A HUGE THANK YOU



To all of you who responded so readily with love in your hearts, I can't thank you enough! I was literally moved to tears at how many of you, my faithful friends, jumped to send some support to another dear friend of mine. I know it will have helped.

You guys rock. TONS. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!

PEACE

Love Jude

GIVE A LITTLE LOVIN'

Someone I know and love dearly is having a rough time of it this past year, and at the moment especially.

She's leaving a long time scenario in her life in a few days, and moving out on her own. It's a bit scarey and very stressful. I wish I could help her by being there.

Instead, I'm soliciting my friends to pop over there to lend her some moral support, quick-like before she turns off her computer and packs it up too.

Mind going over? Tell her "Jude sent me to say 'rock on', it's all going to be good!" Every little bit of encouragement sent her way is a nice thing, thank you! You can send her some love HERE and I will be ever grateful for your help!

Peace to you!

Love Jude

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND



Why is it that lately whenever I start the camera taping, either a neighbour drives by in the middle of my shoot, or a helicopter flies overhead? We have a military base just outside the city and that's where most of the helicopters are either going or coming from. Yes....... it's now an *army* base. It was always an Airforce Station and hey, when the hercs or jets flew overhead that was GOOD. But now it's *army* and to an airforce brat that's just sacrilegious. (sorry to any army people out there, it's just an inside joke and really not serious)

Anyhoo. It's been a rainy and cool last few days and I have loved every minute of it. Hopefully it will stay this way for a bit longer yet, no hot stuff yet, please.

Enjoy your weekend everyone, whether American or otherwise, long weekend or short..... take good care of each other and PEACE be yours!

Love Jude

HOLD THAT THOUGHT


Thank you for all the great advice and suggestions about laptops, you all rock!

Now though, I'm putting the purchase on hold for the time being. Hubby's fault..... but let's just say that I might not need to buy one. We'll have to wait and see.

In the meantime, not much for news here. The rain is pouring down again today and for that I'm grateful. We need it badly.

I'm getting ready to head off to work, so I should close this post and wish you all a good day.

Good day!!

And here's a little sumpin' to bring a smile to your face:

Home Remedies
Amazingly simple home remedies:

1. If you are choking on an ice cube, don't panic. Simply pour a cup of
boiling water down your throat and presto. The blockage will be almost
instantly removed.

2. Clumsy? Avoid cutting yourself while slicing vegetables by getting
someone else to hold them while you chop away.

3. Avoid arguments with the little woman about lifting the toilet seat
by simply using the sink.

4. For high blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and bleed for
a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins. Remember to use a
timer.

5. A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you
from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.

6. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives, then you
will be afraid to cough.

7. Have a bad toothache? Smash your thumb with a hammer and you ! will
forget about the toothache.

Sometimes, we just need to remember what the rules of life really are:

You only need two tools: WD-40 and duct tape.
If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40.
If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

And remember: Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

Never pass up an opportunity to go to the bathroom.

If you wake up breathing, congratulations! You get another chance.

And finally, be really nice to your family and friends; you never know
when you might need them to empty your bedpan.

Oh!! And HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MICHAEL!!!!!!! Hope you have a great day sweetie! **hugs**

Be good, and take care of each other.....

PEACE!

Love Jude

*EDIT* Thought I'd share a rainy day vid with you too:


ACK!!

Okay who knows anything about laptops?? I have to go buy one for myself and I know zilch/nada/nein/non/zero/jackshit about them!

I can spend about $1000 tops. Don't have more than that to play with. I'll only use it for blogging and stuff, nothing fancy.

The story goes like this: hubby has decided that he needs to learn how to use a computer, and he knows I use this one too much for him to be on it enough. He wants his own. Problem is, he will ONLY consider a desktop, and he'd have to somehow find a space for it in my living room/dining room.

Problem. NOWHERE TO PUT IT. And he'll move shit around not to my liking to do it. We've already argued about it and I know I won't win.

So......... I came up with the brilliant idea that if I bought myself a laptop, he could have this desktop. Which sits on the only desk we have, and there's nowhere else in this house for another desk, believe me. He said he'd go for that idea.

AACK! Help! LOL I know nothing about them......

Anybody? Somethin' good but not fancy and costs a lot??

Thanks,
Jude

GROWTH: IN NATURE AND OF THE SOUL



A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert.
During some point of the journey they had an argument,and one
friend slapped the other one in the face.

The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying
anything, wrote in the sand:

TODAY MY BEST FRIEND
SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE.

They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where
they decided to take a bath.
The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire
and started drowning, but the friend saved him.

After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote
in stone...

TODAY MY BEST FRIEND
SAVED MY LIFE.

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend
asked him,
"After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now,
you write on a stone, why?"

The other friend replied, "When someone hurts us,
we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness
can erase it away. But, when someone does
something good for us, we must engrave it in stone
where no wind can ever erase it."

LEARN TO WRITE YOUR HURTS IN THE SAND
AND TO CARVE YOUR BENEFITS IN STONE.

A group of some online friends of mine and I have recently been through a difficult time because of one "bad" person (which we have weathered and become closer for) and finding this little gem in my inbox was not only timely but appreciated.

Hope you are all having a wickedly fun weekend! Take care of each other and PEACE! to you....

Love Jude

CHIMPS ON PENGUINS!

No, of course this isn't my own video, but I'm sharing it! If you want to laugh yourself silly, be prepared!! And turn the sound up!!



I can't get enough of watching this one! ROTF!

Hope you're all having a super Thursday. I'm doing laundry and housework before it gets too freekin' hot in this house again. Then it's back to work tomorrow. BLEH! Where is my Sugar Daddy!!

PEACE!! Take good care of each other!

Love Jude

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE TREES

FORECAST FROM HELL

Oh.... this is SO not good news........!!!

When is autumn coming, again?

And more bad news. My friend and co-hort Trucker Bob has been planning a trip across Canada to see his ailing sister. He is now going to be making this trip in her memory, as she passed away yesterday. I have shed tears for you, Bob. And I'm sending you lots of hugs.

Please take good care of each other everyone, life is oh so short, and we never know for sure when one of us won't be here anymore. Love to you all.

PEACE
Jude

OH YEAH THIS IS ME..

Thanks to my cuz Brian!!


Recently, I was diagnosed with A. A. A. D. D.

- Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder

This is how it manifests:

I decide to water my garden.

... As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my car and decide my car needs washing.

.... As I start toward the garage, I notice that there is mail on the porch table that I brought up from the mail box earlier.

... I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.

... I lay my car keys down on the table, put the junk mail in the rubbish bin under the table, and notice that the can is full.

... So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the rubbish first.

... But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the rubbish anyway, I may as well pay the bills first.

I take my cheque book off the table, and see that there is only 1 cheque left.

.. My extra cheques are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the house to my desk where I find the can of Coke that I had been drinking.

... I'm going to look for my cheques, but first I need to push the Coke aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over. I see that the Coke is getting warm, and I decide I should put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold.

... As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke, a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye--they need to be watered

... I set the Coke down on the counter, and I discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning.

... I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers.

... I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly I spot the TV remote. Someone left it on the kitchen table.

... I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I will be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers.

... I pour some water in the flowers, but quite a bit of it spills on the floor.

... So, I set the remote back down on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill.

... Then, I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

.. At the end of the day:

* the car isn't washed

* the bills aren't paid

* there is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter

* the flowers don't have enough water,

* there is still only 1 cheque in my cheque book,

* I can't find the remote,

* I can't find my glasses,

* and I don't remember what I did with the car keys.

... Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day long, and I'm really tired.

... I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail.

... Do me a favour, will you? Forward this message to everyone you know, because I don't remember to whom it has been sent.

Don't laugh -- if this isn't you yet, your day is coming!!

GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL. LAUGHING AT YOURSELF IS THERAPEUTIC

No outdoor pictures or vids today, it's raining here folks and is a wee bit gloomy outside. We need the rain and so I'm happy with it. (I wish I could send you some, Karen!! Those Florida fires and dry weather are scary....)

Okay off to get laundry and housecleaning done, then it's back to work tomorrow for this hippie chick. In the meantime enjoy the oh-so-exciting(!!!) vids of my laundry being done! ROTF!






Take care of each other!

PEACE
Love Jude

NIGHT AND DAY


I really love the contrast here......



Night and Day......

So while I went out to my backyard this afternoon to shoot this daylight vid of my flowering tree, just as I started a helicopter came overhead. At first I thought it was a plane coming, but then as it neared I could see it was a police copter and it decided to stop almost overhead and circle. Probably just checking out the nearby freeway. Too noisy to shoot the vid so I ended it and took pics instead.








Loving the weather, it's not too hot yet! **insert wide grin here**

Love Jude

SUNSETS AND POTTY HUMOUR

The birthday cake is all gone. I ate the last crumb tonight. YUM.

And as I was putting my fork and plate in the dishwasher, what do I see out the kitchen window? Why yes, another of my favourite paintings, a sunset. Not the most spectacular, but peaceful in it's beauty nonetheless.



Hello, sunset...


Through the tree's flowers.....


Goodnight, sunset......


And for a chuckle:

"This could happen to you.

I was barely sitting down when I heard a voice from the other stall saying:
"Hi, how are you?"

I'm not the type to start a conversation in the restroom but I don't know what got into me, so I answered, somewhat embarrassed,
"Doin' just fine!"

And the other person says:
"So what are you up to?"

What kind of question is that? At that point, I'm thinking this is too bizarre so I say:
"Uhhh, I'm like you, just traveling!"

At this point I am just trying to get out as fast as I can when I hear another question.
"Can I come over?"

Ok, this question is just too weird for me but I figured I could just be polite and end the conversation. I tell them
"No.......I'm a little busy right now!!!"
Then I hear the person say nervously...
"Listen, I'll have to call you back. There's an idiot in the other stall who keeps answering all my questions!"

Goodnight, friends...... take care of each other!

PEACE,
Love Jude

THE AFTER BIRTHDAY, BIRTHDAY

A few days ago, a couple of my girlfriends were over to celebrate one of their birthdays and mine. And last night my family had my birthday party here too.

Last night a good time was had by all! Sister Pammie made her borscht, the BEST..... and sister Brenda made her deelish homemade buns. And we can't forget the birthday cake.... YUM!

Here is the morning after, sleepy but full of good memories and some birthday "loot"!




Hope you've all had a fabulous weekend! Take good care of each other and PEACE be yours.....

Love Jude

FOR NATURE LOVERS

Last night was so gorgeous.... I saw the sky as the sun began to set and decided to wander outside and sit and watch it. I noticed too, that the moon was extremely bright against a still blue sky, and although it was so tiny, I took a picture of that too.





Today is bright and sunny again, and the only downside is that it's supposed to get pretty hot. "Pretty hot" for me is anything over 23C or around 75F. It's supposed to go to almost 80F today. BLEH.

Anyway I am getting laundry done today, plus some housecleaning, before I head back to work tomorrow. Tomorrow evening is my family birthday party. Yay! I asked for borscht, my fav soup in the whole wide world. If it's made right. And my sister Pammie makes it SOOOO right!! And also French Vanilla cake with Cream Cheese frosting.

Two of my most favourite things in nature are sunsets, and singing birds.

So..... while I was in the bedroom folding clean clothes from the dryer, tons of birds were singing at the top of their little lungs in my tree outside the bedroom window. I ran to grab my camera, but got back when they started to fade..... still though, it's not too bad. Just make sure you turn your sound way up to hear them.



Oh this video blogging is a hoot!

Take care of each other, PEACE!!

Love Jude

MY FIRST BLOG VIDEO!

After umpteen tries to use audioblogger, which simply will not work for me, I found out I can make videos on my digital camera, and post them here! This is just a short one as it's a "test" for the blog.

Oh yes, and you have to turn your sound up quite a bit to hear it. Hope it works for everyone!

TAKE A LITTLE WALK WITH ME

Yesterday? Yesterday sucked! Sucked Donkey Balls!!! Don't ask me what happened to spring for one day, but it disappeared yesterday in Edmonton! It was the worst walk to work I've ever had, including comparing it to the coldest of mid-winter days. There was a raging wind from the north, almost blowing me over, and along with it was SLEET! I had my umbrella and it kept blowing inside out, and by the time I got to work my hands were red and raw and aching. It took about a half hour before I could even use my fingers. The wind blew so hard (and sideways) that it created a vacuum and I couldn't breathe. I had to keep stopping to turn around and catch my breath, and that's when the gale would blow my umbrella inside out and try to haul me back where I'd just came from. It was AWFUL!!!

Today, that one day of hell seems distant. We're back to sun and warm. Although it's cooler than it was.... but it's going back up there in the next couple days, to where I'll be bitching about the heat. *sigh* If you don't like the weather here, just wait a minute.

Okay! It's a gorgeous morning out there, so I grabbed my camera. Those pics I took the other day? There's been more greenery popping.


Back step, facing back alley. Let's take a walk to the alley...


On the lawn up against the fence, that ground cover again.... I found the name of it, Bishop's Weed. It's in its baby stages now.


Along the sidewalk to the back driveway/alley, this flowering tree that I don't know the name of... the buds will flower any day now.


And right up against the back fence, this is the little bush that is starting to show it's pink buds. These flowers will be out in a couple of days and are so pretty!


I turn left down the alley and go all the way down to a big berm (burm?) wall at the end, with an opening in it. That's where 170th. Street is, main thoroughfare that I cross to get to work. Just a few blocks down 170th. is the world famous West Edmonton Mall.

Now let's go out to the front yard:


That little cherry tree out front is starting to show it's flower buds.... that will be profuse with pretty white flowers any day now!


Same tree....see that top window on the house by the Blue Spruce tree? That's my bedroom window, where I take all of these pics:


There's the cherry tree!


Grass is going to need its first cut for the year.

Now that we're back inside the house, today I'm finishing up housecleaning as I'm having two friends over.
Gotta get the dusting done so I feel at Peace....



Leona had her birthday 2 months ago and we couldn't get together with all of us being so busy. So, her and my best friend Michele are coming over and we're celebrating my recent birthday AND Leona's. We're having pizza. YUM! And I have a little prezzie for Leona.


Well I'd best get back at the cleaning. I hope you have enjoyed your little walk around the Hippie Chick's place this morning, I've loved having you here!

Once the flowers have bloomed I'll be sure to take pics of them for you. Take care of each other and have a great day!

PEACE!
Love Jude