Water

This trying to drink 8 glasses of water a day is bad. Especially when you are only used to 2 glasses a day or three, but never 8.  My acupuncturist suggested it to help with my water retention and swelling hands, feet and legs.  I promised I would try and this is the second day of 2 weeks.  Wow I may drown,, hehe.  Doubt it though but I may have to stay near a bathroom.  Will keep you informed as to how my swelling goes down or not.

One Computer

Not used to only having one computer.  We had a power outage and it crashed Ken's computer a few days ago.  Now we only have the laptop until Ken's computer comes back from our friend who is a computer geek.  Hopefully he can fix it and Ken doesn't have to get a new hard drive.
Had my second acupuncture treatment to day, it was interesting I had 12 needles and only one really felt "interesting", may not be the right word but it tingled, felt like I kept pricking my leg with a sewing needle.  I knew the others were there but not like that one in my leg.  There is no after residual feeling or marking in my legs, abdomen or arms or hands.  My acupuncturist is a lovely lady, the wife of my chiropractor and in the same office, otherwise I don't think I would have been going.

Father's Day, Mother's Day

You know May and June are not nice months anymore.  May 3 was my mother's birthday, then comes Mother's Day, and June is Father's Day.  Then in your e-mail or on the tv are advertisements of what to get Mom or Dad for their special day.  From the first of May to the end of June all I think about is my parents.  I was lucky to have loving parents who told me I could do anything I wanted. Talking to people sometimes reminds me just how lucky I was.  I knew  my parents loved me and okay, maybe I felt I couldn't tell them everything, I didn't want to hurt them.  But maybe I should have trusted that love and told them their favorite son-in-law as a child abuser.  No maybe not that would have hurt too much for me and them.  After he was accused and punished, yea right, 6 months in a motel in Kamloops, my parents had already died.  I don't know where I am going with this but to tell any child or adult child to report child abuse to your parent or another adult.  Tell someone, you are not to blame, it was not your fault, you were a child when it happened.
To those who read this, forgive my rambling, I had no idea that was where this was going.

Question of the day hehe

Can anyone tell me why organic anything is more expensive than unorganic?  Okay my computer doesn't like that word.  But if it isn't organic what is it?  Un is a stand in for not.  Okay anyway
Organic foods which don't have all the extra pasteurizing, all the antibiotics, growth hormones etc in it, should be cheaper, yes?  Why not, it has just been grown and harvested and put into the store, right?  So there for should be cheaper?  But that isn't so is it.  Okay enough rambling.  I just want to buy organic but can't afford the high price.  Yes sometimes it is worth it but sometimes it is just too much.

Monday May22

Don't know what to write about today.  Maybe just to say I'm glad my friend is back from her Europe trip. She went to the Normandy beaches that were assaulted by the American troops June 6 1945. When I was in Britain I went to the bay they assembled at.  I'm sure her experience was as great as mine was at the bay.  Darn I don't remember the name of it. Will have to look it up or look at a map of Britain.  It is in the Devon area. My friend and family went to an American grave site and the whole family was overwhelmed with tears as they looked at the row upon row of white crosses.
Being as I didn't have anything to write about I think I did okay.
June 6th is also my dear friend's birthday, she would have been 87 this year had she lived.  She has been gone a little over a year and I still miss her.  I have her picture that I took the winter before she died still on my cell phone.  I just can't seem to take it off.  It keeps her close to me.  Love you Gloria

Unexpected things happen

Did you know that good thing happen when you aren't expecting them?  I was given a reason today to continue writing in my blog.   I though maybe no one was reading my blogs.  I was writing for myself. Thanks to a person today I know I'm not going to be writing for myself anymore if I was before.  I want to thank you, for giving me the reason to continue.  Together we will continue living, loving and being there for those who need us.  God does work in mysterious ways  to perform his unconditional love.

Problems

Sometimes it is he77 not having a credit card.  I want to do something on line and they ask for a credit card number, well I don't have one.  Can't because of the bankruptcy.
I have an account with pay pal but they want credit card information too, I can use a bank account but not until after 24 hours.  Okay maybe that is good I can't order the My Bookstore App so I can sell my books through this company.  Oh sh...  Maybe I'm not suppose to get this product.  Maybe this is a take time to think about it.  Maybe oh I don't know.  This or something better.  I can only hope something will happen before the 21 hours left in the deal is up.

Another writing prompt

A friend at square dancing Tuesday night gave me an idea for a prompt.  He named (an early) President that had an affair with a slave and she had a baby.  Now what happened to the child or the mother?  Why would a president who was against slavery own a slave anyway?  No it was not President Abraham Lincoln and earlier one.
My story won't be a president but a high ranking army general, fiction character and he is married.

Problem

Just got a contest prompt that asks for a story of 1000 words, a favorite book character comes of the page of the book and has a discussion with you.  Now which one do I use?  That is the question.
The black stallion I was just reading about in a book I found a number of days ago from when I was a teen, or Napoleon Solo from the Man from UNCLE  that I found at the same time.  Maybe his partner.  It didn't say anything about it being also a TV character.  Now what do I do?  How about Roy and Trigger or The Lone Ranger or a number of other characters from books that became hour long TV programs. That is what I said I have a problem.

Zip to say

Nothing to say today, so won't bother anyone with babble.  Am washing  clothes and am still alone.  Ken stayed at a friends last night.

Victoria Day

Enjoy the first long weekend of the year.  Sitting at home alone, Ken must have gone out with Sam a friend of ours while I was at church.  I was sitting out side in the sunshine but it got too warm so I came in and,  who cares?  I'm not going to write here what I am doing or not doing.  Enough

Closer Walk with God

How many of us have gone on a walk with God?  At the class at the church Thursday night that is what we did.  We went on a half hour walk, the 12 of us walked around the church, down the sidewalk and then came back.  We each had a booklet with different things we were to do.  Every so often we were to stop and say a prayer.  You know by the time I got back into the fellowship hall I  was feeling spiritually high.  I had hugged a tree and got a hug back or that is what it felt like.  The tree was spiritual.  When was the last time you hugged a tree?  Try it one day you are out for a nature walk.  Take only God with you, tell him you feel His presence, see Him in the nature around you. Let Him guide your footsteps.  Don't pay attention where you are walking just walk.  Find something that peaks your interest, a rock, a twig, a weed.  Smell the flowers around you.  Just walk with God for half an hour and then come back to where you started and sit and contemplate what you saw, how you felt and know that you are never alone.

Don't do it

I want to say it again, don't go looking for something, you won't find that but you will clean out drawers.  Did it again, went looking for an old small bible that was my dad's and found a lot of other stuff I didn't realize I had, cleaned out another drawer, well emptied it actually and have a lot of stuff for Value Village.  Also found that 5 shares of BCRIC given to every British Columbian  many years ago.  Tried to find out what it is worth today and can't find the value, yes the Share is shown but no value is anywhere.  If anyone can find out what they are worth now can you let me know. Other wise I am going to put it in the  garbage.
Don't do it please, it is a waste of time, okay it wasn't really but I didn't find what I was looking for but did find other valuable things.

Wow Chicken Soup for the Soul

Well I am a paid published author!!!!
Chicken Soup for the Soul has a story of mine in its new Chicken Soup book coming out July 21 2015.  I couldn't get to write on the page with the cover so am following up here.  Please look for the book and buy it.  Then go to either Facebook or Amazon.com or creatspace.com and leave a comment.  Wow am I a happy camper.  I'm in Chicken Soup

Chicken Soup for the Soul Inspiration for the Nurses Soul

 

No idea?

Today I have no idea what to write about,  I'm tired and yet I had a good sleep last night.  Tonight is the Square Dancing Grad,  I remember my grad last year and it was fun.  I hope the ones who are graduating from beginners to main stream get the same enjoyment as we did last year.  I know some of you didn't like my grad picture I had up but it meant something to me as it was my first grad even if it was just from Square Dancing.
Should go upstairs and sew that skirt and lining I just cut out.  Made two blouses from a pattern my niece sent me in an e-mail.  You make your own patterns and then cut the cloth to the pattern you cut out.
Did okay with not knowing what to write about today.

Writing prompts

Hi, those of you who read my blog a number of days ago saw that I had been accepted as a prompt writer with the Working Writers Club.   Well, the prompts are up on the working writers club website.Go to the website It is the WorkingWritersGroup.com with Suzanne Lieurance's name in the small print.and at the top of the page click on Creative Writing Prompts and go to the bottom of the page.  There is a number of them.  If you decide to write about any of the prompts let me know please as I would be interested in which one and why you chose it.

Going to tell you a secret

Yea right, I suppose every woman knows not to go looking for something in a messy drawer.  I did this morning and ended up cleaning 3 drawers.  Oh yea I found what I was looking for but kept on cleaning anyway.  Now I have 3 clean drawers but didn't do what I was going to do.  Maybe I will after I finish this.
My niece sent me an e-mail with simple you draw patterns for blouses.  Well I made one than decided I had some material that I didn't know what to do with so started another.  I wanted to make it a little different so was going to put a  collar on it.  I had to find a collar pattern that was what I was looking for when I ended up cleaning the drawers.
Also what am I doing in the house on a lovely day like it is, only it is too hot to sit in the sun.  Kind of cool in the shade so the next best thing is to stay in but I don't want to.  Oh well I will see.
Happy Mothers Day to any mothers who read this

I'm in a hurry

My mammogram is this afternoon and I thought I would spend a few minutes writing something.  I got a new "job".  Well it isn't a paying job but I get publicity as the writer of writing prompts.  Some I wouldn't mind writing about myself.  I may do one or two that I suggested. That is how I get my stories anyway is from prompts of some kind.  The person who gave me the position wants 10 a month. I think I can do that.  It took me about 20 minutes to half an hour to come up with the first 10. Junes shouldn't be much harder, I hope.  I can look at a picture or see something and there is a prompt.  Don't know where or when she will be posting them but when I find out I will post it here as to where you can see the prompts.
Got to go later or tomorrow.

Mothers Day

My mother who I love very much has passed on to her time with God.  It was Oct 27 1982 when I went to the care home she was in at 2PM as was my visiting time.  I went to her room and found her gasping for breath. I knew she was dying and ran to the nurse's station, on the way I met my nephew who was just coming back with a nurse.  He said he had been trying to call me for the last hour but there was no answer.  I had been next door having lunch with a friend during that time.  The day before my mother and I had a wonderful visit. She was feeling great, happy and was glad to see my poodle as was everyone else who Muffin counted as friends at the home.  I was glad we had that day together.  I think God knew that I would be better with not sitting with her as she died.  I thank him for having my friend invite me for lunch that day.  My nephew was the one who watched her pass through to the next level of her spirit's journey.  After we came home and I phoned my husband at work and he came home.  It was later in the afternoon when the police showed up.  I had no idea why they were here but they wanted to know if I was satisfied with the care Mom had received at the care home.  I said yes I was and there was no complaints.  My nephew said the same thing.  My reason for writing this at this time is to say if you have a living mother, cherish her with all you have.  You don't need to shower her with gifts, take her our for a lunch or dinner, if you can't afford that give her a big long hug, and tell her you love her with all your heart.  That is what she wants to hear anyway.
Phone her if she isn't in your area.

Today I don't know what to write about so

Lets start at the beginning again.  A!
A is for attitude of gratitude,  you have to have an attitude of gratitude to enjoy living.  An attitude of lack or dis ease is not helping you live with love and kindness.  Okay lets say you are feeling down, how do you extend your attitude towards others?  You grumble and complain, do they enjoy your company, I don't think so but if you let go of your feeling of being down and get an attitude of gratitude for what you have, life, health and ability to move talk, feel and friends and family that love you.  Wow are you lucky and in a much better mood for the people around you.  I know I am when I am down I let go and let God guide me to my highest good, and my day turns out 100% better than it would have if I had kept that feeling of being down and unloved.  I know God loves me unconditionally and that is one love that no one can take away from me ever.

RMS Acquitania

Ship Beautiful, when I was on her in 1948 her first trip from Halifax back to Britain, I didn't realize, well I was only 6-7 years old, I had my 7th birthday on board, that she was the most luxurious ship of her time.  She had survived both wars and been a troop carrier.  Her career was one of the longest in history, 30 years and only broken by Queen E2 in 2005 who had 40 years of service.  How I found all this out is that I am writing a story about a young boy who is okay my age at the time, who is sent from Britain to work on his Uncles farm.  It is also going to be a historical fiction about a train trip across Canada.  I can't find out anything about the orphan train that ran in Canada, I thought there was one in Canada as well as the states.  But maybe there wasn't. I don't want to make it American I want the boy to come to British Columbia.
How I  got started with this story is that one night Ken and I were talking about something that was on the radio.  We got into the discussion about  the children who were sent to Canada during the second war,  but I found out that it was after the war that Ship Beautiful came to Canada so I couldn't use that.  Had to make it after the war.   To find out that Mom and I went and came back on the most luxurious ship of the time I wish I remembered more about her.  I do remember she handled a storm in the mid Atlantic very well.  I wasn't sea sick but Mom was and a lot of others in our cabin were too.  Also coming back we passed the Queen Mary she seemed bigger than the Acquitania.
Seems I am coming up with something to write about but maybe one day I will have to use the alphabet again.

Something new?

Well if I don't redo the alphabet I'm not sure I will know what to write daily.  I could start with the magazine I got from a friend about tours in Scotland.  Ken, I and maybe a niece, nephew and wife or a nephew will be joining us.  I would like them to met their relatives who are still there.  One niece and I went in 2001 and were in Invernes when the planes hit the twin towers Sept 11.  We were informed by the bed and breakfast owner we were inquiring about a room for a couple of days.  He asked us if we were American and had we heard what happened in New York.  We said no we were Canadian and no we hadn't heard.  He took us into the room we were going to have for a few days and there on the telee was the reenactment of  the disaster.  Didn't mean to dredge up old memories but that is what I wrote and am not going to delete it.  There was also a great difference from the airport we landed in on Sept 6 to the one we left from three weeks later.  Gatwick was a peaceful airport on the 6 but on the day we left it was a military zone.  Two security guards every few minutes were walking one way and then a couple of minutes later a different couple went the opposite direction.  It was scary to see them with sub-machines at the ready.  Then the shock of the Vancouver airport where there was no one around anywhere even to exchange money for the pay phone.  It was amazing how lax Vancouver's airport was in security in the middle of the night.   My niece and I thought about how easy it would be for someone to terrorize that airport.  I suppose this last line could be taken as a terrorist threat, BUT IT ISN'T!  I am just stating what happened and how amazed we were.

Happy Birthday Mom

One hundred and fourteen years ago my mother was born on Woodheed farm, just out side of Annan Scotland.  Today when I read the daily word I wished her a happy birthday.  She was my dearest friend, my mentor and my guide to who I am.  I wrote a story about my 15 Christmas one that will remain in my heart and mind for as long as I live.  She made me wrap my own present telling me it was for Daddy but I couldn't know what was inside it. Christmas morning the tag I had written for Daddy was gone and there was another tag on it, To Gladys with love Mom and Daddy.  It was a crinoline and somewhere downstairs I still have it these many years later.  No I don't wear it to square dancing, for that i wear ones my niece gave me or ones I got at the recycle sale.
My mother came from Scotland after her father died because he said she couldn't come just because a friend of her brothers asked her during the 1st World War.  Well when she came as a Registered Nurse she worked in Kerobert Hospital and met Uncle Jack's brother Peter Zubick while he was in the hospital with his wife who was dieing from a form or cancer.  After a few years Mom married Daddy who was the single father of 2 boys and 4 girls, then they had my sister, a son who died before he was a year old and then me.  I think any woman who would marry a man with 6 children to raise is a strong and loving woman.  That was my mother.  Happy Birthday Mom.

Last day of the alphabet

Z is for Zubick, my name from the time I was born to the time I married and changed my name.  I didn't know at that time or it was before you could keep your own name. Anyway I changed my name to Swedak and came up a quarter of the alphabet from the last to the 8th from the bottom.  In school when ever anything was called by alphabet the teacher or who ever it was always said "last but not least, Gladys Zubick.  I hated that so was in a way glad to change my name but I was still proud of what my father had done with his name.  He had made it a name that stood for honesty, integrate and someone who could deal with any animal in need of kindness and love and could make them do anything.  For instance a big red cow who he got for a cheep price because she didn't produce any milk, well Big Red after a while had to be milked 3 times a day she was so full.  There was also Barney a big horse that wouldn't pull logs for his owner.  Daddy got him cheep too because he wouldn't work.  Yea right, Barney would let me ride him while he pulled 2-3 logs.  The problem wasn't Barney it was the owner.  He had the chain pulled up so close the logs hit Barney's heals so and they hurt. See, the name Zubick was something to be proud of and I wish I still carried it but I am proud of Swedak too.  Daniel was a good husband and we after 20 years found out that we really loved eachother.  Then three years later he died, but life goes on and I found another love.
Have no idea what I will write about Monday but will try to continue with my daily blog even if no one reads it.

Y two days late

Y is not necessarily for only the young, feeling young is a matter of choice no matter what the calender age.  Young is for the child in all of us, to play and be happy within ourselves.  Some of us push the child down so deep it is smothered and we have to work hard to bring him or her back to the surface so we can play again.
The youth, children under say 18 years of age really have no idea what they have until it is gone.  A child knows within itself that something is there that says play, be happy and enjoy the life you have.  As we get older we dismiss that child and tell it I am an adult now, we put away childish things.  No we don't we just bury the joy of being happy and being able to play.  We are never too old to play and be happy.  No this is not me writing this it is God writing through me.  I sat down to type this and had no idea where I was going but here it is and I say Thank You God for being within me and letting me play.