Saturday, September 26

Hubby in Hospital

Today, hubby went to pick up the boys around noon. Brandon was going to cut the lawn and Jordan was to pick up all of the stones around the yard and driveway. Brandon was about half finished mowing the lawn when hubby came in and told me he didn't feel so good. He wondered if he was having an anxiety attack and took an ativan. He then went back outside to supervise the lawn mowing.

In a few minutes I looked out and there he was at the foot of the stairs leading up the terrace. All of a sudden he started flailing his arms and his entire body began to shake. He took two steps to the left and collapsed on the lawn.

I started out the door and then hurried back for the phone and as I walked towards him, I called 911. So, to make a long story short, he was taken to hospital where they gave him a catscan. He suffered a mini stroke. They are keeping him for a day or two for observation.

Brandon did a great job of talking to the 911 operator while I attended hubby. Neighbours came from all directions. Soon he had a pillow, blanket and had stopped shaking. Jordan was terrified. He thought for sure Grandpa was dying and asked me when they put him into the ambulance if he was alive. Jordan was pale as a ghost. Brandon coped real well.

I will keep you updated on hubby's status. The boys insisted they come and stay the night because I've been under the weather and shouldn't be left alone. LOL Great guys, those boys.

Friday, September 25

Vignettes of Autumn

Here are a few vignettes of what the countryside here in southern Ontario is looking like as of Wednesday.





The colour is just beginning to show. By next week it should be more prominent and by Canadian Thanksgiving, which is October 12th, the colours should be at their peak.

I'm a bit under the weather with sinisitis and ear infection, so haven't been posting or visiting. I wish everyone a fun and safe weekend.

Tuesday, September 22

Autumn Has Arrived

Today is the first day of autumn. It was a balmy day here today with drizzling rain and high humidity. Autumn means rain in southern Ontario. We haven't had frost yet, but some areas further north have.

In autumn I like to walk in the woods. The photos in this post were taken last year when Brandon, Mom and I went to Muskoka for three days. Brandon loved walking in these woods that were in the Muskoka Wildlife Center.
This is a view along Highway 35. The trees were dressed in their autumn gowns and the area was breathtaking.

This is Fairy Lake, Huntsville, Ontario. The landscape was stunning. I would love to live on that little island in the middle of the lake. Such tranquility is rare in today's world. We are always hustling and bustling everywhere.

Autumn is a beautiful time of year to enjoy nature in all her splendor. Be sure to take time to enjoy the sights, sounds and fragrances of the season.

Sunday, September 20

Give Me Five

Mari at My Little Corner of the World had an interesting post the other day. A blogging friend had given her five words and she had to post about those five words. I thought it looked like fun, so requested she send me five words.

Grandsons - Anyone who is a regular on my blogs knows that I have two grandsons. I have taken care of them while their parents worked since the oldest was a baby. Those boys are the lights of my life. How could I ever have wanted granddaughters? I've been truly blessed by both of these boys.

Pets - I have had many pets in my time. When I was young, Grandpa had a German shepherd named, Prince, and I thought he was just mine. He was a handsome dog and taught me the love of dogs. The next was my brother's dog, Jack. He was half German shepherd, half border collie. Though he was my brother's dog, he was really the family dog.

After that, I didn't have a pet for many years and I missed that. When I bought a house in 1987, we brought an American Eskimo puppy into our home. Michelle and I were alone at that time and Snowball was a fierce protector and loyal, loving pet.

After my husband and I got married, we adopted Cheyenne. We had Snowball and Cheyenne at the same time. She was a beauty...half German shepherd and half wolf. Her mother was pure wolf. She was a gentle, loving companion and she saw me through the accident that injured my spine. Unfortunately, we had to move to an apartment and couldn't take her. We found her a good home on a farm in the country. I missed her for many years.

After Snowball had to be put down because of renal kidney failure, we got Meeko. Oh, what a beauty he was...Alaskan malamute. He was with us for eight years until January 2009, when he was collapsed and we found out he had a very advanced case of cancer. He had never displayed any signs of illness and it broke our hearts to put him down, but it was our duty. He had been loving and loyal and we owed it to him to allow him to die with dignity. There is a picture of Meeko on my sidebar.

Now we have Dakota. We adopted him through the animal shelter. He is approximately 9 months old. We suspect he was taken away from his mother much too early. He makes us laugh, but as a puppy, he still has some issues. He is learning and growing everyday.

History - Mari knows me pretty well. She knows I love history. Believe it or not, it was one of my least favourite subjects in school, but then I discovered American history. I am self-taught in this department and love the history of the USA. In school, we learned about explorers and it was so boring. I have studied Canadian history as well, but do love the history of the USA.

Canada - Canada is a great country to live in. Yes, like every other country, there are issues, but Canadians are truly blessed. Our country includes some of the most diverse landscapes in the world. Rainforests, mountains, prairies...every province has something that is breathtaking. I'm proud to live in Canada.

Author - For those of you who don't know me well, I am a published author. Not in the sense of a novel, but my stories have been included in many anthologies since 1989, when I was first published. I also write web content. My childhood dream was to become a published author and I'm blessed that my dream has been realized. Most recently, my story, The Magic of Colleen appeared on page 182 of Chicken Soup's latest release, What I Learned from the Dog.

Thanks, Mari, for sending me these five words. If anyone would like to participate, just let me know and I will send you five words.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Enjoy the sight, sounds and fragrances of autumn.