Too hot to do anything

I worked as a volunteer down at the Crafters Hut and sold a whole $9 worth of crafts. It was really hot there. Visitors who are camping are finding the heat difficult and tourists are not venturing out as it is so hot. Our forests are tinder dry. I look forward to a good storm but I hope it has rain with it. The animals are suffering pets and wild animals. We are just not used to this kind of heat.

I am finding it too hot to do anything. Blogging is an effort right now. It is 29C or about 88F in the house and we have all the fans going but we don't have an air conditioner. I can feel the sweat trickling down my front and my ankles are swelling.

Time to go lie on the couch with my feet up and a book.

Heads or Tails - 5 years from now

Skittles started a meme called Heads or Tails this week we have to write about  how you think you or your life will be different in five years. Will it be better or worse? Why will it change? How will you do it? Anything is ok as long as it fits the theme. 


1. I hope hubby and I will be around, he will be 76 I will be 67 so we have a fair chance
2. I hope I still have control of my diabetes I plan to keep doing the necessary
3. I hope we have moved to somewhere less isolated, we are looking into it
4. I hope we still have some money in the bank but saving is getting increasingly difficult 
5. I hope I will have been able to make some friends and get involved wherever we move if we do
6. I hope I will have to wear glasses all the time so I won't lose them by leaving them everywhere.
7. I hope I can keep my weight the same or lose the last 7lbs, working on it all the time
8. I hope I can still walk easily, working on it, I walk at least 1/2 hour every day
9. I hope I can say that I have drawn closer to God than I am now

Tips from a tight wad

Uses for Alberto V05 Conditioning Hairdressing a cheap solution

Prevent silver from tarnishing.

Apply a thin coat of Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing with a soft cloth to clean, polished, dry silver candlesticks, picture frames, silver sets, and other decorative items. Wipe off excess leaving behind a very thin, virtually invisible, protective coating. VO5¹s organic protectants actually prevent tarnishing.

Remove a ring stuck on a finger.

Rub on a little Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing, then hold your hand up toward the ceiling to drain the blood from the area, and slide off the ring.

Make cleaning up after painting or doing a messy auto grease job easy.

Lightly coating your hands with Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing before painting or fixing the car, allows you to clean them off afterward without harsh solvents.

Soften your feet.

Before going to bed, coat your feet with Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing and put on a pair of socks.

Prevent spray paint from sticking in your hair.

Before spray painting, slick a dab of Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing the size of a quarter over your hair so you can wash away the paint more easily.

Prevent static electricity in your hair.

Comb a dab of Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing through your hair

Protect your scalp during a permanent.

Rub some Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing into the scalp before giving yourself a perm.

Minimize drying out your hair in a chlorinated pool.

Rub a long dab of Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing through your hair before taking a swim.

Prevent hair coloring from dying your skin.

Dab a little Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing on your forehead and around the hairline and ears to help keep the color from staining your skin.

Remove makeup.

A dab of Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing on a tissue or cotton ball gently removes makeup.

Glitter your face for a holiday party.

Rub in a little Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing onto your cheeks, then dust lightly with glitter.

Moisturize your face.

Rub in a little Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing in the lines around your eyes to help prevent dry lines.

Remove an adhesive bandage painlessly.

Rub in a little Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing into the bandage wings, wait a few minutes, then peel off.

Soothe chapped lips and skin.

Rub in a small amount of Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing.

Soothe your legs after shaving.

Rub some Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing into your skin after the bath or shower to make your legs feel velvety smooth.

Make zippers glide easily.

Rub a little Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing into the teeth of the zipper.

Condition leather.

If you¹re all out of mink oil, substitute Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing.

Protect leather shoes and boots from winter salt and ice.

Rub in Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing.

Shine vinyl and patent leather shoes.

Rub in a little Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing, then buff.

Protect your dog or cat¹s paw pads.

Rub in a little Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing before sending your pet outdoors

Prevent shoes from squeaking.

Give squeaky shoes a coat of Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing.

Detangle and shine a dog¹s coat.

Comb in a small amount of Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing.

Prevent cat hair balls and static electricity on your cat¹s coat.

Rub in a little Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing. (Don¹t worry if your cat licks its fur; Albert VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing is natural and non-toxic.)

Shine a horse¹s hooves.

Rub in a little Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing.

Prevent a leather saddle from drying out.

Rub in a little Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing.

Detangle a horse¹s mane and tail.

Brush in a little Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing.

Stop windows from sticking in their tracks.

Lubricate the tracks with a little Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing.

Lubricate pipe joints.

A thin layer of Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing on pipe connections will make them fit together more easily.

Prevent nuts and bolts from rusting together.

Lubricate the nuts and bolts with a dab of Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing before screwing them together.

Prevent tools from rusting.

Give your tools a light coat of Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing.

Stop a faucet from screeching.

Remove the handle and stem, coat both sets of metal threads with Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing, and replace.

Stop refrigerator racks from sticking.

Coat the edges of the racks with a thin layer of Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing so the racks glide easily.

Prevent squeaky door hinges.

Apply a little bit of Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing.

Lubricate furniture drawers.

Rub in a little Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing on the casters of drawers so they slide open and shut easily.

Keep shower curtains gliding easily.

Apply a thin coat of Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing to the curtain rod.

Prevent sliding doors on a medicine cabinet from sticking.

Rub a little Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing onto the glides.

Clean wooden knick-knacks and other wood objects.

Lightly coat the wood with Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing, then buff.

Avoid splattering paint on windows, hinges, doorknobs, and lock latches.

Coat them with Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing to prevent paint from adhering to the surfaces. After painting, wipe clean with a cloth.

Hide scratches on wood furniture.

Put a dab of Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing on a clean, soft cloth, then buff the spot.

Prevent wood paneling from drying out.

Just rub on Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing with a clean, soft cloth, and buff well, giving the paneling a soft glow.

Remove candles wax drippings from candlestick holders.

Coat the candlestick holders with Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing before inserting the candles.

Make a stainless steel sink sparkle.

Shine the sink with a dab of Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing on a soft cloth.

Shine chrome faucets, handles, and car bumpers.

Put a little Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing on a soft, dry cloth and buff lightly.

Clean plant leaves.

Apply a small dab of Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing to the leaves with a soft cloth.

Break in a baseball glove.

Rub the center of the glove with Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing, place a baseball in the glove, fold the mitt around it, and secure with rubber bands. Tuck the glove under a mattress overnight.

Lubricate roller skates, skateboard wheels, and bicycle chains.

Use a dab of Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing.

Prevent a sailboat¹s spinnaker pole fittings from jamming or sticking.

Lubricate with Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing.

Make golf clubs shine.

Clean the shafts with a dab of Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing on a clean cloth.  

Rub a little Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing on your leather shoes and boots when the snow hits. This provides a coating that protects the leather from the damaging salt and ice. Periodically reapply.

Shine your patent leather and vinyl shoes by rubbing a small amount of Alberto VO5 on them and then buffing. The shine will be so amazing you may buy it just for this use.

Reduce Your Food Cravings

If you crave this...	What you really need is...	And here are healthy foods that have it:
Chocolate	Magnesium	Raw nuts and seeds, legumes, fruits
Sweets	Chromium	Broccoli, grapes, cheese, dried beans, calves liver, chicken
	Carbon	Fresh fruits
	Phosphorus	Chicken, beef, liver, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes, grain
	Sulfur	Cranberries, horseradish, cruciferous vegetables, kale, cabbage
	Tryptophan	Cheese, liver, lamb, raisins, sweet potato, spinach
Bread, toast	Nitrogen	High protein foods: fish, meat, nuts, beans
Oily snacks, fatty foods	Calcium	Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, sesame
Coffee or tea	Phosphorous	Chicken, beef, liver, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes
	Sulfur	Egg yolks, red peppers, muscle protein, garlic, onion, cruciferous vegetables
	NaCl (salt)	Sea salt, apple cider vinegar (on salad)
	Iron	Meat, fish and poultry, seaweed, greens, black cherries
Alcohol, recreational drugs	Protein	Meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, nuts
	Avenin	Granola, oatmeal
	Calcium	Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, sesame
	Glutamine	Supplement glutamine powder for withdrawal, raw cabbage juice
	Potassium	Sun-dried black olives, potato peel broth, seaweed, bitter greens
Chewing ice	Iron	Meat, fish, poultry, seaweed, greens, black cherries
Burned food	Carbon	Fresh fruits
Soda and other carbonated drinks	Calcium	Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, sesame
Salty foods	Chloride	Raw goat milk, fish, unrefined sea salt
Acid foods	Magnesium	Raw nuts and seeds, legumes, fruits
Preference for liquids rather than solids	Water	Flavor water with lemon or lime. You need 8 to 10 glasses per day.
Preference for solids rather than liquids	Water	You have been so dehydrated for so long that you have lost your thirst. Flavor water with lemon or lime. You need 8 to 10 glasses per day.
Cool drinks	Manganese	Walnuts, almonds, pecans, pineapple, blueberries
Pre-menstrual cravings	Zinc	Red meats (especially organ meats), seafood, leafy vegetables, root vegetables
General overeating	Silicon	Nuts, seeds; avoid refined starches
	Tryptophan	Cheese, liver, lamb, raisins, sweat potato, spinach
	Tyrosine	Vitamin C supplements or orange, green, red fruits and vegetables
Lack of appetite	Vitamin B1	Nuts, seeds, beans, liver and other organ meats
	Vitamin B3	Tuna, halibut, beef, chicken, turkey, pork, seeds and legumes
	Manganese	Walnuts, almonds, pecans, pineapple, blueberries
	Chloride	Raw goat milk, unrefined sea salt
Tobacco	Silicon	Nuts, seeds; avoid refined starches
	Tyrosine	Vitamin C supplements or orange, green and red fruits and vegetables

Reduce Your Food Cravings

Heads or Tails - Where I was July 20 1969

 Skittles started a meme called Heads or Tails quite awhile ago, this week is Where or Wear. So I am shamelessly re-posting an old post of mine.

At 10:56 pm EDT July 20, 1969 Astronaut Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. He spoke from 240,000 miles away to more than a billion people listening on earth. "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Stepping off the lunar landing module Eagle, Armstrong became the first human to walk on the surface of the moon.

That day my friend and I went to Central Park to witness the landing of the Apollo II on the moon. The event unfolded on large projection screens set up in the Sheep Meadow. The atmosphere was reverent and the huge crowd was quiet with uneasy anticipation. When the first images flickered the crowd went nuts and strangers were hugging each other and jumping up and down with excitement. It was an exhilarating place and time to be in New York.

The day before we had taken the trip to the Statue of Liberty, and done some other sight seeing and pleasantly tired after dinner had gone up to our room. We stayed in a hotel on Time Square on the tenth floor and could see all the lights and excitement of the street below. We were out on the balcony scanning the night sky because someone had told us because it was such a clear night we might be able to see Apollo II as it passed over.

Suddenly, there was a terrific clanging and someone running up the corridor banging on doors, there was a fire in the hotel, and we had to evacuate immediately. We ran to the fire escape and hurtled down the stairs, and tumbled into Time Square. There was about 800 other people all milling around wondering what was happening. Luckily it was only smoke in the kitchen and we all were able to return safely to our rooms.

I will always remember what I was doing the day the first man walked on the moon, how about you? 

By the way I was probably wearing hot pants and high boots to Central Park that day. I remember getting quite a few stares. I was relatively fresh from London UK and North America had not caught up with the fashions.

Clever son #1

This is his comic book that he has been creating in his spare time from working as a storyboard artist for various cartoon companies. He worked on Ed Edd and Eddy, George of the Jungle, and is currently doing something for Nickelodeon creator of Sponge Bob Pants and later this year he has an assignment from Disney. He is off to the San Diego Comic Conference next week and will be promoting the books.  He is doing what he has always wanted to do, working with comics and cartoons a goal ever since he was about six. Crazy hair do too, he says it is Tin Tin in an electrical storm. Do you remember the old Tin Tin cartoon stories?

Passionless past

Recently I read that when one retires it is a good time to resume what you were passionate about in earlier years.

I don't think I had a passion. I didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up and I still don't. I think if I had it to do over again I would have been a computer programmer or something to do with computers. If anything has been my passion it is computing and I have been involved with them since 1975. However in the interests of health and balance I feel I should not look for more things to do on the computer.

Why did I not develop other interests when younger? The answer is that I spent most of my adult years working three jobs to support a dead beat husband and three sons, plus I home schooled them as we were always moving and I felt it would at least give them some continuity in their education. I was so busy surviving that I had no time for anything else. Since then of course I got rid of the deadbeat and the three sons have moved on with their lives.

Since I have retired I have tried several hobbies and I find I just about master them and come to the last project and lose interest. That is why I have an almost finished blouse hanging over the sewing machine in the solarium, an almost finished cable sweater, several pieces of jewelry almost finished, a tablecloth that I stenciled and have done embroidery on half, a weaving project stashed somewhere and on it goes.

I guess the counsel I have for younger women is don't put everything you have into your children because when they leave home you look around and wonder what now. The fact is they sometimes move some distance away and the closeness you had when mothering them in their younger years is gone. I think that is how it should be, especially with sons. The Bible says that a man should cleave to his wife and I think it is unhealthy for too much mother input in a grown son's life. We chat via Skype or Messenger about every three to four weeks and I see them once or twice a year but I would like it if we could be a bit closer as the grandchildren are growing and I have virtually no input in their lives.

I think the restlessness I am going through now is partly because we are so isolated and partly a new era in my life that I have not come to terms with as yet. It is hard for me to fathom that in just under eight years I will be seventy. Seventy is old, I am not old yet I feel nineteen inside. I have a lot to do still if I could only figure out what it is. How about you?

Back Country Sightings

We drove out to Houston yesterday for shopping and a chiropractors appointment for me. We have a half hour trip to the main highway and on the way out we saw 3 black bears, 1 moose and a coyote and on the return we saw five bear some of which were a mom and three tiny cubs. Those were the fun sightings.

The not so fun sighting was a black fly that took sight of me as I nipped out to tell Dave he had a phone call, about 30secs, I did not bother to put on my anti-bug hat and I paid the price. I have two black fly bites on my head that were all bloody and now are oozing and sticking up my hair. My husband can stay out all day and although he gets bothered by the bugs they don't bite. I have been taking B Vitamins for over a year as that is what the logging companies recommend to the staff that go into the bush but I think they just make me more tasty.

Today is lovely and I feel I should be out in it but it is not fun to have to be either covered completely or have Deep Woods Off in a thick layer all over and I would still have to wear the bug hat and I feel guilty for staying in doors.  Trouble is if I don't feel guilty for that I am sure my psyche will find something else for me to feel guilty about.

Eternally crass

This is a Google Earth picture of our village. To the right is the huge Babine Lake but there are three lakes at the back of the village about 2km or 1 mile into the bush from our place. I have drawn a line from where we live to the lake that Dave and Sid have just left to fish for trout.

It is only accessible by ATV and is a really bumpy ride. There are three lakes there. The one they have gone to this morning is called Skinhead and very close to it and just north is called Bonehead and the tiny one to its right is called P…..head, I will leave that to your imagination.

Who else but a bunch of insensitive men could have come up with names that will go into eternity to represent what my husband has told me are incredibly beautiful wilderness spots. Surely they could have thought of something else.

Got the new name Dave's suggestion

Well after much pondering I lent back from my computer chair and asked Dave what he suggested and he came up with it right away. Back Country Ponderer which is neat because it includes BC in the title and will fit just about anywhere in BC should we move. I purloined the photo and made a few changes. Hope you like it.

Help me out with some ideas

When we first moved here we were told we lived in the northern Cariboo region of BC and there was even a sign to that effect on the way to the village, however the sign is now removed because it appears we are not part of the Cariboo. We are classed as Northern BC or to be more precise the Bulkely-Stikine area. We are approximately 200 miles or 322 km inland from the bottom of the Alaska pan handle. Weatherwise we are on the cusp of three different weather patterns which makes it difficult to judge what our weather will be when we listen to the reports as it depends largely on which way the wind is blowing.

So the problem is I want to change my blog name to something else since I am no longer pondering in the Cariboo. I will not change my actual blog address "www.caribooponderer.com"  though as that would be problematic. It probably wasn't a good idea to give the blog a name that bears a region anyway as we may move in the future although when we came here we thought this was the last stop before the crematorium.

Right now I am not inspired beyond Berni's Blog  I wondered if anyone who reads this blog on a regular basis and has got to know me just a little would have anything to suggest that would fit. Since I am changing so many things and if it will not confuse Joan too much (joking) I thought this would be a good time. What do you think?

Well that's a weight of my mind

Excerpts from More evidence that overweight is the healthiest weight

A large-scale study confirms that a little overweight won't hurt you. This one analyzed "11,326 adults in Canada over a 12-year period using data from the National Population Health Survey."

This study found the advantage extending to a much larger age range. The population studied here was age 25 and older.

The most salient finding of this study was that the most unhealthy weight was one that produced a BMI under 18.5. People with that weight were 73% more likely to die than people with a normal BMI.

People with a BMI of 25-30 were 17% less likely to die than people with a normal weight. Even those classified officially as "obese," people with a BMI of 30-35, had a 5% lower risk of death than normal people.

Only those who were seriously obese, with a BMI was greater than 35, had a greater risk of death than normal, but that risk was only one half the risk the skinnies ran--36% as opposed to 73%.

The researchers who discovered this are falling all over themselves arguing the public should ignore their results and continue to fear fat. Obviously they are influenced by their religious belief that Fat Is Bad.

Since over 12 years, the overweight and modestly obese people in this large sample were outliving the others, you have to wonder why the researchers didn't do some sub-analyses to see how many of these longer living folk had diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Or, more importantly, whether they had been diagnosed with these conditions but had them under control. One almost wonders if these sub-analyses were done but turned up facts so incongruent with their religious belief the researchers dismissed them as impossible.

My own experience over the years has also been that the thin and often vegan people my region are the people most likely to get fatal cancers at young ages. I don't know if that is because the defects in their genes that make them susceptible to cancer also keep them from putting on weight and incline them towards the diets they prefer or what. But you have to wonder now that two major epidemiological studies have shown that thin kills.

As a final note: many of those who contact me are very worried because, while they can take off some weight eating a low carb diet and watching their blood sugars, their weight stalls above the normal range and their doctors continue to assure them that they'd be healthier if they could only lose that last, resistant 20 or 30 lbs.

This study suggests very strongly that their bodies know something their doctors do not and that the weight at which you stall after a serious diet effort that includes blood sugar control may very well be the healthiest weight for you.

Reuters: A few extra pounds can add years to your life: study

More Evidence That Overweight is The Healthiest Weight

Losing weight kills older folks

Anyone know what these flowers are

I know these are a bit crushed however I wonder if anyone knows what they are.

Hubby wanted to go for a drive into the bush looking for a possible wood source the other day. So I grabbed the chance to go with him in order to get out of the house. We went about 20km into the bush and we saw a lot of wild flowers starting to come out. I think the white ones are a wild Baby’s Breath but the other two I don’t know.
The red and yellow one has a long stalk and there are about 20 to a plant. The yellow one with petals likes to grow on burned areas and are in great masses.
It won’t be long before the wild Shasta daisies, purple lupine, dark blue centaurus and pink fireweed will be out. Then we will have a riot of colour.

Look at my thrift store finds

I went into Houston last week for my chiropractors appointment  and as always I took time to browse the thrift store.

These are a brand new pair of jeans $5, size 10 can you believe, I almost passed them by but thought they looked too big for a 10 so tried them on and they fit perfectly. They must be sized incorrectly and someone bought them without trying them on and that is how they ended in the thrift store.

The other is a little cardigan style jacket made in ribbed T-shirt material almost brand new for $3. That is sized M which could be correct at a stretch. Get it! Ha Ha

I have to try everything on these days but an outfit for $8 is worth it. I will wear it with a short ribbed T-shirt under the jacket.

Now I will have to create some dangly earrings to go with it. Possibly a necklace but I rarely wear them. I never wear rings either not even my wedding ring. They just seem to get in my way.

Sure can't seeum but can sure feelum

The tiny no-seeum bugs must have just hatched because a whole bunch of them just crawled through the nets on one side of the living room and started biting. So we have had to close all the windows and spray the place. Now I hope it doesn't get too hot because I can't open the windows for the next few days until this hatch dies off. We haven't had a problem for a few years but about four years ago there was a hatch that flew through the nets in the back bedroom and when I eventually found them and sprayed there was a heap about a half inch deep and the full length of the window.