These weeks are just flying by! This whole year has gone so fast, I can’t believe we are in September. I am not done my spring cleaning and here I am chipping away at my fall cleaning.
Likewise, our Genie was just packing to leave for her summer adventure, and in five short days she will be heading home.
She is still making the most of every day of her travels across Canada. Today I am sharing photos that she took a few days ago, while checking out London, Ontario.
I didn’t crop or adjust any of these photo to correct the angle. I don’t know if the streets in Ontario tend to run at a slant or if Genie has a tendency to lean when she is taking photos, but I will just go with what she sent. Either way, with her artistic bent, I can see why Genie would have enjoyed visiting this area and taking photos of these beautiful buildings.
That is it for today. Take care and have a great day! 💞🌞
Our girl Genie has moved on from Toronto to her last stop in London, Ontario. Eleven more days and she will be back home. 🥰
Genie was supposed to engage in one more special adventure this week – taking a train from Toronto to London. That is not an opportunity that presents itself in Saskatchewan. Unfortunately, being one of the exhibition employees who took a first aid course earlier in the season, she was called up for duty this week. Part of being the First Responder on duty meant staying around until the exhibition tear down was complete and travelling with the other employees in the company buses. I keep forgetting to ask her who would take care of her if she was injured while she is tasked with being the First Responder. That is probably one of those things I don’t really need or want to know. 😯
Genie did manage to send me a few more photos to share while waiting for the buses to arrive….
I am not positive but I think the woman beside Genie worked GuestServices in KiddieLand with her in Toronto. She loved working with her because she was so nicethat she reminded herof Grandma.Awww…💞Just a pigeon passing by…And a little moth stopping for a rest. That ladybug from last week must have given Genie a good review. 🙂There was a big airshow going on above the exhibition the last few days that they were in Toronto.Genie said she was bothered by the loud, low flying jets. Since this was the best photo she could get, we will just have to take her word on this one. 😂😂😂
That is it for today. Hopefully I will have more news on how London is going when Genie files her regular Sunday report.
It is Sunday morning, so that means another update from our wandering girl Genie. It is the final day of the Calgary Stampede so tomorrow it will be time to tear down the midway and move on to Edmonton.
Genie’s been working some pretty intense hours in Calgary, but this week she did find the time to follow her heart and visit the art displays. She sent me photos of a few of her favourite finds, so hope you enjoy! All of these are just amazing and a tribute to the talent of their creators.
This Native chief was done entirely of melted wax crayons. Wooden Sculpture My favourite!I can see how this one made Genies list of favourites. She has always had a soft spot for angels. (I think she can relate.💞)Genie’s first book collection.
A little angel background…. When Genie was too young for preschool, she understood the concept of words and taught herself to read by having us help her to read signs – any and ALL signs. When she was about seven or eight, we went to Walmart one day, where local author Henry Ripplinger was signing copies of the first book in his “The Angelic Letters Series”. Genie was star struck to meet an actual published author. He told her she was probably too young for his books but she turned those big eyes on me and of course Grandma indulged. Needless to say, she read the book, cover to cover barely setting it down, and she was hooked. She has acquired and devoured every book in the series since. I believe she had gotten most if not all of them autographed.
That is about it for today. Molly is sleeping off our morning walk (which went less than stellar), Dan is at work, and it is time for me to sweep and dust for the first of several attempts to keep this place in relative order today.
Grandpa’s girl Genie has gone off to join the circus this summer. (She is actually working Guest Services for North American Midway Entertainment, but joining a circus sounds so much better. 😂😂😂)
So far she has been doing her usual best of working hard, taking pride in her work, enjoying her job, and saving the bulk of her paycheques for another year of college courses. She texts every Sunday morning and so far her only downside has been home sickness (being a total home body 😯) and at times being overly busy with guests, guest, guests! (Did I mention she was working Guest Services? 😂)
I asked Genie to send me a few photos from her travels that I could share here. I’m not sure if it is because this is the Calgary Stampede or if it is just her typical love of animals, but she does seem to have a theme going here.
Probably the view from their bunking quarters.Probably the view of a truck she liked. 😂Almost a horse…The real deal!A cow?Has to be a bull…Or a cow with horns? 🙄Piglets 💞More piglets.. 💞
Genie will be off to Edmonton in a few days. I’m anxious to see what her focus will be there. Their annual exhibition is called Klondike Days so we might see some gold.👍
Following Edmonton it will be Buffalo Days in Regina! I’m not sure how many buffaloes we will see but there will definitely be updated photos of Molly and her favourite human.
Molly was SO little. If we do this shot again, she will have her paws on the top of Genie’s head. 😳
That’s it for today. We finally had a good solid rain last night – with thunder and lightening. The risk of more of the same has finally passed so it is time for Molly and I to venture out.
It is the first official day of summer so I am showcasing a new seasonal appropriate header photo. I forgot to ask her to autograph it, but this one comes from our twelve year old granddaughter Maddy. It has to be a self portrait because it sure reminds me of her – right down to the perennially skinned knees.
For those who use the WordPress reader and don’t see the header photo.
We are starting out the summer with a gloomy, cloudy day but it will be all rainbows if we get some much needed rain today.
To finish getting Molly ready for summer walks and outings, we paid a visit to the veterinary clinic for her final round of puppy shots yesterday. I am so glad that we are done with that and so grateful that we can afford the care and protection that it takes to keep her strong and healthy. She weighed in at a whopping 42.5 pounds at four months old.
I’m sorry I don’t know where this meme originated but Dan shared it with me last night and I think it is hilarious – and very much Molly. I am the one with the wine glass. 😂
Here’s wishing all a wonderful summer. Take care and have a great day!
Today, Dan and I are celebrating the ‘Angels Among Us’ – or specifically one angel that came into our lives eighteen years ago today.
While all of our grandchildren are perfectly amazing, Genevieve (Genie) was the first and she changed our lives. From day one, she radiated the sweetest innocence. She became the toddler who loved every ladybug, climbed and crawled and danced her way into every heart.
So tiny and innocent
Precious and precocious
By the time Genie started school, she was the poised and and precious older sister – a Grandpa’s girl who possessed the kindness and wisdom of one beyond her years.
Serious and scholastic
With Maddy, little sister and sidekick
Through the years we have watched our Genie grow, bigger and stronger, but always true to who she is – kind, caring, bright and brave, loving and determined to make this world a better place. And she always will – because she truly is one of those angels who touch the hearts of all she meets and fills the hearts of those of us who are blessed to know and love her.
Happy Birthday, Sweetie – We love you and we are so proud of you. All the best wishes for you, forever and always. 💞
I had a number of reasons to feel grateful yesterday. One of my favourites was a short visit from two of our granddaughters – Brook and Genie. Brook was in town and she dropped by to tell me that by Christmas I would be a great-grandmother! I love babies, tots, kids, tweens, teens and as high as our grands take it. But seriously – I am going to be a 😳😳😳 great-grandmother!
Genie as newborn – now 17
Becoming a grandmother seventeen years ago was a bit of a wake up call but I could work with it. Genie called her mother ‘Mommy’ and I was ‘Mom’ (That is what everybody else called me in those days 🤷).
Rory at 3 yrs old – now 16
Rory followed soon after, but due to medical issues – specifically muscle and joint issue – he barely spoke for quite some time. Dan was ‘HaHa’. I was more of an ‘AhAh’.
Gabby at 3 yrs old – now 16
Gabby was next. We seldom saw her so she was a bit too shy around us to throw the ‘Grandma’ word around willy nilly.
Brook at 6 – Genie at 4 Now 20 & 17
Brook was five when she was brought into the family and she already had a Grandma. I have always been ‘Anne’ to her.
Maddy at 2 yrs old – now 11
Then Maddy came along and there was no denying. I was ‘GRANDMA’. Grandma, grandma, grandma…. Maddy started speaking fluently when she was about five minutes old and ‘Grandma’ was her magic word. After the seventeenth ‘Grandma’ in a row, Maddy scored whatever she ‘needed’ – panties, sneakers, McDonalds, boots, Playdoh, coloring books and one balloon on a stick! 😂
Prim at 6, Lucas at 4, Cason at 4 mos. Now 9, 6, & 2
Since Maddy, four more grands have joined the family. Prim, Lucas, and Cason joined ranks with Maddy. ‘Grandma’ became official and I officially got older.
Dom at 2 yrs – now 6
Except for Dominic. He insists on calling me ‘Nana’. In turn, I call him ‘Fred’. He does not like it but he has yet to figure a work-around. 😁
With one more grand on the way in November, now I have to face reality at a new level. Great-Grandmother!
Regardless, it will all be worth it to have another little one in the family. We are beginning a new generation and I am sure each and every one of these babes will be unique, amazing, and someone in our lives to be infinitely grateful for.
“The trick is to age honestly and gracefully and make it look so great that everyone looks forward to it.”
– Emma Thompson
(What a lovely legacy to leave one’s growing family!)
We are getting our share of the heatwave this week. It is a little warm to get motivated but I have a few July ‘Magical Moments’ to share today. I hope you enjoy.💞
The magic of modern technology yesterday when I headed out to the store. Brian Adams and air conditioning. I even tried the seat butt cooler. Jury is still out on that. 😂My Coral Bells (Heuchera) are starting to bloom! The blossoms attract butterflies and produce seeds which I can use the to start new plants next year. Because the seeds from a plant can be any color, irrelevant to the parent plant, next year I will have a rainbow of Heuchera plants.And our cucumbers are finally starting to take off 🤗Best magical moment for the day – our granddaughter Gabby is celebrating her sweet sixteen birthday today. Sweet she is – especially when she is doting on her little brothers! 🎂
I hope you enjoyed our July Magical Moments of the day and here is wishing you all a bit of your own magic today! 💞
It is Day 30 of my thirty day June ‘Accentuate the Positive’ challenge. I have been officially retired for a solid year and I have proven to myself that I can still pull together the focus, the capability, and the inspiration to succeed – on time and on budget! 🤣🤣
I have thought about this final post for pretty much the past month. I was pretty confident the entire post would ‘Accentuate’ my sense of accomplishment. However, “the best laid plans of mice and men” has declared that today I must share the spotlight. Last night I received a text from our granddaughter.
After seventeen years of filling our lives with hugs and kisses, giggles and ladybug liberties, our Genie has graduated – along with her partner in cuteness, Alec. Congratulations you two!
Genevieve (Genie) over the yearsGenie & Alec’s pandemic graduation. (Notice how color coordinated they are?)
Genie was also officially diagnosed with h-eds this week. That may not sound like a positive but it so is. You cannot deal with, access the treatment and therapy you require, or get your physician to consider that you have, an all-encompassing condition, until you have a legit diagnosis on your medical records. I know this because Genie’s siblings are affected, her mother (my daughter Jenn) is affected, I have been affected, and my Mother was affected. Lack of a proper diagnosis has caused enough unnecessary pain and issues for our family. So yea, this is a positive!
Back to me… I have thoroughly enjoyed this challenge that I set for myself. It has helped me to appreciate the positive in my life. For those who have been following, or dropping in from time to time, I hope that your moments with me have been enjoyable and a little bit uplifting. I genuinely appreciated your comments, compliments and thumbs up (likes).
The reason I chose the “Accentuate the Positive” challenge for June was because there has been so much struggling and suffering around for so long. Covid, difficult economic times, political issues, crime and violence, anger and frustration, mental health issues, racial issues and the like, are all wearing people down. I felt that posting a little warm and fuzzy every day was just a nice and timely thing to do.
I know that my June blogs have not fixed all that ails our world. I did not expect them to. But, I am no quitter! 🤣 Tomorrow I am starting a new series of blogs. It will not be a challenge (because I know I’ve got this). It will simply be my mission for July. I hope you will drop by from time to time to check it out.
Growing up in my family we kept to a fairly predictable schedule. (My mother was a drill Sargent in her previous life 🤣) Dinner was at 12 noon, supper was at 6 PM, laundry was done on Monday morning, and birthdays and holidays were celebrated on their appropriate dates.
When my family was young, our schedule was somewhat predictable. Meals were always at the table. Supper was 6ish, I did laundry once a week, and birthdays and holidays were celebrated on or close to appropriate dates.
Between Dan’s 24/7 shifts, kids growing up and having their own families, and various births and health crises, our schedule has become rather loosely goosey…. We eat, we do a load of laundry when one of us happens to go downstairs for whatever reason, and we celebrate birthdays and holidays.
Last night we had granddaughter Genie and her boyfriend Alex/Ben over. We enjoyed our Christmas turkey supper, topped off with a peanut butter cheesecake to celebrate Genie’s birthday (she will turn 17 on December 24th – and she doesn’t eat peanuts 🤦- I made her a mug cake and dressed it up for the occasion).
Aren’t they the cutest?I love Genie’s hair – gorgeous colour.My amazing husband who helped make supper and cleared away all of the leftovers. My less than amazing dog lurking for any flying food that Genie lost control over.
Dan is scheduled to work straight through December 22nd to 26th but we will be getting together with Genie and Alex/Ben on the 30th. But, we won’t be celebrating New Year’s 😂 – they are coming with us to son Dan’s wedding on the 31st. New Year’s will have to merge with Easter and Dan’s birthday sometime in the spring.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year’s – I hope you have the opportunity to celebrate the holidays with your loved ones!🌲☃️ And for our southern neighbours – Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃
Seclusion 101 with AnneMarie 