A Hairy Situation

 Back when Covid started and my barber shop closed, Mardi began cutting my hair.  No complaints, but we decided that it might be time to try a barber again, so I did.

I call it my David Ben-Gurion cut.

You have to be REALLY old to understand where that came from!  And you have to have my very strange memory in order to dredge up the image from over 60 years ago that drew me to that connection as I stared at the  mirror.

Ben-Gurion was the leader of the Jews before the creation of Israel, was the architect of its creation, and served as its first prime minister.

His hair, like mine currently, defied gravity.

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In other news, I blew out my left knee last night.  It's been tired and sore for a few days, probably too much kneeling in the garden.  So I took a couple of days off.  Didn't help apparently.  Last night I heard a loud pop, followed by intense pain.  The leg now has absolutely no strength and I've brought out the yard sale cane to help me get around.

The doctor says it's a torn tendon and will take several weeks to mend.  Of course, this is the same doctor who diagnosed the nerve damage in my right leg as a torn muscle, so we'll see.

A great excuse for next year's golf at least.  And it will get me a seated job next week for the Lily planting!

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The following excerpt is from our latest Optimist bulletin.

"November was very busy, starting with our club hosting the other six Zone 2 clubs for the 1st Qtr Zone meeting. Our guest speaker Korey Rorison of Ronald McDonald House impressed the group with the positive role that RMH plays in the lives of parents and their children who are hospitalized with various afflictions. With the 50/50 draw, a very lucrative fine session, club, and personal donations, RMH benefited to close to $1000 for the day! Well done Optimists for a very worthwhile operation!!

Our November 8 guest speaker Amy Leeming Cote explained the role of the Hamilton Foundation for Student Success. This Foundation is a registered non-profit charity that raises funds in the private and business communities to help students in need and support schools with funding opportunities to enhance current programming or create new and innovative opportunities for student learning. Our connection? We annually provide graduation awards to students at Orchard Park and Saltfleet. The HFSS receives our donations and forwards them to the schools.

Then it was a very successful Turkey Roll. A record 37 cards were sold and the attendance was better than expected. The generosity of our members and their friends is very much appreciated.  And a Turkey Roll pat on the back to Optimists Bud and Mardi who sold circles on 7 cards!!!

Don’t have the final numbers yet, but we did make some well earned money for the community."  

I'm guessing that we made over $1,500.  Thanks again to those who supported our efforts!  It helps us to make the kind of donations noted above.

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Mardi and I headed upstairs to Carol Kemp's apartment tonight to play cards with her and Pat.  

Carol and I trounced them!  Sorry Pat and Mardi 😉.

Stay well folks.

Winter's On The Way

 Based on the weather forecast, today was likely my last gardening day for 2023.  But, over the past few days I've made some progress.

The plantings along the crest of the hill have been weeded and mulched.

Except for the Oak tree at the end.........

........where I need to remove three or four lower branches so that I can crawl under to dig out the grasses and weeds.  That's a project for early spring.

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Mardi is so impressed with what I've accomplished that she let me win the current Skip-Bo game.  So my record this year is 11 wins versus her 14.  Oh well!

Stay healthy.

 What great weather these last few days!  Managed to get another couple of gardens under control.

Before............the annuals are finished, except for the lavender...........

..........four wagon loads to the compost pile later........

..................... add eight bags of mulch - we're now ready for winter.

This garden has always been an issue for me.  It was built on top of a pile of rubble and never grew things well.  So this spring I dug it out and refilled it with unsaleable bags of top soil.  The annuals were happy this time!  

Then I worked on the pumpkin patch.  I removed the pumpkins and the corn and restored the Trillium logo garden.

Next will be that Day Lily garden in the background.  Time is running out and there's still lots to do.

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But, let's get on to the really big news.  Tonight was the Optimist Club's Turkey Roll.  Thanks to support from many of you and a few of our neighbours in the building, Mardi and I filled 7 cards.  That provides about $350 in net proceeds to go towards our charitable work!  Many thanks!

During the evening a cheque was presented to Hamilton Challenger Baseball (they provide activity for physically and mentally challenged kids).  Your help made this possible.

We always enjoy the turkey races during the evening.

It gets a bit rowdy!

In between races the turkey draws were held.

And congratulations to the winners:

David Craig, Ron King, Pat Tistechok, Therese Maclean, Sandro Cervoni, Roger Craig, Matt and Maureen.

I'll get the $40 gift cards to you in a few days.

Stay well.

Flanders Fields

 This morning we headed to the Stoney Creek cenotaph to honour our fallen heroes.

The main part of the cenotaph honours those who fell in the first world war.  The stone in front, those from the second world war.  The Mums came from Trillium Hill - felt good!

Mardi laid a wreath on behalf of her church.

It's interesting what thoughts go through your head at times like this.

While Mardi did this, I'm sure that she was thinking about son Greg, who served with the army in the killing fields of Cambodia and with the air force in Afghanistan.  He's also been buzzed by enemy Russian planes while patrolling our Arctic north.  Mardi's hero for sure!

My thoughts were of my uncle who served in the liberation of Holland, and of my childhood friends, Ruth and Dick Napper.  They were just toddlers when their father was killed in WW11.  His name is half way down the right column.

Their mother had to try to support her family on Mother's Allowance, a virtually impossible task as our own mother discovered a few years later.

Kay couldn't afford a phone so our dad rigged up an intercom between her house and ours so she would be able to call for assistance if needed.  She remarried, but her second husband was pretty cruel with the kids.  That's probably when I began to realize how lucky I have been in life!

And because of our fallen heroes, how lucky we all have been here in Canada.

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Be thankful and be well.

Good Times

 Today's birthday girl is Barb Gallina.  Best wishes and keep up the  good progress!

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Our excitement today was a game of cards with Pat and Carol.

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words 😜.   We'll have to do this again!

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Tomorrow, lest we forget.

Stay well.

Remember

Missed a couple of events over the past two days.  First was Rose Strecker's birthday on Tuesday.  Hope that Ed was good to you Rose!  All the best!

Second, I hope that you were wearing your poppy three days early, because November 8 was Indigenous Veterans' Day, honouring our native partners who served in the great wars.  Barbara's and Jo-Ann's grandfather served this country.   Their uncle and cousin served in the U.S. military.

We remember.

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Did two hours at the greenhouse today.  Cleaned up another garden and dug two wagon loads of sod from around the trees.  Time is running out on the gardening front, but David advises that we'll be planting Easter Lilies starting on December 4.  Can't wait 😟😰.

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Stay well.

NEGATIVE!!!

 Free at last!  Today's test came out negative.  What a relief!

I only had one really bad day.  My throat became a volcano from the Covid, I had a stye in my right eye, and my carpal tunnel was causing pain and numbness.  Quite a combination!

Then it just became a waiting game, which is finally over.

So, today I headed back to the greenhouse to do an hour of moving sod.  Turns out it's also time for the rental farmer next door to harvest his sunflowers.

I'll miss those cheery little devils!

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Stay well.

Hope

 Hamilton's Road2Hope Marathon took place today.  The route goes by our front door and the road was closed (much to the anguish of people trying to get out of our underground parking).

I would have normally been caught up in the chaos, but not today.  I've been quarantined for a few days due to Covid 😠.  Had one really nasty day but things then settled down.  Now just tired and frustrated and still testing positive.  Mardi says that I should get out in the fresh air but I don't want to inflict on someone else what was inflicted on me so I'm going to be careful about next steps.

Mardi has escaped so far.  Whether that's because she had Covid back in the first wave or that her six vaccine shots are still protecting her, or she's been avoiding contact with me, I don't know, but I'm glad for her.  It is an ugly disease.

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Today is Diane Lougheed's birthday, a round number milestone.  I intended to be there to congratulate her, but the above noted situation cancelled that.  Sorry Diane - hope you have had a wonderful day!

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Why do people hate the Jews?  They were chased from their homeland centuries ago by Mohammad and his followers.  They suffered the Holocaust last century at the hands of so-called Christians.  Why?  Simply because they have different religious beliefs?  Or are smarter and more successful?

Why do so many people give the Muslims a free ride?  Why don't they protest against Hamas, whose murder, rape, mutilation and humiliation of innocent Jews started this current war and who hide behind innocent women and children in Gaza.

And Israel has no choice but to do what they are doing in Gaza.  Hamas hide under churches, hospitals and schools, behind those innocent people.  If Israel doesn't do what it is doing, Hamas will continue their quest to eliminate the country altogether.

If the protesters want a pause in the bloodshed, they should be calling on Hamas to release the hostages.  Why don't they?  What is in their heads?  Why are our Canadian unions on the wrong side?

(Sitting at home has obviously given me too much time to think!)

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Try to find hope in all of this.  And stay well.