December

I'm at the hospice day & or night so I've not felt like updates. My sister, Darc, has been there since mid-October, basically living there except a few short car trips home during daytime hours when she feels up to it - wheelchair to and from the car and on long strolls, the wheelchair. This time is so precious, I'm so honored to help my sister. The hospice is modern and beautiful, her room is private with flat screen tv, dvd, cd player, radio, serene view from the big corner windows. Luckily her vision is still quite good - we watch movies, we talk & she tries to communicate...I encourage her. I read a bit, and Avon, health magazines. Lots of visitors, gifts and cards...many relatives coming and going. They mean well but it's such an emotional time...

My sister is still with us, hopefully through Christmas.

I tried a bit to contact new agents for my completed New Age teen romance fiction novel.  I'll continue trying...the book will be published.

I'm exhausted. I have a Christmas tree and lights at home. That's about it. I love listening to Robert Plant and Hawaiian music, love my Barbara Stanwyck collection of old black & white movies late at night, my other movies, love being with Darc during this time. These are constants in my life, so is my classic Mustang which gets me all around.

Happy Holidays and wish on a star.

October

October is a bittersweet month, always has been. My first collie when I was a kid - she was killed by police after being injured in traffic in October. How we found out was a First Nation's girl I went to school with told me she saw my injured dog, then later we phoned police.

October is legal separation from my husband when I was very young - his choice, not mine.

The upside - this month reminds me of Led Zeppelin for some reason. I got my first Led Zep album in the mail years ago on an Autumn day. There was only one record store in Kelowna at that time and they didn't have it. Now this city is like Metropolis.

October is apples, and packinghouses. Years ago we could smell the apples in the air as many fruit packinghouses were going full tilt day and night...the area was full of orchards. Not now, the last remaining packinghouse is not even very busy.

Summer was hot in August and I relaxed at my fave beach in between working two jobs. Here's a pick of my solitary female companion who visited me sometimes.

Bad things happened in 3's. First, my good friend Ria was airlifted to Vancouver because of a brain anureysm in June. She was at rehab here in town and is recovering well. She was near death. Next in June, my 87 year old neighbour who has lived next to me at the townhouses for 22 years - suffered a stroke, is paralyzed on one side and she no longer lives here. She moved to a nice group home though, and I've visited her when I could.

In mid September one of my sisters (I have 2), who just retired in June here in Kelowna after 37 years teaching - she's 60 - was suddenly diagnosed with an agressive malignant brain tumor. She's just had a biopsy and now things are not good. She's terminally ill, cannot speak in sentences, can't read or write and has no short term memory. My elderly mother and I are with her all the time. I'm off work on medical leave. I hope she improves after the swelling goes down...but prognosis is not positive. We can only hope she isn't in too much pain. On the weekend her daughter quit university to stay home...her decision was not difficult she said.

My sister loved these flowers when she visited my house. They're wild, like ladyslippers or small orchids, bumblebees are obsessed with them, and now in October the seed pods pop open when touched lightly. The plan was to plant a row of these tall flowers along my sister's fence in her yard next Spring. I don't know if she's going to be with us then...we can only hope.

Long time no post

Maybe it's true about the universe speeding up and time going faster....I can't believe the last time I posted was in January. Universe means "one verse" - Deepak Chopra says. Cool, I like that idea. Here it is, May Friday the 13th. My day was safe and pleasant. I worked as usual, working a lot & it's not as easy as say, oh...ten years ago to put in so much time at the jobsites. Hence I tend to fall behind on things like blogs. I've almost completed my novel, finishing the last chapter...Chapter 21. I've planted flowers in my pots & in the earth around the townhouse, Spring cleaned for the May Queen (a song lyric, Stairway to Heaven) and today I made many fruit & yogurt smoothies for my freezer so...I'm ready for warm weather!! You know I love the beach!! We've not had a warm Spring because of that La Nina.

I had an awesome trip to Vegas end of March with my two sisters and bro-in-law. Weather was in the 90's and here's a pic of me outside the Elvis theatre last day of March. We saw Cirque 'Viva Elvis' at the Aria and loooveed the show! Not a great photo, my sister has a better one but I don't have hers on my computer. Just to show the awesome bronze Elvis and me...

I'm a long time fan of the Vancouver Canucks and so happy to see them in the Western Conference Finals vrs San Jose Sharks!! We've waited since 1994...we dare not jinx anything and say the "S" Cup word. Hope to see Neil Young in the tv spotlight as he watches his fave Sharks in the Tank! But...may the best team win and I hope it's the Canucks!

Hope to write here again soon to keep this blog updated.

Musical choices for my muse

Music has always been with me and recently these are my fave choices. I go back to these cds often...at night mainly...to do my yoga and stretching exercises. The muse I need to inspire me to create my life, my book, and to keep me on the path.

First is Robert Plant's Band of Joy. Awesome....haunting, cool, different. HIs voice is what makes this compilation so amazing. Robert's voice is very, very unique when he sings. He's in tune with something great out there, I'm sure of it.

Second is Criss Angel's BeLIEve Soundtrack cd. Haunting, again...but in a dark way...like a tunnel leading us to a place we need to be. Beautiful almost classical tracks. It's not a cheery album tho. Some songs are uplifting.

Third is all about a discovery and I have a story to tell. Before Christmas at my workplace a guy who works with me found an old case of cds upstairs in the storage closet. They date back to the early 1990's and he gave them to me as no one has claimed the collection all this time and I wanted them.

There are 3 discs, all Hawaiian slack key guitar, mainly instrumentals, some vocals. This discovery has opened new doors to me. I enjoy all of the songs and one cd I play a lot is Auhele by John Keawe, a Hawaiian native. The songs are so soothing and wonderful, relaxing and melodic. Perfect as a retreat, an escape from daily demands. Perfect to do my stretching and yoga. Sometimes I just sit on the carpet and listen to every note, absorbed in the clear and harmonious sounds. On the net I researched Auhele and other cds by John Keawe and I'd love to buy more soon. I would love to go to Hawaii someday and see him play at the hotel where he does regular gigs.

Now to go back to writing my book...almost done.