A Little of This and That

Firstly, let me say how delighted/appreciative I was to discover that I had a few comments from some of you who are actually reading my blog ... many thanks !

Brinkley's leg is bothering him a bit today, so he's needing some TLC and snuggle time with Dad while they watch the hockey playoffs together. He was running a bit too much in the park, and then had a tussle with his buddy Kaiser (120 lbs!) down the street and he forgets that he's going to be 7 next month (49 in dog years). Needless to say, it aggravated his elbow dysplasia. I've increased his Lakota intake which is helping. That stuff is amazing! He's been on it for almost a year, and the incidence of injury and recuperation time has diminished significantly.

Ah, Sunday morning and the living is easy! My feet were about falling off after an 8 hour shift yesterday, so it was 'couch potato' last night. Thank goodness we had all the leftovers from Dad's birthday party (see below) so didn't have to think about cooking. Participated in an Intro. to Scrapbooking course at the store yesterday. Just prior to starting, the boss popped in and says to Karen and I, "pay close attention, because you're going to be teaching this soon"! Great ... I'm not really interested in scrapbooking (I prefer cards) and soon I'll have to sound like I not only love it, but actually know what I'm talking about! It was actually kind of fun :)

I was helping a customer out and didn't realize that my boss was behind a separating partition, hearing every word. I was surprised to see her when I rounded the corner! She gives me this big hug and says, "I knew I did the right thing when I hired you"! If I hadn't been so stunned, I would have replied "just ensure that my substantial raise is reflected in my next paycheque"!


Here's my dad (with my mom and sister) on April 20, 2007, celebrating his 73rd birthday, less than a week after suffering a heart attack. When I asked him if he was still up for a celebration, his response was 'bring it on'! He's a little wobbly, due to the various medications, but other than that, says he's feeling fine and you'd never know he'd just been through a major medical trauma. Thank you, Jesus!

Prior to the dinner, I'd asked dad what he'd like for dessert. He's seriously lactose intolerant, so that had to be taken into consideration. He decided he'd like lemon meringue pie. Great! My only challenge? I make terrible pie crust -- which is a well know fact in our family. I used to have a baking business and am a not bad cook, but pie crust is a talent that eludes me. So, off to my local Crumbs Bakery (owned by a lady from our church) and after a lengthy discuss with the pastry chef about ingredients, we agreed on the content of the finished product. It was unbelievable! We all remarked that it was the best pie we'd ever eaten. It had a short crust, done in a flan pan, and there was a thin coating of dark chocolate over the pastry shell, with a luscious lemon filling over top. The meringue was toasted to perfection and they even did a little fondant plaque with writing on the top. Yummy! I'd definitely be ordering this confection again.

Gave dad a Roots padded day pack, filled with his favorite goodies ... he's going to use it to pack his and mom's lunch in, once he's up to bike riding and picnics again. Dad's back is often a problem, but I was pleased to find a pack with a good orthopedic design that takes this into consideration. It was good to have the family together.