Jukebox showing off the very first car he owned! TAKEN DECEMBER 1994 |
Saturday, April 20, 2024
R IS FOR REMINDERS
Sunday, July 9, 2023
NIFTY NINTIES NINTENDO
When I moved to the cottage last week, I brought along items that could keep me occupied without an internet connection. Books I haven’t read, puzzles I haven’t done, recipes I haven’t made, and the Super Nintendo Classic that Jukebox lent me years ago.
Now, I should share that I am in no way a video ‘gamer’.
The controller may be smaller but the level of frustration is not! TAKEN: JULY 8th, 2023 |
You see, when Jukebox (who IS a gamer) first
started playing as a tween, this is the one game we always played together.
So, with my chores done and my husband on the couch with a bum ankle, I
decided to take a step back in time. Using a smart TV that doubles as my second
computer screen, I fired up this bad boy.
When the music came on I was immediately taken back to sitting
on the floor in front of our old 20” coloured TV on Toronto Street. He and I in our
jammies, on Saturday morn, where and when we always had fun.
Back then, when I struggled with the lower
levels my son would sense my frustration and step in and help me move forward by completing the level,
as he was worked toward beating the entire game; which he did multiple times before the system was sent
to pasture.
Like I always say, you can’t stop change only manage
it. More than twenty years later, when I struggled to remember how to access
the secret worlds (back then I had my son) I discovered a had a new copilot to
help me through: Google.
That said, playing this little gizmo sends the same message decades later confirming my efforts are consistent and equal from playing on Saturday mornings all those years ago...
I STILL and always will suck at playing video games!
Important Notable:
Though every five deaths Mario tells me my game is over, I am not going to give up.
It might take me all summer to get through the first level but my glass half full will be very pleased it didn't take me until Thanksgiving. #yagottalaughaboutit
Friday, April 15, 2022
M IS FOR MERRIMENT
As I have written here before it takes more effort to frown than smile.
Christmas morning fun - seven years ago. Look how little my beautiful Annie is? TAKEN: DECEMBER 25th, 2014 |
Like a lot of people I know, I have previously struggled with depression. It first appeared and was identified post-partum after Jukebox was born but as the years went on and I conquered the worst of it, I am always aware it could be lurking around the corner.
As a result, I have always been very open in our home about the importance of personal mental health, and as my children entered adulthood and
real-life struggles appeared, I was always asking if they wanted to speak to
someone outside our core.
I believe advocacy is critical because I had about a year and a
half of extensive psychotherapy when the children were small, and during that
time, my Psychotherapist armed me with a toolbox of solutions that I still use
today. As a result, to this day I am forever grateful to her.
I know in society today that medications usually win as a solution over
root cause analysis, but for me, I wanted to understand why I didn’t feel like
myself so I took a deep dive and have never been on any type of medication except
Advil since leaving her sessions almost twenty years ago.
Photographic proof that we truly are all aboard the mental health MERRIMENT train.
It's just how we love to roll!!
Wednesday, April 6, 2022
E IS FOR EVERLASTING
One of our early ocean adventure with my lifelong friend (and guardian angel). TAKEN: APRIL 1994 |
I apologize the resolution is so low, as I believe this is a picture of a picture taken many years ago. I also recall it was gifted to me the following Christmas after we took this trip in a frame. So, this image was truly what our generation considered to be 'a Kodak moment'.
Saturday, April 2, 2022
B IS FOR BROMANCE
The urban dictionary defines the word bromance as the combination of two words, "brother" and "romance". It describes the unique male bonding found between "brothers from another mother".
Though both Goob and Jukebox do have friendships with ‘brothers from another mother,’ their bond with each other has been equally as strong their entire lives.
That's Goob in blue and Jukebox in stripes. The four of us enjoying Father's Day golf with the pre-surgery Poppa Bear. TAKEN: JUNE 20th, 2021 |
As a matter a fact, I can recall my serving lunch to my three littlun’s at their wee yellow and orange Little Tykes picnic table. The twins were about four and Jukebox about six years of age.
As they dined on their amazing culinary offering of PB&J, Goob looked at his brother, called him by name and proudly stated ‘...I love you’. As his sentiments were returned by his brother, their sister grabbed both of their plastic plates and threw their lunch to the dogs.
True story, I swear. I still chuckle to myself whenever I think about it.
They have always shared life
experiences. From taking diving lessons together when they were really young to junior golf memberships as teens, then onto mutual high school
and work friendships. They have truly spent their formative years as a team, which remain their
bond today.
That said, we are not a family that has not been without struggles and we've suffered growing pains like most. As parents of grown children, we’ve always been impressed that if we took issue with any behaviours or attitudes, these two never weighed in against the other.
I can think of several instances over the years where the best medicine for all of us was some distance rather than unproductive dialogue. As a family, those have been, and always will be the most challenging and trying memories; but once resolved, our family strength was regained.
As you know, there's no handbook for being the 'best parent on the face of the earth' because we were told last summer by our daughter matter-of-factly that we weren't. Just like other rents we know, we've hurt, been hurt, and ultimately healed.
Then I look at these two with their Dad. It warms my heart to know that through all of our own short comings as parents, as grown children they know we've done our best with individual circumstances at the time.
Oh, the fact that we started golfing as a crew on Sunday again?
Just one of the many small added bonuses!
Saturday, February 5, 2022
JUKEBOX BORN DAY FUN
Saturday, October 24, 2020
GOURD-GEOUS & GRATEFUL
2020 Great Pumpkin Carving Event (l-r) Goob, JMRex, Sweetie, Jukebox, Tam_lya TAKEN: OCTOBER 12, 2020 |
For well over a decade, the weekend before Hallowe’en I have lugged a pumpkin into the cottage and carved it the night before it was closed for the winter. For whatever reason, watching my last seasonal effort of the season flickering by the fall moon light was tradition I always looked forward to.
That said, have you ever had a nagging feeling that something bad was lurking around the corner, and no matter what you did, you couldn’t seem to shake it? This year, I had an eerie feeling my annual pumpkin carve wasn’t going to happen; hindsight has confirmed my ‘spidey senses’ were correct.
In Canada, we traditionally celebrate Thanksgiving the second Monday of October. Feeling unsettled through the month of September, I decided to buy pumpkins for the kids to carve before we ate our family feast.
I don’t want to get into the if and or buts here, I just want to reaffirm that when a loved one doesn’t want to seek medical help you can’t force them and it isn’t your fault. In the end, all you can do is love them and hope they understand how their decisions have effected every single person in their lives.
I am one that has been, and always will be, grateful for the little things in life. Like grown children that willingly participate in a pumpkin carving contest because their mother loves how their simple glow at dusk makes her feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Peeps... Hug the ones you love. Really tight. Because everything can change in the blink of an eye!
Sunday, July 5, 2020
VAYCAY STAYCAY
Friday, May 15, 2020
KEEPING IT REAL
This is US at Orillia Lake. TAKEN: 2008 |
Saturday, April 11, 2020
J IS FOR JAMMERS
My son Jukebox, singing in the finals of Muskoka Voice! TAKEN: AUGUST 2018 |
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
REMEMBERING 2019
My year in the rear view! TAKEN: Throughout 2019 |
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
A DECADE & SOME DAYS
When we picked Jukebox up at his place, he was curious what the special occasion was. There really wasn’t one other than I needed to get our smiling faces together. Sadly that didn't happen because his kitchen serves really amazing authenticate Mexican food and they were turning people without a reservation away at the door. He was jammed.
Tuesday, September 5, 2017
A MILLION WONDERFUL WORDS
Ignoring the 14 day long term weather forecast, a couple of weeks ago I decided to book a vacation day for today, hoping in the off chance it might eventually clear. That said, I wasn't surprised this afternoon when my good nature & cheery disposition were out of sorts.
When I woke this morn it was very apparent that summer's ending quicker than I could have ever expected. Though I’ve always faithfully flown an “I love fall” banner, the almanac this year's reporting that the snow will arrive mid-October and not leave until the lakes open next spring; which is probably why I fired the stupid thing straight into the wood stove to fuel my cast iron tea kettle!
It may not have been the best summer weather on record but I managed to find me a stitch of mischief to get into, an above average amount of family fun to embrace, whilst soaking up some serious weekend downtime.
AMAZING memories were created in-spite of the plethora of rain we've received this season. TAKEN: SUMMER 2017 |
Let’s see, record rainfall aside, the coles notes version starts with the fact that that I managed to get a killer tan. In addition to that earth shattering news, I stayed up well past my past by bed time, not once but three times.
I broke my toe jumping into the shallow end of a pool that didn’t have a deep end, and I managed to get Dot out in the boat that floats in between lightening strikes. She was estatic; the two I left behind, not so much.
I was blessed to attended the most beautiful wedding in the rain as Jukebox stood witness. Only to beam with even more pride as he became a finalist in the Muskoka Voice contest, a local version of the elimination show on NBC. Equally as exciting is that we sense Goob has truly found his perfect match, while Staci was busy ticking something very special off her bucket list.
It was Oscar Wilde that noted: "...and all at once, summer collapsed into fall."
Here. Here. Who's ready to start carving pumpkins?
Surprisingly, ME!
Saturday, May 13, 2017
A SIGN OF THE TIMES
As I have always reminded. Embrace the little things. In the end, they are HUGE!
Poppa would be proud... The 'dog hairs' reference leads me to believe the homemade sign entrepreneur was from Quebec! TAKEN: MAY 13th, 2017 |
Thursday, January 28, 2016
THE END OF A FAMILY ERA
After I snapped this pic, walked the entire store one last time, bought nothing and quietly ventured home. My point is that we have/soon to be had, a Metro grocery store in our town. You see, it's closing to re-open in mid-March as Food Basics. I understand why they are transitioning but in all honesty, it's quite sad.
Don't you find it that your life flashes in front of your eyes ...at the oddest times? TAKEN: JANUARY 28th, 2016 |
I'm proud they earn the opportunity to work there to save for post secondary life. That said, I know for a fact I never shopped anywhere else all those years, paying more than above average for most items in an effort to support them as well as their employer.
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
IT's CHRISTMAS EVE...
GOOB & Jukebox rockin' a Christmas hug yesterday for their Momma! TAKEN: DECEMBER 23rd, 2014 |
Sunday, September 14, 2014
OUT with the OLD!
DOT checking out the new view. I LOVE IT... Let the expansion begin! TAKEN: SEPTEMBER, 2014 |
I know, I know, I know; I was just a labourer moving the crap they destroyed... BUT, I didn't just get to move crap (she said with a sinister laugh) they let me burn stuff..... REALLY BIG STUFF.
Friday, August 29, 2014
I LOVE Labour Day Weekend..
Memories of a really GREAT Labour Day Monday. Taken: September 3rd, 2012 |
Monday, April 21, 2014
R IS FOR REUNION
L'il ole me capturing a moment... While my husband captures ours. TAKEN: APRIL 20th, 2014 |
My final effort.... Aren't they all just absolutely amazing!!! TAKEN: APRIL 20th, 2014 |