Helen's offline for a bit

Mom's fine, but her computer is not: the power supply has now blown up twice. She'll be back to blogging and email soon.

thank you

Many, many thank you's to all who sent birthday greetings.  I think that Sandy figured that anyone reaching 83 should be so honoured and I do thank you Sandy.  It was most uplifting to read all the wonderful messages and your best wishes.  Sure made my heart smile. Don took me out to dinner and a cruise around the county after.  A great day. 

 

Thank you Sasha for the Red Hat poem, I am a Red Hatter and love it.  While in Vancouver , son Tom, bought me the most gorgeous red hat I have ever seen, except there was a picture of Queen Elizabeth on the TV and she had on a blue one that looked exactly like mine.  Red looks better on me than blue. We went to a hat store on Grenville Is and there was this beauty of a red hat.  I tried it on but when I looked at the price  it immediately  went  back on the rack.   I looked over other red ones but finally went back to the one beauty there.  I thought about it and figured about how much money I had in my purse when Tom said "Mother I'm buying you that hat".  When I protesed that it was too much he said he thought he could  buy his mother that hat for her birthday if he so wanted.  We both wanted.  The Red Hat Society is a grand group for we older gals to join.  If you are interested look it up on the internet, you'll be surprised.

 

Don has been having trouble with his riding mower as well as his "farm mower" so we have made a few trips to Belleville for parts. One part that was the size of my thumb cost $3.99 plus $6.99 for delivery, what a rip off!  Anyway as long as all these machines work all's well.  He didn't get too much work done last week as he had 3 of his fishing friends here from Monday to Friday.   I went to town to do my own thing.  He has been fishoing with one of the fellows for at least 50 years and the other 2 for 30 to 40 years.   I did make a pie and a stew for them but they do their own cooking and other things that needed doing.  They even vaccum and clean the kitchen floor when they leave.  I volunteered at the dialysis clinic on Friday morning with my sister.  When I took her home at 10 I asked her to phone Don and ask if there    was anything   hewanted me to bring and he said " No, I just want her to come home"   Now wasn't that sweet.

The weather could have been better when the men were here but it wasn't all that bad and they did get fishing .  They caught 2 pickerel, one they threw back and the other we had for Friday night supper.  Very tasty.

 

We are getting a new post office in Picton.   We need a new one like we need another hole in the head but that is the government for you.   Before it was even started there was a meeting concerning anyone it might affect.   The town hall was full to capacity and no one wanted a new one as our beautiful one we have now has sufficed for years.  No doubt for less than  half  of   what this new one is going to cost they could have brought the old one up to date plus finished the 2nd and 3rd floors with apartments , but no they said they didn't care what we wanted we were getting it anyway.  It isn't done yet and we were to have had the new one a year and a half go.  Not only that we are now having to change our box numbers.  What a waste and expense.  It seems the only people who make the rules are those with lots of money and have no idea how people on a fixed income cope.   It seems the people who run our country want the power and glory and they have the money to get it.  We don't have the people with smarts who should be elected.   Good thing the upper echelon don't last forever, it only seems like it.

 

While I'm complaining about the post office there is another crazy thing going on.   Our hospital.  Every time it seems that the top guys get a raise a nurse gets a pink slip and is let go.;  I understand that someone who answers the phone and communicates! makes in the vicinity of $150, 000 a year.  I'll answer the phone for half that.     Trying to get someone to answer the phone is an exercise in frustration. That is  another  story.     I write notes to the Editor of our local paper every now and then and have expressed my annoyance about that.

 

We have had a great day and after a cloudy morning we have sunshine . Have attended a memorial service this aft and a drive through the county and to a delicious  turkey dinner at the legion. 

Again many thanks for the thoughtful birthday greetings.  

frustration

Today is my 83rd birthday. The years have sure snuck up fast as I never expected the 80's to come so fast. As I look back there are many wonderful memories for me to feast on. Today is a half rainy and much cooler day so just may take the day off. Don is taking me out to dinner tonight so no meal to prepare and that is so good as I don't mind geeting the dinners but it is the decisions. Most of my family have called with greetings along with some neighbours and friends. My husband gave me a real mushy but wonderful card.

Back to the frustration episode. Tues I went to my Dr with a pain in my neck, no this is an actual pain. She said some therapy might help but best to have an x ray first. I walked to the radiology clinic, which is it now called, and was told that I had to phone Belleville to get permission to have the x ray right here in Picton. So dumb, I'm standing right in the clinic. I came home and phoned Belleville. First I listen to the first preamble then told to press button numer 1 for one thing then button number 2 for something else then a question is asked and either Emily or another voice comes on and says "Is that a yes or a no?" then " I didn't hear you now is that a yes or no?" We have a rotary phone so no button to press. Then there is silence . I hang up and try again with the same results. Finally someone answers and I get an appointment for the next day at the Picton clinic. I decided to ask if this was an efficient way and was told no. Did it save money? Doubtful. Is there a number that I can call directly into Picton hospital, No you have to go through Belleville. I'm surprised that ordinary people are smart enough to have handled and are still handling ordinary things without all this technology that is flying around and befuddling us. Good thing I wasn't an emergency as it would have been easier to drive to Belleville go see whoever handles phone messages and get the appointment then.

Now to where I left off last month. Our one neighbour Alison came from Switzerland 10 years ago. She was born in Quebec but met a fellow from Switzerland when she was a young lass and married him. They worked here for a few years till mama called and said, son come home, your father needs you, so they packed and went to Switzerland. When he retired they came back to Canada and settled in a condo by the Bay of Quinte. Good place as it is on the water and they had a boat and the condo has a dock for each unit. Unfortunately her husband died a few years ago but she has stayed. She has a son who lives in Switzerland and another who lives in New England. 5 years after they were here they were required to try for their G2 car license. Their Swiss license was good for the first 5 years. Now Alison has to try for her G1 license , whaterever the G stands for and I don't care to get into that. For her to get that she has to drive on the 401 which is our super highway, and she has no need for that. Don has been taking her onto the road and helping her get up to speed and all that stuff so she has to try that later this month and Don is going with her.

Don has been having tractor problems but then his tractor is a 1953 model and does need a lot of TLC. The handle of his riding lawn mower came off in his hand and our septic system decided to run too slowly so there have been a few things that have been on the frustrating side. Nothing that can't be fixed.

Mid May we attended the annual Navy meeting with about 350 attending, fewer and fewer attend each year. Those who do rehash their navy days and the pranks they played and so relive the war years. Don't we all relive past times. Good for the soul. The annual is held in Digby, Nova Scotia next May, hope all can attend.

Our son from Vancouver came May 18th till May 24th and we were happy to have him. That weekend was a holiday weekend and 2 of our daughters and a friend came that weekend . We are always happy to have any member or members of our family to visit. This was not really a visiting weekend. The men got the boat hoist and docks in. A very large and old tree had to come down so a fellow came from town and did that. The next day he was back with a splitter so all the wood from that tree got split but so far not piled. We had a great weekend and the girls dished up spectacular dinners. I sat in the lazy boy and watched.

Our son has an office job and does jog and work out but methinks that he wasn't used to all the work and the unused muscles that got used as he slept on the plane going to Vancouver.

This past Sunday brought some summery weather and it has gotten hotter each day till today and we have some blessed rain.

Time for a rest. Stay cool all.