Two Little Pumpkins & A Jackolantern

Happy Halloweeny y'all !

Dreamgirl's Living Nightmare

Like all of you , I am appalled and sickened by the shooting deaths of Jennifer Hudson's family members . I have followed Jennifer's climb to fame and amazing vocals since her American Idol days . In one horrible instant, a madman took all that was precious from her. A mother , a brother , and a seven year old boy killed .. for what ? As the weeks go by , I am sure the forces of good will uncover the facts to this atrocity in Chicago . If you had ever had the chance to catch an interview with Jennifer Hudson , you could not help but be swept away with her vivacity and joy .
Her rise to fame and strong voice became a rags to riches story audiences love .
I pray that this talented young singer and actress finds a way to cope with this unimaginable horror .

99 Balloons

Donut

My paternal grandfather used to call me Donna Donut . A childhood nic name that became more than prophetic . While in B.C , The Sisters took us to a local Farmer's Market where I found( or smelled) a booth reminiscent of my youth. It reminded me not only of my Grandfather but of the homemade donuts my Mom use to make for us on special occasions . Mom had a well worn pot she kept for deep frying and a strange little metal gadget that my Father had ordered for her from a magazine . My brothers , sister and I could smell the dough bubbling away in that old pot and it would draw us to the kitchen and to Mom . There were no donut shops then . As kids , we felt very special that our family could enjoy this donut delicacy in our own home , thanks to our parents , an old pot of oil , and that little metal dough plunger .
That same smell drew me to the little booth where golden , hot sugared, donut rings, made the old fashioned way , lured me to buy and to taste a piece of my past just like Mom use to make .
Like a song remembered , food can recall a long forgotten but oh so fond memory .

Sunday Is For Angels

My little love bird Secuna passed away this morning . He was 22 years old . Another little piece of my heart flown away on the wings of love .

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under the sun. A time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill and a time to heal ... a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance ... a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to lose and a time to seek; a time to rend and a time to sew; a time to keep silent and a time to speak; a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace.

Wiz The Warrior

My little studman has had a triumphant return home from the battlefield . With or without his manhood intact, The Wizard Of Paws has proven without a doubt that the bigger they are the harder they fall. He was up and around lookin' for love in all the wrong places before you could say the word gonads .
There will be a few stitches to be removed in 10 days but I am sure Wiz will come through the ordeal in true terrier spunk .
The Wizard is now resting the family jewels and dreaming of Cocoa next door .
P.S. Thanks to Uncle Bobbypupcakes for thinking of him .

The Big Snip

Who me ?

My little boy becomes a man today . I took Wizard in at 8 am this morning to be neutered . How fast they grow . It seems like yesterday he was peeing on the floor and chewing his toys . Oh wait, he still does that . I feel really bad about the big snip because of his size . My vet explains that I have " small dog syndrome "and assured me everything would be just fine . He asked if I wanted pain medication and of course I said yes , because I was sure I would have a headache from worrying about my little Wiz all day . Dr. B said "Donna , it is for the dog not you ." I know this is for the best . Wizzy has been humping his little stuffed weenie dog for months now , lifting his teeny leg whenever he feels the urge and getting himself lost under Karma's tail .
I pick him up at 4 pm . I hope he forgives me .
I miss my little porn star .

The Skyrocket Program

While I was out west , I am proud to say that I was a contributing member of the local Skyrocket program on a daily basis . I had never heard of the particular program before this trip . There were no official documents to sign nor was there an initial training course. Luckily for me , I was able to give without too much strain or upheaval . I usually contributed in the morning . I think a lot of people gave after their morning coffee intake . There was the odd time , I was feeling overly generous and gave twice . In the beginning , I had to wonder if I was in some sort of covert operation and would be canned for smuggling illegal contraband . The Sisters quickly flushed that thought away explaining that the program was all on the up and up . I was aware that sheep and cows contributed but I have to tell you that this the first time ever that I thought humans could give so freely and openly . If you haven't already guessed , this is a unique program to the Comox Valley where human feces , and to be less technical , poop , is recycled into a nutrient rich mulch for the purpose of growing bigger and better flowers , lawns , trees and shrubs , and yes ..... vegetables . They call it a soil conditioner not a fertilizer . Who knew I had this in me to grow crops and gardens of amazing proportions ? I have never had a green thumb ... or bowel . Skyrocket is actually made at a facility beside the Comox Valley Waste Management Center where woods chips are mixed with biosolids ..a nice word for sewer sludge .
It is baked for two weeks until it is pasteurized . Marketing strategies promote this soil supplement as safe and odourless . Supply and demand is at its peak .
I have to tell you that I did see some very big plants at the local Farmer's Market . Gourds of massive proportions and eggplants as big as stools .
When The Sisters mentioned Skyrocketing to me , I had imagined myself as participant in a novice asstronaut program . With my newly found knowledge , I now know that it is the plants that are reaching for the stars and not me .
Waste not want not .

Cathedral Grove

The beginning .
Choose your path and begin the journey .

Two tourists and a sister .

Secret world in the moss .

Come on in .

The enchanted forest .

Let there be light .

One of the most beautiful and peaceful places I visited in the Comox Valley was a protected wooded area known as Cathedral Grove . When 'The Sisters ' first announced that they were taking me there , I was not quite sure what to expect . I actually thought it would be a religious , artifactual building . In a way , it was . God's cathedral of ancient , majestic trees in a ethereal forest of moss and greenery. Cathedral Grove is a protected parcel of land on Vancouver Island . The trails lead you through a pathway of an endangered forest ecosystem . The pictures do not do the woodlands justice . In my mind's eye , the forest is much more breathtaking and surreal . One almost expects a secret elfin entity to peer at you across a fallen log. Who knows , maybe one did .
As you walk through the trees , hundreds of years old , one cannot help but wonder if you are walking in the footsteps of early settlers or the warriors of the Cowichan First Nations.
From the moment we entered until the time we left , the absence of sound was loud and clear . Not even a bird interrupted the sacredness of the grove .
Stillness speaks volumes .

Michelle & Ma's Excellent Adventure In Beautiful British Columbia

We went west . In fact , we were so far west , if we had gone any farther , we would have been in the far east . My friend has two sisters in the Courtney \ Comox area who kindly invited us to spend two weeks in the quiet of their scenic community . It was the first time , I was able to finally meet first hand most of the family that Michelle had talked about for so many years . From the moment of our arrival to the last day , I was treated like the lost fourth sister . I slept well . I ate well ( more on this one .) I hot tubbed under the stars . I drank wine on their balcony overlooking the Rockie mountains . I walked in ancient forests . I saw the Pacific ocean . I had the best massage of my life . Can it get any better than that ?
When you come back from a trip rested and ready to take on the world , you know it was time well taken .
To be continued ....

Words To Live By

Now by Dave Carroll

Beautiful .

On Giving Thanks

When we were kids we use to recite this simple prayer around our dinner table each night . We would take turns saying grace . I am not sure just where this particular phrase ever originated . As children do , we would often recite the words without a real understanding of what the words truly meant to us . In retrospect , I guess we were just anxious to get to Mom's meal . As one gets older , words and phrases take on a deeper meaning as prayer does for me . Not only does it remind me of a more innocent and sweeter family time from my past , but in its simplicity exemplifies the meaning of giving thanks .
Think of your own life today and give thanks .
Happy Thanksgiving everyone .

" Thank thee Father for thy care ,and for thy bounty everywhere ,
For this and every other gift ,
Our grateful hearts to thee we lift . "
Amen .

If You Guessed This ....

You were right .