Going My Way?

Going My Way?

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For our anniversary, my husband and I decided to travel outside Canada. We spent months getting our passports in order and making sure we had all the right documentation. My husband, Lyle, is Canadian, but I am a U.S. citizen with landed immigrant status, which allows me to live, work (and pay taxes) in Canada.

When my new American passport arrived with a picture reminiscent of Phyllis Diller, Lyle drove me to the Canadian consulate to have it stamped.

“I’ll pick you up in forty-five minutes,” he said, as he dropped me off across the street from the consulate, “I’ll drive by, and you can jump in.”

Finding the right department at the consulate and getting my passport stamped took most of my forty-five minutes. I rushed outside, crossed the street, and spotted our gold Lincoln coming my way. I began waving frantically, but he just drove by. Fortunately, as he neared the light, it turned red.

Sprinting into the four-lane street in my three-inch heels, praying the light would not change as I made my final charge. I jerked open the car door and breathlessly jumped in. Fumbling for my seat belt, I looked up into the horrified face of the driver who was not my husband. By now, the light had changed to green and we just sat there. “Am I being carjacked?” He asked. 

July Newsletter: Everyone Has Blonde Days

I was off to England for a wedding a few weeks ago, thought I would share my diet with you.  Trying to do a major diet before an important occasion can be real Stressful as many of you know, especially if you need a dress!

The Stress Diet 

This  diet is designed to help you cope with the stress that builds up during the day. 
Instructions for Stress Diet

BREAKFAST: 
1/2 grapefruit 
1 slice whole wheat toast 
8 oz. skim milk

LUNCH: 
4 oz. lean broiled chicken breast 
1 cup steamed spinach 
1 cup herb tea 
1 Oreo cookie

MID-AFTERNOON SNACK: 
The rest of Oreos in the package 
2 pints Rocky Road ice cream, nuts, cherries and whipped cream 
1 jar hot fudge sauce

DINNER: 
2 loaves garlic bread 
4 cans or 1 large pitcher Coke 
1 large sausage, mushroom and cheese pizza 
3 Snickers bars

LATE EVENING NEWS: 
Entire frozen Sara Lee cheesecake (eaten directly from freezer) 

RULES FOR THIS DIET:

1. If you eat something and no one sees you eat it, it has no calories. 
2. If you drink a diet soda with a candy bar, the diet soda cancels out the calories in the candy bar. 
3. When you eat with someone else, calories don’t count if you do not eat more than they do. 
4. Food used for medicinal purposes NEVER counts, such as hot chocolate, brand

Loving our Memories

sweet-elderly-couple

 You can see them alongside the shuffleboard courts in Florida or on the porches of the old folks’ homes up north: an old man with snow-white hair, a little hard of hearing, reading the newspaper through a magnifying glass; an old woman in a shapeless dress, her knuckles gnarled by arthritis, wearing sandals to ease her aching arches.

They are holding hands, and in a little while they will totter off to take a nap, and then she will cook supper, not a very good supper and they will watch television, each knowing exactly what the other is thinking, until it is time for bed. They may even have a good, soul-stirring argument, just to prove that they still really care. And through the night they will snore unabashedly, each resting content because the other is there.

They are in love, they have always been in love, although sometimes they would have denied it. And because they have been in love they have survived everything that life could throw at them, even their own failures.  Ernest Havemann, Bits & Pieces, June 24, 1993, pp. 7-9.

 

If we discovered that we had five minutes left to say all we wanted to say, every telephone booth would be occupied by people calling other people to stammer that they love them. Why wait until the last five minutes?   C. Morley

 

Reflections From Karan: 

As I watched my husband hang up each of our daughters’ wedding pictures in our new home, I remembered all the laughter, joy, and craziness of their childhood. In the quietness of our dream home, I am left with quiet memories of endless dishes, piles of dirty clothes, backpacks filled to overflowing, and always racing to get somewhere quick. It was a time we thought would never end. Continuous games, parties, and worry. Wishing for five minutes of peace and quiet, and telling myself someday I would have time to do all the things I dreamed of.

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pink ford focus

Flying to Saskatchewan, Canada for some speaking engagements I thought I would be fun to rent a car for a few days. How excited I was to try out new Ford Focus with all the bells and whistles. It felt so luxurious.

After one of our meetings, a few women decided to take me out for a lunch. I followed them and parked my car in a lot next to the restaurant. However, when I was ready to get out of the car, the keys would not come out of the ignition. Realizing my predicament, some of the women went ahead to reserve a table for all of us. Sarah decided to stay and try to help me figure out what happened to the car. Twenty minutes later, I finally suggested she should go on ahead and I would be there soon.

Sitting in the car wondering what to do, I started to have a meltdown. Waiting for the rental company to answer their phone and call me back, trying to find answers in the car manual when I didn’t know what was wrong, was unnerving. I don’t read manuals; I’m the woman that buys “Dummy” books with pictures. Show me; don’t tell me, that is how I learn. Besides who can understand a manual when you’re in a crisis.

May Newsletter

 

steamroller 1It must be spring, the doctor just made an appointment for me to have my annual mammogram. Now, I don’t know about you, but it is not my favorite procedure. I thought you might enjoy these mammogram preparations.

Practice For Your Mammogram

Many women are afraid of their first mammogram, but there’s no need to worry. By taking a few minutes each day for a week preceding the exam, and doing the following practice exercises, you will be totally prepared. And you can do this right in your own home! 

Exercise 1:  Open your refrigerator door and insert one breast between the door and the main box. Have one of your strongest friends slam the door shut and lean on the door for good measure. Hold that position for five seconds (while you hold your breath). Repeat again, in case the first time wasn’t effective enough.