In memory of a sailor

Sea Fever

I MUST down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,

And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,

And a gray mist on the sea's face, and a gray dawn breaking.

I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,

And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

John Masefield

It's a fine balance

The picture above was taken by a professional and depicts the art of straddling more than one responsibility while keeping a balance in our lives.

I often find myself trying to keep a balance when my abilities decrease. Having fun, being responsible, and keeping up on ALS research, is difficult. The latter depresses me as so little is known about the causes of ALS and hence NO CURE.

Everyone has their issues, bad days, bad years-- and we can only hope we all hold on long enough to regain our balance.

Wild Horses

The first time I saw wild horses I was riding in the hills north of Cache Creek.

I was surprised how small they were.

The second time I saw them was outside of Virginia City. The mares all had foals at their side and I was mesmerized with the number of them partially hidden by the Pine trees. They were beautiful.

My own mare, "Sugarfoot" was born in a wild band. I often wondered how she must have missed running free.

Here is Susan Boyle singing "Wild Horses."

Don't get too addicted!

Yummy!

Strawberries and rhubarb are a classic springtime combination. This galette, a rustic tart that shows off the fruit in the center, can be served with a small scoop of ice cream, with a dollop of crème fraîche or whipped cream, or on its own, with just a dusting of confectioners’ sugar.

Ingredients:

• 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, each about 12 by 14 inches and 1/4 inch thick
• 10 to 12 rhubarb stalks, 1 1/2 to 2 lb. total
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 8 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered if large or halved if small
• Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Directions:

Thaw the puff pastry sheets in the refrigerator for 24 to 36 hours, or according to the package instructions.

Trim the ends of the rhubarb stalks. Using a paring knife, pull away any strings of fibers visible at the tops and discard. Cut the stalks crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. Put in a saucepan with 2/3 cup of the granulated sugar and let stand for 30 minutes.

Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until the rhubarb is tender but not dissolving, 6 to 8 minutes. The rhubarb will release its juices. If it seems dry, add 2 or 3 tsp. water. Let cool.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each puff pastry sheet into a 16-inch square, making sure there are no breaks or cracks in the pastry. Cut off the corners to make a rough circle. Place each circle on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

In a bowl, stir together the rhubarb and strawberries. Evenly divide the rhubarb-strawberry mixture in the center of each circle, leaving about 2 inches around the edge uncovered. Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar over the fruit-topped circles, dividing evenly. Fold up the uncovered edge, pleating it loosely and covering all but about a 5-inch circle of fruit in the center of the pastry. Place in the freezer and chill for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat an oven to 350°F.

Remove the baking sheets from the freezer and immediately place in the oven. Bake until the crusts are puffed and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the baking sheets to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Carefully transfer the galettes to a cutting board. Using a fine-mesh sieve, sprinkle a light dusting of confectioners’ sugar evenly over the top of each galette. Cut into wedges and serve warm. Serves 10 to 12.

Beautiful!

I wish I had taken this photo as the moment of witness would be a "high" hard to beat.

Someone sent it to me and I felt the need to share.

64 and loving it!

I started celebrating my birthday several days ago(of course) and I plan to keep going for another week.

Yesterday my sister(Cheryle) came to visit and we rode the Bombardier train(Olympic Line) for the last time.

It closes tonight at 11.

Today my Care Workers arrived at 8AM and served me breakfast in bed--what a special surprise. I opened gifts and then I was treated to lunch at WhiteSpot.

We all laughed a lot and took many pictures.

Later, a friend came by with a basket of pansies. I'm spoiled and I don't mind one bit.

A song that seems appropriate is "When I'm 64" by the Beatles. Listen here.

Thank you to the many friends and relatives who sent me Birthday greetings.

Spring has sprung, the grass has riz, I wonder where my birthday iz?

Ahh--the glorious blooms of the Magnolia and the delicate petals of the cherry trees. Everywhere you go in the city, pink umbrellas you.

Since Spring begins at midnight on the 20th I was born on the first full day of Spring on the 21st. I arrived just in time for lunch! Weighing in at nearly 10 pounds and as bald as a bowling ball, my Mother changed my planned name of Patricia to Karen.

I suspect I wasn't to be a ballerina. LOL.

As my birthday approaches I can't believe I made it to 64! Three year ago when I was diagnosed with ALS I wasn't sure. However, I plan on collecting some of my OAP(old age pension) so I must make it at least one more year and one month. 70 would be even better!

Since we can't name our date of dismissal, I'm heading out in the sunshine to enjoy every minute. Please do the same.

A VERY interesting day!

It all started when I got the bright idea that I should start doing my own clothes shopping. Up until now, my friends have purchased most of my clothes for me--either as gifts or upon my request of something I need. I don't know why, but I was timid(or lazy?) about going downtown and shopping for clothes. My care worker told me she would assist and it would be easy. So off we went.

We got the bus that would take us near the large department stores. All was going well. I didn't drive off the bus ramp or run over any stretched out toes, and as usual in this city, the bus driver let me ride free.

I went into The Bay department store and all h--- let loose. First of all everyone thought I was in the Paralympics so smiled, waved and said "Welcome to Vancouver." I felt guilty but didn't bother to explain. I simply sat as straight as I could to look athletic! THEN we went shopping. While I toured the aisle filled with new summer sport clothes, my Permobil rear wheels(not me!) caught a whole rack of jogging pants and proceeded to tow them a few feet before tilting them over onto my care worker. Luckily she is strong, and caught the rack before it smothered her and put it upright again. That started the laughing. Then the elevator--we got in and I was sure it was the wrong one so I zipped out but my careworker couldn't follow me out in time so the doors closed and down she went. I started to laugh, but remember I was all alone now. I couldn't stop laughing. People passed by and glanced sideways at the crazy lady laughing hysterically(by herself) folded over in her power chair. Finally, my care worker came back up and out of the elevator. I was so happy to see her. We are both out of control in laughter now and in attempt to regain my composure I backed up where no one could see me. However, when I went forward my bag on the back of the chair hooked a mannequin. Need I say any more? Desperate for sanity I suggested we go for lunch. To get to the food court, I must ride a lift down the staircase to the mall. Halfway down, the lift stops. It was stuck. Perched in the air with many tourists pointing and asking what was wrong, I started laughing again. As security gathered to solve the problem I asked my care worker to take a picture to prove this story to my friends. They finally got the rig going and I had lunch. I won't bore you with the rest of the events except to mention the rain came while waiting for the bus and the handles broke off my Bay bag with all my new clothes in it. I had to hug the wet bag all the way home. The End.

I still laugh about it and we're going back tomorrow. I hope they let me in. Wish me luck.

Remember the days of BIG hair?

This was me at 19 attending a UBC dance at Totem Park.

I can't remember how long it took me to back comb and spray my hair but it took some time for sure.

Here is a song from this era(1965).

Remember the Paralympics!

Today the cauldron will be re-lit for these amazing athletes. CTV will provide some coverage of the opening ceremonies at 6PM.

There will be Sledge Hockey at Thunderbird Arena and then there's me snuggling the Zamboni(ice resurfacer). I'm a passive participant.

Many many volunteers worked through the regular Olympics and many continue to host the Paralympics. Thank you to all of you!!

Friendship knows no barriers

The waiting room

Click here for comedy.

Where is winter?

I miss the winter!

As you can see in the picture, my sister and I loved making a snowman even when there was only a little snow. It's typical that Cheryle has her tam on properly but not me. Those years were good--no other brothers and sisters. LOL.

Turn Around --Bonnie Tyler

Click here for song. One of my favorites.

A special day of remembrance

It was 10 yrs. ago today when I lost my best friend to breast cancer. Her memory stays with me and many, many others.
We keep her tucked in our hearts and wish she could be here today to celebrate, laugh and walk in the sunshine.
I raise my glass to you, Sandra. You were a gift.

Breathing test

I went for my breathing test and my FVC(forced volume vital capacity) has dropped to 61%. I started out at 100% 2.5 years ago but have been dropping significantly this past year.

I'm hoping to stabilize for awhile but one never knows. When I have difficulty they'll provide me with a BiPAP(bi-level positive airway pressure) to help me get more air both in and out. It's normal progression for ALS and I must continue trying my best to deal with every new hurdle. Many of my ALS pen pals are functioning very well with BiPAP--and so will I when the time comes.

Writing Group