Dictionaries........

I must admit I do like dictionaries, especially to look up the origins of words.  In Canada we have the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, one I don't have as yet but do plan on going to Chapters & buying it.  Actually there is to be an updated version coming out in a few days which is the one I plan on buying.
 
Canadians do have an unique use of English, but mostly we don't recognize we are using "Canadian English".  In the updated version of the Canadian Oxford Dictionary there will be about 5000 Canadianism's.  Among them is Butter Tart (filling is egg, brown sugar, corn syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, raisins) which began in Canada around the turn of the 20th Century....ask for one outside of Canada & unless the person you're asking is a Canadian expatriate, you'll be greeted with "Huh??".   Double-double...usually said in  Canada's Tim Horton's donut shops but is more wide spread than just Tim's, means double cream, double sugar.  For the orange simulated cheese-flavoured snack, we just say Cheezies which is the Canadian company that makes these snacks, but we use the word to cover all brands.  In US it's cheese puffs or cheese twists.
 
Being a hockey & curling mad country, we use puck hog (won't give it up) & puck suck (a player who lingers by the net so as to score easily);  "hurry" is curling term for "sweep".  Beer league..bunch of older guys who play a game of hockey & afterwards relax with a Molson's beer.
 
May Two-Four...our 24th of May long weekend, celebrates our Queen's official birthday, started with Queen Victoria.  Usually have fireworks.
 
Besides the Canadian Oxford Dictionary,  THE Oxford English Dictionary is researching the origin of our word "poutine".  Meaning "mess" in Canadian French (yes, Canadian French has it's own Canadianisms, but believes in a pure French, except it isn't Parisian French...another topic!), it began in 1982 when trucker Eddy Lanege stopped in Warwick, Québec, where he went into the restaurant of Fernand Lachance's.  He saw cheese curds on the counter & asked Lachance to mix them in with the fries & gravy he'd just ordered.  Lachance called it "poutine!" but added it to his menu.  Since then, poutine has spread throughout the world & sold by many of the big fast-food chains....just don't ask for it in US, ya get a "Huh?!"  I've eaten it once.  Is good but all I could hear was my artieries complaining & knew it was going straight to my hips.
 
So that's just a few of our own Canuck words.  Any day you can have a double-double with a butter tart....it's a good one.
 
Starfire
 
 

T-Rex, Bears.....

Reading the local rag this morning, I found 2 articles fascinating.  One was about new theories about big old T-Rex, & the other on the bear problem as seen in beautiful Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta. 
 
Dinosaurs have always intrigued me as it has with both my eldest son & his son, but we all are thankful that most of them still do not live in the neighbourhood.  Not a case of NIMBY, just don't think they would be ideal neighbours (grouchy) & also don't like the thought of being their next meal.  I would venture even Mr. Rogers wouldn't want one in his neighbour.  Today's article really sealed that idea.  Now paleobiologist Prof. Erickson of University of Florida is advancing new ideas while looking for new T-Rex fossils in Grande Prairie, Alberta.  He is suggesting that T-Rex was not a loner while hunting, but travelled in packs, had better eyesight & hearing than thought, plus could get speeds up to 30 klicks an hour & preferred live kills, not already dead ones.  When he caught his prey, he didn't just gulp it down.  With his jaw pressure of about 1500 kilos & teeth strong enough to crush thick dinosaur bones, he would bite & pull like a Komodo dragon or great white shark.  While settling a domestic dispute, would lock his jaws & wrestle.  A favourite meal was a teenage dinosaur.....nice & tender.  Yum! Yum!
 
In the area known as the Jewel of the Rockies, Lake Louise does have bears wandering about.  Parks Canada is considering surrounding the hamlet with a 10-klick electric "necklace" to protect the residents from grizzly bears & to encourage the bears to move up & down Bow Valley.  Some members of Lake Louise council fear that they will lose its wilderness, keeping out elk & coyotes also.  I can understand a little not wanting to keep elk out except I believe an elk can do damage to your person also, but coyotes...like their howl, don't like them going after sheep altho' I guess not too many domestic sheep wander the streets of Lake Louise.  Grizzlies are completely another matter.  Don't even want to see one a klick away.  I say let them mind their own business, I'll mind mine, never the twain should meet.
 
Any day without a T-Rex pack thundering through our woods chasing a grizzly up through our backyard is a great day!  You have one too, eh?
 
Starfire

Highways....

Was reading an article over the weekend in our local rag about the "dangerous" big rigs, the "tiny" cars......  I had the distinct feeling that the writer was against transports, altho' he did a small attempt to "balance" the story.  It was the usual "story" about semi-truck drivers roughly pushing their way through, without any by-your-leave, creating mayhem on our multi-lane highways, crashing into vehicles left & right; running over the small cars with heavy damage to these vehicles, crushing the occupants, etc.  The writer pointed out with the modern cars being smaller & the transports becoming even larger, the cars & people have no chance at all.   Hummm.....  I wonder if these small car owners had decided they would be safer in SUVs or insisted their cars be more "sturdy", would there be the disasterous consequences when even 2 cars collide?  Trouble is that there seems to be such an anti-SUVs & anti-semi's clique that am afraid both will find it hard to fight the PC crowd.
 
First, about the transports.  Yes, they are big & yes, they travel quickly, but no, not all drivers are idiots, bullies or speed demons.  They want to get their job completed safely, go home alive & not in body bags to their families, just as the rest of us do.  They have to contend with the driving public which does have its' share of idiots, bullies & speed demons, but when one of these idiots cuts in front of a fully-loaded 18-wheeler, like the freight train, the transport cannot come to a slamming halt or turn on a dime.  That's when people get killed.

SUVs.  Yes, they are big, but excuse me, when did it become a crime to want to have a vehicle that isn't like tissue paper?  Is it a crime to want to have a safer vehicle to transport your kids?  The PC crowd seem to think so.

Do I have a SUV...no.  Does my spouse drive a transport....again no.  I just believe that our economy would come to a slamming stop if the semi's are banned from the 4 or 6-lane highways.  The railways could not keep up with delivering products & produce, plus trucks have to cart the stuff from the railway to the stores anyway.  Can't see CNN tracks running right up to where the products are to be unloaded at the stores.  I also believe that it's a personal choice if you want to own a SUV, as it is if you want to have a tiny car.
 
Anyway, that's my rant.  Safe journeys...& have a good day.
 
Starfire

Carp Diem.....

Hair done & eyes examined....went well this a.m.  Cataracts are the slow-growing type so that eased my mind a bit.  Didn't have time to pop my new prescription into glasses store, but will do that next week.  Will likely be another 2-3 weeks before they are finished...can live with old ones 'til then.
 
Think am getting the hang of The Sims.  Boy, is it addictive!  Have another Simsy who has tried burning his place down twice now, but with the phone outside, can get him to call Fire Department & keep him from burning himself also.  He's made friends with the other one & she is very happy to have met him.  Things are progressing well between them if I can keep them from doing damage to their houses or selves.
 
Weather was cooler today & more comfortable, not muggy.  Think finally the summer has arrived.
 
Reading others' blogs, I get the feeling there are a few disatisfied, angry, frustrated people writing them, perhaps many are young adults who feel "the weight of the world" on their shoulders......then there are those who write, with humour, about their lives that may have disasters swirling around them, but they use laughter to get them through.  Think I would like to meet the latter..the former, well, think with a few more years of experience they will find their angst of today is not worth even the effort to remember.
 
"Yesterday is history,
 Tomorrow a mystery,
 Today is a gift."
 
Carp Diem, my friends.
 
Starfire
 

Muggy, Smoggy Day.......

Usually go shopping on Thursdays, but have hair appointment tomorrow, plus eye exam.  Decided to get both done same day.  Need new glasses.  Have fingers crossed that cataracts haven't gotten worse, but think they are slow growers, or whatever you call that.  Eyes seem to be acting the same as before..after a couple of years I start having to look over them to see TV or that sign in the distance.  Oh well, will know tomorrow....
 
Is in 80s this AM, very muggy & under smog warning.  Have been coughing which isn't the norm so think smog isn't agreeing with me.  Had asthma as a young kid so always wonder if it's raising its' ugly head again....
 
Worked on The Sims again & so far my lone Simsy is content...has job.....maid....& hasn't BURNED DOWN THE HOUSE yet.  This time I put the cordless phone outside the door & have phones in nearly every room.  Seems so funny that this program keeps getting my Sims killed in fires.....am a burn survivor myself.  Accidently burned our RV in '97 & singed my feathers...mainly my arms & hands.  Took over a year of therapy before was over....fully recovered now & back to doing everything I want....
 
Anyway, any day I don't burn down the house or RV......is a good day......
 
Starfire

Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks......

Bought a new computer game on Sunday, The Sims Deluxe Edition.  I know, I know, it's been out awhile, but I hate spending $$ on unessentials, like fun......  Anyhooo, I've installed it & as it's the 1st Sims I've ever played with, let alone own, am having fun but a little frustrated.  So far, have started 3 families.....the same one....  Was able to buy a lot, build home & put a few basic furnishings inside, but forgot to have them (3, parents & adult son in the family) look for a job while they weren't "too depressed".  No jobs, no $$, no food....boy, were they depressed!   Adult son died of starvation--then I was depressed & didn't Save when I Quit.  Redid the family & house, son got a job but no one woke him up in time so lost job......depressed whole family.  Dad went to make dinner for the family, burned the kitchen & 3 of them perished.  Good Grief!!  OK, decided to be "smarter" & just create the woman, no family.  Bought another lot in different community (just in case she heard the sad tale of the boy starving to death & the family dying in a fire), built a small house & furnishings (more decore than the others as more $$ to go around), got her a job (musician in subway) & she seemed happy except she did sleep in & missed her ride but was given another chance.  Also, she wasn't too pleased with the size of the house so I added a huge room with sofas, computer, picture, etc.  She loved the computer (what's not to like), but then she was hungry....you know the rest, kitchen, fire...  I tried to make her walk out of the house, but no, she just kept returning.  Then the Clown showed up....and the Grim Reaper.....yep, she's ashes now.  Think next time will buy her a cordless phone SO SHE CAN CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR CRYIN' OUT LOUD!!
 
Other than that...my day so far is a good day.......
 
Starfire

Moon Walking....

Today is the 35th anniversary of the first walk on the moon.  Our family of 5, dad, mom & 3 youngsters, were spending a few days camping at Bon Echo provincial park in south/eastern Ontario.  We were returning to our campsite after a stroll down to the lake.  I believe every radio in the campground was on, tuned to the live broadcast of Neil Armstrong stepping onto the moon's surface.  We stopped to listen, goose bumps on our arms, staring up at the moon in the sky.  An evening to remember.
 
Still there is the debate whether the space program is worth all the billions of money poured into it.  Many say take care of the earth's problems before trying to explore outer space, the money is wasted when it could be used for medicine, etc., etc.  Taking that into consideration, even with the billions spent on space exploration, it would not begin to cure earth's problems of illness or what have you, but the short-sighted ones still complain & want the money "to stay here".
 
What has the space program done for the earth?  Well, we would not be using computers world-wide & what computers there are, they would likely not be the microcomputers we know of today.  Satellites..likely still be years ahead & we would not be able to keep track of storms as easily, watch TV signals sent from the other side of the world instantly; banking, paying by credit or debit card--these are done in the blink of an eye; doctors being able to monitor their patients in their office or hospital, with the patient still at home.  Technology originally created to better understand airflow over airplane wings has been transferred into a portable, non-invasive fetal heart monitor. This advancement lowers fetal mortality by making prenatal care more accessible for expectant mothers who live in remote areas or otherwise have trouble traveling to a doctor's office.  Medical researchers are currently using the same silica aerogel that insulated Mars Pathfinder's Sojourner rover to grow lung cells and study DNA.  Global Positioning System (GPS)..can't get lost if you have one--must get my spouse one.  ;)
 
This is just a very short list of advancements curtesy of the space program.  Waste of money......don't think so.  We are living in a "blossoming" era, maybe not ideal, but one so much better than before the Space Age began.  It is a good day.......
 
Starfire

Wash Day Blues........

Another day of washing clothes done.  I usually do the laundry Monday mornings.  Any other day messes up my week.  We live in the country so water is not to be wasted, hence usually one day a week for this job, so the basket is filled to overflowing.  Except for going for groceries on Thursday mornings, that is about all I have on a schedule, unless you count having meals on time.  Free as a bird most days, making up own mind what has to be done or not....housework usually falls into the latter.
 
Was musing at lunchtime today while chomping on my salad that there must have been a lot of Wash Day Blues down through the ages.  It does seem even in this "enlightened" age that it is the female gender that's saddled with the responsibility of making sure everyone has clean attire & heaven help her if they don't.  Sometimes tho' it does become a wrestling match trying to snatch that article of clothing as in "good lord man!  Those socks are starting to walk away on their own!"  Or on the other end of the spectrum "What do you mean it has to be washed?!  You only tried that shirt on & decided not to wear it.  It is not dirty!"
 
One thing about living in this day & age, I don't have to cart the basket down to our creek & pound the clothes on the rocks there, or even as Mom did as generations before her, have to make the lye soap with which to clean the clothes.  Have watched her make the soap & my eyes still sting with the memory of the sharp smell of lye.  One thing I have used that I don't think too many of today even know about is the old "knuckle-buster", a scrub board.  That consisted of a ridged glass encased by a wooden frame that had a pair of legs so you could sit it in the soapy water while rubbing the shirt or cloth diapers up & down the ridges to remove the stains.  These ridges would sometimes come in contact with your knuckles as you were scrubbing as hard as you could.  Skinned knuckles in soapy water was always fun.
 
All in all, today is a good day......
 
Starfire

Ninety Years.......

It's thundering in the distance so this may be a short entry.  Has been a hot, muggy day again & again under a Severe Storm Watch.  Weird summer!
 
Has been a busy Sunday.  Spouse & I headed out 1st thing this morning to do some shopping in a nearby city.  Spouse had asked for the photo albums that will take panoramic pictures--our anniversary is coming up.  Was able to get several luckily as that type is hard to find.  Came home with 5.....should take care of most of the pictures, plus extras for the future.  Thank God for plastic as they aren't cheap, even if they are on sale which they were.
 
We ate out at our favourite fast-food, Wendy's; side salads for both, & we split a Frostie.  Afterwards we raced home, changed clothes & off to a good friend's 90th birthday gig in a village not far away.  He lost his wife last fall but seems to be plugging along.  They only had one child who had been one of our wedding party.  She & her hubby built their home on part of her parents' farm so she can keep an eye on her dad, bringing the occasional hot meal.  He's still living in the old stone farm house he was born in & I think the house would be his choice of where to die in.  Not just yet tho', from the shining, bright eyes to his straight figure, these all point to more years on his beloved farm.
 
I used to think when a couple celebrated their 50th which they did & one of them passes into the great misty beyond....well, they had a good long life together & yes, the one remaining would miss the other, but there would be the satisfaction of spending many years together, not being left wanting for more.  Time does change a callow youth's ideas.  In another few days spouse & I will be celebrating our 48th (yes, I know...I'm only 39 & holding..just didn't say how long I've been holding!).  Do I want more years?  Bet your sweet bippy I do, not just to be alive, but the thought of not having my partner of so many years no longer by my side is one I don't want.  Even if the snoring could wake the dead, I still want my partner sleeping on the other half of the Queen-size bed.  Am rather fond of my Old Goat.
 
Starfire

Happy Birthday To Me......

Another Birthday...how old am I?  39............................and holding.  ;D  Going to our son & DIL's for my annual BBQ hamburger tonight.  He does a really good burger.  Will likely be her sis, maybe hubby too (he works a lot) & their daughter, hopefully an uncle (who will be 92 this fall), & of course my spouse, youngest son & our young grandchildren will all be sharing my birthday dinner.  Our daughter & family live too far away to come, but she will phone.
 
Birthdays come & go, each one a special day to me, some really happy, a surprise or two, some sad....but mostly good memories.  They are beginning to really pile up, so why do I still feel inside like the little one I used to be?  The first one I remember was my 6th when I found a little collie pup waiting for me in our farm kitchen.  He looked just like Lassie & followed me everywhere.  About a month after he arrived, the two of us were playing behind the driveshed.  The ground was rocky with limestone shelves.  I tripped, fell, skinned my knee & proceeded to howl at the top of my lungs.  Skip, the pup, looked at me, sat down beside me, pointed his black nose skywards & joined in with loud yips & yowls.  Mom, in her kitchen, heard the ruckus & came running, thinking there was some disaster, but was only a tearful, slightly hurt, child & her pal who could only help by becoming part of the chorus.
 
My 8th was a rememorable one in that it was the 1st & only time I had two birthday parties in one day.  We had moved from the farm into the nearby village the year before on Hollow'een of all days.  Mom felt I was really missing my chums at the 1-room school house, but for some reason she had it in her head that the village children & the country children would not get along, or perhaps she thought I would enjoy the party more if I could spend time with each bunch separately...who knows.  In the afternoon the country kids came, prezzies in hand, & we played outside on our front lawn.  Several of the village children wandered by.  I think they thought we were a "strange" family to have divided my birthday in such a way.  After dinner, the village kids came with their prezzies, but kept any remarks, if there were any, to themselves.  Despite a slightly awkward day, I did enjoy myself & I believe all the children did too.
 
My 14th one wasn't quite so happy or even celebrated very much.  It was the 1st time I baked my own cake & prepared the whole birthday meal.  Mom had fallen the month before, breaking her ankle & was laid up in bed.  It fell to Dad to look for a prezzie for me & he failed....miserably.  No prezzie at all.  Happy Birthday to me....  In later years he owned up that he had looked for something, thought about a camera & decided I wouldn't like it.  I would have loved the camera!  I would have!  Even a bag of candy would have been enough.
 
21st birthday....spouse's boss & wife threw a surprise one for me.  Another surprise one was on my .........th (still 39, ya know!) when Big Brother & wife caught me completely unaware by having it 2 weeks ahead of time, leaving me flabbercasted, almost speechless.  All the families turned up.  On the actual date, son & DIL had the BBQ's burger for me so that year was a double celebration again.
 
The sad ones were the ones after my parents' deaths, as were the Christmas's, but such is life...my memories are good ones, my life is great--some ups, some downs, some Good G-a-a-w-d!  Today, I think, is going to be one of the good ones.
 
Starfire

Blog Newbie

Well!  That certainly was easy to set up.  Now to....er...blog...is that a verb...noun?  Have rarely kept a diary and certainly not online, so this will be a new experience, maybe good, maybe indifferent, maybe dull, who knows...will give it a whirl.
 
Today...cloudy, muggy.  Missed all the storms forecast this week.  Been under Severe Storm Warnings and Severe Rainfall Warnings most days.  Couldn't make up mind whether should head for the basement (not a great idea if creek flooded) or get out the old leaky canoe (still not a good idea if creek flooded).  Was lucky, no thunder storms, no high winds, no rain.......so Hell or High Water we didn't get.  A good thing.....
 
Starfire