Lost for words, Fred, holidaze!

This morning I read two of the four daily newspapers we have in this city.  There was an article about the need for pension reform.  I submitted an opinion as this is a topic I am very interested.  However my thought out rebuke of our present government never got to the site intended.   You have to login in, I logged in and got the usual run around with passwords to send to an email account and then send it back to acknowledge this to try and login in and go nowhere.   I thought my opinion was good and appropriate.
I think some of these sites aren't very well thought out and then the people who can get into the Login seem to be limited to people who have a conversation going on when you read the replies.  Sounds like a catch 22 or never ending story.

Fred, my strange little rescue kitty had an amazing day yesterday.  He feels he should be allowed out in the garden every day but this is unfortunate, has to go on a lead.  The stairs to our small sheltered garden were covered in ice, so not wanting to break my neck after I had left him out for a half hour to get it out of his system.  I put on my winter hiker boots.   The noise to get to Fred, it was loud but that is walking on ice. Fred didn't take kindly to it and got crazy.  He jumped up and was up in the air before I knew it he had run up the tree in the garden.  That is fine he has big claws at the moment.  I was so fed up with this carry on I decided to come in the house.  I went into the bedroom and opened the window and called to him and told him what a nice kitty he was an oohed and cooed him down the stairs.  Then I went out to find him under the stairs and by the window.  I got him free and he shot up the stairs to the back door.

However to add insult to injury he decided to hide under the futon while I exercised and in came, Rooster our visitor kitty.  Rooster decided while Fred was having a moment of doubt and shame he would take advantage of him and proceeded to pick a fight.  Fred fought back but ended up with a bloody ear.   There is nothing I can say as Fred taught Rooster everything he knows.   Sounds like kids!

Holidaze is a new word or expression I am going to use to describe how I feel after a big holiday.  I am not thrilled and could somewhat careless about the gifts and the hoopala although it is nice to have some of the family over.   I think I need a holiday or somewhere to go to not do anything for a few days.  The first place that comes to mind is Niagara, but I am not talking about the falls.   I am talking about the little town that is northeast of the falls.  It is very quaint except for  tourists but this isn't tourist season.   There is one hotel with a spa that is particularly nice.   I will think of it and hope to have a trip there this year.  Oh heaven!  The town isn't bad to walk around in either although in this season there it is quite cold with the wind off the lake.   Fur coat weather, and I know we aren't supposed to like animal skin coats.  Every old picture I have of female relatives and friends in the winter they are in rabbit and raccoon coats and I know why,  warmth.

Christmas tree, shopping, waiting for kiddo. Chekov

I have just spent about three hours decorating our Christmas tree.   It was Princess Charlotte who brought it back to England and started the tradition.   That would make it a Georgian tradition contrary to popular opinion that is was Victoria and Albert.   He just helped create modern England and give the country enough Prince's to keep it going for over 100 years.

 This year the tree theme was animals.  I have a lot of animal ornaments but fond they were mostly birds.  I managed and got carried away with silver and white bulbs and snowflakes.  Unfortunately before the tree went up I misplaced the inside part of the tree holder.   Then when I got to the end of the tree decorating, I could not find the white star for the top.   I decided to look inside an antique wardrobe that is in the dinning room and surprise, two more boxes of ornaments and the tree holder insert on top of it.  I opened the boxes and found the star for the top.   After a week of searching for the latter.

I have been collecting Christmas ornaments for about 34 years.   I have gotten more selective in the last few years as the ornaments are more exotic with a price to match.   I promised myself I would donate a bunch of them to a charity shop but before I could my partner,  the original sort and stack in plastic boxes. took over.   I have more boxes with individual ornaments them I could have imagined.

Things kind of went that way with the toy collection our offspring left.   I wanted to keep some of them and somehow the dreaded lego got kept.  A roller coaster lego set and a train lego set.   I think there is a harbour with boats as well.   I can honestly says lego isn't my favourite toy having step on it a few times when the offspring where young.   It is an very clever and creative toy.  Just annoying.

Last week we had got a DVD from the library.  The best I could say for it was after watching three hours of this show.  It was a ripe off of Chekov.  Family agony at its finest.   I have to admit that  I did watch it till the end.  It was primarily the actors who made it worth watching.  I will find the name of the show and put it in the blog.  Not tonight.  I have just got through Christmas week and have been enjoying a historical DVD on a subject that although news worthy only for the people who are in it and the subject.   It is appropriate for my state of mental exhaustion.

No more numbers -- Just events, Hit by lightening.

I would like to say that I lived through the last week but am having trouble remembering what happened.
I went over to a close friend to be told she has been given a life sentence.  It would be good if it was jail but it is her health.  I think the shock hit me so hard I was walking around in a bubble.

I have only told a few friends as her offspring isn't going to hear about this until the New Year.  The offspring is my offsprings friend.   At times like this you stop breathing.   I am a fighter and am going to be with her all the way.   It hurts and I am hoping she can make it till they have the cure and the Doctor said it will be in five years.   She doesn't think she will make it.   She has new medication and says it throbs in her body.   It is to keep her nerves and muscles working.   She has been told to gain weight and to exercise her muscles.

I will get her to swim or do what ever to help her keep fit and we talk about diet.

The disease is a problem with the enzymes in the body and they don't function properly resulting of loss of muscle control.   One thing on my friend's side is that it takes attacks the body slower in older people.

I spent the week busy doing things in the house and seeing a few people.   I saw my friend who is the travel agent.  There are days you just want to say to her what is the cheapest trip you have and go there.  It can't happen at the moment.   I am contemplating going to visit number one offspring for the Jubilee of our do lady Queen I think in June.   My Grandmother was a school girl at her GGGGrandmother Victoria's as a school girl in Hyde Park.   That is a wait and see though as travel is expensive.  My offspring has a one bedroom apartment.

I saw my other friend and went to visit her parents who have been stalwarts in my life.   Her Father is also very ill but not in hospital and it was nice to see them.   They are both in their eighties and have been married for about 61 years.    We had a nice afternoon.

It was a week of dealing with realities and not pleasant ones.   I am trying to get the house ready for Christmas but I am not sure I am that interested.   I will do it for the offspring and my partners God Mother who spends the day with us.

This week is a new week and hopefully life picks up.

34,35,36,37 Lost week, eye Doctor, Bank Manager .

This seems to have been a lost week other than getting a few nice Christmas cards from family and a lovely bird calender from my favourite part of the southern hemisphere.   It is nice to hear from people at this time of year.   I think also since I don't have any small fry to buy gifts for present buying has become boring.  It is not fun to shop for older offspring or older friends and relatives.  It is agonizing.  You find something you think is a great buy and then you look at the prize which almost gives you a fit.

Our stores are disappearing in this part of the world.  We are being left with extremes.  Our lovely old department stores have gone under thanks to the Gaps of the world and stores like them.  I think Boomer's aka baby boomers of our generation have a serious complaint.   Know one would get rid of the big stores in Russia,  even with the more democracy their stores are still there.  Although I have heard that the Russian's are very admiring of the English.  Well I am from a British culture and I am in full agreement.  There stores must be some of the best in the world.

The US especially New York have Macy's and all the lovely stores so what do we get sent up here?  The best although the clothes are not overly wonderful at the moment is Marshall's a discount store.  Next is Walmart,  the food can be cheap and they have everyday things marked down but other than their underwear , socks and swimwear the place is yuck.   Now we are losing a Canadian old fashioned store, Zeller's.  The worst is the clothes are every day but have some quality unlike the above mentioned retailer.

Now Zeller's is going and we are getting in Target.  I saw one in Australia and I was not impressed.  Now this was a little store in a small tourist town.   However, Zeller's is one of those weird stores that always seems to have what you are looking for at a price you can afford.   Now the woman who has taken over our Hudson Bay Stores's is well meaning and she has brought them up to date.  She is an American and I assume very experienced.   Maybe it is me as when I go to HBC it is a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack.   It is very hit and miss if I can find anything to wear.  I have a friend who has her own shop and she has good taste   For evening and some nice day wear.   I think my biggest problem is comfort if I am not comfortable and I don't feel what I am wearing looks at least good.  I am not happy.   We had the best stores years ago run by a family who had four sons, one of the brother's ran the store and they decided to close when they couldn't get a deal with the said Target.   If you ask me I think it is the the shopper's who are the target these days.   It is either poor fit, poor material, too expensive or trying to look like your daughter in the shops.   What happened to the wonderful clothes our Mother's wore, day dresses, slacks, skirts clothes that moved.  I used to watch designer clothes on actresses in movies.   They were so lovely.  Elegant and made women look attractive.

Sorry, folks I don't want to look like Posh anybody.    I will fight on in my battle for some old fashioned woman's clothing.   Jacque Kennedy, Princess Margaret, Grace Kelly even Audrey Hepburn new what fashion made a woman look and feel,  tres chic.   I do sound ancient but their is such a thing as good taste.  Too slinky too tight, too low or too high  what happened to well made or exact fit?

I saw my Eye Specialist this week.  I have a scar at the back of one of my eyes.  If I go to the regular Doctor, they freak out and I get sent to the specialist. I went to the specialist and his assistant freaked I wasn't supposed to be their to get a new prescription.  I explained what happens when I go to the regular eye Doctor.   Fortunately they now have one so I can go to the specialist office and and see the regular Doctor.   What a Catch 22!  Is everything difficult these days?

I decided to see our old bank manager.   She is very nice but a banker all the same.  I explained the  issue we had at the moment.   The economy is difficult we are in a small business and the last year hasn't been stellar.   The conversation went nowhere as it is all down to numbers.  That is fine and I was there for advice.   She looks as if she is nearing retirement.  I told her that since we had sent our offspring to high and higher education, retirement was out at the moment.   I also think if partner retires fully, his health will suffer and I am not sure after years of at least having my time to myself it will be an easy transition.   She said hers is at home and he does little things, now this has to be a partner who shared her business acumen.  She said if he does anything in the house she praises him to the hilt.  If he does the dishes he is marvellous or if he takes out the garbage he is wonderful.  He can do no wrong in small tasks.   I could imagine her doing that as well.  She has no offspring but had some lovely dogs.

I think they have to outlaw retirement or men getting old because if I have to be that thankful for an empty trash can that is on the verge of the twilight zone!

Maybe it was a good week to get out a few things that drive the females of this planet off the wall in this age of instant and forever young!