The Old Year is Almost Done!

The new year is almost upon us and I can't help but think back on the past year with mixed emotions. It has been a year of ups and downs. On the upside there was my trip to Quebec which renewed my love for this country and energized me to continue to work to preserve it for future generations. There was my introduction to professional baseball and the accompanying Chicken Dance that is done at every game. I love it! New friends and new relationships.
The downside has been my back and neck problem, the unstable economic situation, lack of affordable housing and the grave illness of a relative.

The thing that was lacking for me in 2008 was stability. I never felt that anything in my life was for sure. I wish I had spent more time playing and laughing and less time worrying. Life happens no matter how much you worry about it or try to manage it. No matter where I end up next year it will be where I am supposed to be that I am sure. The end of this year has seen me sadder, poorer and fatter, but it has also made me wiser.

I never make new year resolutions as I always believe that they just set you up for failure. However, I intend to eat more healthy and get more exercise. I also plan on enjoying life more and worrying less. To do that I want to spend more time doing what I love - hiking with Miss Lucy and taking photos.

I am grateful for all the new people who have passed through my life this year and all those that have stayed with me over the years. I am also grateful for my blogging friends. Many days your encouragement and cheerful comments left on my blog brought a smile to my face and gave me hope that someone in the world cared. Thank you so much for that. I hope that everyone of you have a healthy, happy new year.

Bye Bye Christmas 08!

This Christmas stockings that were hung by the chimney with care are now drying out on the heaters that everyone is burning night and day around the province in a vain attempt to keep warm.

This Christmas has to be the worst I have ever remembered for bad weather. Christmas eve, Christmas day and Boxing day saw me trudging through the snow to get the last of the shopping done, deliver gifts and have Christmas dinner.

Most of the holiday I took sky train which at the best of times is unreliable and right now is subject to closure without notice on an hourly basis. As I sit here bundled in my coat and new boots I thank god for these boots not to mention the person that purchased them for me as a gift only days before we got our first real dump of snow. These boots have been the only thing keeping me sane while walking Lucy and waiting shivering in the wet and cold for buses and sky trains.

All the bad weather aside - I did enjoy my Christmas with lots of nice gifts and kind words in greeting cards and e-mails from close friends. I gave thanks that all the people I am close to enjoyed their Christmas despite of the challenges many of them are facing this year.

I am saddened however, that while I celebrated what is supposed to be a season of good will and peace on earth, hundreds were killed or injured in senseless fighting in Gaza, car bombs continued to go off in Baghdad killing innocent civilians, three more Canadian soldiers were killed in Afghanistan and children in Canada, one of the wealthiest countries in the world, continue to go hungry in ever increasing numbers.

I hope that all of you have had a safe, happy and healthy Christmas.

Merry Christmas

Dreaming of a White Christmas??

You Got it - Happy Shoveling Vancouver!!

Winter Wonderland... or Hell?

Winter arrived with a vengeance this week. We have had about 35 - 40 cm of snow and if you don't have to leave the house it looks lovely. Unfortunately we were not that lucky. On Sunday while the storm raged and most people stayed off the roads we made an hour and a half long trek to take my daughter to the dentist and then on to visit a relative who is in a hospice near her dentists.

The snow did not let up most of the night and this morning it was almost impossible to get anywhere in the city. Most of us are not used to this kind of weather and here in lotus land our municipalities do not really have the capacity to deal with a major snow fall of this kind. Most of the time they only manage to clear the main roads and unlike eastern Canada we do not have the capacity to cart away the snow so we have piles of it taking up one lane of most roads. The side roads are almost impossible to get around on. Tonight while I have been typing this two vehicles have gotten stuck on the corner outside my house. My car is parked in Burnaby where I ended up getting caught by the storm and I doubt I will be getting it home till after Christmas making finishing up those Christmas shopping tasks almost impossible.

However not all is lost in the snow. These little birds were a delight to watch outside of my friends house today. They were busy fighting over the seeds the landlord had put in the bird feeder.

And the trees in the park look lovely in their winter whites.
It has quit snowing here this evening, but the temperature is expected to get to -7 tonight and more snow is expected Christmas eve and Christmas day.

I am hoping that the Grinch will not steal Christmas this year!