Merry Christmas

with the right words you can change the world. as quoted from the new charlottes web movie. I think we will have to take Crystal to see that, it looks like something she would like

well, I was this close to going on a helicopter ride to fly over the diamond exploration site at fort a la corne. Only the weather came in to play at the last minute and the helicopters were cancelled. darn. After getting over the initial fear of what I might feel like in an helicopter buzzing around in the sky, I was actually quite excited. oh well, probably will have another chance in the spring.

well, I found an interesting msn group about personality disorders. Hmmm interesting indeed.

well, it will soon be Christmas, I don't think I am very excited about Christmas this year, it feels more like a problem than a blessed event. It will be nice though to have time off with Crystal and Arianna, I expect Gerald will be working most of the time so we won't have to worry about him either, whoopie.

You Are a Christmas Sweater!

Over the top, colorful, and totally flashy. You're not afraid to be a little tacky.

What Crappy Christmas Gift Are You?

well, Hayden is certainly growing, he was quite happy in his new toy on Thursday. Next he will be rolling all over the place and bouncing and jumping around in bouncy toy like a crazy man

shine, shine, shine, spit, swirl, shine, spit, shine shine shine, Arianna trying to shine her air cadet boots.

well, I have now officially been 1800 feet under ground, no that's not a typo, I have had a tour of an underground uranium mine in Saskatchewan. complete with steel toed rubber boots, coveralls, a hard hat with a miners light attached, and a battery pack, and some sort of safety breathing apparatus which I have no idea how it worked. something about follow the yellow?? then I went to tour the mill where they turn the ore into a saleable uranium product worth 50 dollars a pound, there are 1000 pounds in one barrel. too bad it's so hard to carry a 1000 pound barrel of uranium. what a heist that would be. The flights there and back were pleasant much to my surprise as for the most part I don't like the completely illogical concept of flying in something that weights as much as a plane full of 29 people.

well tomorrow will be my last day at work for the next five days or so, I will be in saskatoon at the canadian chamber agm and on tuesday, I will get to fly out to maclean lake and mcarthur river lake mine sites. That should be interesting. Makes for a long day though, as we fly out at 7 am and fly back at 8 pm.

well, we went to pizza hut tonight. One of the restaurants in this City I haven't been to before, even though it has been here for many years. After today, I now know why, perhaps some instinctive esp would regularly convince us to go elsewhere and save us the experience of pizza hut in p.a. The first clue was when the waiter spilt the pepsi on the table, or maybe when they didn't give crystal a kids menu even though they have one, or maybe when we got our pizza before our appetizers or perhaps when the pizza we ordered was not the one we received and were told to eat while they made us another one. Ah yes, the benefit to all of this, we got to take home two pizza's one we wanted and didn't get to eat (at least not at the restaurant) and what was left of the one we didn't want but got to eat oh yeah and we also took home the breadsticks as while we wanted them and actually got to eat them, we were full of pizza by the time they came and so didnt eat very many. oh well, at least I have supper for the next three days!!!

well, it certainly has been a long time since our last post. Due mostly I suspect to the annoyance of dial up in rural saskatchewan. We still have dial up, but at least dial in an urban centre, just that much faster, and hopefully that will only be for a short time until I have time to phone the high speed people. Oh yeah, that would the monopoly people, sasktel. Canadian Idol this summer has just been a sorry state of affairs, especially if compared to the supernova competition, which I have to miss now, because I only have the two free channels. ahhhhh life sucks with crappy tv. Not to mention the drastedly cold that I have somehow managed to catch from somewhere. My nose is so stuffed that my teeth hurt. ahhhh, maybe I will go to bed, and get some sleep, my nose can't possibly be as stuffed tommorrow as it is today.

well it's a done, done, done deal. Taste of Prince Albert is over, with a 10 percent increase in ticket sales over the previous best year's ticket sales the event was a great success, over 9000 people in four days, with ten restaurants and thirty menu choices, great weather, great local entertainment and a super promotional job.

whew, do my feet hurt or what, oh yes they certainly do. From 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. all day long on my feet, organizing the taste of prince albert, where food is tantalizing and the entertainment is interesting and exceptional all for only 1.25 a token, as opposed to 2.00 a token in Saskatoon, albeit the choices are many more as we have ten restaurants and saskatoon has more participating.

So the whole thing about the superstore adds to attract people to Alberta is annoying. Perhaps Saskatchewan should run an ad stating "move to saskatchewan where living is still affordable." and guess what there's work too.

well, the first batch of clover blossoms are boiling for tea. The field is full of blossoms so it will be pick, pick, pick for the next while. The black pansy jelly is fabulous. with access to more flowers for each batch the flavor and color is more intense and quite delightful. Now, just to order some jars for the syrup and the jelly. Then I have an opportunity to display them at the tourism centre in pa and a small organic restauant in the city is interested in trying a few things. If only I had the time to concentrate more on the flowers. oh well!

well, I am going to be on the telly tommorrow. Ctv at lunch time i believe. what to wear, what to wear, my oh my, what to wear?

ho ho ho, it's off to work we go, soooo is that work all day in prince albert or work in the garden with the pansies, or work in the house with the meals and the cleaning or work with the papers, ho ho ho it's off to work, work, work, we go.

Congratulations to Carmen and Dan, a great baby girl, a sister for Hannah and between her and hannah probably a lot of trouble for cousin hayden when they visit.

bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz whine bzzzzzzzzzzzzzz whine, I think perhaps someone has let in some mosquitos. why do you suppose they only come out just a split second before you fall asleep, only to be so rudely awakened by that annoying little sound. I think I would be happier if they would just bite and get it over with rather than circling for hours looking for the tenderest spot to munch on.

rain, rain rain and more rain, I believe tuesday is going to be sunny, hope their right. Fun Food and Golf onf Thursday, so better not be raining.

well, it's off to the head and neck specialist in Saskatoon to check out the old lumpy thyroid. June 21st is the day, hopefully he will be able to tell me something and not just line up a whole battery of tests that will take another six weeks from which to get results. A surgery date to simply make it go away would be nice.

well, caragana jelly is quite interesting tastes a lot like lemon meringue pie. Very light color though.

well, the lilac flower jelly is very tasty almost addictive it is sooo good. We are only in need of some certo and we can try some caragana flower jelly tomorrow. Much more fun than fighting off the black ants which seem to have decided our house is their house. WE will fix them tommorrow too when the ant traps come out. ha ha ha. I am not even really sure where they are coming from as I haven't seen any ant hills nearby. perhaps they are lurking in the basement and are planning an acttack on us because we are eating the flowers. I can just see it now, Alfred Hitchcock's The Ant's

ok, soooooo, maybe making jelly from lilac flowers is well, perhaps a little less than yummy. or at least the juice that we made prior to making the jelly is a bit questionable. but then, pansy juice is a little vegtable tasting as well, and makes a great jelly. go figure. We shall now the truth tommorrow when we turn the lilac juice into lilac jelly.

It's official as of June 5th, I will be the CEO for the Prince Albert Chamber of Commerce. That will make life even busier than it already is. The chickweed is back, how about some bacon, tomato and chickweed sandwiches.

o where o where has my little dog gone, oh where oh where can he be, with his tail cut short and his ears so long, oh where oh where can he be. do you suppose that the more nursey rhymes one knows and can recite the less stressful the real world becomes.

scored at the auction for sure! a ten gallon crock and cabbage masher, a stainless steel steamer/juicer, numerous like new muffin tins and cookie sheets, two umbrellas, a air cooler chair cushion, a push wheel type garden seeder and of course coffee and hot dogs. Now all I need is about three pounds of nasturtium seeds. Tried the steamer/juicer out on the stinging nettles to day. Worked like a charm, juice from the nettles was as clear as a bell and tasty too.

well, the stinging nettles are growing quite nicely. I will have to try the stinging nettle lasagna recipe I found the other day. Or maybe I will just make some more tea for all of us sooooo unhealthy people. We will have to give the chickweed a try soon, too, it appears to be getting big enough to cut and turn into a yummy infusion. or maybe I will try out the chickweed pita recipe. hmmm, can't wait.

Arianna won, first year best cadet, out of seven possible other air cadets in level one, Arianna won, a lovely plaque to hang in her bedroom. She now has a number of badges to which we must find the appropriate place on the air cadet uniform to sew them. They must be sewn on before air cadet music camp in august or before she goes anywhere else, eeek, that is this sunday for the mothers day brunch. I will need to go on the internet to find a picture of the sleeve with the badges on it and sew them on in the next few days.

ok, so one of the ladies who bought my magic muscle rub phoned and said that she was so pleased as she was able to lift her arm, after only using the rub for a week. She couldnt lift her arm before, because of the pain in her shoulder. hmmm, might have to raise the price on that baby. I wonder how the magic chickweed excema cream is working?

brrrr, it is so darn cold today, I was going to harvest some stinging nettles for stinging nettle hair tonic today, but it is to cold to even think about that idea. At least the roasting chicken in the oven in the kitchen stove is keeping the house toasty warm. Glad tommorrow is going to be a balmy plus ten.

congratulations to marc and angela on the birth of a baby boy, eleven weeks early and only two pounds eight and one half ounces, just a little wee person today, but time and weight gain will make a big difference.

well, the trade show was interesting, our products were well received and even an extra order two days later for arianna's special smart dog, pet treats. Even cadbury the old dog rolls over for arianna's treats. coconut lip balm, peppermint lip balm, carrot and portulaca muscle rub, all best sellers this weekend. Special invitations to the prince albert and melfort trade shows and two and a half days across the hall from the lady who makes and sells the best fudge in saskatchewan. whew, what more can I say.

wow, just created the best lip balm around, peppermint lip balm with medicinal herb infused oils, product number two, a sore muscle, general owie cream for sore muscles and minor scrapes and cuts. So we have had to order more lip tubes and some exciting flavour oils such as blackberry, cool melon and orange creamsicle. mmmmmmmmmmmm so good for the lips.

well, the signs I ordered are being made and the decals for the truck should be ready some time next week. I managed to make eight more bottles of red clover blossom pancake syrup from frozen red clover blossoms. Taste good, looks good, hopefully they will present themsevles well at the trade show in april.

well, I finally spoke with someone in Edmonton who sells jars and plastic containers. $0.17 cents for the jars I want, incredible since I was budeting around fifty cents, so I will save money there. The plastic containers are also significantly cheaper than I was expecting. yippee.

snow on saturday, rain on sunday, that will be interesting

The snow banks made by the wind yesterday are so high on the gravel road they reach up to the windows of the Jimmy. We will see where the grader puts all that snow. At least we have a few days of a combination of clouds and sun and not necessarily snow. I suppose driving in saskatoon will be a challenge as well. oh well, maybe it will melt soon.

ok, so it doesn't snow, doesn't snow, doesn't snow for ages and ages, in fact all winter long, then whoa it snows enough just before spring to flood the whole province. Just exactly what's up with THAT!!

well, I have a new job. three days a week at handi works in Nipawin, filling an accounting position. I guess we shall see how that goes.

Well, that was certainly a lot of snow, we threw max the dog into the snowbank and lost him. So much for the wood pile, we can't seem to find it anymore. Good thing spring is on it's way.

well, it's off to the prairie ursline centre in Bruno, SK for an organic workshop, Two nights away from home, a breath of fresh air perhaps.

sigh!~

wow, that was easy, now I can simply add pics to my blog. I could never remember how to do it the other way.

happy birthday to gerald, happy birthday to gerald, on sunday he will be the same age as me. ha haha now he can't say he is younger than me, at least not for the next couple of months.

six puppies were abondoned and rescued by the Tisdale Vet Clinic. Great Pyrenees and Saint Bernard cross. Dogs that love kids but hate coyotes, hmmmm might have to check into that.

Well, I've put my request for assistance for a 135,000.00 capital project into the mail box and on it's way to Saskatoon. Only time will tell what the result of this particular request will be.

brrr, cold today, Community futures was quite a successful visit, yesterday. Now I just need to fill out a few forms and wait for their phone call on Tuesday.

mmmmm, watching the food network always makes me sooooo hungry.

what lovely hands you have my dear. Must be using my new red clover and lavendar hand cream.

well it's off to the races tommorrow, back to work in PA. hopefully I will have time to locate some lanolin for my red clover hand cream.

Well, I think we have determined where to put the flowers for the jellies. We went skidooing earlier today. It seems this spring, summer and fall will be quite busy with the products that need to be prepared to go to Calgary and the ones that need to be prepared to sell locally and in Saskatoon.

skating on the dug out was fun, I didn't know I could still skate. Unfortunately Arianna's skates were a little big, I guess I will need to find some that fit. Walmart here we come.

zowie, I need to make 5000 flower jellies, I have a store that is willing to take them on display and to the art and trade show in Calgary. I will have to order 300 pansies, hopefully they will all grow and prosper enough to make 5000 jellies plus fresh flower sales to the restaurants.

well, I must say, the Chronicles of Narnia, The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe is worth going to the big screen theatre for. I certainly enjoyed the movie, as did Crystal, Arianna for the second time and Gerald.