Here Comes July

Oh my…see what happens to good intentions?   I can’t believe neither Pam nor I have posted in a month  L   Not that we don’t have anything to talk about –some of it might even be interesting – but the time has once again sped away from us.   Pam is now in the last few weeks of being gainfully employed and is busy with paperwork regarding her retirement and handing over her work duties to others, including myself.  I’ll be wishing her well on the next chapter of her life, but will miss my coffee break buddy very much after the end of July.  She will soon have the luxury of writing to her heart’s content and not having work get in the way!

So let’s see..what’s been happening.   June has been a mixed bag weather wise.    We’ve experienced some wicked storms – beautiful maple trees completely uprooted on the neighbouring street – with lots of rain.  Some very nice sunny summer like days have also been in the mix.   And everything in between.

This past month I’ve been concerned about terrible wildfires in the State of Arizona, where a very good online friend lives. Her daughter’s home was threatened, but has survived, and I have been following email updates and photos.  I can’t imagine what it must be like to live on the edge of being evacuated at a moment’s notice and face the real possibility of losing all that you own. 

Had a nice day yesterday with two of my grandchildren; hopefully all the fresh air and playing let them sleep as well as I did!

A short work week coming up, with Canada Day considerately falling on a Friday this year.   That might mean I’ll be able to take in a fireworks display because the next day won’t be a work one.  Normally I avoid them because they don’t start until almost 9 and then by the time you get home its about 10:30 and my work mornings start far too early for that time.

So an early Happy Birthday Canada!  No place I’d rather call home.

Cheers!

Liz

Oh Happy Day!

No, I didn’t win the lottery, or even find a publisher for our work (now that would be a VERY Happy Day!), but sometimes it’s the small things in life which can make a day brighter.

In this case, its having a working printer once again.  And thank goodness for extended warranties.  A new printer has now been installed to replace the one I had been using and which suddenly just went on strike.  It had been brand new in August of last year, and so fortunately the warranty allowed for a replacement instead of just a repair (another 2 - 4 weeks wait).  The technician at Future Shop agreed there was something wrong as he couldn’t get it to function properly either.

And in that vein of things new, I am just back from the grocery store, having pre-planned my lunches this week.  This is something I keep putting off doing and so my brown-bag days for work are haphazard at best.  However, I am determined to finally start eating a planned meal for lunches.  This is as a result of two things; 1) needing to lose some weight and feel better; and 2) it will help offset the continually rising price of gas I fork out each week for my commute.

So  now I know I have my lunches already planned for this week – except for Thursday pizza lunches with Cheryl of course!   I am also determined to reduce the portion of evening meals as well.  Small steps, but if I see the slightest downward trend on the scale that will be the encouragement I need.

Remarkably the sun is shining right now – this has probably been the wettest May I can ever remember.  And more is forecast for today, but with that forecast the humidity has set in..and that does NOT make for a Happy Day.

Hard to believe June is just around the corner.

I have finally taken up reading “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” by Stieg Larsson, and have the second installment in the series waiting close at hand.  I love a fast paced tale and once this one got going I now find it hard to put down.   So after I finish up my monthly newsletter for work, I plan on taking a horizontal view of the day, with the book in hand.  If a nap ensues who am I to resist?   I’m also planning some time with Body Perfect to keep to the theme of the day.

Oh Happy Day indeed!

Have a great week –

Cheers!

Liz

"Where's my Fascinator?"

This time last year I was busy preparing for the “Bloody Words” conference in Toronto. This year it is being held in Victoria, BC and unfortunately Liz and I will not be attending. I would love to have gone and spent the time in Victoria and of course meet up with all the fabulous mystery and crime writers that will be there. We had talked of going but until we get the book accepted and maybe make a little bit of money we will have to contend with writers festivals and conferences nearer to home.

Since last I posted the world has gone topsy turvey. Of course I watched the “wedding” in all its glory and enjoyed the pageantry and making comments about the hats that the English have a passion... or a fascinator!! I will be attending two weddings this coming weekend and I doubt I will see one hat. Many years ago I wore a hat to a wedding and I was a big curiosity. Now I don’t wear a hat and I am still a curiosity!! Our election results were not to my liking but as Liz and I differ on this subject I will leave it well alone. That same weekend Bin Laden was no more and more fighting in Libya. Then all the natural disasters, flooding in Mississippi and Manitoba. It certainly puts things in perspective when we have some rain as we have had this past few days. I can’t imagine what these people are going through as they watch their land and property taken over by water.

I think birthdays are very important and I like to celebrate family and friends special day with them but.. three birthdays in one week and two weddings! I hope I survive the week along with a busy schedule at work. Talking of birthdays, I want to welcome to the world a new great niece, Cara Taylor. A little sister for Elsa.

Liz has been a busy beaver while she has been on vacation this week. Finishing the revising on the chapters we worked on the last time we were together. Yes, it is slow going, but the end is in sight.

You may have noticed that I have failed to mention the foolhardy notion I had of keeping fit. It is still on my agenda but I think I will keep my efforts to myself. Like the writing of late it has been a hit and miss affair. 

Mothers day was a few weeks ago and my nearest and dearest gave me a book by Alice Munro. I thought I had read everything she has written and agreed with the critics and award committees that she is one of Canada’s national treasures. The recipient of many, many awards for her work this book seems to have escaped me. It is called “The View from Castle Rock” and came out in 2006. She is a master story teller and these stories hold a great deal of interest for me. She is very interested in her Laidlaw ancestors and has traced them back to the Ettrick Valley in the border country between Scotland and England of which I am familiar. Some of it is fact and the rest is fiction. I have just started reading so will give you more details in another post.

Have a good week,
Slainte,
Pam


ps...don't be confused that this is posted by Liz; Pam had some technical problems and wasn't able to get it to post, so fortunately I was able to post it for her.  Cheers!   Liz

Friday the Thirteenth

Really?  I suppose if you’re the superstitious type its an auspicious day.  The only unlucky thing about it for me is that it means my few days off work are coming to an end.  L     (And when I first tried to post this blog entry at 11:00 a.m., was told “Blogger is currently unavailable” – coincidence?)

The weather has been wonderful these past few days; front yard landscaping done, and I have the aches and pains to prove it!  A long overdue car cleaning was finally checked off the list as well.  And this morning I have wrapped up Body Perfect revisions up to Chapter Twelve. 

Sleeping in past 4:30 has been a real treat, but now I must wait until August to enjoy it again.  The weather forecast is calling for a risk of thunderstorms this afternoon – dare I hope?   My apologies to those of you who dislike storms.  I’ll concede I don’t like the wind-damaging kinds of storms, but to drift off to sleep with the sound of distant thunder and rain on my window is one of my pleasures in life.  As well, I find a rainy day very conducive to writing, but its beginning to look like I’ll be cheated out of that benefit today as the sun is shining and  there is a gentle breeze.  But I also know how quickly that can change.

And as there is still no luck with any lotteries, I suppose it’s back to work on Monday.

Have a great weekend – one week today marks the first long weekend of the summer!  Whoohoo!

Cheers

Liz

Spring Cleaning

Happy May 1!

A beautiful day yesterday – sunny and dry!   Bit of a breeze though.  A great day to get the front yard cleaned up and think about some minor landscaping. But exhausting work, which just underscores being out of shape..grrrrrr!

I did manage to make a stab at Body Perfect and intend to get back to it after posting this – really, I do!

And well deserved congratulations to Louise Penny on winning the Agatha for Best Novel at this year’s  Malice Domestic!

Today the weather is less promising, not much sun and rain (gee what a surprise) in the forecast for later and overnight.

Being a very early riser for work, I managed to watch a good portion of the Royal Wedding on Friday.  I delayed my commute by about fifteen minutes in order to see Kate arrive at the Abbey.  Fortunately there must have been quite a few Royal watchers that morning because the traffic was much lighter and even though I delayed my start I managed to arrive at pretty much my regular time.  Thanks to Rogers On Demand, I could then catch up on all that I had missed later that day.   I can only hope that William and Kate enjoy a happier life than Charles and Dianna.

One of my little squirrel friends is gnawing away at the garden gate and with the window open I can hear how industrious he is being.  One way of getting some fibre in his diet I suppose – I’m glad I have other options available in my diet!

And back to spring cleaning; another task accomplished this morning.  Perhaps not as physical but no less challenging.  My inbox!   Slacker that I am, I let it accumulate into the hundreds but have now cleared it down to only 10 items.   The rest were either deleted or filed in their appropriate folders.  Cleaning up the sent folders and then finally deleting the deletes will make my weekly back up a little quicker I’m sure! 

Amazing how accomplishing one or two tasks can help you feel more organized and content – well at least until tomorrow!

Cheers!

Liz

Lazy Saturday

 And apparently not just for mere humans either.

I enjoyed watching the squirrels basking in the sun.  And unusual for them, it was a treat to see both black and grey squirrels sharing the same space. Normally there would be much chasing and chattering if these rodent cousins crossed paths!

Mid way through a three day weekend and not feeling much ambition for anything.  Maybe it’s the weather, because finally we have some sunshine today and the temperatures are much more spring like!

Seems I just want to enjoy having the windows open and feeling a relatively warm spring breeze sweep through the house. 

Some laundry has been on the agenda and putting together Easter baskets for the grandchildren for tomorrow – that’s been pretty much the extent of the day’s energy output! Body Perfect sits before me and I will try and get some more of the revised pages cleaned up.   But the supper hour beckons and that will need to be dealt with first.

Let’s see; what else is in the works right now.  The price of gas – disgusting, with promises to go even higher!  As well I need to have new brakes installed on my car within the next week or two...ouch $$$.   And our federal election heads into the home stretch; my mind is already decided so I’m not too bothered by the endless commercials and flyers.

Well that's too much brain commotion for now, so I'll just end by wishing all a very Happy Easter – whether its lazy or filled with activity.

Cheers!

Liz

Oh my God, Pam, you're looking good!

I did quite well for the first week of my new regime. I walked on four days out of the seven. My plans to stride out this morning were dashed by torrential rain. Drat’s, I really wanted to hit the trails! The big problem really is food and the continual snacking at work. Everywhere I turn someone if offering food. I just have to learn to say NO.

Reading the usual argie bargie from the election candidates in my weekend paper this morning, and might it be said, not a clear winner amongst them, I turned the page and started reading a book review that had the tears streaming down my face. This is an excerpt from a book of essays written by the Canadian actress Mary Walsh. Called, “No longer just acting”.

Here I am, a brassy bit of aging crumpet on the slippery slope side of fifty five and picking up speed, but because even as a young actress I played an endless series of big, loud, opinionated old bags, it didn’t really hit me that I had now become one. I thought that I was just still acting. But in a moment of stunning and, frankly, crushing clarity earlier this year, it struck me. I had reached the third stage of womanhood. You know the three stages: young, middle-aged and oh-my-God, Mary, you’re looking good.

The excerpt went on in that vein until I hurt laughing. That just may be the secret to accepting getting older; Keep on laughing. My writing this week has been mainly research as I search for agents that I hope are suitable. My list gets longer. This week I am starting on a synopsis of Body Perfect. I find synopsis really daunting but I will confer with my partner and discuss the fine points before attempting it.

Have a good week,
Slainte,
Pam

The next installment...of my life

I had a significant birthday three months ago that catapulted me into the stratosphere of “old age”. I prefer to think of it as the next instalment of my life. There are so many negative connotations to aging that if you believed all the hype I should be wearing arch supports, dentures, have thinning hair and a multitude of ailments along with my walker. I most definitely see the aging process at work on my face and body. Over the years I have always tried to eat right and exercise but for the last while it has been a chore to get me away from the fridge and the couch. So I only have myself to blame for the sagging body and face. I do keep my mind active by going to my job everyday and pretending I know what I am doing in this technological world. I read constantly and of course there are the Jamie Tremain books. So here is the plan and you heard it here first......Starting today I am on a 12 week training program that will take me to the first week in July. Just in time for my official retirement from my paid job. I started today by walking around the ravine that is situated behind my house. I doubt if it is a ½ km but I was sweating buckets. Just how out of shape am I??? I don’t plan on weighing myself as that just leads to disappointment and sabotage. So..lose a few pounds, have more energy to write after working all day, eat healthy foods and less meat and if the pundits are right, eat much less. I hope to walk everyday at least around the ravine until I can build up to a decent hike. I managed two half marathons nearly five years ago but I think my goal will be to walk up stairs and still be able to talk!! I may regret saying all this but what do I have to lose. If I am being a tad obsessive about this aging thing it’s because I have the white hair and the glasses ; oh and the hearing aids that are not age related I might add or at least they were. I have now cornered the market on poly-filla to fill in the grooves and with my new regime of walking and eating for one, not an army, I am good to go. Liz and I have a date for a get together at the end of the month to work on the last chapters of Body Perfect. This time she will make the trip to Oakville. I wonder if she will feel like a walk around the ravine. My reading material at the moment is the novel by Sarah Gruen, Water for Elephants. Just at chapter three and enjoying the era it been has written about. The movie is coming out soon. Talking of movies, my favourite author Louise Penny has negotiated to have her books made into television movies. I can’t wait to see Chief Inspector Armand Gamache on the screen. Talk soon, Slainte, Pam

Spring Has Arrived

And how wonderful to be able to open windows!   As I sit at my desk with my first coffee of the day and Body Perfect open to update our latest revisions, I can enjoy hearing robins, and children’s voices.  Sounds carry more clearly while trees are still leafless.  They may be bare for now, but outside my window I see branch tips bursting with buds.  Squirrels are trafficking up and down the trunks with treasures, or playing tag with each other.   We are promised a high of about 14c (58f) and that’s my kind of spring temperature.

The sky is cloudy, but enough sun is on hand to have the cats seeking out those sunny spots for snoozing. I think I can safely have my snow tires removed now!

A busy week at work, especially for Pam. Once again she pulled together an event for the centre to  enjoy. The focus was on World Health Day; we had displays from Canadian Mental Health, The Heart & Stroke Foundation, and the Canadian Hearing Society.  As well, some healthy snack alternatives were displayed, along with some demonstrations of yoga and hula-hooping. 

Its not quite noon, and I’ve managed to get some chores out of the way and am ready to get down to revision work.  Its peaceful and there is a gentle breeze drifting through my window – I’d better get to work or I’ll be dozing off instead.

Hope your weekend goes well and that the weather suits you wherever you are.

Cheers!

Liz

Sunday Musings

A  brilliantly sunny, but cold, Sunday here in southern Ontario…icicles are dripping, but once the sun disappears they’ll soon be solid once more.

As Pam mentioned, we had a productive day of revising yesterday.  Amazing how when you read something out loud, you catch errors missed previously.  But I also find that’s when I can really get into our characters and make them more real.  For me that’s especially true of Dorothy and her alter ego(s).  We’ve nearly made it to the end of this first revision and I have to get cracking on typing up what has been reviewed.

We’ve discussed putting more of a focus on Dorothy in this (first?) story; highlighting her strengths to have her as the central protagonist more so than what we have done to date.  Polish, revise, review and then start over again!   Writing truly is a craft and I can envy those who have made the jump from writing to being successfully published.  But for now patience and perseverance are called for. Oh, did I mention perfection also?   Or is that the unattainable?

Almost the end of March – unbelievable!  Having the daylight hours stretch ever longer is so welcome after winter’s darker days, but I don’t want to rush into the sweltering humidity that all too often seems to arrive just as spring is getting started.  The weather will never be perfect for all will it?

And with spring of course comes Income Tax Time….ugh!    Well I have just finished the dreaded task and can put it aside for another year thank goodness.  Numbers are not my strong point so I’m really grateful for electronic tax filing programs that I can breeze through and with the push of a button send off to the government’s tax reviewers.  Not that’s a job I know I would not want!   I much prefer words over numbers, although working in a financial institution has made me appreciate what numbers can do.

Monday is just a few hours away and the work week begins anew, but at least no snow is in the forecast and the driving should be “normal”.

Here’s to having a week with no disasters – big or small, across the globe or in your own home – and may we all appreciate the wonderful things we can enjoy from this life.

Cheers!

Liz

GPS!

I was wishing I had the GPS system I received for Christmas as I headed out to Liz’s place in Guelph this morning. I had general directions and was sure I would recognize the cut off but after a few attempts and making a couple of u-turns I phoned for help and arrived a few minutes later. It does not help when you don’t carry a phone as I had to find a call box and they are in short supply these days.

After a surprise snow storm on Wednesday that crippled traffic and covered up my tulip bulbs, today was brilliant sunshine but still very cold. Roads were dry though so it made it easier to travel around the different campuses at Guelph University when I was lost this morning. There are seven colleges in all; the main ones are agriculture and veterinary medicine. So all was not lost except for me!!! I did get to see some really diverse architectural buildings and residences. There was also the Arboretum that is frequented by horticulturists and botanists from around the province. This is all within 10 minutes of Liz’s place.

After I was introduced to the four cats again we settled down for some revising. With lots of coffee, chocolate covered almonds , yummy biscotti and a break for lunch we managed to read and revise six chapters before calling it a day at 4pm. We were very happy with what we had accomplished. I made the trip home by 5pm. No detours this time.

An election was called today for May 2nd. That’s all I will say on the subject today. Let’s see what they all have to say first before I make any comments. The back stabbing has started already.

I have mentioned Louise Penny many times before as one of my favourite authors. She has a new nomination today to add to her many accolades. This evening is the judging of the Dilys Award given out by the Independent Mystery Booksellers for the book they most enjoyed selling last year. Lots of great nominees but of course I am rooting for Louise. Good luck Louise.

I try and learn a new lesson every day. So what did I learn today.......
1. Do not go out of the house without a GPS system when you get lost at every turn. That is why my sons bought it for me!!!
2. This is not a new lesson but needs to be repeated often. If one continues to eat chocolate covered almonds as if your life depends on them one will most certainly always look like the Goodyear blimp!

Talk soon,
Slainte,
Pam