Penny's Perapatetic Perambulations

We arrived in London late this morning (REALLY early our time) and took the transport to the hotel.  It's quite a nice hotel, but they use some kind of smelly something in the lobby that is rather overwhelming!  It's not like that in the room, thank heavens.  

We checked in, left our bags in storage and traipsed out for a short visit to the shops to try to get Pel's and Rod's phones unlocked.   As it turned out, we couldn't get either done.  Burn!  We stopped at a corner pub for a drink (my first half of lager in YEARS!) and then headed back to the hotel to freshen up.

After a computer break, we headed out to Leicester Square (the LONG way, apparently -- LOL) and purchased tickets for HP6 for tomorrow night.  We had dinner at the Angus Steak House and wandered home.  Niether of us got much sleep last night on the plane, and it's 11:30 AM our time/7:30 PM here.  We're pooped!

We'll head to bed shortly and get a good night's sleep.  Gym first thing in the AM!  :)

Love,
Pen

Pel and I are in the Vancouver airport, waiting for our flight to London. We had a lovely breakfast visit at lunchtime with Brig, Rod, Em and Sue before we left Victoria. The flight to Vancouver was REALLY quick and we're off to a good start.

I am going to use this as my journal for the trip, because I didn't bring my "real" book and I couldn't get the notes application on Facebook to work for me. :(

Well, here we go!
Love,
Pen

P.S. They are playing A Summer Place on the muzak and it reminds me of Galiano!!

I am sitting in my bedroom with the door to outside open (it's quite warm in here) and the cat grooming himself just inside.  Em is in her room playing a computer game (Rollercoaster Tycoon) and Sue is watching TV in the living room.  Life is pretty good at home!  We've had a lovely, quiet weekend with lots of walking of dogs and not much else.

Well, Emily went with Brig and Rod on Sunday to join the Victorian Epicurians in the Canada Day Parade.  Lots of fun was had by all.  They were dressed in VE t-shirts and hats and gave out samples of Victorian Epicure products -- a much desired handout as it transpired!  They had balloon vegetables and faux-bottles of condiments -- and from what we heard some of the vegetables were behaving badly in the back of a truck and had to be separated.  We also heard that so many of the balloons escaped there was a veritable salad in the sky over Sidney!! :)

The only bad thing is that it's Monday and we go back to work tomorrow.  There are some things happening at work that are making me crazy but I can't tell you about them yet.  When we are face-to-face we'll talk!!  In the midst of everything else, our "new" receptionist told me last week that she's leaving.  She's bored and she wants "more" and on and on.  It's not like she didn't know what she was getting into, but I guess she was anxious to have a job when she first moved to Victoria.  There are SO many jobs going, that she'll probably have something great in no time...leaving us in the dust!  She was VERY good, too, which makes it even worse.  Well, at least I had her for the auction.  Muff, why don't you move to Victoria so I could hire you to work at my school!!!???  Come to think of it, I probably couldn't afford you.  

Well, I'll going to take myself off, eat more licorice and feel sorry for myself for a few minutes.  Love you all!!  *hugs*
Pen

It's been a very long time since I wrote anything in my journal.  We've been very busy at school and Facebook is way to easy, so it makes entering stuff in this format seem very difficult.  Which it isn't really, it just seems that way.  

I'm at home working...and posting to Live Journal! :)  At least it isn't Sunday again, which is when I usually have time to write.  

Tonight, eveyone is coming over for the wedding rehearsal.  Meg took some photos of Trav and me in the garden on Saturday to practice and they are pretty funny.  She posted them on Facebook, so you should check them out.  What a hoot!  I only hope it's as sunny on Saturday as it is today!  Sue keeps dooming and glooming and saying it's supposed to rain, but hey -- who knows?  Certainly not the weather people!

Em had two exams today (and lots of essays!) so she'll probably be bagged tonight.  She had one yesterday, too.  Friday is her one and only provincial of the semester and it's in Social Studies.  She did very well on awards night!  She got the top award for Literature 12, which really mattered to her; English 11, which was good but she kind of expected it; Service , which she didn't care at all about; and Scholastic, for having a 5.0 GPA all year.  She was pleased with that one, because that was her goal for the year.  So well done, Em!  Of course, I enjoy the event even more than she does.  So many of my Selkirk kids are on the podium, time after time, and it makes me feel very good to be part of such a wonderful school!!  Anyway, at least someone's happy!!

I can't wait for the end of school.  It's been a hard year.  I'm looking forward to swapping war stories with Muff over the summer!  I am looking forward to lounging around, eating cherry bon bons and relaxing!!  No travel this summer.  Em is working (I think at Victorian Epicure) so we won't be going too far from home.

Sue is home sick with the flu today, poor thing.  She looks quite ill.  Very achy, etc.  I hope she's better for Saturday!!

Well, I had better head out to the bank and to get Emily from school.  Lots of love and I'll try to get back here sooner next time!
Pen

Whoo, it's been ages since I posted to my journal!  There are two reasons for this...sort of.  One, I am addicted to Facebook and have barely any time away from it to do anything, much less post to my journal.  Ahem.  Two, I've been busy.  

I know, I know.  There's no excuse!  Although I notice that there hasn't been much posting by anyone else anyway so I'm not going to continue to feel guilty about it!  (However, you should check out my page at Facebook cause I have lots of photos and stuff on it!)

Today was Emily's Victoria Day Parade.  Well, it isn't actually Emily's parade, but her band was marching so -- of course -- being the obsessive mum that I am, I was up at the crack of dawn to take her down to Mayfair to march.  I have a parade day tradition of meeting John and Sachi (parents of one of our grads from Selkirk who is also in the band at Reynolds) for breakfast at Smitty's and then we watch the parade.  It's nice to catch up with them at least once a year! :)  There were zillions of bands marching today but I still think Reynolds is the best, because at least they march and play at the same time.  And they play a march, more to the point!  I like their look too, even though I completely empathize with Emily that the band pants are crap to wear -- they look great, though!!  Anyway, they did very well and they looked great and I hope they win again this year.

We've been busy at school, because we're now into final report writing and winding down to the end of the school year.  Yeah!  I am really looking forward to being at home, relaxing for a few weeks this summer.  No long bus trips for this girl!  Well, I will miss some aspects of the bus trips, like going to fabulous places and meeting fab people and having fun.  Oh well, I have a stack of books to read and lots of movies I want to catch up on, so that will be good.  Not to mention cleaning out the garage...again.  Maybe I shouldn't mention it and it will just go away!!  Muff, are you coming over to Victoria for a visit in the summer??? :)

I worked on getting the pool up and running this weekend.  Brig helped, which was great.  Now it's just chugging along out there, swishing chemicals all over the place but looking pretty good.  I hope we get hot enough weather that I actually want to go in it!!  Emily and I are swimming at Commonwealth Pool twice a week -- lengths, which I swore I would never do -- but it has definately helped my shoulder so I guess it's a good thing.  Maybe I'll lose the 10 pounds I put back on from losing it over last summer...in the winter...now I'm really confused!!

We had a great breakfast yesterday at Tino's with Brig, Rod, Pet, Dylan, Meg, Trav, Em and me.  It was lots of fun.  This weekend we're going to go into town to look for dresses.  Em needs a wedding and a grad dress so maybe we'll find something that can do double duty?  i hope so!  (Just to catch those of you who aren't in the know up, Emily is currently "in a relationship" with Steven Edwards - another band geek - who's in grade 12 and he asked her to his grad.  So I get to buy two, count 'em, two dresses - one for his grad and one for hers next year.  Oh goodie! :)  (Actually, anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE buying clothes, so I know you're not feeling sorry for me!!)

Sue has been really busy in the garden.  She's working to get it ready for the wedding.  Pel and Dylan and some friends were over on the weekend getting rocks and dirt for her and moving them around where she wanted them.  She was thrilled.  She's still sewing, but spending more time during the day out in the garden.  We purchased a DVD player that can play European and Pal formats, so we've been enjoying the "Victorian Kitchen Garden" from the UK the last few nights.  She also purchased an opera from Italy and had her VISA card frozen for  day or so because of it.  As you can imagine, she was not impressed!

Well, I'm going to go now and get dinner started!  Much love to you all,
Pen

And you thought I had given up on my journal!  Oh, ye of little faith.  Or something like that. 

No, I'm still here.  Of course, it's Sunday, because I only ever seem to post on a Sunday.  Emily is out with Stephen...but you didn't hear it from me.  If you want to know, you'll have to craftily ask her.  I'm sure you can do it!

I'm sitting here at my computer, waiting for 8:00 pm so I can watch the next installment of the Amazing Race.  I love that show!  I sit in my bed and laugh at the contestants when they get lost in some foreign city -- never for a moment thinking about how much I suck at navigation and directions.  Not to mention driving on the wrong side of the road, trying to understand various accents that are as thick as molasses (and that's just Yorkshire!!) and not having time for showers, eating or any of the other niceties of life.  What fun!! :)

I took a leaf out of Meg's book and changed my journal.  I'm not sure if I've nailed it yet, but I'll keep working on it!

Work has been interesting...Muff, we need another day or two to compare notes!!  I'm looking forward to the end of the year more than I ever have before.  Emily is talking about a trip to Japan and Korea with Chris.  Yikes!  It sounds fantastic -- and I want to come!!  They may be going to Tokyo Disneyland without me!!  Horror of horrors!!! :(

We had Meg and Trav over for dinner on Wednesday and we watched ANTM and Lost.  Both episodes were good -- but they're always better with M&T!! :)  Today, Em and I had brunch with Brig and Pel and then wen t shopping for a dress for Pel to wear to Scott and Susan's wedding in May.  Then Barry texted and we ended up going for coffee and a walk around Rithet's bog with him.  A busy day!  Back at work tomorrow...hmmm.....

Well, I'm going to go now and enjoy watching the Race.  Danny and Oswald (The Cha Chas) just yielded Eric and Danielle for $45 from the Blondes.  Maybe you had to be there?? :)

Much love,
Pen

Well, my spring break is quickly winding down -- I only have a few more hours left of lazying about, eating cherry bon bons (well, I don't actually have any cherry bon bons, but you get the picture!).  Hard to believe I've had two weeks off!

Bim and Muff arrived on Wednesday afternoon and we were out for dinner in Sidney and to "Tuesdays With Morrie" following.  Trav and Meg came with, and it was lots of fun.  I took some photos of Meg in Sidney with statues...but I don't think I know how to put them in here and Em's not around to help me...so you'll just have to do without.  Sorry!  "Tuesdays With Morrie" was very good and the fellow who played Morrie was terrific.  Thanks, Muff, for the treat.

Thursday, Muff and Bim and Meg did a Chinatown tour.  I cooked curries for dinner and we popped out for coffee with Peta and Jesse in the evening.  Friday night we met Mike, Lori, Brig, Rod, Jesse, Peta, Meg and Travis for dinner at the Macaroni Grill.  I had a great time!  I love seeing lots of my family in one place like that.  I love hearing bits and snatches of different conversations at the same time.  Mayhem-ish, but I love it!  I took some silly photos...but you'll just have to do without.  Sorry!

Saturday, Brig came over and she and I went grocery shopping.  Not quite the most exciting part of my week, but nice to spend time with Brig.  Later, we listened to Bing Crosby and the Sons of the Pioneers and Muff and I played crib...sorry, Muff!...and we watched P&P.  It was a lovely evening.

After Bim and Muff left this morning, I headed down to Tino's for breakfast with Brig and Pel.  It was really fun to sit and yak with them for a few hours.  Then we went to Mayfair and did some girly shopping for Pel.  She ended up with a very nice spring jacket and it was something we haven't done for years...if ever!

All in all, a very nice week.  Now it has to go and be "back to work" time.  Poo.
Love,
Pen

Hi everyone...is there anyone?? :)

I am lazing around on this cloudy, yet useful, Sunday in Victoria.  It's the middle of my Spring Break (I'm spoiled to get two weeks!) and Emily is off on her amazing band trip to Phoenix.  This means that:

a)  I have no Emily to play with.

b)  I have no driving around to do.

c)  I have no Emily to play with.

So, here I am at the computer (and hers) -- de-bugging, de-fragging and all kinds of de-stuff.  I'm also doing de-laundry (LOL) and will be making de-dinner soon (okay, it's not funny anymore!).  Sue and I took Felix for a nice long walk over to Elk Lake park today -- so I'm quite pooped!  I'm enjoying a cup of tea and a break before the next bought of laundry (kind of like bouts of the flu...) has to go into the dryer.  Well, the laundry is actually bed linens, which also means I have to make all the beds after I'm done.  Will it never end!!!???

Sue and I watched I Clavdivs through the week and over the weekend.  We have them on DVD.  What a great series it is!  So many great actors and over the top performances.  Great stuff!

On Friday, Meg and Trav called and asked me to join them for dinner at San Remo (a kind of Greek-ey, Italian-y place on Quadra and Hillside - not far from their apartment).  I was so pleased, cause we'd missed out on our Lost/ANTM watching on Wednesday.  However, I must admit I wasn't so very pleased to be totally skunked at cards!!  Sheesh.  The only hand I had a chance of winning was swept off the table by Meg when dinner came.  I mean, really!!  Let's get our priorities in order, Missy!

Emily gave me leave to put her room into some kind of order so that if Bim wants to use it next week, she'll be able to move around without killing herself.  Actually, it wasn't that bad!!  Emily keeps her room SO much tidier than Brig and I did ours when we were her age.  Yikes!  Actually, now that I come to think of it, I was living in Vancouver in the flat when I was Em's age.  Mo was quite picky about our room, so it was pretty clean.  When you have five of you living in a one bedroom apartment, you have to be tidy or go mad!!  (Especially if you live with Sue, the queen of the poison pen letters!!!  Sue, just joking in case you're reading this....)

Well, I'd best go get the laundry moving.  And it's almost time to start dinner, too.
Hope you all have a wonderful week!
Love,
Pen

Ok, anyone remember Loggins & Messina's "A Love Song"?  I'm listening to it right now.  Lovely!

It's been ages since I posted.  Em sent me the link for Facebook -- I think I told you already -- and I have tried my best to figure it out.  I sort of have, but I still think I must be missing something!!  The nice thing was, lots of people posted on my wall...well a few people posted on my wall...and I got some nice pictures, too.

Aha, now they're singing "Watching the River Run"...yeah!

It's been a crazy week.  Emily is in the pit band for the school musical (Guys and Dolls) so she's hardly been at home.  Poor thing's been at school all day, every day!!  I went to see the show on Wednesday and was very pleased with it.  I should have got tickets for Meg & Trav and Jesse and Peta.  I think they would have enjoyed it, too.  They had a very good Nathan Detroit, Nicely Nicely Johnson and Adelaide.  (If you haven't seen the movie, check it out.  Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra -- lots of fun!)  The band does a great job and the musical numbers were very well staged.  A few others of our former Selkirk Montessori students were in it, so that made it especially fun to watch.

School was pretty civilized, as we moved through the week toward our Spring Break....yahoo!  I have two weeks off (sorry to brag, but...) and am really looking forward to it.  I'm going to try not to think about work. at. all!!

I have to download some photos from our dinner last Sunday for Em and Meg.  Remind me never to try to throw a surprise dinner party for two people at the same time.  I'm terrible at keeping secrets to start with, and it was impossible not to let the cat out of the bag on this one.  Both Meg and Em knew exactly what was going on -- I don't think they even thought it was a surprise, that's how bad I am at doing it!  Mind you, I hate surprise parties, so maybe I sabotaged myself?  Could be.

We're having Brig, Rod, Pel and Dylan over for dinner tomorrow to celebrate Em's birthday (she was performing on the day).  It will be fun to get everyone together, cause we haven't done it since Christmas!  Speaking of getting together, Bim and Muff are coming down during Muff's break (yeah) and Mike & Lori are also coming down around the same time so we are going to have a mini-family reunion!!  :)

So, must go now and figure out what I'm going to feed my daughter before she heads out for the last performance tonight.  Hope you are all well and happy and having fun for Meg's birthday!!!

Love,
Pen

1 word survey: Can. Only. Type. One. Word. Not as easy as you might think.

1. Where is your cell phone?
Purse

2. Your boyfriend/girlfriend?
Non-existent (does it count as one if it's hyphenated?)

3. Your hair? 
Uncontrollable!

4. Your mother?
Indescribable!!

5. Your father? 
Same

6. Your favorite thing? 
Emily

7. Your dream last night? 
Strange...

8. Your favorite drink?
Tea

9. Your dream car?
Mercedes

10. The room you're in?
Comfy

11. Favorite Food?
Chocolate

12. Your fears?
None

13. What do you want to be in 10 years?
Retired

14. Who did you hang out with last night?
Sue

15. Muffins? 
Yes

16. Favorite Place?
Home

17. One of your wish list items? 
Travel

18. Where you grew up? 
Galiano

19. The last thing you did?
Tea

20. What are you wearing? 
Clothes

21. Your TV?
Old

22. Your pet? 
Beau

23. Your computer?
Essential

24. Your life? 
Charmed

25. Your mood?
Happy

26. Missing?
Mo

27. What are you thinking about right now?
Music

28. Your car? 
Toyota

29. Your work?
Hard!

30. Your summers?
Holidays!

31. Your relationship status?
Single

32. Your favorite color? 
Purple

33. When is the last time you laughed?
Earlier

34. Last time you cried? 
Ages

35. School?
Work

It's been very busy these past weeks...thus, no posting!  Plus, Emily introduced me to Facebook and I have been trying to figure out how it works.  It's kind of a shorthand version of the journal and I feel as though I'm the wrong age group to really "get" it!  How sad!!

We're barreling toward Spring Break -- thank God -- and our annual visit from Muff (and this year...Bim!).  I'm really looking forward to getting together for a nice block of time.  Lots of tea and visiting...and tea...and maybe a movie or two...and tea.  What could be better!?  Well, maybe if Doug would come...grumble, grumble!

Emily has been sick at home with a cold.  She missed three days and is feeling very much behind (that dratted semester system!) so I'm sure she'll be stressing like crazy this weekend.  She has musical theatre from dawn till dusk till the end of next week, so who knows when she'll catch up?  Actually, I have every confidence that she'll do it.  Her teachers LOVE her, so I'm sure they'll accommodate her.  

I'm looking forward to seeing the Musical Theatre performance.  It's "Guys and Dolls" -- one of my faves.  I'm going with Catherine and Gigi from the school and there are lots of "grads" we'll enjoy watching...in addition to Emily, of course.

It's report card prep time and I am supposed to be proofing reports, not posting on my journal, so I guess I'd better go for now.  Hope you are all enjoying a great Year of the Pig so far?

Tons of love and many hugs,
Pen

Just a quick post...I've been negligent...because I am reading a good series of books and I'm on the middle one.  I want to get some reading in before bed.  Well, before sleep!

It was a crazy day today at school.  Between the naughty children (threatening to kill one and another...), driving home to take Emily to Musical Theatre practice, a visit from a FAB R&B band in the afternoon, an after school meeting with yet another parent in denial, a fun dinner at the Keg with Meg & Trav (great use of my gift certificates; ask Meg to send you a copy of the photo of her food -- you gotta see it!) and a wonderful walk with Sue and the dog in the cold with the full moon at about 8:00 pm, it's been quite a day.  I'm exhausted!!

My dear friend Joanne was visiting on the weekend -- we had a great time.  It was lovely to catch up and just spend lots of quality time together.  We also had a quick (and I mean quick!) visit with Muff and Doug as they camped out in our spare room on Saturday after the wake.  We had a great discussion about delivering our children -- Doug, you're a sport!!  

I've been trying to catch up on my movie watching lately.  I love the Oscars and like to see at least a few of the nominated films before the show.  Jo and I went to see Catch & Release (pretty bad, certainly not Oscar calibre) and I have been to see Children of Men (very good movie, disturbing and pretty much Oscar worthy) and The Queen (disappointing to me - must have been all the hype!).  There are still lots I want to see:  Little Children, Pan's Labyrinth, maybe The Departed and The Last King of Scotland.  And many more!  Lots of good ones out right now.

It's Open House at the school this Sunday, so no rest for me.  Emily has work on Saturday and Musical Theatre (again!) on Sunday, so no rest for her either!  She's finished exams this week (yeah!) and did well on her Math final (double yeah!!).  Next exciting thing will be the actual performance of the musical (Guys & Dolls, one of my faves) and then the awe inspiring senior band trip!  I'm looking forward to Spring Break.  I know, I know, it's still a ways off...but we get the week before the public school break as well as the week of the public school break so that's all good!! :)

I'd better get going.  Time's awasting and my book is calling.
G'night!
Pen

It always seems to be a Sunday when I have time to realize that I haven't posted in my journal for an age.   I shall repair that omission forthwith!

It's been a busy week.  Lots of doings at school, including a Board meeting on Wednesday.  We weren't at it as late as last time (1:00 am!) so got home about 10:00.  It's re-registration time, so the returning families are sending in their forms and families who aren't returning are sending forms in anyway so we won't know they aren't returning.  Why they don't just come and tell me they may not be back is beyond me!  Do they think I'll take it out on their child or something??  I don't know!

I finally remembered to email our school librarian's home phone number to Peta so I hope she's called her!  It would be great if she wanted to do some volunteering at our school library.  We always need help and it sounds as though she knows what she's doing!  It would also give her a local reference when she is able to start looking for paying work.

On Friday, I dropped in to have tea with Meg and Trav before I picked Emily up.  It was nice to touch base, although I was there for an hour and a half!  Not exactly a quick visit, sorry guys!  (However, I enjoyed it so you may be seeing me more often with Em at school until all hours rehearsing for this and that!) 

Saturday was nice.  Sue and Brig and I went for a walk with the dog and strayed along a new path...well, road.  It was about an hour out and made me feel much better.  The sun was actually shining over here, so I got the benefit of that as well.  (I've been using my SAD light at school, but I don't bring it back and forth on the weekends...yet!)  Rod came over and showed us the animatic of the equipment he's designed -- very impressive, I must say!  I've told him he just has to add music to make it even better!

Later, Sue and I watched Inspector Lewis before I went to pick Em up from a movie night at Chris' house.  Insp. Lewis was good.  Much better than Morse, who always fell in love with the murderers!!!  It was still a wee bit melancholy, as Lewis' wife was killed in a hit and run or something, but it wasn't too sad.  His new partner is quite good as well.  I always preferred Lewis to Morse.

Today, we started off with a bang!  Brig, Rod, Trav, Meg, Em, Pel, Dylan and I got together for a late breakfast at Tino's.  Meg and I kept taking the Lord's name in vain, or talking about Jesus peeing on rocks (you had to be there for that one!), or sex or something and we were convinced they were going to throw us out of the restaurant as I'm sure they're all good Catholics.  However, we managed to keep our seats long enough to play some cards before I had to take Em to her rehearsal for musical theatre (she's in the pit band) which was fun.  Especially when I beat Travis at Hearts because he's really good at it...usually!

I am just waiting for rice to cook for dinner and then I hope that Sue (maybe Em) and I will watch Wimbledon...Sue bought it today.  I enjoyed it when we saw it up at Muff and Doug's in the Fall.  There are lots of movies I want to see at the theatre right now.  The Queen, Pan's Labyrinth, Night at the Museum, Letters From Iwo Jima, Children of Men, the Painted Veil...the list goes on!  They are announcing the Oscar nominees on Tuesday, so I need to speed up my movie watching.  I like to be informed when I watch the "big shew".

Okay, I'll take my leave and see if the rice cooker has popped.  Looking forward to a busy and productive week!
Love,
Pen

Happy New Year's Eve!  It's 3:29 so almost time to go pick Em up at work but I thought I'd try to get one more post in for 2006.

It's been a mixed bag this past week or so.  We've had a problem from the last week of school hanging on over the holidays and it's taken a definate turn for the worse today!!  Lots of calls and emails and we have one or two meetings this week.  Not nice.

Add to that a call from Dimps Stevens from Galiano two days ago that her brother, Greig, was fading and not expected to last much longer.  I picked her up at the ferry, dropper her off at the Sunset Lodge and did a few errands then popped back to the Lodge after dinner.  I didn't like her to be there all alone.  I sat with her for a few hours and then she decided to come home with me as there was very little to be done.  He died about an hour after we'd left and she was happy not to have been there at the end.  Lots of memories of Mum and Mo were stirred up, but not bad ones.  Just life and death and that it's ok to die and it can be gentle and slow.  Just a wearing down of the machinery till it stops.  Yesteday we spent organizing funerals and picking out coffins and flower sprays and what not.  Now that was strange!  They are planning a graveside service next weekend which I think Brig and I will attend.  More for Dimps than Greig, because I didn't know him that well.  We'd do just about anything for Dimps, as most of you know!  It added a unique atmosphere to the week, I can tell you.  Not bad -- sad, yes -- but it isn't bad to be reminded that we are all dying (not easy for you youngsters to hear?).  Greig had Down Syndrome and he lived to be 58 which is much, much longer than most!  He was well loved and cared for by his family.  The Lodge is run by the Salvation Army and they were really lovely to us, let alone Greig.  I had more hugs that past two days at that place, they were so sad about his death.  There are certainly worse ways to go, let me tell you.

So, as I head into 2007, I am feeling very grounded about life (lots of babies and young children at my school) and death (being with Greig this past few days) and everything in between!  I hope that you are all reflecting over the past year with as much thoughtful joy as I am!

Much love to you all,
Penny

I am almost ready to take Emily to work -- she's got an 11:00 to 3:00 shift today at the linen store.  Chris is here!  We are going for a drive or something...I'm not sure...and then I have to get home to make the veg for Christmas dinner, because this is our day.  Everyone else is working or busy tomorrow, so we're doing it all tonight.  I'm looking forward to it!

Merry Christmas to you all and the happiest of New Years!  I will post more later to give you all the details! :)
Love,
Pen

Wow, I can't believe how long it's been since I posted to my journal.  Bad penny, bad penny!

It's been a busy few weeks at school.  We've had all the usual holiday furor and upheaval accompanied by snow and heavy rain and ice and hurricane force winds, etc, etc.  Quite a potent mix!  The kids are plenty riled up and so are the parents about now!  I am REALLY looking forward to the end of the week and our break.  

In case you're wondering, the photo is one of me and Niko during the snow.  What a cutie he is!! 

Sue is busy sewing, Em is working and I am catching up on my journal.  We have some nice seasonal music on, the living room is decorated to the hilt and I'm getting into the groove of the holidays.  Em's band concert is coming up on Tuesday (Meg, Trav and I hope Jesse will all be joining Sue and me) and our school concert is Thursday.  Em and Chris have dance on Monday, so that doesn't leave much room to manoever in there!  I had been hoping to get out with M&T to see lights.  Maybe we won't have time...wah!

We are having our Christmas get together on Christmas Eve this year (mostly work related reasons!).  Chris is coming down from Campbell River, which will be lovely.  I'm looking forward to us all getting together.  Em is going to Chris' family for X-mas day dinner, and she is having a get together with her friends on the Friday before X-mas so she is going to be SO sick of turkey by Tuesday!! :)

Sue and I took the dog out for a walk today and we brought a bag, a saw and the secateurs and collected fire wood at the end of the trail.  There is so much laying around right now, it seems a shame not to pick it up!  Much nicer than those pretend logs, don't you think!  Lots of snap, crackle and pop -- just like Galiano!

Well, I'm off to do some Christmas wrapping (I almost said warping...)!  Hope you are all "snug in your beds"!
Love,
Pen

It's been ages since I posted to my journal.  Aw, poor journal!  It's been pretty busy, especially this week!  Monday I took Em and Chris to ballroom dancing.  It's always fun to listen to them talk about their sessions in the car on the way home.  I love those two!!  

Tuesday I was working at home when Dimps called from Galiano.  Her brother, Greg, was in the hospital and she wondered if she might be able to stay overnight because she was coming in to see him.  Sounded good to me!  I picked her up at the Jubilee in the evening and drove her to our house -- then drove down to pick up Emily at the moves with Chris!  Wednesday morning I dropped her off at the hospital and made arrangements to take her out to the ferry in the evening (after my staff meeting).   No sooner had I dropped her off at the terminal than I had to drive down to meet Em at Mayfair Mall for some (very) quick shopping and volunteering with Santa's Anonymous.  (She made my buy a red bra....hmmmm.)  

Thursday was a pretty good day, and ended very well with dinner and American's Next Top Model at Meg and Trav's place.  

However, Friday sucked.  We had to ask some parents to take their child out of the school and it was SO hard!  We were all crying at the end of the meeting (me, Catherine, two teachers and the parents).  Not a happy Friday for Penny!  Also, I was sorting our Purdy's chocolate order at school and I hadn't even bought any -- so annoying, when I could really have used some!  I picked Em up on the way home and pretty much fell asleep in my chair from the stress.  Jesse, why are you subjecting yourself voluntarily to this??  Education is for the birds!

Today has been nice -- maybe to make up for Friday?  I dropped Em off at work, did the grocery shopping, got gas, went to the drug store for drugs...legal ones, of course!  I also went to Em's school to pick up the Purdy's order I DID make, although I don't think I bought any for me.  Wah!  

I have been on the anti-depressents now for a few weeks and have definately seen an improvement.  Not only that, my weird dipsy-doodling has stopped!  I wonder if it was anxiety after all?  Hmm.  I am booked for a "radioactive" stress test (or two) in January, so I'll go ahead and do them just to be sure, but I think that might be it!

So, must go now to pick Em up from work.  Stew for dinner and maybe I can talk her into watching some first season Project Runway with me!!  Yeah, Tim Gunn!!!  My soon to be best friend!

Have a happy Saturday, all!!
Love,
Pen

Ok, here it is -- thanks to Meg, Muff, Doug, Jesse and Em!

FOUR JOBS I HAVE HAD IN MY LIFE:
1. Library Clerk at the Dunbar Branch in Vancouver (...zzzzz....)
2  Accounts Payable at Garibaldi Lifts (and I never got to ski!)
3. Accounts Payable at Umberto's Restaurants (...but I DID eat!)
4. Expo 86 (I was chief assistant to the assistant chief!)

B) FOUR MOVIES I WOULD WATCH OVER & OVER:
1. Pride and Prejudice
2. LOTR (1,2,3 plus all the extras!)
3. Persuasion
4. Emma

C) FOUR PLACES I HAVE LIVED: (vacation spots don't count)
1. Vancouver
2. N. Yorks., UK
3.  Victoria
4. Galiano Island (not in that order...sorry!)

D) FOUR TV SHOWS I LOVE TO WATCH:
1.Lost
2. America's Next Top Model
3. Amazing Race
4. Project Runway (hmmm...do I detect a theme here??)

E) FOUR PLACES I HAVE BEEN ON VACATION:
1. Western Samoa
2. Mexico
3. UK and Ireland
4. Europe
5.  Hawaii
6.  Disneyland
7.  Ontario
8.  Montreal
9.  Alberta
10. Channel Islands  (Ok, I'm not bragging, I just wanted to see them all in print! :)

F) FOUR WEBSITES I VISIT DAILY:
1. BBC News
2. Entertainment Weekly
3. CBC News
4. Google News (Yes, I am a news junkie!)

G) FOUR OF MY FAVOURITE FOODS:  (right now...it changes)
1. Chocolate
2. Steak
3. Nuts
4. Avacado

H) FOUR PLACES I WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT NOW:
1. Disneyland California...always!  And as Em says, "with all our friends", which is a dream of mine!
2. Italy, or somewhere in Europe on a train.
3. In Leicester Square buying tickets for Les Mis!
4. Scotland...anywhere, but especially the Highlands.

I) FOUR FRIENDS WHO I THINK WILL RESPOND:
There is no one left to respond to this...except Travis and I don't know what his Live Journal name is.  Maybe Chris??  Or Irene??  Help!

Well, another busy weekend at the Barner household!  We had the Fun Fair on Friday and it was great!  The pirate theme was a great hit and I loved having most of my family there with me!  Em and Chris ran the DDR (which rocked!), Meg painted faces, Travis and Jesse and Rod ran games and I sold light sticks.  Muff and Doug had trouble with ferries but even they made it in time to hit the last shift.  Now I just have to get back to school and clean up!! Euch.

Saturday morning we visited with Muff and Doug and then I drove Em to work.  They were having a super duper sale and were very busy so her shift flew by!  Sue and I had a lovely walk with Felix and I did some work on the school newsletter.  Later, I picked Em up and we drove over to Meg and Trav's appt. for dinner with them and Muff and Doug.  Very tasty pasta, salad and bread, with Starbucks' goodies for dessert.  All in all, a very satisfying dinner!  Thanks Meg and Travis!!

Sunday morning, we met Muff, Doug, Jesse, Meg and Travis for breakfast at Denny's before I drove Em to work.  I came home, we walked the dog, I did report cards and then I napped for a few hours.  It was lovely!!  I picked Em up and we drove over to get Barry, brought him home for dinner and the Da Vinci Code and now I'm quickly posting before I head for bed!! 

So, work tomorrow.  My office is full of Fun Fair junk!!  Yikes!

Hope you all have a happy (and dry?) Monday!
Love,
Pen