A Place to Live Forever

on the path Of course I am talking about Penticton or snpintktn as translated from the Interior Salish language of the Okanagan First Nations, means “a place to live forever” (the commonly accepted translation) or “a place to live year-round”. The translation I like is ” A place to live Forever”.

We moved to Penticton in 1992.  Dave C. was just 3 in July 1992 when we arrived and his older sister was 8. It was a big change coming from Ladner, BC (just south of Vancouver) and we moved because we wanted a simpler life, and a safer life. It was a big change and I remember how quiet our street was the weekend we moved; it felt like we dropped out of the sky.

Of course life is not perfect anywhere but there are advantages to a smaller city like Penticton and some disadvantages also. Still looking back and knowing how much time extra I saved not commuting when Mandy & Dave were small; I feel very blessed.

All dressed Up at Annie's big day

Posted in family, Thinking Out loud, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Thank God for You

Mandy & MeThank God For You This is a great video as the frontman jumps, spins, and sings.

No jumping or spinning here. Never been too adventurous in public anyway. In my head I can dance and feel confident but not daily life.  Too bashful.

I should have learned to be more serious when I was young. When I was in my teens I was goofing around and walking on a concrete wall. That ended with me falling into a barbecue on the patio. My Mom really freaked out as we knocked the charcoal off my forearm and stuck my arm in cold water.

However over the years I have gotten used to being a natural klutz. Usually just a part of being basically a content and joyful person at heart, I stop thinking about the real world and things like walls or furniture that are hard on my perfect toes.

I have done that having fun klutz thing in more recent years also. One night on the channel pathway I was singing and hopping around at high speed when I hit gravel while riding my bike.  My family was not so impressed when I arrived home, dripping blood after using my arm as  a literal hand brake when I stopped horizontally on gravel.  Still it was a beautiful night and I was still smiling as the nurse removed the gravel much to Sue’s chagrin.

Maybe I have a loose bolt in my neck but sometimes when you’re having fun, floating on a nice ski run……power snow cushioning every hop and singing to myself. You just kind of forget to be careful.

Well, I could be just a klutz.  What does Sue see in me? Sawyer Brown’s attitude says it best – Wild and little bit Crazy too!

A day at Safeco Field with Dave

Posted in family, music related, Thinking Out loud | Leave a comment

The Nylons was the best concert I’ve ever been to

The Lions sleep tonight

Image by Mozzer502 via Flickr

I have to admit that I have NOT been to a lot of concerts. Some of them have been very memorable though. Some were great entertainers and harmony like  Three Dog Night, others I nearly fell asleep like Leona Boyd, this summer I met a performer I have enjoyed for a long time,  Dan Hill,  and it was certainly different to see Alice Cooper in concert (he fell off a giant toybox down onto the concrete floor cracking ribs – Welcome To my Nightmare), this gentleman surprized me and I saw him at the Orpheum theatre in Vancouver, a class act and fun evening Victor Borge,  probably a few others but the best show was The Nylons famous for The Lion Sleeps Tonight at the Community Theatre. Great theatre for live performances!

Row 4, and what a live show! What music, what entertainment, and no instruments. I think I sang all through the show.  Up On The Roof certainly showcases their music but it is different when you are right there, you can see the concentration and effort to the sounds so sweet. Enjoy the links!

Posted in music related | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Words to live by

SCD – Stay Calm Dad is a cute story. How proud her Dad must have been that his 5 year old girl took over for him. Funny the differences between the sexes so evident even at 5 years old. Funny the things we say that our friends and family pick up on. This little girl keeps saying “So far so Good“.

A co-worker I know always says “It could be worse“, I wonder if her daughters say that?

Is there a saying you picked up from your parents or grandparents? Have you caught someone in your family repeating something you say?

When we travelled to Turkey we learned as much as we could of their customs. The turkish family we knew were fabulously warm hosts, we learned that when they get together with friends they will provide refreshments. The refreshments could be tea, or apple juice, lion’s milk (an alcohol which mixed with milk turns cloudy) or coffee. Together with the liquid refreshment – they would serve sweets (pastries, puddings or fruit desserts).  The philosophy in Turkey – Eat sweets, talk sweetly.

WORDS TO LIVE BY – Eat Sweet, Talk Sweet.

What a nice custom and I am sure it works.  Mashallah. [you can research that word yourself :-)]

Posted in family, FAVORITE POSTS - A Few of them ♥, Thinking Out loud, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 1 Comment

What changes would you like to make?

Allow me to introduce you to Africa. Africa is an uncommon cat; she goes from needy to reclusive in minutes. But look at that face. Look closely. She works at no job, and has not much in the way of ambition but doesn’t she look happy? or content?

Okay, you are probably not a cat (100% sure of that) but perhaps you like myself worry more than we should or over situations that we cannot control.

Is your life hectic? Do you rush around, and have best intentions to visit friends or family but never seem to have time? If you were to go in the hospital tomorrow, who would be there to play crib with you tomorrow night? what about three weeks from now?

Maybe those are the friends and the simple life we really should be investing our time in.

I watch too much tv, and love to play board games with my friends R & J.  I don’t spend enough time that way  and I want to write more letters, not emails. These are things about myself that I know and want to improve.

Here is quote for me to think about – How you spend your time is more important than how you spend your money. Money mistakes can be corrected, but time is gone forever.

I know I can make improvements in how I invest my time, and be more happy like a cat I know and love. Now i need to work on it.


Posted in Thinking Out loud | Tagged | Leave a comment

Hooked On A Feeling?

uga chucka, uga chucka, uga uga uga  chucka.  You know how the song goes if you were alive in 1974.  Hooked On a Feeling by Blue Swede.  Some people talk in their sleep I think I must remember old songs that are ricocheting around in my cranium. This morning this song was on my lips as I woke up. It could be worse, I think that most people either don’t remember their dreams. Mostly mine just make me shake my head and grin!

If you are an America’s Got Talent fan then you will remember this song. It was sang beautifully in this show but I love the way Sarah Brightman sings it. Time to Say Goodbye

How apropos!

Posted in music related, Thinking Out loud | Tagged , | Leave a comment