Beacon Hill, Victoria, BC

Pip and Tabs. Peter walks with friends Alberta and Stan.

On Entering the Petting Zoo...

Tabs and Pip with the kids.

A very pregnant mother goat and Pip.

My girls and the kids

Peter being Peter--listening to his messages.

Pip and I and the goat.

The goats liked the chew on Pip's hair.

Mist with Bogart.

Home from Victoria, BC. The pics above are from the petting zoo at Beacon Hill Park in Victoria. The best park. I loved it. Reminded me of San Francisco. A great place to walk and take little ones on the weekends.

A long drive and ferry ride home and then rushed out to pick up the dog boys from the dog spa. The boys were on their best behavior and the staff loved them. Pablo didn't try to attack any other dogs. Happy about this! He is only aggressive when new dogs come onto his territory. I am working with him to solve this aggression. Dogs are happy to be home but little Pablo caught a gastro bug while there. I am trying to keep him off of food for the next 12 hours to see if he gets over it. Fed him veggie broth this a.m. Working on repairing the backyard fence so he can't escape and he can't fight the dog next door.

I have a new neighbor. She lives in an apartment on my balcony. She is a secret agent. I invited her for supper last night but she declined saying, "No, thanks. I have my own food." Later however, she showed up in my kitchen to say, "My food burnt. I will be able to come over for supper after all."
She set up her apartment on the balcony by pushing together deck chairs and hauling out pillows and blankets. And yes, the secret agent's real name is Pippi. What was really hilarious, was that the secret agent asked me to keep my dogs out of her apartment. The agent is definitely an entirely new personality, as Pippi must be with the her dogs constantly :) This new neighbor likes to belt out Justin Beiber tunes from her apartment. I hear, "Oh, Baby, Baby!" belted out a lot. I think those are the only lyrics she knows as she's only heard his music at her friend's house.
She has begged me for a new Justin Beiber backpack. She is in kindergarten! I will cave because I like to support her interests. 

Fabulous Fernando!

Ah...Dah...what was in that mug, anyway? Dah....that was no water... (sorry my darling Fernando--I couldn't resist!)

New research says dogs have the intelligence of a three year old human. The jury's out on Fernando! JK In actuality Fernando is one of the smartest dogs I know. That's what makes him an exhausting dog to raise. He needs constant supervision and stimulation. I just had to put up this pic though--he looks soooo ridiculous!

Beach yesterday evening--the water was warm and beautiful. I am continuing to edit Sugar Shack novel. Once complete, I will look at all options to publish them. My 2 junior fiction novels have the best chance for publishing at this time--so they are my focus, my passion. After they are published, then I bring on all my other novels and picture books.

Tonight a Kettle Valley Bike trip with John and Miranda and Peter. We will do all the trestle bridges. I can hardly wait! It is one of the most beautiful spots on earth. I adore hiking the KVR.

That and the Slocan Valley bike trip--top of the world places to cycle: gorgeous, remote and wild! Beautiful mountains and streams and rivers--cougars and bears. Yes, I should get paid for my plugs about Beautiful BC.

Tomorrow I am off to sailing lessons all weekend. Interesting. Next weekend I think we shall go down to Kamloops to camp, canoe and gold pan and visit my parents. All my ghost hunting crew can't make it that weekend, so we shall do our ghost hunt at the old TB sanitarium on Kamloops Lake in Sept or October. We will document it with video---so stay tuned it may prove to be fascinating.

And a sneak incite of what may be coming up in the New Year--a trip to Tibet and China! WOW! It is my dream to go to Tibet on a Buddhist Pilgrimage. Now, no more about that until it is all set.

Bandaids & Bats in the Belfry

Tabitha after her piano concert. She played flawlessly.
Tabitha walking back to her seat after playing. Note the bandaids on her forearm (yellow and blue). Those bandaids caused a horrible allergic reaction and her skin literally peeled away underneath them leaving a raw, weeping wound on her arm! I was very cross at her--she'd put the bandaids on herself days ago secretly to "doctor" a tiny little scrape.
Tabs in concert.
Tabs and her teacher Marla with all Marla's students. (looks like The Sound of Music cast!)
I am off to the park with Pip in a moment and then we pick up the Tabs after her last day of grade 3! She loves grade 3 and will miss Mr. Recsky a lot.

Cleaning my home, organizing--the break between classes is vital to running this home.

Silver didn't pee yesterday! Perhaps he will adjust to his new home downstairs--I force him on our outside balcony each morning for several hours each day--the contrast (I hope) keeps him sane.

My Fernando is loved in Nelson. He still has a few personality glitches to overcome: barking and fear of strangers (even those he's met before!).

Peter picks up Mist from Nelson on Saturday and brings her home. Theresa is off to New York for 2 weeks for a writing workshop--so great.

Miranda and her girls arrive Saturday afternoon from Montreal. Their house won't be ready until Wednesday so they'll stay with us. The girls are so excited!

John is driving from Toronto as I write this. I guess he'll arrive in Kelowna on Sunday evening? Just don't pull any all nighters--John--Peter tried that trip may times and reported seeing "bats" flying all around, inside his car as he drove--sleep exhaustion will play tricks with your brain!

Felt tired the past few days--why? I do not know. Disappointed in my gym--they cancelled the 6 AM spin classes and the only ones they offer now are lame! They do 20 minutes of spin and cut out for "strength" exercises. Yuck! I lift weights in the gym, I don't want strength exercises--I want cardio! I wrote the manager a note requesting more cardio.

Peace Summit, Vancouver 2009

Matthieu Ricard--he's also a photographer, scientist and writer.

The Dalai Lama

September 29th I am attending the Peace Summit in Vancouver. My favorite monks will be attending: the Dalai Lama and Matthieu Ricard. Eckhart Tolle and Sir Ken Robinson will also be speaking. I am looking forward to this event. I chose to attend the session on creativity and well being. I have read many of Matthieu's books and the Dalai Lama's too. A dream supper would be me, the Dalai Lama, Matthieu Richard. How to make it happen? Any ideas?

Tabs final year end piano recital last night--she was fab! No nerves--played flawlessly. I chalk it up to having two teeth filled earlier in the day--she used up all her nerves getting through that.

I miss Mist. Pip too. She cried in the car today, "I want Kiki, I need Kiki!" When I asked her why, she said, "I love her. I miss her."

So blue...I am in the eye of a cat storm. I can no longer have Silver live in our home. He is untrainable. I have tried everything, new litter boxes, new litter, new beds, even pet anti anxiety meds--all to no avail. He will not stop peeing on floors, carpets, beds and sofas.  What am I to do? I want a cat, I want him. But I cannot keep him because he is not trainable. He used to be. But over the years he has become completely untrained. I believe he is learning disabled as well. He has never been a typical cat. He is content to sit on my desk all day long, only leaving at night to eat and pee all over. It breaks my heart because I cannot keep him, yet I so wish he would "fix" himself and become normal so I can. :(

To an outsider my cat dilemma may seem trivial. However, we have had him for 6 years. I am an animal lover. I have never given away a pet. I never thought I would have to. It is weighing heavily on my mind and heart. I cannot have a pet jeopardize the health of my family. Constantly breathing in his cat pee fumes, cleaning up his cat pee--it requires hours of my labour that I will never get back--I want that time to play with my kids, not clean!

I had to euthanize my dearest, oldest frined ever last year--my pug Weldy. He was 15 1/2 years old and going downhill fast--but it was his incontinence that finally made me realize it was time. He had diarrhea all over the house constantly and my vet (Theresa) said it was very unhealthy to have that bacteria on my floors all of the time with a toddler.

What to do? I have called his breeder and am placing an add in my sister's vet clinic. 

Piggy in the Middle

Oh Fernando...

Breed: cross between a mountain goat/Tasmanian devil/Albert Einstein and cheetah.

Favourite game: piggy in the middle.

You are the piggy--Fernando the black streak that encircles you. You can NEVER catch him, NEVER.

Favourite hobby:

running straight up the slide at the playground and beating your kid to the top. Then he waits until your kid is about to slide down--he shoves her out of the way and slides down feet first--knocking your kid off the slide.

He continues to do this as fast as he can, always beating your kid to the top of the slide.

Favorite move: pooping on the leather sofa just to say he's mad at you for ignoring him for 1/2 a second.

Bad Dog

Pippi--Mistaya dressed her up all disco and put on the disco lights and dance music. 

I have a problem: FERNANDO. He bit Pip again. This time on her neck. She has three puncture wounds. He thinks she is another dog. She thinks she is another dog. Since we adopted him they do nothing but rough house. It has gone too far. I have tried dog whispering. I have tried everything. So, as a last resort, I am sending him back to my sister the vet. Theresa has volunteered to have him until he out grows some of his horrible puppy habits, i.e. thinking Pippi is another dog to snap at when the mood strikes.

On to some Zen Buddha Mama wisdom. The cook must always cook what she loves. If she cooks only what she loves, she will be inspired. This is from personal experience. I have just started following this advice. Tonight it is Japanese rice and slow cooked Indonesian Ginger chicken with broccoli on the side. 

The Dalai Lama is coming! Yippee-yahoo! He will be in Vancouver in September. I will be there. Also, an interesting talk about the Dalai Lama when I am in San Fransisco--The heart and Mind of the Dalai Lama. I might attend that as well. 

South Africa's loss is our gain. Their decision to ban him only freed him up to come to Canada. Desmond Tutu will be in Vancouver as well and Eckhart Tolle too--for a peace summit on "Educating the Heart."