MAKING ME CRY

A sweet young girl I work with got married yesterday, and her wedding ceremony actually had me dabbing at my eyes. I don't usually cry at weddings, this young couple's whole romance is such a fairy tale thing. It was lovely, and the reception was fun. Her colour scheme was set in autumn colours, and even her gown and veil was in a dark cream colour. She was beautiful!


And recently sister Pammie and I checked out the Edmonton Cemetery right across the street from our most favourite, St. Joachim's Cemetery. It was a lovely sunny autumn day. The "baby" sections always make me a bit misty eyed. There aren't the monuments and larger stones there as at St. Joachim's, but it was a nice walk around.










For your viewing pleasure, here is a slideshow set to music. Be sure to click the BLUE button at the bottom right for FULL SIZE!

Turn On Your Speakers




I hope you all have a good week coming up, take good care of each other!

PEACE!
Love Jude

BACK TO THE GRIND

Life on vacation as I knew it is over and my first week back has been uneventful. I do miss some of the people when I'm away but not the working.

Yesterday was kind of cool though. During lunch we were all talking about this young lady in the newspaper who just won $8.8 million and admiring her picture where she was so excited. She'd had a hard life, growing up on welfare. But she wanted to make something of her own adult life and worked hard. Then she was in a bad car accident and broke her back. Eventually it mended and she went back to work. We all commented on how it's nice to hear that someone who really needed and deserved it won all this money.

Well guess who showed up in our office right after lunch? SHE DID! And her entire family. She was in our Insurance department for a couple of hours. It was great to see the smile she wore and we all felt happy for her but still the jokes between us abounded, for example me saying we should roll her in the parking lot. Or, give me just the ".8 part!" LOL

*******************************************************************************

It was nice to get out with my camera a few times while on vacation. Sister Pammie and I went to a pretty little park in our city's river valley in the downtown core, hoping for some nice autumn foliage shots. Unfortunately there are more colours on the park side of the river where we were and more green across from us, but still it was a pretty day.



There was a wedding party having their photo shoot just ahead of us and around a bend, but we opted to stay clear until they were done. The shots they got must have been gorgeous from up there. It was a shirtsleeve warm sunny day, with the sound of the breeze in the trees all around us.





There is a sandbar down on the river that always attracts a lot of gulls, and when we hit the end of the park where the wedding party had been the gulls had left the water and were circling over head. A pretty picture it made, too.



We met a lady there sitting on one of the benches overlooking downtown and the river. She didn't have a camera but instead had binoculars. She lives right in that area and said she comes there every day even in winter to sit and watch the birds and find peace. It's a very small little park but the views are pretty and you can watch the people on the walking and bicycle paths below.



After we left the park we went to a different cemetery than our favourite, actually it is right across the street from our favourite one. I'll post a few pics of that another time.


While on vacation, I had a mole removed from the end of my nose. Laser! It took just seconds and it was off. It's healing now and has a little scab but soon it'll be gone and look better. I'm just so happy not having that little bump on the end of my nose now!


We've been getting frost in the mornings now although the days warm up to a nice comfortable temperature for the most part. We're told to expect another long winter this year, so that means probably early snowfall like last year. For now though, I'm thoroughly enjoying my favourite season of the year!

I hope you're all doing well, most likely looking forward to the coming weekend. Take good care of each other, we're all we have!

PEACE
Love Jude

More From St.Joachim's Cemetery

I'm on my last week of vacation, I can't believe how S L O W L Y the time goes when you are waiting a whole year for your vacation, but how QUICKLY it goes when you're ON vacation. ARRGGHH!

Friday I'm going out with my best friend Michele (as I mentioned in a previous post) and we're going to hit a country cemetery or 2 if we can with our cameras.

But for now here are a few more shots I took with sister Pammie a couple of weeks ago in our favourite cemetery here in the heart of the city.

Sometimes the most touching things are the personal effects people place at gravestones, maybe a stuffed animal or a lantern, a flag or rosary beads.

I shot this one last year too, and I'm noticing how this little vest is hanging by threads now. I don't imagine it will last more than one more winter.
1.



There was an opportunity to get a "self portrait" here in the glass so I did so.
2.



The views in this particular cemetery are what I love so much about this place, and of course the fact that this place has some older stones. The trees in here are huge and old, and the branches often provide a large overhead canopy if you wish to sit in the shade on a hot day and just listen to the birds and the breeze in the leaves above you.
3.



This one has been here for quite some time, I love the startling red brick against the backdrop of all the green.
4.



We actually woke this bunny up when we came upon it. He layed and just watched us for a bit and then got up and streeeeetched...... and then sat there letting us get ever so close until we finally decided to leave him in peace and we moved on.
5.



Someone placed a beautiful set of rosary beads on this statue, it was one of those moving "personal touches".
6.



I have got a couple of other things accomplished these last couple of weeks at home too. For work purposes, I went for a Security Clearance at the local police station close to home. I should hear back in a few more weeks, and as I've never been in trouble with the law all should be well.

Also, I had laser "surgery" for the first time ever; I had a mole on the end of my nose removed. It's nice to have it gone but it's 10 days of applying antibiotic ointment and wearing a bandaid over it at night so I can protect it while sleeping. THAT is a pain in the ass! Ever tried wearing a bandaid on the tip of your nose?? Hopefully by the time I go back to work next Tuesday it will need no further fussing and will look okay.


I wish you all a terrific week wherever you may be, take good care of each other!

PEACE!
Love Jude

BLOG YEAR 3!

"I'd much rather blog than vaccuum!"
Hippie Chick Jude, Sept.2007

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



BlogQuirer: So Jude, Happy 3rd.Blogversary! How long have you been blogging now?
Jude: It's 3 years ago on September 16th. that I began this online life journey.

BQ: And what prompted you to start?
Jude: A few of my online Def Leppard girlfriends started blogs, and I figured why not? Of course, only one of them blogs anymore, and that's only once every few months or so. I must get on her case! The other 2 joined *cough*MySpace*gag*, traitors!

BQ: We've heard about how you got into MySpace and then Facebook. Why?
Jude: Excuse me for a moment. **ptui! ptui!** Those same people got me signing up at StupidSpace and the only reason I stayed was because another friend only blogged on there. She doesn't use it anymore. I should delete the thing eh? And FaceBlech, same thing. That same friend, once she gave up StupidSpace started writing on her wall (crayons maybe?) at FaceBlech so if I wanted to stay in touch I had to join. I never use it either. You don't converse there normally, you "write on walls" for gawd sake! I dislike them both. Blogging is where it's at, man. Blogging is my bag, it's far out.

BQ: What are some of your fondest blogging memories, Jude?
Jude: Well it sure as HELL ain't when Blogger changed over to the "New Freaky Blogger" I tell ya! I mean, wtf was up with THAT anyway?? It worked just fine the way it was. I didn't have to sign in every damn time back then. And posting images was NOT a problem. The people who changed it are all bastitches!

BQ: Uh.....okay, please put that knife down, I don't work in that department. Have you no fond blogging memories?
Jude: Ah yes, a few indeed. Mostly making friends on here, that's the best part. Getting to pry into read all about their lives. And getting to whine on my blog, and make them read about my menopausedness and body part posts. Mua haha.

BQ: Anything else that stands out?
Jude: Sure. I've learned that Blogroll doesn't work worth a fiddler's fart, and to just give up completely with Blogger pics and that Photobucket is my friend. But quit trying to change the subject. **picks up knife** Take me to your leader.

**Producer: "Cut! CUT!!"


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Disclaimer: To those of you who enjoy MySpace and Facebook, I love you anyway, and I'm there for you! ;-)

PEACE!
Love Jude

NEIGHBOURHOOD NEWS

My vacation time at home is half over now, but I've been enjoying some visits from friends and catching naps. It's been relaxing, and I could SO stay home for a living. Hah!

A few days ago we had a sudden (and quick) hail storm. Not enough to damage anything, but it came down fast and furious and knocked some petals off some of our flowers.



It was so loud you could hardly hear yourself think. But within a couple of minutes it turned into rain, which only lasted a short time too.




Let's see what else is new? I walked across the street Sunday morning and took a shot of our house, to compare it with a picture taken by the real estate agent 15 years ago when we bought this house.

The changes hubby has made out there are very evident and I think a huge improvement.

Hubby and I went for a leisurely stroll around the neighbourhood's back alleys Sunday afternoon and I decided to grab my camera. Even the day before garbage pick-up, our network of alleys makes for a pretty walk.

Hubby's butt.














At the end of our back alley stroll in the alley across the street from our house, and there's our house:



A short update on the arthritis pain problem. Last I told you, I'd given up on the Glucosamine and bought some Shark Cartilage to try. But then a friend who is a distributor for an exotic fruit juice called Mona Vie convinced me to try it. It's not cheap, but holy smokes it sure makes a difference in a lot of areas. I've been on it now for a few weeks and my energy levels are SO much better. My knees aren't as rickety and I feel better. I was hoping it would also help my arms/shoulder problem but it hasn't. Sooooo..... I started on the Shark Cartilage yesterday and hopefully that will make a difference. If not, back to the doc because this 24/7 pain is starting to get to me. So wish me luck!

I hope you're all having a good week, take good care of each other and God bless.

PEACE!
Love Jude

DOING ONE OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS

Yep, sister Pammie and I finally got back out to our favourite cemetery here in the city. We spent a few hours there last Sunday and I thought I'd share a few shots out of the 200+ that I took. I'll only post a few here now, and some more in a later post.

1.


2.


3.


4.


5.


6.


It is by far the most peaceful place, so serene and pretty. In the next couple of weeks my best friend Michele has promised to take a Friday off work and grab her camera and take me to her favourite cemetery where she lives just outside the city. I can't wait!

My first week vacation is almost over already! ACK!!!

For those of you (you know who you are) in need of prayers and positive thoughts, it goes without saying I am so there for you. I hope you all have a good weekend coming up, take good care of each other!

PEACE
Love Jude

LUSH

That's the best word to describe our garden right now. Late summer always means a lot of blooming still happening, plants have filled out nicely and the colours are beautiful.

I shot these when I was on my way out the door yesterday.

1.


2.


3.


4.


5.


6.


7.


And from the night before:



Sister Pammie and I headed out to our favourite cemetery yesterday too! In the next few days I'll get a few pics posted here of that.

Hope you are all enjoying Labour Day Weekend, stay safe and take good care of each other.

PEACE!
Love Jude