The Little Red Bag

My Adventures in Last Minute Travel

Has anyone thought about travel on a Sunday, looked into the possibility on the Monday, worked out the details on the Tuesday, booked the tickets on the Wednesday and arrived across the country on the Friday?

That's exactly what this family of 5 did, last week.  

And as I sit in Palm Springs writing this, with the breeze blowing through the palm trees, admiring the back drop of the bluest, cloudless sky, I think, "what a brilliant idea".

We had no time to really "think" about it, we just did it.  I told everyone to pack a carry on, 1 pair of shorts, 1 pair of jeans, 1 nice outfit, 1 bathing suit, 2 pair of shoes, a hat, t-shirts and travel size toiletries.  No checked bags for this adventure.

Before we knew it, we were on a plane, leaving -30 and heading to sunny California.

It helped that we had enough aeroplan points, family that live in this heaven on earth that were willing to take us in and a few days where everyone was available.

This morning, when I packed up my carry on to head from LA to Palm Springs, I thought

"why don't we do this more often?"

  

Little getaways that don't cost a fortune (points and family lodging) but are priceless in re-energizing, relaxing, and reconnecting with each other, family and friends.

Maybe we're starting something new for our family.  The in an out vacation.  The minimalist vacation.  The "everything you need for the week, will fit into your carry on bag" vacation.  

I think I'm really going to love My Little Red Bag!

I can't wait until the day I can sinc my photos again.  So frustrating.

Cranky Old Man

I saw this on Facebook and I wanted to share it, but also, have access to it whenever I want to read it, because it's so beautiful.

So I've posted it on my blog.

For anyone who loves and appreciates the older people around them, this is for you!

For those who don't, this is for you!

I wish the person who found it, credited the older gentleman by assigning his name to this poem, because he deserves the recognition for this inspiring piece of work.

Here it is...

When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in an Australian country town, it was believed that he had nothing left of any value.
Later, when the nurses were going through his meager possessions, They found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital.

One nurse took her copy to Melbourne. The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas editions of magazines around the country and appearing in mags for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem.

And this old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this 'anonymous' poem winging across the Internet.

Cranky Old Man

What do you see nurses? . . .. . .What do you see?
What are you thinking .. . when you're looking at me?
A cranky old man, . . . . . .not very wise,
Uncertain of habit .. . . . . . . .. with faraway eyes?
Who dribbles his food .. . ... . . and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice . .'I do wish you'd try!'
Who seems not to notice . . .the things that you do.
And forever is losing . . . . . .. . . A sock or shoe?
Who, resisting or not . . . ... lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding . . . .The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking?. .Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse .you're not looking at me.
I'll tell you who I am . . . . .. As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, .. . . . as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten . .with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters .. . . .. . who love one another
A young boy of Sixteen . . . .. with wings on his feet
Dreaming that soon now . . .. . . a lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty . . . ..my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows .. .. .that I promised to keep.
At Twenty-Five, now . . . . .I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide . . . And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty . .. . . . . My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other . . .. With ties that should last.
At Forty, my young sons .. .have grown and are gone,
But my woman is beside me . . to see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, .. ...Babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children . . . . My loved one and me.
Dark days are upon me . . . . My wife is now dead.
I look at the future ... . . . . I shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing .. . . young of their own.
And I think of the years . . . And the love that I've known.
I'm now an old man . . . . . . .. and nature is cruel.
It's jest to make old age . . . . . . . look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles .. .. . grace and vigour, depart.
There is now a stone . . . where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass . A young man still dwells,
And now and again . . . . . my battered heart swells
I remember the joys . . . . .. . I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living . . . . . . . life over again.
I think of the years, all too few . . .. gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact . . . that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people .. . . . .. . . open and see.
Not a cranky old man .
Look closer . . . . see .. .. . .. .... . ME!!
Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within. We will all, one day, be there, too!

PLEASE SHARE THIS POEM!
The best and most beautiful things of this world can't be seen or touched. They must be felt by the heart!

Looking Good!

It happens to the best of us.  

One day, you wake up, pick up your phone to read your mail

and discover that your arm isn't long enough.

"Maybe you need glasses" my husband says.

Please!  I just need to change the font size on the phone.  They make it tinier and tinier with every new phone, right?

Or, you go to your favourite restaurant and realize that the lighting has changed.

You have to ask for more candles on the table so you can hold them up to the menu to read the tiny print.  Then the waiter comes running over because you are about to set the paper menu on fire , and he suggests that the flashlight on the phone may work better.

"Can you please find it, I can't see because of the terrible lighting in here!"

The cold hard truth is that I NEED GLASSES!

I thought I had this ageing thing under control.  I look good, and feel good, but really can't see good!

So off I went to get my first pair of glasses.

My first real sign of ageing. 

 I'm still getting used to them, am lost without them, hate to have to wear them, but thankful I have them.

So now I have these reading glasses.  

They're great, when I can find them!  Unless they're on my head, I'm always searching for them.  Because I can't do anything without them.  Read emails, texts, recipes, snail mail, look at pictures, wash dishes, help with homework......the list is endless!   It's amazing how much detail I was missing without them. 

I used to look at myself in the mirror and think, "Wow!  You are holding up pretty good!"  

Then one day, I forgot to take my glasses off.  I looked in the mirror and thought "Woe!  You need some serious moisturizer!  When did all these wrinkles appear?"  I looked a little closer and noticed this long black hair popping out of my chin.  What the hell?  By the length of it, I'd say it's been there for about a year.  Why hasn't anyone told me?  Is everyone as blind as me around here?

Now, my glasses aren't just for reading anymore.  They are the gateway into seeing the TRUTH! 

Instead of looking good to the naked eye, I now have the goal of looking good to the magnified eye!

Probably the best thing about NOT wearing my glasses, is that everyone around me looks great.  Everyone's complexions are clear and beautiful, their skin looks healthy and young, their makeup is perfectly applied, and their hair looks glossy and clean. 

The world is a much prettier place when I forget to wear my rose coloured glasses! 

I may be blind, but damn I look good....I think!

Elle's parisienne 16th Birthday

16 birthday cake

House on the Main

We are finally ready to show off the house.

Let me know what you think.

My camera skills aren't as good as my construction skills

but it still shows quite well in photos.

These are the first ones, with more to come.

I think I need a wide lens, to fit everything in one frame, 

but you can get an idea anyway.

One more day of tidying and finishing touches and then we move outside to the garden and exterior painting. 

Now all I need is all your positive vibes so this house can 

Sell, Sell, Sell!!

Upstairs bedroom #1

Upstairs bedroom #2

View of backyard from bedroom #2

Master Bedroom

Powder room off kitchen

Entryway (I feel like I'm walking crooked)

Newly finished stairs

one quarter of living room with newly finished

seating area in the kitchen

Our Adventures in home improvement!

WHAT HAVE I BEEN UP TO, YOU ASK?


Well, apart from trying to figure out how to start a new blog, I've been busy upgrading my parents house and getting it ready to put it back on the market.


My girlfriend and I have decided that we can do anything. 


So, we've done everything we can think of to get this house updated, including ripping out wall to wall carpet, laying down a floor, finishing hardwood floors, tearing down wallpaper, painting every room, emptying the basement of 10 years of storage, and that was just the first 2 weeks. 


We have given ourselves another 2 weeks to finish up, before we put it on the market again...sans agent!  We are so confident that people are going to fall in love with our upgrades, that we've decided to try to sell it on our own.  We are going to give ourselves a month (JUNE)before we give it back to the agent.


Crazy?  Maybe!  But we've been having such a great time working together, that we think we might turn this into a partnership. We'll see how our first endeavour turns out. I'll keep you posted.  In the meantime, here are a few pics of us at work.

Floors were stripped and stained dark like the stairs

Sanding

The bathroom before our upgrade

Same bathroom before reno

Getting rid of the last bits of wall to wall carpet

Doesn't this look like fun?

The Jack of all Trades!

Get ready to be covered

Filling in the nail holes

Here comes the floor

Looking good!

Jack of all Trades at it again!

Finished in so many ways!

Detailing

The cleanest renovators around

Getting frustrated with corner cutting of quarter rounds.

I'm surrounded by awesome and talented girlfriends.

Go Susie, Go Susie!

Girlfriends are the best friends to have as friends!  Can't wait for tomorrow.