CAT HERDING AT IT'S WORST!

I have nothing but respect for those who teach teenagers or should I say young adults who are going to be let loose on this world in June...

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I am referring to our "Friday the 13th Ghost Tour" in our haunted court house.

I had figured on there being around 20 kids or so...well the or so turned up to be 29 total! Add some chaperons and we ended up having 38 in all!

Wanna see what I saw...

PoD is holding the door open while I am in my favorite spot...taking pictures. There were a few others [chaperons] not in the shot...[if you were counting those in the picture that is]...;}

Forget any other pictures after this...not possible, as it was absolute chaos after that shot!

Okay...now take all those kids and squeeze them into this building and expect to scare them. Wasn't possible, except for one poor girl that was too terrified at the end of the tour to retrieve an object she had left in the safe room by herself. PoD had to go with her so I guess we managed to scare one for sure.

But it really wasn't about scaring that we had intend to do when we gave this tour. Our intention was to open up some eyes of the really skeptical ones and judging by the question period at the end, we had some people going away with thoughts of maybe there is something to what we are finding about the paranormal in there.

As for the tour itself...never that many together all at once! At least for this age group! I would ask for the interested ones be in one group and the bored ones to be in another group. Although I do have to add that these kids were pretty wound up from their trip and that didn't help with some of their short attention spans!

One girl from Toronto kept us on our toes with questions against what we were doing and that was fine...she had some very intelligent questions that happily we were able to raise some doubt in her skepticism.

PoD did most of the talking, which was okay with me, as I found that this age group had a tendency to annoy me with their antics! I found that I had to do more watching for them handling the artifacts, which they were told not to touch or pick up! The rooms were too crowded for any control even with the presence of their chaperons.

To tell you the truth...if I had been one of the ghosts, I would have stayed out of sight with all those hormones in one tiny room...I tell you! There were times that I wanted disappear!

We started are tour by showing them the safe room or the "Control Center" where the research teams set up their equipment. Then up the main foyer stairs to the law offices and court room where we give another long story on what happened in those rooms. That ends with the tour through the Judges Chambers and down the back stairs to the basement.

By the time we have toured half of the basement, my throat hurts so much from trying to make myself heard over the over active kids! I was so thankful for remembering to bring my water bottle with me. But that didn't help completely with the hurt on my vocal cords. I wasn't doing as much talking as PoD but her voice sounded better than mine did. But then, she still has kids at home that makes her vocal chords in much better shape than mine...;}

It doesn't get dark here until 9:30 or so, so we weren't able to show them just how dark it is while we do our investigations. This might have added more chaos tho, as there were some boys that were trying to scare others and that can get out of control quickly in the dark! So I'm glad that it wasn't dark too?

One neat part is that PoD got to show her half-sister and half niece what it is that she does in her spare time. You see, PoD's half sister didn't want anything to do with her biological father's family as she felt that he abandoned and her kids, for his new family? It's a very messy story that hurts all and hopefully one day maturity might happen and things will be better. It's none of my kids or my fault as we have tried to mend fences without any results. My grand daughter is in the same class as her son and she didn't want her son acknowledging having a half-cousin...etc. So they haven't conversed.

Until now...

She asked PoD a few questions...

I know that sounds small but it's a step forward...

So in all, I say Friday the 13th tour offered up something different for us...or not, we'll see?

Anyways...

The tour only took an hour...felt like 3!

We were told that all had enjoyed it and they thanked us...

So hopefully it was true and we haven't hit their record books as being crazy?

One question that stuck out mostly in my mind was...

"If this place is so haunted why isn't it famous or on TV?"

Our response was...

"We're working on it"!



Other than that, the day was uneventful and things weren't unlucky in my mind...

Except for the next morning at 4:00 am when I was awaken by loud people noises and got to watch the drunk antics on the porch roof next door at the party house! There is no balcony or porch...this is the ROOF of their porch. There were 3 of them [2guys/1girl] sitting all wrapped up in blankets [it was pretty cold out] drinking and passing a joint, being really loud, while watching the sunrise! I stayed up to watch them...to see whether any of the idiots would fall off but I was disappointed. Although, it would have been pretty gruesome if they had fallen on my side, as there's a pointy fence and sidewalk within their fall zone that might have caused some pretty serious damage if they had!


The other eventful thing was three garage sales in which I got PoD to attend with me [I'm too crazy a driver for her] and she picked up an elliptical trainer really cheap...she was looking for a treadmill so she was happy. I came away with some crafty stuff and office files for pennies!

Did I ever tell you that I LOVE garage sales!

;)

Then later that day my nap was interrupted by my son-in-law-landlord and my grand children ripping the back deck off the house!

This has been in the works for awhile as it was badly in need of replacement!

My job is to draw up building deck plans that will pass inspection...

This will be my second experience in deck building. The other one was in Kelowna 1980! That one was much larger so this one shouldn't be too hard...

We'll see...

It's been many a moon...

Photos to come...

IT'S A HAUNTED TOUR...

ON FRIDAY THE 13TH...

Does that sound ominous or what?

Tonight [7:00] PoD and I are off to try to scare some grade 12 students and maybe some adults...

A hard task!

Teenagers can be very skeptical at that age about a lot of things...sometimes just to be contrary or to be more macho in front of their peers...?

Our grade 12 students have an exchange program with the students from Toronto [Ont] and the students will arrive in town later this afternoon. We've been asked by the hosting parents to give a spooky guided tour through our town's wonderfully haunted court house and to scare the crap out of them...their words not mine!

Of course, we accepted!

Although, it was a toss up between a paranormal investigation being done in Regina [that we were kindly invited to attend] this weekend with the group [Sask Paranormal Shadow Hunters] that we had hosted here in Feb. There was a few places they were investigating that sounded interesting but seeing as we had already promised this weekend to the students, we had to decline. But very thankful that they had considered us enough to offer us an invite. Hopefully in the near future we can attend another one?

Anyways... tonight will be a challenge?

Hopefully there will be some maturity involved with this age...but past experiences with the Halloween tours, leaves me apprehensive about so many [approx 20] all at once, in a group.

The Toronto students arrive in town sometime this evening straight off the plane in Saskabush, a rough 2 hr drive on scary highways to here, then board wagons to tour the town and cemetery [you know us country hicks...;}] ending up with a barbecue on the court house grounds.

The spooky tour in the court house is planned for 8:00.

I can see them either all totally hyped up with all that has happened with them so far or hopefully so tired from the flight/drive/wagons/food that they let themselves get scared...;)

And maybe we will get lucky and they will all be believers and come away with a great experience of the paranormal....

One can wish?

Will take lots of photos but promise no shots of faces if possible. Will try to get a group photo and will post with permission of course.

Stay tuned for the results.

I just hope that Friday the 13th doesn't get us....

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HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY....

The happiest part of this day is the fact that I gave life to 2 amazing human beings who mean more than life its self to me!!! Having grandchildren has only added to it!

Get between me and my kids/grand kids and you will see one very mad mother bear!

If anything, I would say that I raised my kids as both a mother and a father!

And YES....I will pat myself on the back for all of their GOOD traits and let you know that the BAD ones are HIS!

:)

Sadly, I cannot say Happy Mother's Day to my biological mother in person because she passed away when I was 10...;(

To say that I remember much about her...I don't! I do remember some things but not much...parents aren't that important to kids at that age, so they think.

Her passing was also a very tragic time for me, as I experienced her death through a dream and later experienced seeing her ghost through out our house. Having the dream and later seeing mom's ghost caused problems with me and my sister "Buttons"...she believed me and thought she saw her once too!

When the step mother appeared on the scene, she couldn't take my/our spooky tales and felt that I had convinced my sister that she was crazy too? Her solution was to send us both to see a psychiatrist! It took me two sessions to decide that that I hated him and wasn't going back! What I did learn from his sessions was to never tell anyone ever again about odd things that happened to me after my mom's death...buried it deep is what I did do!

The thoughts that I do remember about my mom are happily only good ones...:)

Sadly I don't feel much of a connection with her?

Our time together was a short 10 years and much of those years had to be shared with 5 other siblings! My baby years were interrupted with the arrival of my younger sister [18 mons between us], so my babyhood was even shorter.

This was also a woman who slaved for her household. I don't recall any of us ever doing house work! She even made her own soap because she had to, not because it was a hobby! We were also very poor, so she made a lot of our clothing! She had no time for kids. One statement I do remember was when I thought I was adopted [I thought I didn't look like anyone in the family...they all had brown eyes and I was the only one to have blue, etc.] was "with all you kids, do you think I want to adopt one"?

I guess birth control was expensive back then? Kind of glad about that, if you get what I mean...;)

The woman that did spend a lot of time in my life [52] and made some major changes, was my Dad's fourth wife. This made her my step mother!

The EVIL step-mother!

There were times that I compared my life with the tale of Cinderella!

The step mother also had a daughter whom my Dad later adopted after their marriage. Our earlier years together as sisters was fairly rocky in the beginning but later has improved with maturity.

The step mother was an experience that will never go away and did make me part of the hard worker that I am today!

This was also a hard woman that had to live a hard life herself and knew no better way to teach her life's lessons. She grew up with a father that molested her, a mother that didn't care, a lover that abandoned her with their unborn baby and between all of them they created a very hard person!

Looking back now, those were my growing up years and were very important that a strong hand be used. Sadly, the compassion that had been lacking in her up bring showed towards us kids!

Her daughter was a different story! She ended up the spoiled one! Something she wishes had been different if she had only been shown the same up bringing! Her life was the bad side as a teenager and lots of mistakes were made.

The time that I did enjoy with my step mother was during my 20's while I lived in Edmonchuk. We did some crazy things together and had some great laughs so it wasn't all bad. Those were the years that I was proud to call her mom!

I moved out of the province after my first child and haven't been back to the old home front since. Not because of her, mind you. That was my ex's doing.

The step mom and I remained reasonably close throughout her remaining years. Buttons [who also moved far away] and I always made a point to visit whenever we were able to, more so as her health faded. Many a time we would rush to her bedside with the urgings of our sister [her daughter] with the dire warnings of impending death, only to have her rally to health.

She passed a year & 2 months before Buttons did!

Our step mother's will devastated both her and I. Not that we were expecting anything [she had left us something before she died] but thought to be remembered by last words of love!

We weren't!

I have never seen the will as all was left to HER daughter! Including her last thoughts!

But we figured if there were words on it for us, she would have let us see the will. She didn't! I won't ask, as I feel there is something on it that none of us should see? She says that step mother wasn't in her "sane-of-mind" but then that would make the will null & void?

For that... I cannot, in my mind, give out the days wishes for her easily!

She got her wishes when she was a good step mother and she should be happy for that and sad that she ended her well wishes to us in the will...as it made both of us feel unloved! It devastated Buttons more than me!

Petty as that may sound... I feel mother's day wishing is an EARNED honor!

As for my biological mother...it was her duty to stay healthy and not leave her family to the hands of others! Something I am trying to do for MY kids!

BillyRoo has already called me [6:30am] and wished me a Happy Mother's Day on his way out the door to work. He never forgets and makes sure to at least call...that's my gift! His gift to me is to stay safe and healthy!

PoD's gift is given to me almost daily by all the things she has to do for me...is MUCHLY appreciated!

THANK YOU BOTH OF YOU!!!!!!!

As for the man that was the father of my children...he didn't believe in thanking me for being the mother of his children.

I had to be content with "your not my mother so why do you expect a gift or wishes"?

Anyways....on with life

Yesterday was my first town-wide garage sale and was able to pick up a Mother's Day present for my daughter [for giving me grand kids...;)]...a ceramic 18" high Buddha to go with the pagoda that I bought [birthday last year] for her flower bed. I also gave her hanging pots for some vine types. Didn't find much for myself [tight budget] and was mostly a kids/baby-stuff sales. Did manage to get the son-in-law something for his collections that he will get on his birthday and something little for the grand kids.

Did get to enjoy it with an old friend that "Sales" with me yearly to that place...we continue our conversations like we had just left off from the last sales. It's so wonderful to have a friend that doesn't cling to me nor me to her...:)!

Am suffering a bit today from all the getting in/out of a truck and walking...the calf muscles are moooing from their lack of exercise. Seems all the walking helped only a LITTLE bit...;(

Must get in better shape!

The weather did not co-operate and it was a chilly 3 hrs but fun never-the-less!

Today seems to be continuing as the clouds this morning look like they are going to hang around.

Might snuggle under the covers and watch some movies...doing nothing sounds great.


ALL YOU MOTHERS out there...that deserve it


HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!


AND that does include BOTH my moms cause they did do the best of their abilities no matter how much I wished it to have been better...cause I know there are many many worse ones that I could have been stuck with instead!

Another Darkside Zodiac...Taurus [Apr 21 -May 21]

Again, these are permitted excerpts from Stella Hyde's book, Darkside Zodiac. Which means, these aren't my words and no blame can be laid at my feet...

Taurus is a feminine sign, fixed Earth sign ruled by Venus. It is the second sign on the zodiac wheel, directly opposite Scorpio, and is named for the consyellation Taurus [the bull], which plods and bellows behind the Sun at this time of year.

On the Darkside, this makes you a stubborn, sybaritic, rut-bound bully, fueled by dull resentment and an insatiable love of money.

Annoying Habits:

Punctuality...You are never late; you have never been late; you will never be late. People in Switzerland can set their clocks by you, train companies call you for advice. Strangely, everyone else is always late meeting with you.

Toothpaste...The Taurus toothpaste tube always lives in a toothpaste tube cozy on the third shelf down and is always rolled up from the bottom. If anyone moves it-let alone squeezes it in the middle-you kill them.

Temper Gauge...0 to boiling in about six months, but on a regular five-year cycle. Much earth-shaking; small buildings fall down; you gore everyone within reach. Ten days later people armed with chocolate can approach you.

Personality...Obdurate, opinionated, overpowering

Bitch Rating...C+. Others think this is because you are naturally kind and charitable, but they are wrong; it's not that you don't want to bitch, you're just too slow-witted to really make an impact. When you do try, you make dull, painful remarks about other people's lack of fashion sense or money.

Fave Deadly Sin..."I'll have all them, now" is naturally your first thought, since the desire for some new stuff fogs your brain. When you finally understand you've got to choose, you go away to ruminate, and come back some days later with the obvious answer: Greed, with a substantial side dish of Gluttony [maybe served in a just of Lust]. You think having and holding until death do you part is sensible behavior, and nothing is ever going to change your mind. As for Gluttony, what's wrong with liking your fodder, especially if it comes at a prix fixe?

Blame your planet Venus, mighty Aphrodite!

Again...a lot of her predictions have to be calculated with the time of day one was born...etc.

Buy the book...you will be amazed on how well these little tidbits let's one know who they might be dealing with?


I, for one, have to agree with what I have read about the Taurus traits in this book. I have MANY that are close to me and must admit they have left BIG hoof prints on my life! The males especially!

I put off writing about his zodiac until now cause it played a big part in my life...making me a part of what I am today...

They say that marriage changes you...

I say it's your partner's traits that steers you that way...

It ticks off me to hear/read jokes about how women change after they get that ring on their finger...

My first marriage was to a Taurus...who ran herd boss over my life for 5 years...it felt like the ring was in my nose!

Reading about those traits brought back TONS of BAD MEMORIES! That thankfully ONLY lasted 5 years! But man, those 5 years were LONG!!! ;(

He took a somewhat shy, semi-naive girl and bullied her into something that was changing into the strong person that my [Aquarian] second husband help finish off!

I am resentfully for the lessons that it took to mold me the way that I am today but also grateful for them too! ?

My 2nd ex also has them drawn to him, thus I had them as close friends which later finding out that they were HIS friends and NOT mine! :)

Even lately the "love sites" send the Taurus men my way when I state not to...it must be the challenge that I emit to them?

Women are no problem, as friends, as they aren't interested in me that way...:) They actually make great friends!

Of my two exes, the Taurus one was the absolute worst! I still have residual nightmares with the things that he imposed on my life!

He was a scary stalker type and thankfully his feminine side came to my rescue when his darkside emerged. He did not know that a lot of his problem stemmed from the fact that he was gay and fought it! Thinking back on those times and adding up all the odd facts that occurred during it, made me come to the conclusion why he eventually ended up dead at the age of 30 or so. I never found out why or how he died, as I had severed all contact with him and his family after our divorce. I just know that he died! It was my step mother who informed me of his obit in the Edmonchuk newspaper, which never mentioned how he died? I often think his gayness was part of the reason why his dad committed suicide and left the odd note about it for him to find?

Summing up this guy would mean doubling those traits in strength and purpose! I disappeared [literally] from his life as my daughter happened during our divorce proceedings [those of you adding things up...no he is NOT her father as were separated for 2 yrs]and I didn't want him to know about her! Scary was too nice of a word for him!

He did provide me with a strong enough will to have a child on my own! Sadly, I let the next dangerous zodiac in my life...

It's bad enough having your own nasty traits but having a person just like you can be just as scary...but oddly nicely predictable?



Anyways...

As for my what's up with me...


As of yesterday, computer living was making my life hell! Damn thing was working in slow motion...like some people I know...

THANKFULLY I have computer-literate children that save my butt, time and time again!

This time it was PoD to the rescue!

BillyRoo [son] gives me crap when I don't do the updates when I'm supposed to and when I do, do them, I screw it up! ? ;(

PoD waved her magic wand, said a few choice [?]words and left me with it running in fix-it-mode...

I got the axe out and laid it on the key board with a few words of my own [really] and left it alone...to ponder it's fate

Spent the rest of the day clean house as I didn't have anything ready to put together sign wise.

Did fill the time with grad diamonds that didn't want to go together....left them in a pile!

Did have a painting committee job to do after work which meant someone was supposed to pick me up and didn't...wasted 2 hrs waiting? Was later called and apologized to, but was happy not having to do the painting work after all. Will be doing the second coat if she remembers today to pick me up...;)

So my Thursday turned out to be an annoying day which happily ended with the computer finally working properly!

Thank YOU PoD!!!

Woke this morning to fog at 4:30 am, right now [8:30] the sun is peeking out from the clouds...it's supposed to be sunny with intermittent rain?

Time to start the day...


Have a Happy day all you Taurus people....;)

Next zodiac will be Cancer [June 22 - July 22] my stepmother's sign as I already did Gemini's.