Well we survived the Urquhart Family Xmas Dinner party. Our grandson was a huge success and we did have a very good time. He was so good and laughed at everyone, they loved him and fussed over him like crazy. Imagine next year we will have two babies running around.
Our New Years Eve was spent as usual. We went to a movie first. Saw No Country For Old Men. I did enjoy the movie, it was so weird tho and really rather depressing. I guess the message of the movie was that the world is getting so full of evil that it is no longer a place for people who believe in decency and goodness. And that when you retire, all that is left for you to do is sit and wait for death!! what a bummer. We went to Swiss Chalet intending to have dinner after the movie but it was closed so we went to Kelsys. We shared a meal and it was okay, nothing special. Then we went to the Raceway Slots, got lais and hats and noise makers. Rang in the New Year with Darlene and Tony. Went there first because they were giving away TV's every hour from 8:30 - 12:30. We didn't win so went downtown. Won enough money to play all night. Decided to leave at 9:00 am but Brian won a few hundred just as we were leaving so the only way I could get him out of there was to agree to come back for my birthday. Then went for breakfast at Golden Griddle and home to bed by 10:30 am. Jan 1st was a lost day for me, I was too tired to even get out of my pj's.
January 3rd was my 62nd birthday and we went to the casino Market Buffet, the casino gave me 2 free buffets for my BD, so Drew and Kate and Eric came with us and we comp'ed their meals. Had a great meal and great desserts. Then played for a few hours on the slots. Kate won $100 on the Hot Shots but put it all back. Drew won almost $300 and took it home with him. Eric wasn't as lucky. I won $165.00 on my Egyptian machine and Brian kept winning so to get him out of there I had to promise that we could come back one more time. Babysat in Michigan on Friday, January 4th. Our grandson is so precious. Went for the last time to the casino to give them back all our winnings. Came home Friday night to find out that our favourite Uncle was in the hospital and was not expected to survive the night. He had said his goodbyes to his children. And yesterday morning we got the word that he had passed away. We are very saddened by this news and are now just waiting for the next phone call to find out the funeral arrangements.
Depressed, so signing off.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Friday, December 28, 2007
A Day in the Life of a Retiree
December 28, 2007
Well xmas is come and gone. Enjoyed Xmas Day greatly - it was very special with Rowan here, it made Xmas so much more special seeing it through the eyes of a little one again. He was so excited about everything - he loved our decorations, the little village and the tree, he really liked the angel on top - he kept pointing at her and wanting to touch her.
Rowan arrived with his mom and dad first at about 11:00am and then Katie and Eric came about noon. we opened our stockings first and then our presents. It was a bit of a mad house but that is the fun of it. I hardly got to open mine because I was helping rowan - he seemed to enjoy everything. He got a drum and a xylophone/piano to play and a phone on wheels to pull and a tool bench to hammer and a school bus to fill with little people and a guitar to play and lots of little things to put together and take apart. I told Chuck and Patty that they will need to get a toy box to keep all this stuff together and out of the way!
Dinner was okay - the turkey and stuffing were great but the gravy was too greasy. and everyone was too full to really even take a bit of the pies and the treats that we had baked for the occassion. More for us to eat ourselves, but we certainly don't need any of it! Most will get tossed, what a waste. Next year I will remember to NOT bake anything! But the camaraderie around the dinner table was priceless and we had such a nice time watching the kids interact with each other. It worries me that they don't visit each other on their own, they only visit each other when I have the family together - I wonder what will happen when we are gone?
Tomorrw is the extended Urquhart family xmas dinner. It is at one of Brian's brother's house. Rowan is the only great-nephew so he will get lots of attention. It should be fun - much less stress than having it at your own home! There will be about 30 people there this year. Brian is one of 8 brothers and sisters and most of them are married with grown children who now have significant others to attend. Brian's parents are both gone now, his Dad died in 1989 and his mother in 2001. My Dad died in 1991 and my mother just last year in 2006. this is the first year that my brother did not make the trip from Toronto this year. I can't blame him, he spends his xmas with his friend's family and they are like his own children so it was nice for him to stay in Toronto for the first time ever since he left home almost 40 years ago. Still it shows that things change as families grow older, sometimes for the better but sometimes a bit for the worse with traditions falling by the wayside. Without my mother and brother to share the plum pudding with, it was a bit silly of me to make it anyway and be the only one to take a piece! And my brother is the only one who really enjoys my Scottish shortbread, again I made a batch that no one but me is eating. Oh well, I guess I just have to let these things slide.
Looking forward to our New Year's Eve celebration.
Well xmas is come and gone. Enjoyed Xmas Day greatly - it was very special with Rowan here, it made Xmas so much more special seeing it through the eyes of a little one again. He was so excited about everything - he loved our decorations, the little village and the tree, he really liked the angel on top - he kept pointing at her and wanting to touch her.
Rowan arrived with his mom and dad first at about 11:00am and then Katie and Eric came about noon. we opened our stockings first and then our presents. It was a bit of a mad house but that is the fun of it. I hardly got to open mine because I was helping rowan - he seemed to enjoy everything. He got a drum and a xylophone/piano to play and a phone on wheels to pull and a tool bench to hammer and a school bus to fill with little people and a guitar to play and lots of little things to put together and take apart. I told Chuck and Patty that they will need to get a toy box to keep all this stuff together and out of the way!
Dinner was okay - the turkey and stuffing were great but the gravy was too greasy. and everyone was too full to really even take a bit of the pies and the treats that we had baked for the occassion. More for us to eat ourselves, but we certainly don't need any of it! Most will get tossed, what a waste. Next year I will remember to NOT bake anything! But the camaraderie around the dinner table was priceless and we had such a nice time watching the kids interact with each other. It worries me that they don't visit each other on their own, they only visit each other when I have the family together - I wonder what will happen when we are gone?
Tomorrw is the extended Urquhart family xmas dinner. It is at one of Brian's brother's house. Rowan is the only great-nephew so he will get lots of attention. It should be fun - much less stress than having it at your own home! There will be about 30 people there this year. Brian is one of 8 brothers and sisters and most of them are married with grown children who now have significant others to attend. Brian's parents are both gone now, his Dad died in 1989 and his mother in 2001. My Dad died in 1991 and my mother just last year in 2006. this is the first year that my brother did not make the trip from Toronto this year. I can't blame him, he spends his xmas with his friend's family and they are like his own children so it was nice for him to stay in Toronto for the first time ever since he left home almost 40 years ago. Still it shows that things change as families grow older, sometimes for the better but sometimes a bit for the worse with traditions falling by the wayside. Without my mother and brother to share the plum pudding with, it was a bit silly of me to make it anyway and be the only one to take a piece! And my brother is the only one who really enjoys my Scottish shortbread, again I made a batch that no one but me is eating. Oh well, I guess I just have to let these things slide.
Looking forward to our New Year's Eve celebration.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
A Day in the Life of a Retiree - Ready for Xmas
Well here it is December 23rd and am I ready for xmas???? Not really. Just baked the last treat for the day, all the presents are wrapped and under the tree, and even the stockings are stuffed with their presents, just have to add the candy.
But I still don't really feel ready for the onslaught on Tuesday. I want to enjoy the visit from all the kids and now the granchild, but I know that it will be chaotic and I won't be able to enjoy it the way I want to. It is exciting to have a young one around the tree again, but am worried that he won't take his nap here and therefore will be grumpy by the time we have dinner.
Tomorrow I hope to get the xmas dishes out and to set the table ahead of time. I want to do as much tomorrow as I can. The old back doesn't seem to be able to take as much strain as it use to. Maybe I can get the stuffing prepared too before we go to xmas mass and then over to my brother-in-laws for an xmas eve open house, that's been a tradition for quite a few years now.
Later tonight we are meeting some friends from Sarnia and are going to treat them to the buffet at the casino. That is always good. And you never know maybe we will win some xmas money at the slots, that would be a good thing.
But I still don't really feel ready for the onslaught on Tuesday. I want to enjoy the visit from all the kids and now the granchild, but I know that it will be chaotic and I won't be able to enjoy it the way I want to. It is exciting to have a young one around the tree again, but am worried that he won't take his nap here and therefore will be grumpy by the time we have dinner.
Tomorrow I hope to get the xmas dishes out and to set the table ahead of time. I want to do as much tomorrow as I can. The old back doesn't seem to be able to take as much strain as it use to. Maybe I can get the stuffing prepared too before we go to xmas mass and then over to my brother-in-laws for an xmas eve open house, that's been a tradition for quite a few years now.
Later tonight we are meeting some friends from Sarnia and are going to treat them to the buffet at the casino. That is always good. And you never know maybe we will win some xmas money at the slots, that would be a good thing.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Day in the Life of a Retiree - Christmas Shopping
December 12, 2007 Well we have finally started our Xmas shopping. We did the Black Friday thing in Detroit after the American Thanksgiving and did find some tremendous bargains. But have had a devil of a time finding one item for my youngest son, a computer part, but finally yesterday it came in and now he will be happy. Had fun shopping at Toys R Us for our grandson, gee toys are alot cheaper than buying for adults, we could buy 6 for the price we pay for one adult gift!! We bought toys similar to what our own kids had, just simple little things, like the donut circles that you put on a peg in order of size, and the telephone (not a cell phone), and the xylaphone/piano combination toy, and big blocks, and toy cars. I wanted the Fisher-Price yellow school bus that my kids really loved but the only school bus at our Toys R Us was a pink one and I don't think that my son wants his son playing with a pink bus. But I did order a Raggedy Andy online, his first and probably only doll. I think it helps to develop those nurturing skills that are so often lacking in men. Also bought my husband the hydraulic jack that he wanted, but that means that he has to work next summer jacking up the trailer, no excuses this time. We have a trailer on Lake Huron for the summer, and now that we are retired we stay up there most of the summer. We are members of a golf course up there, Widder Station, it is not the best course around but we have made many friends playing golf there and we love the people who work there. We are both in leagues and I golf 3-4 times a week and my husband golfs 4-5 times a week. One day a week is saved for babysitting our grandson, but with another grandchild on the way, we may have tokeep 2 days open! My daughter is expecting we think a girl in February. We are both really looking forward to another baby. It has enriched our lives and brought back so many memories. We love spending time with the little one but we are ready to head home at the end of the day. That is the marvellous thing about grandkids, you get to enjoy them just long enough before you are too tired to do it anymore, then you can leave and return to your quiet life, but the next visit you are ready for the challenge all over again.
The Urquhart women met last weekend to plan the Urquhart family Xmas party. We met at the casino and ate at the Market Place, had a fabulous seafood buffet with great desserts. Our meeting last over 2 hours and then we hit the slots, and watched an Elvis impersonator. Had a great time. The Urquhart family has a dinner between Xmas and New Years so that everyone can attend. We use to go to Gramma and Grandpa Urquhart's house Xmas morning to exchange presents but as the families got bigger, and with 8 kids, and 11 grandkids, after grampa died and gramma moved into an apartment we started this event. We don't exchange gifts anymore but just meet for Xmas dinner and a night of fun. The men usually play poker and the women play a game of some sort. It is always a hoot. This year it will be on the 29th of Dec, a Saturday, so that those who have to work will be able to attend.
Also last Friday I went to lunch with 2 of my closest friends from where I use to work. We had a good time but every time I visit a former colleague I remember why I was so glad to retire early. No one seems really happy with their jobs, or at least all I hear about are the problems they have to deal with. It was fun to hear the gossip but I certainly don't regret the fact that I no longer have to deal with all that stuff. I actually felt a bit stressed just hearing about their situations, but it didn't take long for that stress to dissipate when I was driving home.
Today we are meeting 2 of my sister-in-laws for lunch, then will do a few errands and maybe a bit more shopping. I still have stocking stuff to buy.
That's all for now.....
The Urquhart women met last weekend to plan the Urquhart family Xmas party. We met at the casino and ate at the Market Place, had a fabulous seafood buffet with great desserts. Our meeting last over 2 hours and then we hit the slots, and watched an Elvis impersonator. Had a great time. The Urquhart family has a dinner between Xmas and New Years so that everyone can attend. We use to go to Gramma and Grandpa Urquhart's house Xmas morning to exchange presents but as the families got bigger, and with 8 kids, and 11 grandkids, after grampa died and gramma moved into an apartment we started this event. We don't exchange gifts anymore but just meet for Xmas dinner and a night of fun. The men usually play poker and the women play a game of some sort. It is always a hoot. This year it will be on the 29th of Dec, a Saturday, so that those who have to work will be able to attend.
Also last Friday I went to lunch with 2 of my closest friends from where I use to work. We had a good time but every time I visit a former colleague I remember why I was so glad to retire early. No one seems really happy with their jobs, or at least all I hear about are the problems they have to deal with. It was fun to hear the gossip but I certainly don't regret the fact that I no longer have to deal with all that stuff. I actually felt a bit stressed just hearing about their situations, but it didn't take long for that stress to dissipate when I was driving home.
Today we are meeting 2 of my sister-in-laws for lunch, then will do a few errands and maybe a bit more shopping. I still have stocking stuff to buy.
That's all for now.....
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
A Day in the Life of a Retiree - Dec 4, 2007
Well we've have a few busy days. One day spent at the Casino hoping to win 5 million reward points, but alas we were unsuccessful. But I won $600 just when we were leaving so that broke us even. We visited with some brothers and sisters who were also there. Had fun but it made for a long day from 1:00pm until 11:00pm
Another day was spent at the hospital with my daughter. She is 7 months pregnant and started to bleed. Her partner was stuck at work so we drove her to the hospital and met him there. To make a long story short, she is okay and the baby is okay. She has a major bladder infection so they gave her antibiotics and sent her home. It was a great relief. We are already attached to this unborn baby girl.
No luck in buying some xmas presents that I was planning to get. For some reason the stores are out of things that they advertise in their sales brochures, they say that they never even had any of it!! It is very frustrating.
Tomorrow we babysit our grandson, so that will be exciting and fun.
I have uncovered a few more links in my Scottish ancestry. More Sherriffs and Cowes. Spent the whole day yesterday just adding to my family tree. Wrote a letter to a Michelle Sherriff in Scotland, she seems to have done quite a bit of work on the Sherriff line. I hope to hear from her.
that's all for now.
Another day was spent at the hospital with my daughter. She is 7 months pregnant and started to bleed. Her partner was stuck at work so we drove her to the hospital and met him there. To make a long story short, she is okay and the baby is okay. She has a major bladder infection so they gave her antibiotics and sent her home. It was a great relief. We are already attached to this unborn baby girl.
No luck in buying some xmas presents that I was planning to get. For some reason the stores are out of things that they advertise in their sales brochures, they say that they never even had any of it!! It is very frustrating.
Tomorrow we babysit our grandson, so that will be exciting and fun.
I have uncovered a few more links in my Scottish ancestry. More Sherriffs and Cowes. Spent the whole day yesterday just adding to my family tree. Wrote a letter to a Michelle Sherriff in Scotland, she seems to have done quite a bit of work on the Sherriff line. I hope to hear from her.
that's all for now.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Day in the Life of a Retiree
November 30, 2007
Today we are at our oldest son's house babysitting our 10 month old grandson. We do this most Fridays. It has been a great experience. We love him to death and to watch him grow and learn new things each week has been precious. We get up at 5:00am to avoid the bridge traffice, have breakfast at Bob Evans and then get to the house around 7:30am. Today he was still sleeping when we got here but woke up at about 8, had some breakfast, and is now down for a nap. He has decided that he likes to try and climb stairs now. We stay very close!
Found another line in my genealogy, my grandmother was named Mary Cowe Davidson and she was named after her mother's mother Mary Cowe. I had been trying to get the Cowe line back from her and until the other day had not been successful. But I got a hint when I found her mother living with them when she was a widow. Her name was Agnes Cowe (pronounced Coo). On her death certificate it gave her deceased husband's name of Peter Cowe and her maiden name as Robertson. I could then start viewing the census' of Scotland and found Peter and Mary and their umteen children including my grandmother's mother Margaret Cowe. I am now starting to research the families of Margaret's siblings. so far one of the girls married a James Scott and the other a william Martin and of course they all had umteen children.
Also I had been researching the Mack line and had written to a person in Arizona whose name and address I got in the LDS site asking about their research on the Mack line. I thought that we might have come from the same family of Mack's as they do. They have emailed me and we are now corresponding trying to get a connection. Their Mack's come from Cockburnspath in Berwickshire Scotland and so do mine. It is great to find someone else who is researching the same family as you are.
Tonight we are going to stop off at Gibraltar Centre to go to their golf show, you never know what you might find. I need to run over to Best Buy this afternoon while the baby is sleeping to buy an Xmas present too, my younger son needs a better video card for his computer.
Today we are at our oldest son's house babysitting our 10 month old grandson. We do this most Fridays. It has been a great experience. We love him to death and to watch him grow and learn new things each week has been precious. We get up at 5:00am to avoid the bridge traffice, have breakfast at Bob Evans and then get to the house around 7:30am. Today he was still sleeping when we got here but woke up at about 8, had some breakfast, and is now down for a nap. He has decided that he likes to try and climb stairs now. We stay very close!
Found another line in my genealogy, my grandmother was named Mary Cowe Davidson and she was named after her mother's mother Mary Cowe. I had been trying to get the Cowe line back from her and until the other day had not been successful. But I got a hint when I found her mother living with them when she was a widow. Her name was Agnes Cowe (pronounced Coo). On her death certificate it gave her deceased husband's name of Peter Cowe and her maiden name as Robertson. I could then start viewing the census' of Scotland and found Peter and Mary and their umteen children including my grandmother's mother Margaret Cowe. I am now starting to research the families of Margaret's siblings. so far one of the girls married a James Scott and the other a william Martin and of course they all had umteen children.
Also I had been researching the Mack line and had written to a person in Arizona whose name and address I got in the LDS site asking about their research on the Mack line. I thought that we might have come from the same family of Mack's as they do. They have emailed me and we are now corresponding trying to get a connection. Their Mack's come from Cockburnspath in Berwickshire Scotland and so do mine. It is great to find someone else who is researching the same family as you are.
Tonight we are going to stop off at Gibraltar Centre to go to their golf show, you never know what you might find. I need to run over to Best Buy this afternoon while the baby is sleeping to buy an Xmas present too, my younger son needs a better video card for his computer.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
A Day in the Life of a Retiree
November 28, 2007 Here I am a new blogger and already I missed a day. Yesterday I worked on the book about my father. I have his letters that he wrote to my mother during WW2, all 108 of them. I am incorporating into the letters, extracts from a book entitled the History of the Lincoln and Welland (that was his regiment), and some of the articles by Ernie Pyle, a war correspondent during 1944 for the Windsor Star. In that way we can see what was actually going on when my father wrote these letters. It is fun, I am almost done. I don't know if I will ever find anyone to publish them.
My younger son, who lives with us, came down with the flu, has a temperature, diarrhea and vomiting, so had to take care of him yesterday too, hope my husband and I don't get it. I don't have my fly shot yet.
Today the cleaning ladies came so my husband and I went to Timmies for a coffee, did the crossword. Then we went to the Raceway Slots and he won $400 on a 50 cent machine. He is very lucky!
Today plan to work on the book some more. And maybe some genealogy.
My younger son, who lives with us, came down with the flu, has a temperature, diarrhea and vomiting, so had to take care of him yesterday too, hope my husband and I don't get it. I don't have my fly shot yet.
Today the cleaning ladies came so my husband and I went to Timmies for a coffee, did the crossword. Then we went to the Raceway Slots and he won $400 on a 50 cent machine. He is very lucky!
Today plan to work on the book some more. And maybe some genealogy.
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