downsides of living in a very old house. Charm comes at a price - you have to share it with lots of others - beneath and above the floor boards! Victoria and Claudia were a great help. Kevin didn't know the fun he was missing. He was away painting the condo, while we were busy butchering the bugs! We went to the vet clinic and spent a whopping $140 on potions for the animals. As I said charm doesn't come cheap.

Tessa our reclusive cat has been a prisoner in the basement for the past 3 years, ever since we moved into our current house. She never came upstairs, due to 'irreconcilable differences' between herself and Chi Chi. Now that Chi Chi is blind, she can't chase her any more. So on Sunday we moved Tessa back upstairs, lock, stock, and litter box. She is so thrilled to be back in the bosom of the family, and patted her tail by way of thanks. We bathed all the animals, and then applied the costly flea killer on each of them. All is well now with our pampered pooches and pussy cat.
Hello Happiness - Goodbye fleas!
Now the question is...what do we do with Harry?

Darn! I should not have asked - as soon as I got home this evening, the first words out of Kevin's mouth were..."Guess what I caught?" He is a hunter by nature. So, I am sorry to say Adieu Harry! And hopefully, there isn't a Sally mouse in mourning!

Love,

Patricia xxx

MR. AND MRS. CLAUS

Today, I had the great pleasure of meeting in person with two amazing Victoria residents, namely Mr. and Mrs. Claus. I read about them in the newspaper. Apparently, every year around this time, they walk around the streets dressed like Santa and his missus. They do this simply to bring a smile to people's faces. As I was driving to the shops with the girls today, I noticed them. I said to myself that if I met with them later, I would treat them to a hot chocolate to thank them for their wonderful altruistic efforts

Lo and behold, as we were passing Starbucks who should I meet but the two of them. We had a little chat and when I asked if they would like a nice Christmas hot chocolate Starbuck's special, they were thrilled to bits!

The three of us headed into Starbucks, and as I was putting in the order, in the corner of my eye, I could see Santa and his missus holding hands at the table, and being all lovey dovey. It was truly the most magical moment. When I delivered the hot chocolate, along with some gingerbread cake, the smiles on their faces said it all. We hugged each other. 

Moments like this make Christmas magical...

Love,

Patricia xxx 

SOUPER BOWL VICTORIA

Our 'Souper Bowl of Hope' event last Wednesday was a tad different from the American 'Super Bowl'. It was a lot tastier for one, and the proceeds went to charity. This annual event is all about the bowls - and not the balls. It was a fun way to kick off the Christmas spirit and a definite fixture for the annual calendar.

The deal is you pay $25 for your ticket, which goes to help raise funds for young people at risk (street kids, suicidal kids, etc.) For that ticket you get to enjoy a wholesome bowl of soup (seafood chowder, Moroccan cous cous, or Russian Borscht). I had the seafood chowder and it was delicious  - and hot into the bargain. You get to take home a lovely hand crafted soup bowl of your choice. There were loads of unique bowls to choose from, neatly arranged on several tables. What fun it was choosing your keepsake bowl.

Everybody was given a useful recyclable shopping bag to bring their beloved bowl home in. And if that wasn't enough pampering, you got to enjoy tasty morsels of dessert with tea and coffee - morsely enough not to incur much damage to the hips, but sufficient to satisfy.

A velvety smooth jazz quartet played background music as fashionistas, and well- intentioned punters viewed the vast array of Silent Auction prizes. I don't know yet how much money was raised, but I suspect it was a tidy sum - I hope so! Young people at risk is a cause very close to my heart. Their lives are ahead of them, and through no fault of their own, many have had sad and very disturbed childhoods. The proceeds go towards helping them get a second chance.

Since it was all about fundraising, various bowls and plates signed by celebrities were auctioned off. Celebrities included Leonard Cohen, John Cleese, Sarah Brightman - in fact all the folk who had visited Victoria in recent times. I was outbid on a plate but at least I tried!! My friends from choir and Tops were selling raffle tickets so Colleen and I bought some from each of them - that put paid to our spending!!

It was a fun event and the Laurel Point Inn was beautifully decked out for Christmas, with all the twinkly bells and whistles. It was terrific value for $25, and I think the soup bowl idea is a great way of raising funds. You win some, you give some...

As with all such events, you learn something new. I picked up some great fashion ideas from ladies I saw walking around. I would not have thought of wearing ankle socks over tights but it works! Striped socks over black tights worn with a black and white polka dot dress, with black and white pearls to match - that was the outfit I gave my first prize to!! I walked over to the lady and told her I loved her outfit. She was thrilled to bits and told me I had made her day!! She was older than me, and it gladdened my heart to know you can be older, and still experiment with fashion - and look great!

I got another great idea from the beauty and simplicity of a Christmas decoration placed on each table. It was so simple, yet very effective, and hand made by each of the volunteers. Find a bare twig from a winter tree, spray it with silver paint. Get a bag of hershey's silver covered chocolate bells, thread each one with red thread, and hang it from the branches of your twig. Place the twig in a plain glass vase (or pasta jar) which has been lined with a red cloth (or even a red napkin). It looks so elegant and yet so simple to do.

Cheers and have a great weekend!

Love,

Patricia xxx

CAFE FAUBOURG VANCOUVER

At last I found the Cafe to supercede all Cafes! It is absolutely divine and located on Hornby Street, Vancouver - just off Robson Street, and directly across the street from the Vancouver Art Gallery (also worth a visit). This has to be one of the nicest cafes I have visited in a very long time, and was indeed one of the highlights of our recent trip. You can google it to see what I mean at Cafe Faubourg, Vancouver.

For one thing, not one person sitting there was working on their computer! Unlike Starbucks where nearly every single customer has his/her head down pounding away on their computer and taking up seats for hours...sorry, I had to get that off my irksome chest! I was at a Starbucks recently in Victoria and there were a few rather elderly little old ladies in the line up ahead of me. One said to the other "We'll have to go dear, there are no seats" and off they went really disappointed. My point...Coffee shops should be for cheery chatter and laughter. I think it destroys the ambience of a Cafe to see all the computers, though I can understand too why people on their own may wish to do this.

Cafe Faubourg was a bright, glittery, glamorous and decidedly decadent coffee shop with their sparkling chandeliers, high shiny silver chairs, movie screen on the wall, beautiful flower arrangements, and gas heaters on the veranda to facilitate customers who wished to sit and people watch on the Parisian style wicker chairs outside.

Their pastries were displayed like works of art - too beautiful to disturb...though once you got down to it, they tasted as good as they looked. They were more expensive than the usual cafes - but then this was not a 'usual' Cafe. At nearly $6 a pastry, it was worth it and if you are paying that much for pure pleasure, I can see why you would want to enjoy the artistry of the chef, instead of your computer.

For those who prefer savoury to rich desserts, their croque monsieur was really delicious but too big for one person, so I shared mine with Ali. The cappuccino was a little slow in coming, as the poor Barista was run off his feet! I pitied him. That was the only negative. It was a busy time, though I would imagine that would not be a problem at quieter times of the day. When it did finally arrive, it was worth the wait. The froth on top was at least half an inch high, and the sea of caffeine below was both hot and heady!

I give a ten out of ten to Cafe Faubourg! Whoever created and conceived this sumptuous establishment have gone a long way towards bringing back the old fashioned Cafe - Bravo!

How did my diet go this weekend? Now that you ask...it was on holidays too!!

Love,

Patricia xxx

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

I think in a past life I lived in California and danced barefoot to the Beach Boys. Well maybe not so 'past'...!! I enjoy the Americans' zest for life, weather, humour, t.v. shows, homes, fashion, love for God, generosity...and the list goes on.

As we approach the 50th anniversary of JFK's death, I'm thinking America... I can remember exactly where, and what, I was doing the moment I heard the tragic news of his assassination . Can you remember what you were doing? Assuming you were born that is! It was a Friday evening when I heard the news. My sisters and I were playing with a friend and had been invited for supper by her parents. I loved Friday nights as Mrs. Mulconroy would always make us the home made fries and they were delicious! When we heard the news it was as if the world had come to an end. In a way it had.

Mr. and Mrs. Mulconroy went around like zombies and the colour had drained completely from their faces. After the initial shock, tears began rolling down Mrs. Mulconroy's cheeks. She kept her back to us for fear we would notice. In a way the world had come to an end that tragic night. I dunno if we ever got the chips that night but it was small potatoes!

Growing up in Ireland, America was seen as 'The Promised Land' - a country that loved the Irish. It was the land of milk and honey where the streets were paved with gold. It was referred to affectionately as 'The fifth province'. Ireland has four provinces - Ulster, Munster, Connaught and Leinster. USA was the fifth!! Every house in Ireland had two prominent pictures on the walls - Jesus and JFK!

As a very very young child, I thought there were only two countries in the world - Ireland and America. They had Barbie dolls when we hadn't two shillings to rub together, and they had magic potions that got rid of pimples and zits in two days, and everybody there had big toothy smiles and beautiful white teeth - just like the Osmonds, the Kennedys and Doris Day!

I loved loved loved Lucy, Mary Tyler-Moore, Donny Osmond, David Cassidy, Rhoda, Doris Day, Disneyland, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, The Beach Boys, The Monkey's, Shirley Temple, Genie in the bottle, Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, Charlie's Angels, JFK, Jackie Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy. I was devastated when John Jnr. died in that airplane. I don't think I ever got over that, and his elegant and beautiful wife along with him. What a tragic loss.

Despite 911, Despite all the hurricanes, Despite the terrorists, Despite the recessions, Despite the ups and the downs...America the brave keeps on truckin'! My parting wishes for this great Nation would be as follows:-

Get rid of the Guns!
Hillary Clinton as the next President.
Al Gore gets back with his Missus after pleading insanity on bended knees.
Elvis is alive and well, and has been found wandering somewhere in the desert.
Donny Osmond re-releases 'Puppy Love'.
'Dancing with the Stars' invites me to participate in the next Season.

That's it for now,
Cheers and God Bless America!

Love,

Patricia xxx

DIY: MERMAID COSTUME

Halloween is well and truly over now, but before we get into the Christmas spirit, I wanted to share a glimpse of Claudia's amazing homemade outfit. We did all the costume shops but nothing we saw took our fancy. Here goes...The following blog is from Ali and Vic's wonderful site www.aliandvic.blogspot.com

Halloween may be over now, but we just had to share Claudia's fantastic homemade mermaid costume with you! Neither Vicky nor I dressed up this year, but even if we had, I don't think we could have topped Claudia's amazing aquatic get-up.

A good mermaid costume should consist of an abundance of pearls and sequins, and Claudia incorporated these staples of under-the-sea couture into her outfit via a jewel-encrusted top and dazzling blue skirt/tail.

The top started off its life as a basic H&M bra, but was transformed in the space of an hour with glue-gunned-on blue gems (from Fabricland), pearls (from an old necklace), and a shimmery silver ribbon (found lying around the house, most likely from a chocolate box).

Crafting the "tail" (also from Fabricland) was a much less labour-intensive process--Claudia just secured the piece of fabric in place with a few safety pins, keeping the length as it was for that swishy, trailing effect.

Pearl jewellery, metallic sandals, and beachy waves completed the look, for an ensemble that would make Ariel sea-green with envy!

In terms of make-up, Claudia used the following:

-St Tropez Dark Bronzing Mousse 

-Ardell fake lashes

-'Full Moon' by Too Faced and Urban Decay's 'Faint' (from the Naked Basics palette) eyeshadow

-Bourjois' Khol & Contour in 'Bleu Original' for lining under the eyes

-Maybelline Baby Lips in 'Peppermint'

GREETINGS FROM ROBSON!

We're back in the 'Big Buzz' a.k.a. Vancouver for the long Remembrance weekend. We live on Robson Street. I never venture far from it, as everything I enjoy is contained within this long and hugely stimulating 'Golden Mile'. I don't think I would like to live here full time as the noise and traffic would probably get to me after a while...and living dangerously close to shops, I'd be broke!! I enjoy it while I am here, but then I look forward to getting back to the peaceful tranquility of Victoria, my beloved garden city.

The last time I blogged I thought November would be a quiet and peaceful month but that's not the way it's shaping up. We have five new songs to learn for the Christmas concerts, our first one being the Oak Bay Christmas Light-up show on Sunday 24th of November. Then we sing with the Canadian Tenors at the Royal Theatre on December 10th which should be lots of fun. There will be lots of people performing and thankfully, I will be hiding in the huge choir behind them! No time to relax as we will be doing another Christmas concert on the 21st December. I'll be singing in the hail, rain and...hopefully not...snow!! They are all new songs to me and I'm trying to love them, but I'm not feeling a connection yet...I guess the more we get together, the happier I'll be!!

I went to my first Christmas Gala evening last Tuesday with some friends. It felt freaky listening to Christmas songs...I'm not quite there yet. Halloween is still in my head!! There was a fashion show, free manicures and makeovers, niblets of food (not enough to murder your appetite!) and all sorts of bits and bobs. Looking at the models parading in their lovely LBD's I guess it was more sensible to have finger food!

Oh yes, before I forget, I promised you the recipe for that delicious Moroccan Chicken dish I made over Halloween. Here goes:-

MOROCCAN CHICKEN

(This recipe feeds four people. I doubled it to feed 8)

I lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast meat - cubed
2 tsps. salt
1 onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic chopped
2 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 tbsp. minced fresh ginger root
half tsp. paprika
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
1 1/2 cups chicken broth (I used stock cubes)
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1 cup canned drained chick peas
1 zucchini (courgette) sliced
1 tbs. lemon juice

Method:

Season chicken with salt and brown in a large saucepan over medium heat until almost cooked through. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Saute onions, garlic, carrots and celery in same pan, stir in the ginger, parprika,
cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper and turmeric. Stir fry for about one minute, then mix in broth and tomatoes. Return chicken to pan, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about ten minutes.

Add chickpeas and zucchini to pan and bring to simmering once again; cover pan and cook for about 15 minutes, or until zucchini is cooked through and tender. Stir in lemon juice and serve on bed of cous cous.

COUS COUS

I simply used one of those boxes of pre-seasoned cous cous. It came with the pine nuts, raisins and seasoning. I just added hot water, butter, and let it sit for 5 mins. then stirred it up. Delicious even by itself! You can also get wholegrain cous cous. I LOVE cous cous as it brings back happy memories of Paris and Morocco. Kevin doesn't like cous cous (in fact not a lot of people do) so I did rice as an alternative as well as the cous cous.

ENJOY!!

Love,

Patricia xxx

SLOW ME DOWN LORD

Signs are telling me that the next few weeks should be a time of peaceful introspection, and self-connection for each one of us. (We'll need all our energy and funds for December...right?). The planet mercury, which governs communications is currently retrograde, and will remain so until November 10th, in the deep and thoughtful sign of Scorpio. This is now the time for us to curl up in our caves, go through all our old papers, throw out anything that we have no use for in our lives, and discard.

The weather is getting colder (unless you live in more exotic locations), trees are shedding their leaves, squirrels are stocking up for hibernation, so it's time to get the fire lighting in the evening, maybe give the t.v. a little rest. Looking at the warm glowing cinders, cuddling up with a frothy hot chocolate and just sitting and reflecting. What a wonderful time to remember and pray for our loved ones, sadly no longer with us in this world.

Just last night as I was praying for my departed loved ones, (half of whom are younger than me!!) the strange thought struck me that most of my friends and loved ones, and really nice people I knew in life - are actually on the other side now! Definitely it was a sobering thought. I keep all their photos in a little photo album and I know in my heart they just LOVE to be remembered. The world feels fuller when I keep my departed friends closer to me...

With that in mind, I would like to share with you a little poem I found recently. I love the words in it, as follows:-


SLOW ME DOWN LORD

Slow me down lord.
Ease the pounding of my heart by the quieting of my mind
Steady my hurried pace with a vision of the eternal reach of time
Give me, amid the confusion of the day, the calmness of the everlasting hills.

Break the tensions of my nerves and muscles with the soothing music
of the singing streams that live in my memory.
Help me to know the magical, restoring power of sleep.

Teach me the art of taking minute vacations - of slowing down to look at a flower,
to chat with a friend, to pat a dog, to read a few lines from a good book.

Slow me down, Lord, and inspire me to send my roots deep into the soil of life's
enduring values, that I may grow toward the stars of my greater destiny.


                                                *********
So stick that kettle on now, and make yourself a nice soothing cup of tea!

Enjoy!

Love,

Patricia xxx

HAPPY HALLOW WEEKEND!!

This photo was taken just before the Stampede!! Door bells began ringing from 6.00 p.m. onwards and we even beat last year's numbers. I had not one single bag left after making up 50 bags - in fact I ran short for just one bag, so I gave the big fellow a fistful of candy from my own secret stash. He went away smiling!

How do you like the outfit? I was thrilled with this year's effort. This is the outfit I got from the charity shop. The velvet cape was $3 and the dress $4. It could work for Christmas too haha!! Claudia treated me to the mask from the Halloween store and it added just the necessary oomph!! I wore the outfit again this morning to my TOPS meeting. I got a few smiles and comments. I told them the weekend and fun was just beginning. Last night was just an appetizer...!!

Some friends called around for supper. I served a new recipe I had never tried before and it was absolutely scrummy!! I will give you the recipe for it in my next blog, as I don't have it here with me in the office. It was Moroccan Chicken with a ton of different spices, chick peas, carrots, celery and 2 courgettes* (*zucchini in N. America). I had three helpings, it was so yummy. I served it on a bed of spiced cous cous with pine nuts and raisins. This recipe is a definite keeper!

Recognize 'Smiley Riley' on the mantlepiece? This fellow appears in all my home photos. Last time you saw him, he had shamrocks and green feathers flowing from his head. Valentine's Day sees hearts and red fluffy things, and Christmas, his favourite season of all - he goes insane with the glitter!!

This is my hall console converted for the Halloween season. This year we brought in some black and purple to spice things up a bit. The torch on the table we hid in the bushes. It is sensor controlled, and makes all sorts of scary noises as the children would walk past it. It even scares me!!

I have lots more photos on Facebook when my brilliant assistant, Victoria has time to help me with them. As always, Halloween was lots of fun. This year it seemed to last longer. People began parading around town in their costumes about two weekends ago, when the parties began. I never tire of seeing the creativity of people, and the amazing costumes they put together.

The weather was very helpful, and treated us to perfect Halloween temperatures. Mother nature was also most co-operative and supplied us with the most breaktakingly beautiful trees, dressed in a rainbow of Fall colours. It was totally worth all the effort expended. The little kids coming to the door, and their parents were very appreciative and as Kevin was saying; it`s the only time of year when the community opens their doors to strangers. I DO draw the line on ugly decorations. By that I mean NO skulls, bloody hands, worms, coffins, or skeletons. It`s all pumpkin pie sweet! Why would you want to dress up as a big fat baby in a diaper - it beats me!!

Now that Halloween is over, and pumpkin earrings have been briskly replaced by Rememberance Day Poppy pins, I shall lower the tone a bit, and pay homage to all the soldiers who gave their lives up for their countries. I also want to offer the month of November to my deceased friends and family. I was at mass today, and picked up some sheets to write down the names of loved ones. It is then put at the altar, and they will be remembered at mass during the month of November. I love the rituals of life. Party time is followed by a month of introspection - some would say it`s saving our money and energy for Christmas!! I think it is more about remembering our loved one, who are always around us, but invisible to the eyes.

Have a great weekend!

Love,

Patricia xxx

NEVER JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER!!

I was recently watching a fascinating documentary about people who lived double lives. One was a lady, who by day worked as a conservative teacher in an elementary school, and by night was a stripper donning a whip. She carried out this double life for ten years until the club where she worked closed down. The staff at the school were 'stunned' when she revealed her secret life to them. (Personally, I would have kept it to myself!!)

Then there was a girl who when her boyfriend broke it off , she told him she had terminal cancer, with only 6-12 months to live. The boyfriend took her back and proposed to her. The public heard about it and began to donate gifts to the couple. Everything from the honeymoon, to the rings, clothes, and money towards their wedding, was donated by the public. The girl pretended to go to the hospital each day for treatment, but would never let anybody go with her. She had typed a false letter to the boyfriend from the hospital confirming her diagnosis. She continued to fool everybody, even her friends, until one day her boyfriend got suspicious and the girl confessed. The public was outraged. The boyfriend (now husband) was livid, her friends were stunned. She had fooled them all!

Brings to mind those serial killers you read about, who by day lived normal lives, and often were married to women who suspected nothing. Angels by day, devils by night!

So was I ever shocked last Saturday night... I was invited to join a group of wild women friends for dinner in a German restaurant. We were wonderfully entertained by a smiling German man, wearing lederhosen, and playing his accordian. Tables were being tapped, boot shaped beer glasses were raised in typical Octoberfest fashion. Everybody was clapping their hands. Suddenly, out on to the dance floor hopped my Postman (what??) This fellow is always so serious and never smiles. He was dressed in very short Lederhosen and dancing with all the pretty maids. So this is what he does by night!! And what a very different personality I saw. By day frowns and by night smiles.

The moral of the story - never judge a book by its cover! Or alternatively, there are  two sides to every story!!

Love,

Patricia xxx

MUSIC SWEEEET SWEEEET MUSIC!

The best thing I've done recently was to join the 'Joy of Life Choir'. My friend Anita who invited me was very reassuring. "You don't need to sing; just move your mouth!" Perfect. It sounded fun and no 'American Idol' type auditions either. The only thing I had to do was learn the words of the four songs we will be performing. 'She loves me like a rock' by Paul Simon, 'Accentuate the Positive', 'Jesus is on the mainline' and the last song is 'Swing low sweet Chariot'.

All our songs are gospel-style with a blues twist which I love. We clap our hands and sing aloud and it's actually a lot of fun and really therapeutic. I think we laugh more than sing! Our choir master Daniel, is totally eccentric and a brilliant musician. He can play any instrument and to hear him on the piano is a joy. He is also a master fiddler. You can tell he loves his music and his enthusiasm is infectious. He comes from a French Cajun background.

Our first mini concert is next Wednesday, and in the meantime I'm driving everybody nuts singing aloud the words of one of the songs 'You gotta accentuate the Positive eliminate the Negative...'. I have sent you Bette Midler and Bing Crosby's version of the song. Just let your fingers dance over to Polly's Playlist. It's such a fun song and I use it a lot in my daily life!

When Chichi has just done a u-no-whot on my best rug, I break into song...You gotta accentuate the positive...Blind or not - she's still up to her old tricks! When the paint began to peel off my newly painted deck...I pulled out my song. It helped. Now the painters have to come back in the Spring to re-do it with an oil based paint. Still it could have been worse - what if the newly built pillars supporting the house collapsed - God forbid!! You gotta accent-two-ate the positive. Right?

Gotta fly...somebody's at the door!

Talk Soon,

Love,

Patricia xxx

HOW TO BE REALLY ALIVE!

Sitting on top of Claudia's big cozy bed this morning with the tired party girls, we began to discuss boys, bling, the party last night, and everything else in between. For a blissful half hour I was 19 again! As we discussed 'rat' boys, the usual question came up 'What is his birth sign?' The 'rat' boys were cheap and made them pay for their own popcorn at the cinema. If boys are earning the same money as girls, some would argue that they should go 50/50. I thought about it...and thought about it...and do you know what? I'm old fashioned and if a boy invites a girl out on a date, he should man up and put his hand in his pocket. You see girls spend a FORTUNE trying to look good for the fellow. Boys don't have to buy expensive clothes, make up, perfume, nails, bags, heels. Trust me, there isn't much change left after all that. I know it's a vicious circle but hey! you try taking on the massive marketing world that surrounds us. Not easy.

Coming back to the title of today's blog...'HOW TO BE REALLY ALIVE!' I found this greeting card in the basement this morning, and read it out to the girls. I dunno where it came from. It's weird, but you may find some of the suggestions useful. Here goes...

LIVE JUICY (couture?)

STAMP OUT CONFORMITY

STAY IN BED ALL DAY (like that one!)

FIND SNAILS MAKING LOVE (whot? to eat them?)

DREAM OF GYPSY WAGONS

DRINK SUNSETS

BE RIDICULOUS (dream of gypsy wagons!!)

STOP WORRYING. NOW. IF NOT NOW, THEN WHEN?

MARRY YOURSELF (and buy the popcorn without resentment haha)

HANG UPSIDE DOWN (watch out for vomit no thanks!)

DEVELOP AN ASTOUNDING APPETITE FOR BOOKS (less fattening than food)

MAKE YES YOUR FAVOURITE WORD (watch that one...)

EAT MANGOS NAKED (where? in the bath? What about strawberries?)

KEEP TOYS IN THE BATH TUB (what kind of toys?)

CELEBRATE AND OLD PERSON

SEND A LOVE LETTER TO YOURSELF (and seal it with a kiss)

INVENT NEW WAYS TO LOVE

TRANSFORM NEGATIVES (into positives)

DELIGHT SOMEONE

ALLOW YOURSELF TO FEEL RICH WITHOUT MONEY (tell that to J. Choo!)

BE WHO YOU TRULY ARE AND THE MONEY WILL FOLLOW

BELIEVE IN EVERYTHING

YOU ARE ALWAYS ON YOUR WAY TO A MIRACLE

THE MIRACLE IS YOU!

Some nice ideas to choo choo on as we begin to enjoy our weekend!

Talk soon,

Love,

Patricia xxx

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLAUDIA!

At 3.15 a.m. this day 19 years ago in Fort Freezing McMurray, Claudia joined us straight from heaven. She arrived with a smile on her face...ready to parteeeeeee!! I swear - no kidding - she arrived with a beaming smile on her face. Maybe it was because just prior to her birth I got a terrible fit of the giggles. They must have given me laughing gas to relax me, but it was the sight of that big dracula brooch with the dangling legs on the nurse's collar which had me laughing so hard. I think Claudia heard all the laughter going on and was enjoying it. That was the best part.

As soon as she was born, I wanted to take my baby, and skeedadle home straight away in my pj's - as far away from the hospital as I could get. I found the nurses most unfriendly, and lacking in any kind of human warmth (maybe they were tired because it was 3.15 a.m). They were strong in the paperwork and all I could remember after the birth was reams of paperwork and questions and measurements of the baby's head and circumference and more questions of a clinical nature. Questions forms pens forms pens questions...yackety yack. The only question I wanted to hear was "Are you all right dear, would you like a cup of tea?" or "What a gorgeous little girl". Instead, the midwife asks me "Is that what you wanted?" as she held Claudia in her arms. What? Did I hear correctly?  Did she think I was going to say "No, I wanted a monkey".
I remember thinking to myself - what a peculiar question.

19 years later - where has the time gone? Now Claudia is all grown up and with her fondness for the finer things in life, has taken over the VIP suite at the Empress Hotel to celebrate in style! Champagne - the works! You go girl! Twenty of her friends are joining her for dinner at Earl's followed by the club no doubt. TGIF tomorrow!!

What a busy week it has been since we returned from Vancouver. Bill the builder is back with his assistant Brian to put on the storm windows for the winter. In addition he put up the numbers on our house, and the brass kick plates on the doors. So the place is looking all swish now with the accessories. In addition, as a special favour, they put up the lights on the tree for me. It's now looking like fairyland as we prepare for HALLOWEEN yeah! Unfortunately, as always we got the sweets and crisps too soon. 50 bags of potato chips bought in earnest - was it a week ago? no I think maybe two weeks ago...is now reduced to 10 bags!!

I got my outfit at a steal. One day I was waiting for my car to be serviced so I wandered down the street and was magnetically drawn into a thrift store. They lured me with the Halloween stuff on the windows. What treasures awaited me! Got a red velvet cape for $3 and matching long black dress with red velvet inserts and long Rapunzel sleeves for $4 - $7 in total. There was a rather sleazy fellow in the checkout behind me "Try it on for us darling" he asked me, looking straight at my boobs. "No shanks Mister" I responded with a smile. So now, I may go as Rapunzel. But since I suffer from occasional hairy legs, if people ask me 'Rapunzel Rapunzel let down your long hair' it might be rather awkward... Yeah, I'll think about it.

Chocolate season is upon us and tomorrow God willing I am setting up the table all fancy palancy. If it's nice, I'll get Vicky to take a photo. Claudia has some friends staying with us from Calgary. They flew down for the birthday party. Michelle ma belle, and Whitney. I love any excuse to set the table...

Last bit of news...poor Chichi...with all the excitement of the builders being around, I put her out to pee, and then went to hang up my coat (3 seconds). In an instant she disappeared off the face of the earth. I could not find her and went into panic mode. She's blind as a bat and still prone to wandering and no id on her. Suddenly, I heard a little murmer from beneath the earth. She had fallen into that dreaded hole which is the basement window. I had to get Bill and Brian to help me heave her out. They couldn't grip her so I had to go down to the basement and try and open the window and lift her in that way. What consternation! Vicky is going to kill me when she reads this. 'MA YOU SHOULDN'T TAKE YOUR EYES OFF CHICHI!" She's right.

Talk Soon!

Love ya,

Patricia xxx

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

It is Thanksgiving weekend over here in Canada. Prior to coming to Canada we never really got into it. Twenty years later, I'm liking it - chocolate turkey, real turkey, and everything in between! I'm spending the long weekend in Vancouver with the family. We headed over on the ferry Friday afternoon. Weather is glorious and the colour of the changing leaves on the trees is breaktakingly beautiful!

I must admit the thought of cooking a big fat turkey cock in the small condo was making me feel ill at ease. But always up to a challenge, I did it! But it was funny the way it happened. I drove down to Safeway which in itself was a huge challenge. Drivers in Vancouver are noted for their aggression and rudeness. They think they are on roller skates, but forget they are driving cars. They tail-gate you when you're driving and come SO close, you can almost hear them breathe behind you! Nasty stuff. Anyway, I made it to the supermarket without any bangs on my bumper. I had a feeling the fresh turkeys may be sold out, since Vancouver is such a big city with lots more people to feed. I was right, there was nothing left but frozen turkeys. I never in my life cooked a frozen turkey.

As I gazed in wonderment at the array of sad looking reject turkeys which looked like giant snow balls, I got into conversation with a young fellow from Saudia Arabia who asked my advice on cooking turkeys. He had never in his life eaten, or indeed cooked, a turkey. Boy! that was going to be a challenge, especially with the frozen beast.

I told him to take the one that you could cook from frozen which was already stuffed. Next, I advised him to get up at the crack of dawn the following day and stick it in the oven - (and pray and keep the fingers and toes xxx'd! for the 6-7 hours it would take to cook I whispered to myself), plonk it in the aluminium tray I picked out for him, and follow all the written instructions on the turkey's belly, I told him like as if I was his mammy. He was so grateful and ran off holding the beast and the aluminium tray like it was a precious treasure.

As for my one, I ended up getting a frozen stuffed breast only. It only took four hours to cook. The fellow in the meat department became emotionally invested in my turkey disappointment. I had a panic attack on discovering all the fresh beasts were gone "Don't worry Miss, we'll get you your turkey" he said before running into the back to search. He ended up giving me my frozen stuffed breast at a bargain price of $19.99. I never in my life had a turkey meal for $4 per head. It wasn't bad either. I made my own stuffing and served it with brussel sprouts, potatoes, a medley of veggies and covered in gravy to tenderise it, otherwise, it would have been a little more chewy than the fresh one. In the end, yes, we did have our turkey! minus the legs, giblets and grease.

Yesterday, since the weather was so lovely, we took the hour and a half drive to see Whistler, which is to Vancouver what Aspen is to Colorado. I've been there before and I must confess, my reaction was the exact same as the first time - HATE the place. It is so artificial. It kind of reminded me of Disney world, but not for the nice reasons. As a skiing resort, I think Banff in Alberta is far more susbstanial, and has more natural beauty. Whistler looks and feels to me like it was all put together in a week. I did like the drive there. So yes, the journey was better than the destination in this case. We had a lovely meal in an Irish Pub, served by a friendly Aussie which was very enjoyable. Fish 'n chips with yummy garlic mayonnaise.

Back in Vancouver now, and packing our bags to return to Victoria. All-in-all a very pleasant weekend, with much to be grateful for. We watched 'The Secret' movie at home and there was tons of food for positive thought...Hmm the law of attraction is an interesting concept. Think positive, and positive things happen, think negative thoughts, and your worst fears are realized. Want something really badly? Like a million dollars or two? or a new car? or lover? or home? then focus on it...Some would argue that 'The Secret' lacks true spirituality, and is a bit dubious in parts. Watch it and see for yourself...Apparently, it has worked for many.

No more news this end!

Love,

Patricia xxx

THE WEEK THAT WAS...

It was weird, wild and positively energetic. Monday zumba zumba zumba...Tuesday it was a case of mind-over-matter - twice. Firstly, my instructor at the gym and I got into a discussion about lifting a 45 lb. weight. I told her I could never ever lift a 45 lb. weight. She said 'Try it'. I did, and I was correct, I couldn't budge it. Then she lifted it, and challenged me to try it once more. 'You can do it' she said yet again. Seeing this tiny little woman lifting a 45 lb. weight made me think twice about it. So yes, I attempted to lift it and Yeah! I did it the second time 'Mind over matter' she said with a big 'told-you-so' grin on her face.

That evening I went to an 'Inner Peace Movement' talk with my friend Anita. The lady speaking challenged four people to elevate an adult woman using just our forefingers. And because I happened to be in the front row, she looked straight down at me. So up I went to the stage, along with 3 other ladies. One woman sat on a chair, and the four of us had to lift her, using only our two index fingers. The first time we attempted it, we got just a laugh from the audience - nothing more - and nothing less happened. Then we were told to concentrate - really concentrate - and try again "Mind over matter Ladies". Remembering my experience with the 45 lb. weight I really focused on the task at hand and Yipee! we all did it the second time. We raised the woman completely off the ground using just our forefingers - Magic!!

Just to think I have lifted a 45 lb. weight at the gym, and raised a woman off the ground with my fingers - and still, I have difficulty lifting a full laundry basket from my bedroom to the kitchen!! Mind-over-matter would you think?

Wednesday, I rose to yet another challenge. My friend Anita invited me to join her 'Joy of Life' Choir. You sing happy songs and then perform a few concerts for seniors, Christmas concert, etc. I said yes as I find it hard to say no to friendly challenges. So there I was, singing along as a Soprano on Wednesday night. So much fun. One of the songs we were learning went like this...

'You gotta accent...tuate...the positive...E...liminate the negative...and don't mess with mister in...between!

Don't you love it? So Pollyanna...ish!!

Thursday I stayed home to look after my loved ones.

Friday, I went out again to a singing Cafe, where we were entertained to a wonderful evening of music in the James' Bay Bookship/Cafe, Victoria. Wonderful! Now that I am in a choir, I need to surround myself with music lol!! That's my excuse.

Saturday, I rested up and caught up with chores and spoke to Mum on the Skype. It was weird but I think she enjoyed it. I brought her outside the house to show her our new paint colour which she loved, and then the computer conked out! You're not supposed to go outside with it! We re-connected and then I brought her around our home which she has never seen. She loved it. Isn't technology incredible! Weird, but amazing all at the same time.

That evening, I found myself wrestling with a cooked lobster at a Lobsterfest held at Claudia's restaurant 'Earl's'. Kevin, Ali, Victoria and I all went. Vegetarian Victoria was HORRIFIED and DISGUSTED to see her parents like savages, donning big plastic bibs, and tearing apart a poor lobster - guts, blood and mess everywhere. It was the first, - and the last time - I shall ever do that again. The sight of blood clots inside the poor lobster, and the thought of him screaming beforehand...never ever ever ever again! I felt sick afterwards. But Earl's - as always - was a fabulous fun place to visit.

Sunday - today K and I watched 'Simply Come Dancing' on the t.v. Went to mass, and later went out to the Nurseries looking for late summer plants for the garden. Weather was glorious yesterday and today. I started putting up my Fall decorations. I was thrilled to find a fab. designer at 'Chintz' who put together an amazing Fall Wreath for me for the front door. (she is English and her name is Sandra). She told me she has clients who bring back their wreath between seasons, and she re-designs them, and gives you back the flowers each time. Amazingly creative woman.

Later, I was back at the James' Bay Cafe, for a tea cup reading this time. We ended up just chatting and skipped the tea cup reading as we were enjoying the chat. I was joined by my New Zealand friend Anita, and a very interesting friend of hers, Paulo, who is of English/French ancestry with an Italian name. We are all in the 'Joy of Life' choir.

So that's the week that was...Fun!

This weekend coming is Canadian Thanksgiving, so we hope to go to Vancouver and I dunno if it will be a turkey filled weekend...not sure yet??

Will touch base again this week d.v.

Choo Choo for now and have fun wherever you are!

Love,

Patricia xxx