Renaissance Woman

I was at the local grocery store yesterday with a limited amount of cash in hand and a need to buy three items.  One of those was toilet paper. On the "end of the aisle" shelf, the store brand t.p. was on sale for $4.97 ($2 off regular price).  24 rolls, 140 sheets per roll.  But not recycled, not at all environmentally friendly.  In the regular aisle, the recycled (100% post-consumer fibre type) was $9.99.  Twice as much for recycled paper.  I just had enough money if I got the smaller block of cheddar.  But I just couldn't justify (yesterday - some days I can) buying the non-recyled paper.  So I sucked it up and picked up the recycled stuff. And then, as I walked past the "regular", on sale t.p., I took a closer look.  And there it was.  The stuff on sale had 140 sheets per roll.  The recycled had 280!  They were the same price (and the sheets are the same size).  Okay, the regular t.p. is probably fluffier an...

Alan Bruce Powley The leadership for the battalion was established early on.   Major Alan Bruce Powley was asked to be the commanding officer of the battalion on December 7, 1915. [1]   He was confirmed in this position by General Sam Hughes on or about the 15 th of December. [2]   Unfortunately, I don't have permission yet to use the photographs, so you'll have to live without them - even though they are the best part of the whole thing. Figure 3:   Lieutenant Colonel Alan Bruce Powley (B.C. Archives 198011-011, Box 27, File 8)  Powley was born on September 25, 1876 in Drayton, Ontario to Canadian-born father, John Brooks Powley, and Irish-born mother Eliza Jane Bruce. [3]   He married Eva Constance Cameron on September 5, 1900, in Brandon, Manitoba.   According to the 1901 census, he was a jeweller in Brandon earning $900 per year, and he was a Methodist.   Sometime between the census of 1901 and May 2, 1904 (when the paper announce...

In my post " The final leg of the journey " I mentioned that the day was magic and tragic.  Did anyone else notice that I didn't mention anything about the tragic part? Well, here's the tragedy - and it truly is.  We all have people in our lives who suffer more than others.  And we have people who think they suffer more than others.  Well, my friend, Karen, is one who has suffered too much. When she was three, Karen was diagnosed with leukemia.  Treatments included radiation, and aside from possibly stunting her growth somewhat, Karen made it through.  Successful treatment.  No more thought of it. Then, 8 years ago (in her early 30s), while driving between Lake Louise and Banff (I believe), Karen started to see double.  She'd been having pretty nasty headaches for a few months before then, but hadn't thought too much about it.  Well, her life turned upside down quite quickly.  After a trip to the optometrist, she was sent to a spec...

So, yes, Daniel and I did spend a couple of hours at Paddlewheel Park (on Okanagan Lake).  It was lovely and warm and we had a lot of fun.  He and I played, and then when I gave up he found some kids to play with: That's Daniel on the right After the beach, we drove to Kelowna and went to the Volcanic Hills winery to pick up wine for my husband and his friend.  Apparently it's very good wine if you get a chance to try any of their stuff.  The very young man who is the front end face of the place is incredibly knowledgable for his age.  And very passionate about wine.  It's great to see someone doind what they are supposed to be doing. Anyhow, after the winery, there was a stop at Booster Juice for the little man, and then off to the Okanagan Lavender Herb Farm .  Daniel and I took a tour of the garden - which was great except that it was 34C and neither of us is used to that heat these days. It felt like we were in Provence! While there, Daniel...

I'm skipping ahead here - going to tell you about Saturday ... the last day of my road trip, instead of going into all the detail of the other days.  It was a bitter sweet day. I woke up relatively early, got packed, grabbed a bite to eat and said goodbye to my boy.  He was still sleeping, and apparently continued on for another 3 hours after I left.  But when I woke him up he said "see ya, Mommy.  I love you.  I'll miss you".  And the night before, when he and I went swimming, just the two of us, at the pool, he told me how much he had enjoyed our few days together - "just the two of us".  Now, tell me, what else could a mother ask for?  I love that kid.  Anyhow, the last day was magical in some ways and tragic in others.  As I drove, I saw an amazing array of wildlife.  A wild turkey, numerous gophers and hawks.  And then, when I stopped for gas in Radium, B.C., here was my view: Look at the scar on the back of the one...

I can now add more pictures, so here's a few from Saturday: This is Daniel at a rest stop on the Trans Canada in Banff National Park.  You can't really see it, but just above him in the sky on the left, which was also just along the highway, there was a nasty, windy, rainy storm.  The temperature on Sunday ranged from 7 to 27C on our drive. We also stopped at the Enchanted Forest - a "must stop" for us when we drive that piece of road. It's a great place with lots of great forest vegetation like this little Devil's Club leaf: And here are a couple of new friends - after their big water fight on Sunday: This computer is horribly slow where photos are concerned, so I don't know if I'll be able to post again before I get home.  If I don't, have a great week and I'll add more next week.

Daniel and I are on a road trip.  Originally it started as a trip to Armstrong to participate in my mother's 70th birthday party, but then it grew.  So, starting on Saturday morning, we left home on our week-long grand adventure. We left a little before 8 on Saturday morning and headed to Calgary.  First stop ... the zoo! After about 4 1/2 hours, that was enough - especially considering that it was hot and we Canadians are very fragile at this time of the year.  So then we headed to our friend Laura's house.  Laura writes a great blog for anyone who likes 1950s houses or is doing renovations of any sort http://midcenturymoderncalgary.blogspot.com/ Early Sunday, Daniel and I piled into the car again and headed west toward Kamloops.  I think Daniel and I must have stopped at every toilet between the two cities.  We also stopped for groceries, gas, lunch and The Enchanted Forest! I'm working on my Mom's computer, and aparently only one photograph ...

There has been a certain dearth of vegetation in my diet as of late.  I'm not sure what's been going on.  Lazy?  Maybe.  So the other day my body requested some greens.  To put it bluntly, I closed my eyes and saw chickweed (yes, chickweed is edible - a piece of knowledge that could feed your family and keep the lawn weed-free for years) - and when that happens, you need to take the hint.  So I went into the garden a picked anything green that was edible.  This included chickweed and that other weed that is sticky ... what's it called ... goosegrass!  Also mint, sage, turnip greens, spinach, the little carrots I thinned, lettuce - all of it. Now, our friends across the street bought a VitaMix blender a while ago - they're nice, powerful things like you find at smoothie joints.  So I took all my green stuff - plus an apple and an orange over to their house to be turned almost instantly into juice.  It wasn't particularly palatable, so I...