I got more presents...

Thursday I went to the supermarket.  It was one that I had been maybe once before, if that.  I take a cart and I'm trying to rush my way through all the aisles and this lady kept being in my way, talking on her cell phone.  Finally I got ahead of her but then we kept meeting at the end of each aisle.  Well, I made a detour (oh I must tell you that story too about the Detour), and I took the corner a little too fast and sharp.  On my turn, I ran into....wait for it.....wait for it...a shelf full of toilet paper.  Bam, right into it and down it came.  Holy Gee (gee not really the word that I want to use).  I got down and started to pick them up.  They were all pink. I never want to see another roll of pink toilet paper.  Funny because I always wanted to stack shelves.  It always looked fun.  Not anymore.  Not going back to that store.

André and Christi were gone but now they are back.  They should not be allowed to leave without me.  I have no life when they're not here.  Last night they invited me for supper.  So this is how much control I have.  I'm so tough.  André:  Louise, we want you to come to supper at our house.  Louise:  ah no André, I can't do that.  André:  Yes, you're coming.  Louise:  OK.  I'm a wimp.  But Ontario Louise was there and the other Ontario Louise was there and now I was going to be there.  3 Louises.  Ontario Louise No. 1 is André's mother, Ontario Louise No. 2 is André's aunt.  So many Louises.  What are the odds.  So André says:  Louise do you want anything to drink.  All the Louise's turned around but André was looking at me.  Like do I really look like a soak.  Anyway, supper was great and I had another out of body experience.     There was a gift wrapped for me and I had to unwrapped it.  It's as if I'm possessed.  They had cake too.  Check this out.

The little cat key thingy are so cute.  I have 6 and I really wanted a tray and now I have one.  Christi knows my taste.  Look at the cakes.  So mignon, but I had to share.  What's with the sharing thing.  It's my birthday.

Other cool gifts I got are when my cousin Joanne and ma tante Pierrette were here.  I'm spoiled.  I have a mind of a kid in an old person's body.

I use my place setting every day.

Last night my niece Shannon got married in Florida.  I was able to watch it live via Ustream.  I felt like I was there but just didn't have the food.  They didn't feed me.  They ate in front of me and would come to the camera and show the food but I couldn't have any.  The wedding started at 10:30 France time and it went on until 2:30.  They look so happy and I am so proud of her.  Diane my sister, Kenny and Scott were there and they looked dashing.  Can I use dashing as a word.   So I am sitting in front of my computer, talking to Philippe and Becky on Skype and we are watching Shannon get married together.  Technology is something else.

My bags are packed and I'm ready to go.  Flying home tomorrow.  It's going to be a long day but a fun day. I'll get to see Isabelle and company plus my cousin Helene and my aunt Pierrette as I have about a 6 hour wait in Montreal so guess who's going to St Hubert BBQ...yours truly.

I'm leaving you with one more picture.  I was coming home from the movies last week and in a little alley way, mama cat and baby cat were there.  They reminded me of Minime who I'll be seeing soon.  She'll pretend like she doesn't want me but it doesn't take her long, 5 minutes and she won't leave me alone.  I'll see Princess Zina too.

So goodnight.  Melissa and Greg told me not to miss my train or plane because they are not here to help me this time as they did at Christmas.  I should be OK.  I have the taxi booked for tomorrow morning to get to the train station.  This broad is not walking anywhere.  I am looking forward to seeing Kevin.  He will pick me up at the airport.  First thing out of his mouth will be, I'm hungry, what's for supper and what did you bring me.  Kids, you gotta love them.  See you all in Charlottetown and Campbellton.  Home sweet home.

Look what I got....presents...

My aunt Pierrette and my cousin Joanne (I can use their real names because they are not under witness protection) arrived on June 18th.  It sure was nice to have them.  Even though I had just arrived from Portugal (I love saying that place.  Like who goes to Portugal....ME!!!), I was tired and didn't have time to do much cooking before they arrived, oh right, I don't cook, I enjoyed every minute of their company.  I thought that I only had a 2 bedroom apartment, but apparently I have a 3 bedroom apt.  Joanne slept on the couch the whole time.  So on the plus side, I don't have to wash her bed clothes, ha, I love it.

They brought me gifts and more gifts.  Joanne like all the rest of the world, knows how I love to unwrap gifts.  Doesn't matter what's inside, it's the unwrapping that is important.  Here is what I got.  I got something else but that's for tomorrow night.

What a treat.  Of course an angel.  I love angels and collect them.  This one is the 3 colors of gold.  It really touched me.  How so very thoughful of them.  OK, enough sucking up.  Thank you, you shouldn't have but my God it's beautiful.

They visited quite a bit while they were here.  Unfortunately they could not come to Beaumont-Hamel but they visited Vimy Ridge and I introduced them to the guides and they got a nice tour.  Beautiful pictures of the Monument.  It is breathtaking.

Ok, why didn't anybody tell me that my pants were too big.  And you call yourselves friends....

Mother Canada.  Everytime I look at her, she becomes more and more beautiful.

While they were here we went to Bruges and stayed over night.  We had such a great time that we all peed in our pants.  We laughed and it felt good.  So we are at La Grande Place where all these restaurants are.  Outside the restaurants are the terrace for every restaurant.  Outside the terrace is the menu.  Are you following me....so we are looking at the menu at this place and the waiter is right behind the menu.  So I ask him a question about the menu.  He says, I am sorry Madam but I cannot talk to you outside and he starts walking in the terrace, just about 3 feet away from the menu and he stops.  So I follow him and I say, well can I talk to you now.  He says, oh yes, I just can't talk to you outside.  Well it was like WKRP in Cincinnati, where Les Nessman has this invisible line around his desk.  I thought OK, we are outside.  Anyway, he explains about the menu.  Now my aunt and Joanne are 3 feet away and they hear the conversation.  So I tell the guy, after he finished explaining, OK, I'll go tell my friends and I walk 3 feet back.  Yes that is where we lost it and peed.  I suppose you had to be there but nevertheless, we went elsewhere because we couldn't face him.  We ate well, we had fun and we came back.  Oh coming back we waited in Lille for our train.  So Joanne is beside me reading her book and this man comes to me and asks if I had 50 cents.  He said, 50 cent madame pour prendre un train pour retourner dans ma famille - 50 cents madam for a train ticket to go see my family.  Well, I made the man cry.  Yep, real tears.  I didn't mean it.  I'm not a mean person.  I said, monsieur (he smelled liquor, he was cleanly shaved, had a Nike baseball cap on), is it really for a train ticket.  Joanne by this time had her face in her book, thinking oh my, what is my cousin going to do now.  I said, let's be honest here.  What do you really want the money for.  Is it for drinking.  I was having a great conversation with him.  He said, well I'm homeless.  I said really, now why would that be.  He said well, I had bad luck, then tears started to run down his cheeks.  His name was Daniel.  Then  he came clean and said it was for booze.  I said, now don't you feel better for telling the truth.  I encouraged him and he said he had a place to go at night where he had meals and a bed.  I felt better.  He said, you're Canadian right.  It's the accent.  Really, the accent.  Wow, that blew me away.  Me, a Canadian accent.....  He said in Canada, people are very nice.  I said, well right beside me is my cousin, she's Canadian, ask her for 50 cents, but be honest.  He did and Joanne gave him 50 cents.  He then kind of wouldn't let us go.  He was velcro man.  It was as if he adopted us.  We got up and left.

We met André's uncle and aunt and we all went out for supper.  He looks like Bob, he acts like Bob and his wife is very nice also.

 Great picture of you Joanne and matante.  Picture of me is pre-cold sore.  Joanne and matante made supper for André, Christi and I.  It was a wonderful evening. They prepared a beautiful table with flowers.  Roast beef, wine.  Not sure we made it to desert.

André and I don't just match uniforms during the day, we match at night too.

Well it's back to work tomorrow.  I had 2 great days off.  It's the sales in France so I bought a few things, (note to self:  hide Visa bill from Allen).  I'm well rested and ready for another week.  So fellow readers, it's time to say goodnight.  Will blog soon.

Has it been this long...

Wow, I was looking at my last post and it's been awhile.  Things are just happening so fast.  I've already been back from Portugal over 2 weeks.  Here are a few more pictures.

Monastery Jeronimos.  It is quite beautiful.  I just happened to be going up the stairs and at 2:30 the bells rang.  I pretty well had a heart attack.  Just my luck.  It took me a few minutes to stop my body from shaking.

 Ya, this is about the time I was able to get my senses back.

Fables of Jean de la Fontaine (for those who studied them at school (I did).  He has 38 of his Fables displayed at this monastery.

I went to visit this beautiful monument.  Elevator goes up 6 floors then you walk the rest.  In total to walk down, there are 367 steps.  Here is my family.  Nobody knows anyone but the museum had a special rate for family so I just happened to be there and they said, OK, you're part of our family now.  People use me all the time.  I feel so cheap.

I stopped at a little restaurant on my way down from one of the 7 hills.  Near killed me so I needed a drink.  The guy sat me with these 3 young gentlemen from Italy.  We started to talk.  OK, check this out.  The one to the left is a Computer Programmer, the 2 others are engineers.  I thought, what smart guys.  So I said, you studied at which university (as if I would know the university, but I had to act smart).  They said, ah university was not for us so we quit.  I guess you just get a job and you give yourself the title of engineers and computer programmer.  They were very nice.  They told me I should drink Sangria to which I replied, I would kind of like to get back to my hotel today and after one glass, I need to be accompanied.  Now I know that André will say Louise, you can drink more than a glass.  They called me Louisa.
The restaurant even has a BBQ.  Very original.  Not sure I would want anything cooked on it.

Went to visit the Saint George Castle and wouldn't you know it, I found a cat.  I believe it is as old as the castle.

Tram that I took to go up the hills  Some spot are so narrow when you walk (as you can see here) that I had to get into a door casing.

So this was my trip to Lisbon.  I loved it.  Hotel was amazing and weather was perfect.  I have many more pictures but I think that this is all that I will put.  I have to start posting about when my aunt and Joanne were here.  Good stories.

So, hopefully I will blog later today.  There are the Soldes (big sales) on in France and I going shopping.  Already found a coat and shirt.  Now looking for a 4 wheel week-end suitcase and I might get a purse.  I'm addicted to purses for some reason.

Hope you all had a great Canada Day.  We had a great ceremony at Beaumont-Hamel on July 1st.  It was the 96th anniversary and everyone did such a great job.  I'm very proud of all the guides.  They played beautiful music and great singers and they were so professional as they always are.  Great to me part of all of this.

Bisous to all