Smithers Centennial - The Rest of MY Story

I wrote a post about the Smithers Centennial and how I and my 'family of origin' are connected with this event.  I posted "Happy 100th Birthday, Smithers, BC" after cutting some of what I had written.  I cut it because I decided to put a link to that post on Facebook, my page and the Smithers Centennial 2013 page, and I felt that not all of what I had written need be part of that post. Yet, I didn't want to just delete what I had written.  Maybe it's more something that should be shared in a Diary, or in a Personal Journal.  I have chosen to share those words here instead of hiding them away, even though they are about my feelings and may have no real interest to anyone other than myself... or they may.  If you are about to read this post, you may want to go read that first part first, then return here to read the rest.

Here is the rest of the story:

For many years I was very unhappy with my parents for moving us away from Smithers, though I have been having a very good life in the Okanagan Valley, and am now happy to be here.  I think it is only since 2000 that I no longer think of that town as my home.  I often dreamed about being on the road traveling from Vernon to Smithers, or Smithers to Vernon, or being in one preparing to travel to the other, feeling torn between my two homes.  It's not all that long since I last had one of these dreams.  I think that, in my heart, I have now chosen, that I now finally truly know which is my home.  I am here, at home in Vernon where I have a good life, a nice home, and many dear friends.

This evening, while visiting Mom, she asked me if I was glad we moved down to this area of our province.  I don't know.  For so many years I felt I had been taken away from where I was meant to be, and I knew in my heart of hearts that I would have married the boy I knew since I was a little girl, the absolutely gorgeous man I spent some time with when visiting as an adult. I believe that had he not been married to another by that time, we would have gotten together all those years later since the childhood love was still there... for both of us. After that visit I never saw him again, for he was killed in an accident way too young.

I will never know what my life would have been like had we stayed in Smithers, I can only guess at that.  I know my life has not always been happy here, but who's life is always happy? Would it have been happier if we had stayed in Smithers??  It has certainly not turned out the way I had hoped, the way I had envisioned it would be. Yet, I suspect it has turned out the way it was meant to be.  Am I glad we moved away from Smithers? No!! Am I sorry we moved away from Smithers? No.  It is what it is.... period!

I thought I was finished writing this post.... I was going to hit "Publish"... yet I have said nothing in either Smithers post about my Aunt Mable. My mother's sister.  She was so much a part of our lives as we were growing up.  I so miss my beloved Aunt Mable!! She has been gone many years now and life has never been quite the same without her here.  I look forward to the day I see Aunt Mable again...

 Tears are rolling down my face now... it is time to end this post.


(Picture from Google Images)

2013 Is Coming

Here we are with Christmas behind us once again.... until next year. And with Christmas over, we are about to cross from 2012 to 2013 with nothing but the barest moment between them.  One second it is this year and the next second it is that. Such a smooth transition that you can't not even feel it.... not even if you try. The slip of a second.... like the blink of an eye.  Yes, the year is so close to over and the new year will begin.  Having come from a time in the 1900s this 2013 seems most strange.  Most odd that we would be here and I only barely past the middle of the years I likely will spend here.  Yet, here I sit reminiscing and 'waxing poetic' while friends are out having a good time celebrating the last Saturday night of 2012.  I hope all have a good time wherever they are and wherever they may live... I just hope that by morning none of them need the services of a top San Diego law firm, not to mention of a hospital or morgue.  I wish people all over the globe Peace, Love, Perfect Health, Prosperity and all in all, Joy.

12-12-12

We have had a very special opportunity in life.  We have lived through 12 years of sequential dates.  Starting with January 1st, 2001 (01/01/01), then February 2nd, 2002.  My niece Becky was pregnant with her 1st baby, her son Clayton, and since she is a diabetic her doctor decided to bring on the baby on 02/02/02.  What an awesome birth date that would be!!! Then Clayton changed the plan and he joined us on Earth on January 26, 2002.  Now, it is the last sequential date of my lifetime... it is 12/12/12 (December 12th, 2012).  My how time has flown by!!

My friends Stacia & Lucky had a baby girl back 20 some years ago, they named her Angel, and she has been an angel, for sure.  Now on November 11, 2012 (Remembrance Day here in Canada), Angel became a mother too.  Her wee son, Darius, may see 01/01/01 when it comes around again 88 years from now, January 1st, 2101 when he has just turned 88 years of age, and maybe he will even live to 100 years of ages, seeing December 12, 2112.  Yes, it is all very possible for Darius and other new born babies alive now to see the next run of sequential dates.... yet for you and me, we lived through these ones and that is that.

I was born in the 1950s, so when the year 2000 (or Y2K as many called it) arrived, I not only lived through the change of one century to another, as many have and many others will do, but I and others alive at the turn of the year also experienced changing from on millennium to another.  That is kind of big when you think of it. It will be a very, very long time before anyone else lives through the change of millenniums again.

If you are reading this post you probably also lived these 'special' dates.... or did you? Apparently whatever is posted on the internet will stay here forever, so maybe when you read this it will be 12 hours after I post, or 45 months later, even 632 years after today.  Maybe, just maybe, you will be reading my blog sometime in the next millennium!!  Whenever you read this post, this blog, I wish you and your loved ones abundant prosperity, peace, joy, love.

Just Thinking

With all the traveling I've been doing lately and all the events I've been going to, I meet a lot of new people. Though some of them I feel I was only meant to see and talk to for a short time, there are some I want to keep in touch with. Also, some of the I want to give information on All Canadian Riders Club (ACRC), or the Brothers of the Third Wheel (BTW) organization of trikers.  I remember a few ties when I have given out Hammer's phone number to people who want information about the ACRC.  Sometimes I think it would be a good thing to have business cards that I can give out, after all, business cards are not just for those working or running their own business.  I was looking on the net and saw some really interesting plastic printed cards that would be great for this kind of thing.  I think they would look nice, stand out among paper cards, not be harmed by water so far as I know and would, just like me, be just a bit "different", lol. This weekend I am off with friends from the ACRC to go camping and take in a big Jazz Festival.  I wonder how many people I will meet there that would like to have one of my business cards.

Life Changes

I have always been one to do a lot of crafts. In my teens I taught my self how to crochet and made many nice doilies, most I gave away as gifts though some I did keep for myself. As I sit here I look across the room at the end table by the TV and I see the top of it completely covered by one of those doilies that I made and kept. I remember when I taught myself how to macrame.  The biggest hanger I made was a hanging table with a plant hanger in the top of it.  I was living with a guy at the time and just as I finished the hanger we broke up and I moved out, foolishly leaving the hanger behind for him because he had paid for the materials and I didn't want anyone to be able to say I took what wasn't mine, yet with all the hours of work I put into making it I now see that he got to keep what wasn't his. Hmmm, I wonder if he still has it all these years later, lol.  Over the years I taught myself many different crafts, including Native style bead work: using the tiny little seed beads, making necklaces, earrings, hat bands, bracelets, hair clips.... punch embroidery: I made lots of things, including a big eagle for Doug's jacket (the man I was with at that time), cowboy boots with musical instruments leaning against them and the hat on top for Doug's vest, an eagle head for the back of one of my dresses and many other things, including a peacock which I sold for $200. I did ceramics and still have some of the things I made. I did regular embroidery for a long time too.  I know there were many other crafts that I can't seem to think of just know, then I got into spinning & weaving. Take raw sheep fleeces and turn them into useable wool, then weave with some of it. Some of the things I wove include scarves (I gave some away and kept some), 3 table runners (1 to sister Marcy, 1 to Mom, 1 to brother Terry for his wedding gift. Planned to make one for me but never got it done).  I still have lots of skeins of wool around and loads of threads for weaving... and for years now my spinning wheel and loom have been sitting here collecting dust. I gave 1 of my spinning wheels to niece Rebecca for Christmas this year.  So, after a life time of crafts what am I doing now? Well, not much.  The only thing I've done in a very long time is I recently made some very simple book marks using stretch thread and large hole beads.  A friend gave me one she had made, it is so handy that I made several more for myself.  It's funny how we change over the years, how our interests change. I wonder if I will ever be interested in crafts again and if so which ones.  Will I use the loom again or should I dust it off and sell it, along with the warping board and all the other bits and pieces involved in weaving.

Random Thinking

With all the men in my life you'd think there would be a lot of testosterone flying around, and there is some.... but not as much as when we were younger. The guys from one of my motorcycle clubs are working on my trike rebuild, another is doing the prep work for the paint job he'll be doing on the gas tank and fenders of the trike, and I have other guy friends that I spend time with. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm happy they don't go looking into ageless male reviews to find ways of being more ruled by their bodies.... though I'm sure the wives of some of them might enjoy a bit more excitement, or maybe not. Okay, so I'm just sayin'... lol.

My Bed

I have always loved antique furniture and was delighted when my parents one year long ago now gave me their old bedroom set.  It has the bed with head and foot boards, one of those bedroom vanity sets with the vanity and stool, and what they always called a highboy... a tall dresser with 4 drawers.  The bed was still the old style with a set of springs that the mattress rests on, no box spring.  Well, I slept on this bed for nearly 20 years, then this fall I bought a really awesome box spring and mattress, brand new.  They are the first ones I've ever bought.  I put the old springs and mattress outside in the carport for now, and put the box spring and mattress with the old bed.  It makes for one very high bed to climb up on each morning, but it sure is comfortable to sleep in all night.  I am so grateful for the comfort of this new bed and for the fact I have so much less pain all night than I did before. 

Valentines.

Do you think you'll get flowers for Valentine's Day? I mean, it's only 10 days away, the 'Day of Romance' that comes but once a year. I have never gotten flowers or candy or for that matter, anything that I can remember for Valentines. Most of my life I've been single though I have been in relationships on Valentines day. I guess I've just never had romantic men in my life. Maybe that's why I am and have usually been single. Actually, a man friend of mine did give me a bouquet of flowers last week. That was a real big surprise. I've known him for nearly 10 years now and this is the first time. No, he's not suddenly decided he wants 'something more' with me, he likes just being good friends and so do I. Maybe one day I will find 'Mr. Right' and if not that's good too. I am not sure if I want to be tied down or not, after all, I'm only 55 so maybe not quite old enough for a committed relationship. ;o) Ahhhh, but I do love the critters I share my life with.

Thoughts & Catching Up - 3

When I got home, Monday August 10th it was a big job to pull everything together for the Pasta Productions I had committed to putting on... on Saturday the 15th. As I didn't have enough volunteers (only had 1 in fact) I knew I'd have to do all the work myself. I decided to buy pasta sauce in jars and just fry up some onions & peppers to add to the sauce, and some ground beef to some of the sauce (have to have meat and vegetarian), then Linda was bringing Alfredo sauce, homemade, as well as helping cook the pasta & make the salad, etc. in the kitchen at the Centre. I also would set up tables & chairs, dress the tables, etc etc etc, then clean up later & set up for Sunday Service the next morning. Talking to a friend, George, he asked how I planned to do the sauce & I told him. He suggested I let him come do the cooking, LOL. I accepted. Dinner was late getting onto the table, but it was delicious!! A fabulous meal. I would prefer things to run on time, and I am grateful when they run... period. The concert was awesome!! Master guitarist Chris Madsen opened for the guest of honor, Anthony Burbidge. If you'd like to hear some of Anthony's music, you can do so on his web site. The next day, he performed a song at Sunday Service as well, and I bought a copy of his newest CD which he autographed for me "Alice - Queen of Pasta, Goddess of Love. Thank you. Anthony" Also on Sunday Patric Creelman performed 2 songs. He's been a regular at our Centre all summer as he's been up from New York City visiting his parents here. WOW can that man SING!! He even got a standing ovation, which he deserved. He's promised me he'll do a Pasta Productions for me when he's up here again so I look forward to that and will build a special production around him.

In the meantime, I have already got plans under way for the next Pasta Productions. It will be October 16th, to celebrate the 18th anniversary of the Centre in our city. I have a lady, Dawn, who asked a few weeks ago if she can do a reading of something she's written at an upcoming production... and my friend Cheif White Buffalo Man Many Feathers wants to do some of his traditional native singing & dancing, all painted up and in full regalia. That should be very interesting. Not sure who else will be performing yet, but I do know it will be fabulous... and as always I will be the MC for the evening. I also know I will have enough voluteers for this next one, they'll come as I need them so long as I trust and don't doubt. As much as I loved having George do the cooking and it was fabulous!!, I don't want to use him for the next one. I am honest and have told him that I am not ready to settle down into a committed relationship, just be friends and date and he seems cool with that for which I am grateful. When he's there I feel I have to be somewhat attentive to him and I know with Cheif there I won't want to be attentive to anyone but the Cheif. We don't see each other all that often and when we do it's special time. I've always felt a strong connection with him, even back when I knew him as Dean. He's a native spiritual man, a shaman, and he's told me that I was his wife in a past life. I believe him as my heart tells me it's the truth.

Working

As many of you already know, I do occasionally post ads on my blogs. I used to post them for Pay Per Post, as well as for PayU2Blog. Some time ago, due to a drop in my Page Rank, I found I wasn't getting any work from PPP, so I quit even checking there for any, and have been posting exclusively for PayU2Blog.

With PPP, I usually had to write posts exclusively about the product and my opinion on it, usually told to make it 'favorable' of course. With PayU2Blog, I do occasionally have to do that type of post, but usually am only required to post a link to the advertiser's web site, putting it in a minimum 60 word post. I like this better as I just have to write something that the word or phrase fits into, without an opinion required.

Recently, PayU2Blog decided that in order to continue working for them, all 'employees' must stop working for PPP and others like that. They also require us to remove links and tinyurls from past ads for these other companies from our blogs. Since I only do work for PU2B, I am fine with that first part, though it sure is a lot of work to go through back posts and do all this extra work. We can't label the posts as "Paid" or "Sponsored" or any words like that, we are just to post them as regular posts or we will no longer receive work, this not only a rule with PU2B, but also with PPP and likely other companies of this sort too. I made a label to put them under that has no words of this sort involved and does not use the company name as that is also against the rules. This is good for me as it makes these posts easier to find at a time like this.

With 2,182 posts done on this blog, as well as all the ones on Reba's Run, it's a lot to sort through to find the sponsored ones to make such changes, without, I might ad, removing the links from the PU2B ads I've done. So far, I've done 90 of them today. Not sure just how many more I have to get done here before heading over to Reba's, but think it's a fair bit yet.

Another requirement of continued 'employment' is to change the Discloser Policy as the original one was from PPP, though it has no link back to them or mention of them in any way. I started by making some small changes, then wiped it all out and used all my own words.

Lots of work.... and work I must do, so do it I will. I do enjoy doing the work for PayU2Blog, and I do find the money I earn is much needed in my life. It's not a huge amount, but does add up after some time, so is much appreciated.

I am posting this to all labels that hold old sponsored posts, even when the labels were still allowd to say they were sponsored. Kind of like 'capping them off'. Also to more current labels where I see fit to put them.

Another Tuesday

Today, among other things, I wrote a letter & faxed it, read emails as usual, other everyday stuff. Then Dan came over and while he was here I said that I need to raise my arm chair about 4" to make it easier for me to get out of. He went outside to my wood pile and made me one, just like that, haha. He didn't even have any of his saws with him, so had to do the work with one of my hand saws. He used 2x4s to make a frame, then attached a piece of plywood. Exactly what I had in mind. It really helps a lot!! I now have a lot less pain in back and knees when getting into and especially out of my chair. Now if only he could do that with the toilet, lol. It can be very painful to get onto and off of the toilet, something one would never think of until they have back problems.

I went this evening to Toastmasters in that town a little north of here. It was a very nice evening and I had a good time. I officially applied for membership in this club, so that will be voted on next week. Toastmasters International says every member must be voted in by the club. So, next week I'll see if I get in or not. I see no reason why not, but.... Both times I've visited this club, there has been snacks for during the break, and I love food!! The way I've been 'porking out' lately, maybe I should just join the bacon of the month club.

When I was getting ready to go out to Toastmasters, the phone rang, but I was just out of the shower and in a hurry, so I didn't bother to run and answer it. No message was left on the machine. Then the cell phone started to ring. Must be someone fairly close to me to call the home phone then the cell, so I ran for that one. It could be important, especially now with Mom not feeling well. It was Mike, my friend who lives 'down valley', the one I go to the Omak Stampede with every August. He drives truck and his boss just bought a new/newer truck down in Florida. These are not pickup trucks, but 'big' trucks. I don't know the exact details on this truck, but I do know that 'Boss' wants Mike to go to Florida and drive it home. Mike is going to ask him if he can take someone along to keep him company, cuz he's "too old to make that trip alone". Oh, he knows he 'can' take someone along, but he's going to see if that 'someone' will have expenses paid like he will, haha. If he can get his boss to pay MY way, and if I can get someone to stay at my home and look after my critters for a couple weeks, I'm off!! Mind you, it comes at not a great time, but I've never travelled much or far, so this would be an awesome oportunity.

1- Mom has not been well lately, she's 85 and needs help and company. My sister M lives in the same town as Mom, so has been spending more time with her lately, and cooking for her, but M & R are going "out of country" from Nov. 14 - 25, then will be gone to her daughters place in Calgary Dec. 3 - 11. Sister A is going "out of country" Nov. 18 - 28. Brother B was just out here to visit, but lives north of Edmonton, Alberta. Brother T lives "at the coast" so is also several hours away from here. M set up with some co-workers that Mom will call them if she needs anything and they will check on her sometimes. One was given my home and cell numbers in case I am needed. Also, I will go up to visit her on Tuesdays before I go to Toastmasters, if not more than that. So... this makes me pretty much the only one available to Mom for this next while.
2- At this time of the year it's harder to go away due to the colder weather. In warmer weather I can leave the animals for a few days and they are okay, but this time of the year I can't just leave Reba outside in case her water freezes and she has nothing to drink. Also, in warmer weather I don't need to worry about heat in the house, now I run a pellet stove that needs to be fed every day. The parrot and rat both need to be fed every day, the rat 2x a day in fact, so they need to 'go out' or have someone 'come in' to care for them.
3- November 28 is Pasta Productions!! I have been planning and co-ordinating this and will be preforming in it as well as being the MC for the evening. I am the Production Manager for Pasta Productions. What is Pasta Productions? A delicious Pasta Dinner, followed by an evening of Talent. From a 5 year old on piano to a professional singer/song writer, a former pro juggler will do a juggling show for us, a flute preformance, etc etc etc. It will be a great evening.
4- Judge Thomas Troward class. I will have to get someone to record the class or two I will miss, but no problem I'm sure. I'll leave my recorder and tapes and even Rev. Dale will record for me, I'm sure.

Soooo, I sure hope the trip to Florida will happen... and not until after November 28, and with someone I can trust to be here and 'critter sit' for me. Lots to think about. If 'Boss' says he won't pay my way I will either have to stay home or figure a way to pay for my part of it myself. That would be a trip to Oliver (gas in my truck), then I'd travel to the US with Mike and 'Boss' and fly down from Washington state to Florida (I'd have to pay that flight). I'd have to pay my own food most of the time, though if Mike has to have a hotel room and I share it with him my expense wouldn't be too big for that. He said something about coming back across southern US, then up the Pacific Coast, stop at Disney in California... hey, maybe in Florida too and compare the two, haha.

Well, enough dreaming for now. I must get busy. I have a lot to do yet.

Rambling on

Well, as far as I'm concerned, I should be able to make a sponsored post now because of all the 'stuff' there is between the last one and this one... however, I can't because it would be next to a short post and that's forbidden. The new rules definitely make more work for us, so make it harder to make a buck.

I've come to see that a lot of my problems lately are due to sitting at the computer too much. Yup, that's so. I have been taking less time here the last while and getting a few things done around my home that I've been neglecting due to putting all my time towards trying to make money here. I am really enjoying having some extra money, don't get me wrong there, and I am very grateful for it. It's just that it's been taking me likely 8 hours and more every day to study all the various ways to try to make my blog attract more traffic, including 'memes' almost every day, and trying to start my newest blog on it's own domain. So far, months and months later my blog is still a PR3, and I can't seem to figure out WordPress for my new blog, even with the help of James, a nice fellow who's been trying to help me. I know I'm not stupid, but must be having some kind of mental block and it's causing me a lot of stress. The tutorials WP gives don't even match the various programs I have and need to learn in order to work with WP, so how do I learn them?

The last couple days I've actually gotten to a point of not even wanting to be on the computer at all. I think I'm loosing my desire to blog... due of course to these issues. The upside is that I've gotten a bit of stuff done around here. This is a major plus.

Tomorrow I'm going away for the weekend and usually I would take my laptop with me. Heck, I usually take it along every time I even go to town! Yet, I am very seriously thinking about leaving it home. I really am getting to where I'm happier away from it than on it... strange.





One barely used blog on a private domain.

Paid almost $90 for the domain less than a month ago... will sell for $75 with the blog loaded and ready to go.