BEEN EXPOSED

Although it was unexpected, I really shouldn't be too surprised. I work at the Alberta Motor Association (CAA, or AAA in the U.S.) and we have, among other departments, a Travel Department. One of the young ladies in our Travel Department was sent home Monday after getting a call from her doctor's office that her test results from "not feeling good" tested positive for the H1N1 Virus, or Swine Flu.

So, we have all been exposed to it. And one of our other CAA offices here has a person who also tested positive for the same thing. All of our centers on Tuesday morning had huge deliveries of Viral Wipes and hand sanitizers and we're all constantly wiping down counters and keyboards. Our janitorial services are doing special deep cleaning daily.

The thing is, there are several people where I work who have been complaining of sore throats and the like for a week or more. What do we do? Do we all go to our doctors at the first sneeze and demand tests for H1N1? I had a luncheon date with a girlfriend yesterday but I cancelled it because she has young children. I have another luncheon date next week with another girlfriend but she has a toddler so I'm afraid to keep the date. When do I know if I'm safe? And AM I safe even if I don't have any symptoms? I understand that for the most part people who are getting this are having fairly mild flu symptoms and then it goes away. But still, I don't want to expose anything to children. At this point none of us are "scared", but it's a nuisance.

What a pain in my big pink arse!

FIRST DAY OF SUMMER

Sunday is the first official day of Summer, and although I detest the heat and the bugs (especially *gasp*WASPS*gasp*) I do like the greenery and the flowers that are abundant everywhere. Especially in our gardens.

You may wonder why I've never shown you my "entire" back yard in all of my flower and garden posts. The reason is that about 4 years ago hubby tore out the very back of the yard (right up to the alley), installed a chain link gate, began a huge project of bricking in a parking pad for a one-ton flatbed work truck (nowhere to park it except where we park our other 2 vehicles ~ his and sister Pammie's), AND he started storing all of his crap back there. I've hated it! Our back yard used to look so nice.

Well this week he FINALLY started to work on bricking that parking pad again! Here's the proof of the ugliness:




You can see my fading lilacs on the left, and in the very back all the junk.



Hubby planted a few annuals to help fill in the areas that the perennials haven't taken up, and although it will be a few weeks yet before the gardens look fuller, it's still looking pretty good out there.

From a recent post you already know how much I adore lilacs, and that this year was the first year 2 of my 3 young lilac bushes flowered! The Wedgewood Blue lilac had flowers for a couple of weeks but now they are faded to an almost "pinkish-white" and are dying off.








However, out front my Dwarf Korean Lilac is sporting pretty little pink flowers and they smell gorgeous.




Out front, every year the "Snow In Summer" boasts their profusion of tiny white flowers everywhere we've planted them, and right now they are just beginning to fill out.



And along with the pink lilac bush, in this area of the garden the Iris is flowering beautifully and standing tall in purple. Beside that, the lilies are budding but not yet opened.




Hubby has laid out some edging material to help keep the water in the flower beds, and the weeds and grass out. It's a long process keeping a yard looking nice, and he works very hard at it. Me, I do the inside work and let him do the outside work (which he loves) as I don't "do" bugs and heat very well.

Speaking of temperatures, they are lower now and very comfortable in the low 70's. We still need rain VERY badly so I hope we get more than just the sprinkling tease we've had recently. Besides, free watering for my lawns and gardens saves me so much money on my utility bill! Hubby has a few rain barrels around and that helps some, but he's going to get a couple more yet.



Soon enough, this first day of Summer will turn into the first day of Autumn, which I will be more than ready for as it's my favourite season, and I always take my vacation then! However for now, I'm enjoying the lilacs and other summer blooms.

I hope you are all having a great weekend, and enjoying the first official days of Summer. Take good care of each other!

PEACE!
Love Jude

"PEOPLE" THEME CONTEST WINNERS!

Congratulations to Fullmoondolphin (winning photo) and Tracey (runner-up) for this month's win! And to all the entrants for some really great shots, job well done.

Thank you to all who participated in the voting, stay tuned for the end of this month when the voting will be opened for "Pets/Wildlife", it should be good!



We're in the midst of a *#@! heatwave here, it's not as hot as it can often get but it's bad enough that my house is over 80F and we need the A/C on in the bedroom at night just to be able to sleep. Thank God for that!

I hope you are all having a great weekend where you are. Take good care of each other!

PEACE!
Love Jude

LILAC HEAVEN

I am so pumped! One of the most beautiful flower scents in the world has to be Lilacs, and 2 years ago this month we bought 3 baby lilac bushes and planted them. Two of them are "Dwarf" lilacs and won't get overly large in our small gardens, and the other one is a regular size.

The regular one is "Wedgewood Blue" and it flowered for the first time this year!



Talk about smelling good too, I am over the moon to finally see flowers on it.

AND.... the little Dwarf one out front has "pink" lilac flowers, and for the first time this year it's sporting some dark pink little buds. (they flower a light pink) So it looks like that one will flower too!



The third one will have "white" lilac flowers, but so far no flowers. They are all healthy and full of foliage, so maybe next year we'll see some from that one.

As for all of our flowering trees (Cherry, MayDay, Pear and Plum) the flowers are pretty much gone now. Spring looks so pretty in our yard with all of them in a profusion of pretty petals!

Hubby got a bunch of annuals planted in our beds so over the next weeks they'll start to spread out and fill up the spaces. He's been out watering them, and the lawns, and at the price of utilities these days I wish we'd get a few days of steady, much needed rain!


Last weekend I did my annual fasting and blood tests. I've been given the ok to go ahead and re-fill my prescription for cholesterol meds. (Lipitor) It's certainly not a big deal, but I never look forward to the fasting part. I have some blood sugar issues so nothing but water for at least 12 hours is a bit of a stretch. By the time I give a couple vials of blood I'm feeling pretty woozy and hubby always runs me straight from the lab to a nearby McDonald's for a glass of fruit juice and an Egg McMuffin. Once I gobble that all down (especially the juice) I always feel better and the light-headedness takes a hike. The joys of getting older.


Thank you to everyone who have been showing my dear friend Janna support with her breast cancer fight, she is now going through radiation. Wishing you all the best and a speedy recovery Sista J.!! ((((hugs))))


There is still another week or so left of voting for the "People" photo contest over at Stardom Awaits!, so if you would like to participate and haven't already cast yours, head on over to vote. Thanks!

I wish you all a terrific week and hope you are all safe and well. Take good care of each other out there, we're important to each other!

PEACE!
Love Jude

"PEOPLE" THEME PHOTO CONTEST

Howdy all! I hope everyone is well, I just finally made my rounds of bloglinks to check up on you all and haven't seen any bad news, thankfully!

I'm feeling yet a bit better, so it's coming along. Just bone-tired physically, however after 3 weeks of being really sick can be expected to kick an old butt like this hippie chick's! *wink*


And yes, it IS that time again! This month's theme is "People" and there are lots of entries for it. It was the ONE theme that I haven't been looking forward to for many months, but as it turned out I scrounged up some shots anyway!

Just a wee reminder to all, please only vote ONCE, and for ONE shot only. With that business out of the way, if you'd like to participate in the voting, head on over to Stardom Awaits! and cast your vote. Thank you, and enjoy the photos!


PEACE!
Love Jude