Things are Happening

Things have been happening here. I have been using CBD oil for a while now with amazing results. My depression has lifted. The oil has removed the psoriasis from my face. It took the pain out of my back and out of my husband's hands. He has rheumatoid arthritis and couldn't bend his fingers without excruciating pain.

So, On April 23, I began selling Hempworx CBD oil and was doing great with it. So many positive benefits. Besides the pain relief, it has many benefits. It detoxes our bodies and balances our immune system It has given me so much more energy and helped my mother with her weak legs. She is 90.

The benefits to selling are endless. Financial freedom and perks such as a car, trips and others. Please check it out. Hempworx CBD Oil. Find me here: www.hempworx.com/MaryAlward.

The plants are grown in Kentucky and when extracted by CO2, it has only 0.03 THC. It is legal in all 50 states and there is absolutely no problem getting it across the border. Headquarters are in Las Vegas and we have a Conference coming up this fall.

If you are in need of a job and you've had sales experience, this is for you. Just buy the product you wish and click the button to become an affiliate for just $20. Where did you ever hear of investing just $20 to start your own business. Amazing!  This is unheard of and it's all true. The lady who got me involved has sold 5K. Many others are at 10k and 25K.

For those of you who know me well, I had a bad fall and landed on my left shoulder. I thought it was broken but had my husband rub the oil on it. Within a few days, I had relief and it's healing quickly.

If you have questions, please email me or phone me. 519 752-3819. malward @execulink.com

A Long Two Weeks

This has been a long two weeks. Everyone got the flu. First Brandon, then me, then Jordan, their Dad and Mom and then hubby. It included fever, chills, muscle weakness and just feeling blah. I was sleeping hours and then laying down for a nap. I just couldn't stay awake.

At the first sign of sore throat, I used Watkins Medicated Ointment. Great stuff and that was the end of the sore throat. I'm still fighting the symptoms. 

Brandon's lasted a full two weeks. Jordan not quite as bad. Everyone is still feeling the lasting effects from it. 

The weather is a little more mild and the first robin has been spotted. Spring is almost here. 

Enjoy your week. Will add more soon.

Another Busy Week

Well, this week has been a busy one. Monday, Brandon phoned and said he was sick, so we didn't have to pick him up from work. Tuesday, he phoned and asked me if I would bring him some chicken soup. I hardly recognized his voice and when I got there, he had a fever. He certainly couldn't have worked.

Today was Drs. appointment. All went well there, except I had to wait an hour, which is usual for this Dr. A very busy man. Then an errand tonight after hubby and I had fried bologna sandwiches. Something we don't often have but it was quick. 

Tomorrow, hubby, Brandon and I have to go to the family Dr. Jordan will be going with us. We will get the boys' some groceries and Jordan has another matter of business to attend to. By the time it's all done, it will pretty much be an all day venture. 

I don't know of anything for Friday, but who knows. It seems there's always something.

Mom  went today for an ultra sound and I'm hoping it shows why she ended up in the hospital and why the UTI's continue to return. Hopefully, she will not have to suffer with that particular ailment again.

Water Everywhere

This has been an interesting winter. First we got buckets of snow and minus temperatures that I haven't seen in a few years.  The ice on the river was really thick. Often the river stays open and has thin ice but not this year. 

The mild spell that followed broke up some of the ice on the river. Since the river runs for about a 100 miles north of us, that is a lot of ice. We had ice jams coming out our ears. This is what it looked like here. 

The ice was almost up to the bridge. It continued to be jammed but some broke up above us and made the build up even worse.

Then it started to flood. It got so bad that 5,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes. Water filled the basements and was about 4 feet up the 1st floors. 

The Canadian Coast Guard blasted the mouth of the river and the water started moving. We have 3 bridges to get across the river and 2 of them had to be closed, as well as the pedestrian bridge. 

This is what the farmer's field looked like near the 3rd bridge. 

The photo below is of the river. It goes from the bank to the trees in the background. Beyond is another field owned by the farmer. 

The last time I saw anything like this was in 1974. The City has no estimate on the damage as yet. They kept the bridges closed but we did see that the main one has opened. They had to be inspected to see if they were structurally safe, so that one is good. 

Many people were in shelters and living with relatives or friends. They are allowed to go back to their homes now, but the homes will take a lot of restoration. 

Many people will be feeling the effects of the flood for months. Time will tell if they will get help from either the government or insurance. Very sad. 

A Horrible Week

It's not been any fun around here lately. Mom is 90 and she called last Tuesday night and told me she had a pain in her head. This, she said, had been going on for a couple weeks and it was worse. 

Hubby and I took her up to the hospital because she didn't want the expense of an ambulance. It took about three hours for her to be looked at. The nurse wanted her to take Tylenol and she refused. So, we sat and sat and sat. Finally at 2 AM, I told her she Had to take the Tylenol. She was not happy about it. Immediately after she went to the washroom and spit them into the toilet. 

The only thing that happened while we were there was that they took blood tests about 1 AM and it took them until 5 AM to come back. Even though I told them right off that she had a UTI, they never did take a urine sample. I was furious. 

If you refuse treatment, this hospital just let's you sit until you do what they say. Mom has been a handful ever since. No help from the siblings, I'm afraid. 

Canadian Black History Month

Each year in February, Canada celebrates Black History Month. This is when we pay tribute to Black Canadians who have made a difference in the lives of those who live here.

Today, I'd like to pay tribute to Thornton and Lucie Blackburn. The couple fled Kentucky on July 3, 1831 and took a steam ship up the Ohio River. They left Louisville and traveled to Cincinnati where they boarded a stagecoach to Detroit. Two years later, they were recaptured by their owner, which started the Blackburn riots of 1833. The Black community helped the Blackburns cross the border into Canada. 

Michigan's governor sent two extradition requests that were refused by Lieutenant Governor John Colbourne. The couple then moved to Toronto.  There, they built a house on the corner of Eastern Avenue and Sackville Street. They lived there for approximately 50 years and the house became a stop on the Underground Railroad.

Thornton became a waiter at Osgoode Hall and noticed that the City had little transportation. He instructed a horse drawn conveyance to be built that would act as a cab and transport four passengers. The taxi was built in Paul Bishop's workshop, which still stands at Adelaide and Sherbourne.  The taxi was the first ever for Toronto and was named The City. It was red and gold, the same colours the TTC use today. 

Thornton died in 1890. He left Lucie a small fortune he had saved from the business.

In 1985, archaeologists found clues as to Toronto's part as a terminal for the Underground Railroad. This is the only dig of its kind ever conducted in Canada.

Thorton and Lucie Blackburn were named  "Persons of National Historic Significance," by the Department of Canadian Heritage in 1999.

The River Has an Ice Jam

This is just off the bridge. The ice was almost up to the bottom of the bridge. We have 3 bridges over the river in our city and all of them looked the same.

This is just off River Road. I have never seen the water and ice so high since they put in the dykes about 20 years ago. This year it's really bad.

This is also along River Road. It was coming up the bank of the river and wasn't that far away. Gilkison Street was closed because the water and ice were covering it. That lasted about a week.

It melted some and we had water everywhere and then it got cold and we all needed ice skates. Last night we got about 6 inches of snow, so hubby and the neighbor were out at 7am cleaning everyone's sidewalks. Hubby does ours, the lady's next door. She is 89 and the middle aged couple next door who both work.

This is certainly an old fashioned winter. Here are some farmer's fields that are going to wreck havoc on spring planting.

This is the fruit and vegetable market's property and they grow every kind of vegetable imaginable. They also have apples, honey, strawberries etc. I hope their crops aren't ruined.

This is a farmer's field close to the small village of Lynden, Ontario. Those fence posts are just off the road. It always seems to flood in that spot.

Well that's all the news for now.

Update on the move of my daughter's family. Things are slowly getting put away. Brandon and Jordan both seem to like it and I am proud to say that Brandon did well with it.

Talk to you soon. Have a great week.

Moving is No Fun

Moving is never any fun. This time it wasn't us who moved. Daughter and her husband sold their house just before Christmas and now it's time to move. 

Barry went yesterday morning to pick up the U-Haul so they could move all the boxes. At 9:45, Brandon called to ask if we could come and drive so they could use our van. When his Dad took the U-Haul to fill it with gas, the gear shift disengaged from the transmission. He waited there 3 hours for a tow truck to come and to get a different truck. That didn't bode well for his mood and I can't say I blame him. The place he rented it from told him he could have a discount on his next rental from them. He said there would never be another rental from them and they either gave him a discount or he would sue. That changed their mind. 

In the meantime, the boys and hubby and I had loaded 2 loads and taken them up to the new house and unloaded them. So we did make progress. He took 2 loads with the U-Haul and we took one more. Today they took more but hubby and I were in rough shape. We are too old for this. 

Everyone is exhausted and I'm sure the grandsons and their parents are pretty much done in. They have all the boxes done and the moving company will come next Friday to move the furniture. So glad they had 2 full weeks to move. 

Well, that is the news for today. We will see what this coming week brings. 

Have a great week. 

A Busy Day

It was a busy day today. I slept in a little and had to get ready quickly to take Brandon to get his hair cut. If it gets too long, it annoys him and makes him frustrated, so we try to keep it quite short. In the summer, he's almost bald. In winter, he wears it a little longer.

We got the hair cut and he needed groceries, so we headed to Walmart. I'm really not fond of the place but they always have the things he needs at a good price. It took us about a half hour. The place was full of seniors and he started to get frustrated. I told him to have patience, but like him, I'm not much of a shopper. 

We got out of there and he wanted to stop at Microplay, the electronic store. He needed a couple of things. We've been going there for years and when he goes in, everyone calls him by name. That makes it nice for him and he's a very loyal customer. 

Jordan didn't go with us today. I'm not sure what he was up to. I do know that Brandon will be easily frustrated until the end of the month, as his parents sold their beautiful house and bought one in the north end. Moving day is a week from Friday. 

Not much other news from this end. Hope to hear from some of my old friends. I know some have passed. I miss Carolyn, Shorty Bear and Anne. Not sure what happened to Pebbles in the Stream but he hasn't posted for a long time. 

Frigid Winds and Minus Temperatures.

This winter has been quite cold. I was raised with Fahrenheit and therefore, do not do well with Celsius, though I can figure it out. When it gets to -15 F and lower, it is cold. Add that nasty wind to it and it's even worse. 

It warmed up for a few days but then the cold came back. We've also had a fair bit of snow but by no means record breaking. I wish I had the picture of my brother standing on the snow plow ridge touching the telephone wires. He was about 16 years old, so that would have been 1962. 

It's not as cold the last couple of days as it has been, but cold enough with the wind. Right now, it's 14 F, feels like 12 F with a light wind. Overnight, it's to get windier with gusts up to 11 mph or 18 km. Not fun for Brandon, who has to work tomorrow morning.  It's to get up to 19 F through the day and on Tuesday, when he also has to work, 25 F. 

To chase away the chill, I made chicken and dumplings tonight. We both love them and it's an easy meal to prepare. There is a trick to it though and if you aren't careful, the dumplings will be heavy. These weren't bad but weren't the best I've ever made. Hubby said they were really good. We will have the leftovers tomorrow night. Two very inexpensive meals. 

Now, I need to put my thinking cap on to figure out what to have the rest of the week. Talk to you soon. 

                                                                      Happy New Year 2018

Hi everyone. It's been a long time since I've been here to update you on what's going on. That is because I couldn't remember my password. Now I have a new one and I've made a note of it and put it in a safe place. Probably safe from everyone including myself. 

Life goes on and I'm another year older. We are still in the place we moved to in June 2016. Like everywhere you live, it has it's pros and cons. The only cons is the amount of rent we pay and that the laundry room and bathroom are freezing cold. 

This has been a cold winter, even for Ontario. We haven't had minus temperatures like these for a few years. It's a good old fashioned winter, that's for sure. 

I had a rough year in 2017. Hubby turned 65 and our income dropped, which is no fun. We struggle month to month, like many Seniors in both Canada and the USA. Now they are charging us for our meds on top of everything else. At one time we got all of our meds for $2,00. Makes sense that our income decreased and the government now says we are high paid Senior and the prescriptions went up to $6.00 each. I made out a form in September and they put it back down to #2.00 and now I have to fill out another one. 

In August I had 3 mini strokes in 2 days. There are no lasting effects. I am blessed for that. 

Well, at least I got back in so now I can blog once in a while. We've been abundantly blessed over the Christmas season. 

Talk to you soon.

Mary