Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Sunday everyone! We want to wish a wonderful Mother's Day to all the moms out there. May this day be special in every way. A loving Mother's Day wish also goes to all pet moms. You are all exceptional. I truly miss sharing this day with Cooper and Spicy, they hold such a special place in my heart 💖 Russell and I also have heartfelt thoughts for both our moms who are no longer with us. We miss them always, more so on this day. 

This past week was good. We got more work done outside. Russell cut the grass for the first time and seeded the backyard. Our front lawn needs a serious top dressing. We will be getting that done in the next week or so. Russell also teak oiled our deck table and chairs. They look brand new. I planted the herbs in the VegTrug...my usual selection of coriander, Italian parsley, basil and chives. I planted moroccan mint in a pot as it would be too invasive in the trug. Yesterday, I bought a few planters for the front of the house and deck. I also planted geraniums in the front barrels. My gardening is basically done for the season! Everything is looking good and colourful.

We got our grooming tub installed in the laundry room. I will post photos next week. It's looking good and it will be so much easier to groom our pooches. 

On Thursday, our good friend Errol stopped by to drop off two Dipladenia plants, pink and white. He said it was from our kids...such a thoughtful gesture. We would have never met him if it hadn't been for our walks at the park with Cooper and Spicy. 

We got to see some of the Northern Lights from our backyard on Friday night. Despite the light pollution, it was quite spectacular to watch. 

We have another dog show coming up this coming weekend, starting Friday. We will get to see our boys in action. It will be wonderful to see them again. Soon, I will post photos.....just keeping the suspense going a little longer 😊 Friday will also mark what would have been Cooper's 13th birthday. It will be a day filled with fond memories of our sweet boy 💝

That's my blog for today. Since it is Mother's Day, I am indulging myself by including photos of me and our duo. Have a great week everyone!

TV time with my blanket of
puppy love - May 8 2022.

A picnic with the duo at Edgewater Park,
November 6, 2020. It was a very warm day.

Sitting pretty in the shade on our walk,
August 13, 2017

Apple picking was a favorite outing with the 
duo, September 20, 2020

Cooper and Spicy loved going on picnics,
August 23, 2019.

The Dipladenia plants from 
Errol have a home in a planter,
on the bench in the backyard.

Hello May!

Happy Sunday everyone! It's a cloudy and gloomy morning. Rain is on the way and it's a tad cool. Not sure if we will sit on the deck this afternoon. We did every day last week, it's been nice to reconnect with the outdoors that way.

Yesterday, Russell cleaned the glass panels of our deck....ready for fresh sets of nose prints. Once again, we will share our lives with two wonderful Havanese boys, coming home around mid-July.  They are both in the midst of doing their championship. We attended one show last Sunday, a few more in the next few months. Russell and I are over the moon happy and our hearts are full of love for these two munchkins. More about that in the weeks to come. 

Until then, we are getting ready for this new adventure. We also have a few getaways planned, all in our beautiful province.  This past week brought many Facebook memories of our trip to Rome and Sorrento in 2023. It was a wonderful and memorable vacation, one that we plan to replicate. What better way than to do it for Russell's 70th birthday next year. As we reflect on last year's trip, we also thank our lucky stars that we returned from that trip on the day that we did. That is when our Cooper went into congestive heart failure. The next day brought an emergency visit to our vet and the rest is history. Our prompt actions gave us nine more months with our Coop 💗 

We got our new Palisade last Tuesday. Nothing beats the smell of a new car. It drives really nicely. 

On Thursday, I had lunch with Lise and Diane, friends and former co-workers. It was truly nice to get together and it was long overdue. Friday brought another lunch out with Pauline and Errol. It was fun to catch up. 

That's my blog for today. I leave you with a few memorable photos from Italy and throwback photos of our Cooper and Spicy. Have a great week everyone! 

The Church of Santissima Trinita
dei Monti sits proudly at the top of 
the Spanish Steps which were adorned
with a spectacular annual display of 
azaleas.

The Pantheon is majestic at anytime of day
and here with evening flood lights.

Russell in a quiet moment of reflection and 
people watching at Fauno Bar,  Piazza Tasso,
Sorrento.

The view of the swimming pier from our room
at Hotel Bellevue Syrene. 

Marina Grande and the wonderful coast of 
Sorrento.

2024 Palisade, thank you Emin 
Domi and West Island Hyundai.

Lovely lunch with the ladies.

Deck time was always a good time 
for these two besties - May 20, 2022.

Spicy catching a quick sniff of Cooper as he 
carries his chew - July 6, 2023.

Goodbye April

Happy Saturday night everyone! I'm writing my blog a day early as we're off to a dog show early tomorrow morning. We haven't been to one of those in ages. It will be fun and a few Havanese dogs will be in the ring. 

This past week was good. Our weather was nice for the most part, a little on the cool side but it's warming up now. We dethatched our lawn, front and back. We filled up 8 bags of dead grass. That night it rained and it really perked up the grass. We bought a Sun Joe Dethatcher a few years ago, it works really well. 

On Tuesday, we had another visit with some cute Havanese puppies. It was wonderful and it felt good. Russell got himself a new grooming tub. It will be installed in our laundry room in a week or two. Grooming will be much easier on Russell's knees and back. 

Our new Palisade has arrived. We will pick it up on Tuesday. Yesterday, we went to the dealership to get the paperwork done. We had to bring our current car registration.....and realized that, for the past four years, we were carrying a registration that expired in October 2020. It didn't dawn on me that the yearly renewal invoice came with the new registration slip. How silly of me.  Thanks to my good filing system, I was able to find the current one right away.  

Our birds have been really busy. For the past few days, we have observed the Cardinals feeding each other. It is so cute to watch. Yesterday, we saw a Pileated Woodpecker on one of our trees. What a beauty!  We also have quite a few Norther Flickers. 

That's my blog for today. I leave you with some cute photos of Cooper and Spicy, one dating back to 2014. We look at our library of photos all the time. They bring back heartwarming memories of our one of a kind duo. Always in our hearts 💕

This coming Thursday, I have a long overdue lunch with Lise and Diane. We will have a lot of catching up to do! Have a great week everyone!

Cooper was intrigued with this frog he found in 
our yard in Huntsville, June 24, 2014.

Riding in style was the only way that
Cooper travelled at Jasmin 
Garden Center, May 11, 2017

Cooper enjoyed his time on the pontoon boat,
 sitting pretty on my knees June 30, 2015.

Spicy was a wonderful registered therapy dog,
she is modelling her vest September 30, 2018.

Spicy and Cooper on the deck, paws up
with eyes on the prize, August 1, 2017.

April Blooms

Happy Sunday everyone! It's a little on the cool side this morning. I find it's taking a while for the warm weather to come and stay for good. Despite the coolish weather, everything is blooming as it should. 

This past week was good. Our days are much brighter now and the deep sadness of the past few months is mostly behind us. Cooper and Spicy are in our hearts daily and we talk about them often. We always will. Our digital photo frame is filled with hundreds of their photos. Wonderful memories 💕

Russell had the snow tires removed on Monday. The four year lease on our Palisade is coming up in July. Given the low mileage, 18,000 km, we opted to lease a new 2024 Palisade instead of buying the old one. It should arrive in the next few weeks. We have been really happy with that SUV. It is one of the safest vehicles we've had in a long time. 

We had lunch with friends on Wednesday. It was a good way to get through hump day. We shared some good laughs and stories. 

Yesterday, we got some work done outside. Russell washed all the windows and eavestroughs. He also cleaned the gutters and washed the garage door. He's the best window washer in town! I did the garden cleanup, raked some leaves and removed the cover on the VegTrug. Next on our list is to dethatch the lawn.  We also smoked our first batch of cheese, a Monterey Jack and an Austrian Emmenthal. We sat on the deck for a few hours and enjoyed the wonderful aroma of applewood smoke. 

Before I end my weekly news report, I want to share a little bit of information about cholesterol testing, in my own layman's terms. Every year, I have a full blood panel done, including lipids (cholesterol, HDL, LDL). Those tests do not usually include measuring the Lipoprotein (a) levels. Lipoprotein (a), or Lp(a) for short, is a lot like LDL cholesterol  (bad cholesterol) but it is more "sticky" and is usually passed on in our genes. A high level of Lp(a) means a higher risk for heart and blood vessel disease even if all other cholesterol levels are normal, which mine are. What is interesting is that by the age of 5, we should have our "adult level" of Lp(a) and it tends to remain the same for the rest of our lives. So, this test is usually done only once. Although not new, this additional blood work is now recommended by many doctors. On the advice of mine, I had it done last week. I'm glad I did and I'm happy to say that my Lp(a) levels are normal. That's my little public service announcement for this week.

That's my blog for today. I leave you with some cute throwback photos of Cooper and Spicy on our deck.They loved that space. Have a great week everyone!

Cooper and Spicy loved their deck
time...here they are waiting to go 
downstairs for a romp, May 24, 2021.

Spicy laying down while on watch, and
Cooper checks in with us, May 29, 2021.

Up up and away, there must
be treats up there....
Jul 11, 2022.

It was a great week

Happy Sunday everyone! It's a beautiful sunny morning, the kind that makes me smile. 

This past week was great. It started with the amazing solar eclipse on Monday. We couldn't have had a better day to watch it. We sat on our deck all afternoon, waiting for the magical moment, which didn't disappoint. We could see a distinct change in the colour of the atmosphere and of course a drop in the temperature. A beautiful phenomenon 🌑🌞 It was our first time sitting on our deck this season. That was also nice, although we missed the presence of Cooper and Spicy. They never leave our hearts 💕

Tuesday was a special day. We spent the better part of the afternoon playing with Havanese puppies of all ages. The wheels are in motion for us to get another pooch (or two) in the not so distant future. Cooper and Spicy have taught us so much about love, life and happiness. We are ready to embrace it all again. We are leaving you with that bit of news for now.

Spring has sprung everywhere. The trees are blossoming, our perennials are popping up, our grass is very green. We got some yard work done last week but we have lots more to do. Tomorrow, Russell gets the snow tires removed. 

The regular hockey season is coming to an end. The Habs have two more games to play. They will not make the playoffs but it's been a good season nonetheless. It's been fun exchanging messages with my friend Linda during games. 

Yesterday, I made a moussaka for dinner. It was the best ever. It's a bit involved but it's all worth it. We're slowly moving away from "Winter" meals. I'm somewhat of a seasonal cook. I especially love what Spring and Summer offer in terms of fruits and vegetables for cooking. We will also be smoking cheese soon. Yum!

That's our little news for today's blog. I leave you with two photos that I took of our backyard during the eclipse and a few throwback photos of our duo. Have a great week everyone!

A breezy day at Edgewater Park for Spicy and
Cooper perched on their favourite boulder 
April 20, 2022.

The dynamic duo loved to assist me with my
morning workouts, April 23, 2021.

The eclipse at the moment of totality in our
backyard, captured at 3:26 PM, April 8th, 2024.

....and just like that, 2 minutes later at 3:28 PM
everything returned to full daylight.

Once in a lifetime

Happy Sunday everyone! We've been up since 5:30 am. It's a beautiful morning. The next few days are looking very sunny and warm, especially tomorrow for this once in a lifetime event, the total eclipse of the sun. 

This past week was good. We had some nice walks, I had a couple of workouts. I reorganized some closets and disposed of some things (donations). On Thursday, we got a lot of snow, about 20 cm of the white stuff. It was very wet and heavy, the kind that would have stuck to Cooper and Spicy's coats. We only shovelled our front walk. Our snow service, which ended on April 1, gave us a courtesy pass. It all melted very quickly. Our backyard is back to grass and is looking greener. 

We were supposed to go to a sugar shack to celebrate Errol's birthday. That got cancelled due to the weather.  Instead, we got some Spring cleaning done. Russell washed all the inside windows. I washed the living room sheer curtains. As we were pulling back the leather sofa from the front window, we noticed the back of it was covered with nose drippings from our pooches. That made us smile. It was their favorite spot to keep an eye on the neighbourhood. They are always in our hearts 💕

We haven't landed on a travel spot yet. We're not sure what we want to do, where we want to go. We thought we knew, not anymore. We might just do little trips here and there. We have our nephew's destination wedding in Punta Cana on January 4. Nothing is booked yet, we are still waiting to hear from the wedding planner on rates, etc. This will all be dependent on the timing of Russell's knee replacement surgery. For now, we are just happy to stay home.

The weather is looking perfect for the eclipse tomorrow. Russell got us a pair of glasses. It will be fun to see if the neighbours are out and about on the street looking at it. 

With the nice weather forecasted for the next few days, we will get some yard work done,  clean up the deck and maybe sit out for a bit. 

That's my blog for today. My throwback photos take us back to my training days with Cooper and Spicy. I also have a pic that I took of the sky on Wednesday morning when I woke up. It was gorgeous. Have a great week everyone! Enjoy the eclipse if you're watching it. 🌞🌚

Morning sky on fire before the storm

Cooper was always up for training with me...
here we got 2nd place for our efforts on 
April 13, 2017.

Cooper and I, another proud moment captured on
April 13th, 2017.

Cooper was always very focused when in training...
April 13th, 2017.

Spicy was a real pistol at training, here we are
on December 10th, 2017.

A proud moment with the Spice girl...
December 10th, 2017.

 Beaconsfield is a neighbourhood watch
community thanks to Cooper and Spicy...
October 6th, 2018.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone! May this day bring you joy, renewal and the warmth of Spring!

All is well with us. This past week was good and busy. First off, we got our taxes filed. Then, on Tuesday, we hopped on the train and went to Montreal....our first "seniors free transit ride". I didn't realize that the last station, Lucien L'allier, is at the Bell Centre! I can see a HABS game or two next season. That station will actually close as of tomorrow for six months for renovations so our next trip to the big city will either be by bus or we will take the train and get off at a different station. Russell will figure it out, I just follow.  Either way, it's an easy and relaxing way to travel.

We had hoped to get a bit of yard work done but that didn't happen. Our grass is starting to green up in spots and we can see where we will need to dethatch. All in good time. 

On Friday, Pauline and I went to Salon Rosie-Lanoi in Pointe-Claire village for "Afternoon Tea" although we went at 11 am. It was fun and we had great conversations. We have quite a bit in common but our talks mostly revolve around doggies. Pauline lost her precious Matisse early November.  She can relate to what we have been going through.

On that note, Russell and I are feeling better emotionally. We still have many moments of sadness but we are now smiling more at the memories of Cooper and Spicy. Easter is the first "holiday" since their passing and they are greatly missed. On a whim, I bought a 10 pound Butterball turkey for dinner tonight. That alone brought some sadness as we have always shared our turkey with our pooches. I don't think I have ever cooked a turkey that small! We will be thinking of them as we eat it 💕 

It's hard to believe that tomorrow is April 1. The first three months of the year have been hard for us. We look forward to the renewal that Spring will bring. 

I leave you with an Easter photo of our duo from 2018 as well as two throwback silly pics of them. Errol dropped off some nice tulips on Thursday. They brightened up our day. Thank you!

Have a Eggcellent Easter! Hoping the Coop and the Spice girl chase bunnies all day 💕

Easter 2018....Spicy and Cooper always willing
to pose for a good cause.

Spicy loved her top knot, this crazy one was from
May 31, 2019

Cooper loved modelling his Tilley rain hat,
this moment was captured April 6th, 2017 in 
Huntsville.

 

Lovely Easter tulips...thank you 
Errol. Happy Easter!

Hello Spring!

Happy Sunday everyone! We are finally getting some much needed sun today. We had some cold weather last week with a bit of snow yesterday, just enough to cover the grass. We are expecting Spring temps this week, just in time for Easter.

This past week was relatively good although Monday and Tuesday were not our best days. Once again, sadness sneaked up on us, with no warning. The weather was not good so that didn't help. On Tuesday, I came across a good article in the Montreal Gazette called Puppy Love. In a nutshell, it described the relationship between pets and humans. Although we didn't learn anything new, this article simply reinforced the fact that "our relationships with pets are often as strong, and sometimes stronger, than those we have with humans". This statement couldn't be more true for Russell and I. So, we take these moments of sadness as they come and let them be. Cooper and Spicy, always in our hearts 💕

Errol came for a bite to eat on Wednesday. He brought us a lovely Easter Lily, which brightened up our day. The flowers are so pretty.  

Russell and I had our monthly pedicure. Once again, I was able to walk out of the salon with flip flops, although it was a tad cold.

Spring might be slow to come but the male goldfinches are turning a bright yellow. The cardinals have also been busy. Lots of action around our bird feeders. It's nice to see.

Yesterday, we watched Oppenheimer. What a great movie! I wasn't sure I could stay put for three hours but it went by so fast. We can see why it dominated the Oscars. 

That's my blog for today. I leave you with two throwback photos of Cooper and Spicy. Since the tick season is upon us, I thought I would include one taken at our vet clinic a few years ago when we were picking up their tick meds. They always loved a visit to the vet. 

Have a great week everyone! I will write again on Easter Sunday!

A wonderful Easter Lily, thank you
Errol!

Cooper and Spicy waiting patiently at the vets, 
April 9th, 2018 - tick med season.

Spicy and Cooper on a Spring
stroll at Edgewater Park,
April 24th, 2021.

Top of the mornin to all!

Happy St-Paddy's Day! "May love and laughter light your days and warm your heart and home".

Our hearts are starting to feel lighter and our days are brighter. Cooper and Spicy are never far from our minds though. We talk about them many times throughout the days and reminisce about their antics. We continue to have moments of sadness every now and then, for no particular reason. When that happens, we just let the tears flow then we smile again.  We find Fridays particularly difficult as they left us on a Friday. That too shall pass.

It is a rainy day for us. There is not one snowflake on our property. The grass is brown and mucky in spots. This is the first time in 12 years that we don't have little paws to clean up at this time of year. We miss that. 

This past week was good. Russell saw his orthopedic surgeon on Monday. He really liked her. He is now officially on the wait list for a total left knee replacement. The wait time is between 9 and 12 months. Not bad at all. If needed, he can have one last cortisone infiltration in June. His surgery will be done as an outpatient. The technique now used provides for a quicker recovery with the least amount of pain medication. So, we wait.

We are now the proud holders of an OPUS card, a smart card for the greater Montreal transit system, which is free for anyone over 65. It works on trains, buses and the REM. We will be going places! 

My brother Francois turned 60 on Friday. Yesterday, we hosted a surprise dinner for him. Our nephews, James and Sean, and Julie, Sean's fiance came. It was a lovely evening. We also found out that Sean & Julie picked a wedding date....January 4, 2025, a destination wedding in Punta Cana. All things being equal, we will go although a lot will depend on the timing of Russell's surgery. We are happy for them. They are a lovely couple.

We have a busy week coming up with a few appointments here and there. The weather forecast is looking blah and on the cool side. 

That's my blog for today.  I will soon get ready to make an Irish stew for Russell. I'm not a big stew person so I will cook myself a piece of salmon with spinach...a little bit of greens.  I'm including a few photos from last night and of our little Leprechauns 💕🍀 Have a great week!

Spicy and Cooper's Irish eyes were smiling as 
they worn their finest on St. Paddy's Day 
March 17th, 2019.

Cooper was a classic poser and loved
St. Paddy's Day. This one captured on
March 17th, 2017 in Huntsville.

Happy Birthday Francois and 
welcome to Club 60! Make a wish!

Me, the Birthday Boy and our 
nephew James. Big smiles all
around!

Our nephew Sean and his lovely fiance, Julie.
Always a treat to see them.

 

Spring forward

Happy Sunday everyone! Well, we all made it to Daylight Saving Time! We just gained more daylight, more warmth, totally worth losing sleep over if you ask me. 

This past week was good and the weather was quite nice. Our snow was all gone until we woke up to a dusting this morning. It will be gone before we know it. We've been walking every day, morning and afternoon. On Tuesday, we walked to St- James Park by the waterfront. It was a balmy 12 celsius at 9:30 am. We sat on a bench and watched the loons having fun in the lake. We haven't gone back to the park where we used to walk Cooper and Spicy. One day we will, not just yet.

Friday marked four weeks since our little angels left us. It was probably one of our toughest days so far. This intense sadness hit us again but we got through it. Our hearts are starting to lighten up, we can feel it. People say that memories will make us smile again. Some memories do and some don't, not yet. Time will heal all wounds. We miss Cooper and Spicy every single day.

Our friends (and neighbours) Paul and Marie became grandparents on Monday. Exciting times for them and the entire family. Congratulations to all! Russell had lunch with his friend Brian on Wednesday. They went to high school together. It was nice for them to catch up. 

I worked out three times again, that's two weeks in a row, impressive LOL! As I was looking for throwback photos for this blog, I thought about how my workouts changed when the pandemic hit us. Up to that point, I was going to a gym, religiously. I then switched to online home workouts. We eventually bought a full set of dumbbells and an upright Schwinn stationary bicycle. Cooper and Spicy were always willing to be my workout partners and often helped with my weighted hip bridge and plank. This is one memory that makes us smile. 

There is not much on the go this week other than Russell seeing his orthopedic surgeon tomorrow. He is looking forward to that appointment. He will hopefully get a good sense of when his knee replacement surgery will be. 

That's my blog for today. Have a great week everyone and enjoy the extra daylight! 

Spring Forward, this doggie clock is a memory
from a visit to New York City.

Cooper provided just the right amount of extra
weight for my plank - March 20th, 2020.

Spicy enjoyed her time helping me do a hip
bridge - March 20th, 2020.

Cooper knew how to fly over the 
hurdles, he was in all his glory 
March 6th, 2021.

Not to be outdone, Spicy easily cleared the 
hurdles in hot pursuit of Cooper 
March 6th, 2021.