Leap Year Party

February Journaling

1.    Our grandson is five years old today! I can hardly believe it. I love that kid. He’s so sweet. Yesterday he and I had a great conversation about the things we’re looking forward to in heaven.

2.    Church.

3.    Chiro and massage.

4.    Pyjama day.

5.    School day: brought to you by the letter Qq, the number 17, Quebec, and the Golden Calf story.

6.    No women’s Bible study today due to weather. Wrote a few chapters of the Job commentary.

7.    Final planning meeting for the Agape Gala next Saturday.

8.    Our granddaughter is three today. She’s a firecracker. Life is not boring with her around. I’ll post a picture.

9.    Church.

10. Movie night at church with the women’s ministry; they showed Overcomer. Very good.

11. Pain clinic.

12. School day, brought to you by the letter Rr, the number 18, rabbits and rainbows, the

13. My podcast is now also on itunes. Search Bible Companion Series. Almost finished the book of Job.

14. Setting up for the Agape gala tomorrow. Baking 80 mini cupcakes.

15. The Agape Gala was a success. My husband did the message. My mom was a guest.

16. Church. Also, my dad would have been 81 today, but he died in a workplace accident at age 28.

17. Family day, heading to Hamilton to spend the day with the grandkids.

18. Home day, writing plus a few errands.

19. Errands.

20. Women’s Bible Study. We’re in 1 Timothy.

21. Writing day.

22. Baking for tomorrow. I finished writing all the podcasts for the Book of Job. It could be put into hard copy. I’ll talk to my husband about it. Maybe just print 100 copies.

23. Church, and in between services we had a luncheon for new visitors to the church, to meet the elders and their wives. I brought cupcakes for dessert.

24. Doctor’s appointment to fill out forms. I hate going, but it was okay. Purchased things for our leap year party this weekend.

25. Errands.

26. Skipping our weekly trip to Hamilton because of the weather.

27. Women’s Bible study canceled due to weather. It doesn’t bother me, I grew up in the Soo, but some are nervous.

28. Cleaning, cooking, preparing for our dinner party tomorrow.

29. We are dressing eclectic, serving our dinner in reverse order, playing games and taking silly pictures for our Leap Year Dinner Party.

Podcast Ongoing

January Journaling

1.    Happy New Year’s Day! And Happy New Decade! Started with a mimosa, as usual. Our daughter returned to Ottawa. I recorded my third podcast on my Bible Companion Series: One Chapter at a Time. You can find it on podcasts.com Also a pyjama day.

2.    Haircut and writing. My podcasts, which just started have about two dozen downloads each, which makes me happy that anyone is listening, and makes me want to continue.

3.    Feeling kind of low today for some reason. Another pyjama day.

4.    Also feeling sick since yesterday; probably caught it from my grandkids last week. I’m not eating, have body aches, upset stomach, and lethargy.

5.    Not going to church today because I’m sick.

6.    Feeling somewhat better.

7.    Chiro and massage.

8.    Accompanied my husband to a procedure.

9.    Women’s Bible study. Ordering blinds for our patio doors.

10. School day brought to you by the letter Mm, the number 13, the story of baby Moses, and monkeys.

11. Another pyjama day; also cleaned out the freezer, made a budget, and finished my summary of the book of Acts. Called Rogers to decrease our bill. Saved $200 a month!

12. Church, long nap, church. No internet or t.v. today because Rogers turned it off in anticipation of their appointment on Tuesday.

13. Rogers coming today.

14. Rogers coming again today.

15. School day brought to you by the letter Nn, the number 14, Moses and the burning bush, and narwhals. I also went with my grandson to his swimming lesson.

16. I presented the Summary of the Book of Acts to the women this morning, then we went out for lunch. They bought my lunch as a thank you for my hard work.

17. Working on the Bible Companion Series podcasts. Then a long nap, then my husband and I are seeing the movie 1917 at the VIP theatre.

18. The elders and wives dinner at the Mandarin restaurant during a snowstorm.

19. Big snow storm last night. Church today.

20. Baked some banana muffins. Delicious recipe.

21. Pyjama day; writing.

22. School day; brought to you by the letter Oo, the number 15, ostriches, octopuses, owls, ovals, orange, and the ten plagues on Egypt.

23. Women’s Bible study beginning the Pastoral epistles: 1, 2 Timothy and Titus. Then working on podcasts. My husband is starting another course tonight at Toronto Baptist Seminary; this one on apologetics.

24. Writing, nap, bank appointment, dinner out, and a movie at home.

25. Women’s breakfast, nap, and dinner at a friend’s place planning a gala for church next month.

26. Church.

27. Meeting out daughter at Terroni for dinner. She had to come into town from Ottawa to work for a week so she’s at a downtown hotel, close to court.

28. Went to stay overnight at my mom’s to make it easier for her to come by to my grandkids.

29. School day brought to you by the letter Pp, the number 16, crossing the Red Sea, and penguins.

30. Women’s Bible study, errands, new alarm system.

31. Our daughter’s family came by on their way out of town for the weekend. She’s past the halfway point in her pregnancy, and everything looks good this time. We had another planning meeting for our church’s AGAPE gala.

Podcast Launched

December Journaling

1.    Church this morning only because of an ice storm.

2.    Dental appointment.

3.    I’m on t.v. this morning. 700 Club Canada 10:30. Look it up on youtube or facebook. Author P.H. Thompson talking about Benaiah: Mighty Man of God.

4.    School day brought to you by the letter Jj, the number 10, the ten commandments, and Christmas crafts.

5.    Chiro and massage.

6.    Our daughter is coming from Ottawa. We are having our Finnish family Christmas celebration in London tomorrow.

7.    We’re doing Italian food this time.

8.    Home again.

9.    Errands and Christmas shopping. Sent some snowsuits up north to a family in Nunavut. It’s through an organization called Helping Our Northern Neighbours and it pairs the sponsors up with a family. The food prices are crazy high. This is a family of six in a remote fly-in only town.

10. Pain clinic injections.

11. School day, brought to you by the letter Kk, the number 11, kangaroos, Jacob wrestling with God.

12. Writing my Christmas card, sending my yearly update letter, and sending some free copies of my book.

13. More lines at the post office to send everything. Ran some errands. My sister-in-law is 50 today.

14. The grandkids came for a surprise sleepover.

15. Church flanked by dinner at the Mandarin for my sister-in-law. My husband is preaching this evening.

16. My husband is writing his final exam tonight. Then most of his stresses of the past month are over.

17. Pain clinic today, then a quick birthday stop in the evening.

18. Final school day of the calendar year; brought to you by the number 12, the letter Ll, lungs, lizards, lions, and the Christmas story.

19. Home day. I went from a high of hearing from a man at church who read my book and wants to buy it for his siblings because he loved it so much, to reading two bad reviews, which makes me think it’s the worst book ever written. How can some say they couldn’t put it down, it’s the best book they’d ever read in this genre, I’m like Francine Rivers, to saying it was a waste of money? I know every book isn’t for everyone, but do they have to be so unkind? Writers are people too. Now I’m moping around.

20. Last few gifts purchased, nap, and dinner out with my husband. Our youngest is coming home tonight.

21. A quiet Saturday.

22. Church and nap. Our daughter did all of her Christmas shopping in one day.

23. Feeling kind of down lately, don’t know why. Also anxious, it’s like I’m getting a resurgence of all my early symptoms from exactly five years ago. I have visual disturbances, balance issues, nightmares, insomnia, memory issues, more pain, TMJ, teeth grinding, sensory hypersensitivity, and food sensitivities.

24. Hauskaa Joulua! Having Finnish Christmas dinner at my sister’s.

25. Merry Christmas! A quiet home day baking cookies.

26. Jamaican and Finnish Christmas hosted by our daughter’s family in Hamilton.

27. Pill prep day, random other work.

28. I’m researching the idea of doing short youtube videos about my book and writing in general. I got a tripod for Christmas for holding my phone still.

29. Shopping for art work for our bathroom. The grandkids and family are coming over.

30. Fun time with the grandkids.

31. I started a podcast channel called Bible Companion Series, through podcasts.com which is my Bible teaching like I do for the women at my church. This one goes through the Bible chronologically.

NaNoWriMo Winner!

November Journaling

1.    I’m attempting NaNoWriMo again. I have never been able to finish writing a novel in a month, but I have it outlined so it should make it easier.

2.    I’m sending off a few parcels of food up north. It’s fun to be the answer to someone’s prayer. We went to a 70^th birthday party for a lady at church.

3.    Church, nap and long walk with my husband.

4.    Chiro and massage.

5.    Heading to St. Catherines overnight. We are staying in a hotel.

6.    My author interview was today. It went well. I’ll post pictures. It will air on December 3^rd at 10:30 on Vision t.v. No school today, but we stopped in Hamilton to spend the day with the grandkids.

7.    Bible study, then walking in the mall because today was the first snowfall.

8.    Seasonal tire changeover.

9.    Drove to Peterborough to pick up some parts for our bathroom renovation, which is almost done. I’m almost at the halfway point of my next novel, doing NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month.

10. Church. Dropped off two Christmas boxes for Samaritan’s Purse.

11. Remembrance Day. Tire changeover for our other car.

12. Renovations done, just getting things back into the cupboards. Our daughter and grandkids are coming for one night.

13. Eye appointment. Out for lunch with the grandkids.

14. Women’s Bible study.

15. Went to see the movie, Midway.

16. We have an event at church with Answers in Genesis. Of course I had to buy books.

17. Church, nap, church.

18. Still keeping up with NaNo, at 30,000 words.

19. Home day, preparing for school tomorrow.

20. School day: brought to you by the letter Hh, the number 8, the shapes heart, and octagon, and learning about heaven, horses, hearts, hair, and hedgehogs.

21. Bible study, then writing.

22. Pain clinic for nerve block injections. Welcome to my life.

23. Our son-in-law and grandkids came overnight last night because our daughter went to Ottawa to go to a spa with our other daughter for her birthday.

24. Church.

25. I reached the 80% mark on my NaNoWriMo novel, 40,000 words. This may be the year it happens! So exciting. So I am spending the day writing, since my husband will be writing a paper this week, and will be on the computer.

26. Our eldest daughter is 29 today!

27. On the home stretch for Nano.

28. I did it! I wrote 50,343 words of the first draft of my second novel in 28 days! First time winning NaNoWriMo! Yay me!

29. Grandkids over for the night.

30. School at our place today, brought to you by the letter Ii, the number 9, Jacob and Esau, and making homemade ice cream. Dinner party at a friend’s place after a plumber came to fix a leak that may have been there for at least two weeks in our basement, where we never go.

The World in Miniature

October Journaling

1.    Heading downtown because the pastor of Jarvis Street Baptist Church has offered to take twenty of my books to be sold in their bookstore, which is very kind. My daughter is coming for the night with the grandkids and we’ll do school here instead.

2.    In place of our usual lessons, we took the kids to the Science Centre. It’s a rainy day, and they’ll love it.

3.    Bible study, then home day. Renovations ongoing in our master bathroom.

4.    The grandkids and my daughter and her husband came for the night. Campfire tonight.

5.    A man in our church works for the Raptors head office. Because they won the NBA cup, he gets it for a period of time, so he is bringing it to church if people want to get their picture with it. So we’re going. I’m also bringing my book, to keep up with the theme of having the novel in key locations, which I post on Instagram. Then going to my mother-in-law’s for lunch.

6.    Church.

7.    Chiro and massage. Home alone because my husband is at his course.

8.    I put the second coat on the bookshelf I started painting with the grandkids. I haven’t had the strength to paint in years. Watched the federal candidates debate.

9.    Purchased mirrors, paint, and lighting for the master bath. They’re almost done.

10. Bible study.

11. Cooking my turkey. Our bathroom is almost done.

12. Thanksgiving dinner at our house. Menu: Appetizers: Bacon wrapped scallops, smoked salmon on Finncrisp, devilled eggs, pumpernickel and spinach dip, artichoke dip and crackers, breaded calamari rings, spicy shrimp. Mains and side dishes: Turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, ham, curried goat, rice and peas, lasagna, peas with mint, green beans and carrots, salad. Dessert: pumpkin pie cheesecake, apple pie and ice cream, fruit platter. Drinks: red and white wine, beer, flavoured sparkling water, water, pop, coffee, tea.

13. Church today was a joint service with the Mandarin and Spanish churches. I’ll post a picture of all the nations represented. I love that our church is a miniature of the world. Bono was wrong, in the kingdom come, all the colours won’t bleed into one. We won’t all be beige. Instead,

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” Rev. 7:9,10 Then we went out for dinner with friends from the Soo. They are newlyweds, although they are older than us.

14. Happy Thanksgiving! We went and voted in the advance polls yesterday for the federal election. We also shopped for an outfit for my television interview in November. Our daughter returned to Ottawa. She was here for the weekend. My husband and I walked five km today. I haven’t walked that far in years. Hope I don’t crash.

15. School prep.

16. School day; brought to you by the letter Ee, the number 5, elephants, eagles, and the story of the flood.

17. Bank appointment to update our mortgage. No Bible study this week because of Thanksgiving. Nice to have a break.

18. Our master bath is finished. Tired today. Must have been overdoing it.

19. International breakfast at church to kick off Missions Week.

20. More missionaries speaking. So encouraging. Then we had a missionary family we support over for refreshments after church.

21. Election day. We voted early.

22.Hormone doctor appointment.

23. School day brought to you by the letter Ff, the number six, Noah’s rainbow, frogs, fish, fingers, and feet.

24. Bible study, then I got my hair highlighted in preparation for my t.v. interview in two weeks.

25. Pain clinic and then cleaned out my fridge with my mom. The after looks much better than the before. My husband is on his yearly fishing trip so my mom is here to keep me company.

26. Errands, walk, and restocking the cupboards and drawers in our newly renovated master bathroom.

27. Church.

28. I heard about a way to help out some families in Nunavut with food. The prices are ridiculously high because it’s a fly-in community. So I got us matched to sponsor a family of five. We have so much, I can’t not share.

29. Errands.

30. School day, brought to you by the letter Gg, the number seven, the attributes of God, and giraffes and goats.

31. Visiting the widow of our first pastor. Our grandkids are trick or treating; our grandson is Batman and our granddaughter is Snow White.

Radio Interview

 September Journaling

1.    We had a joint service with the Spanish and Mandarin sister churches that share our building. The preaching was in Mandarin, and translated into English and Spanish. Even the songs were sung in three languages. A foretaste of heaven. I wonder what language we’ll speak there? Finnish? Haha.

2.    Labour Day; it doesn’t mean much to me since I’ve been off work for almost five years. Tidying up and preparing for school.

3.    First day of JK for our grandson. They grow up so fast.

4.    First day of teaching my granddaughter nursery school featuring the letter Aa, the number 1, the colour green, circles, and the story of the creation of the world. She’s easily distracted and so we’ll probably be doing a lot more learning through play. Also my mom and aunt came for the afternoon.

5.    Chiro and massage.

6.    Errands. Dinner at a Greek restaurant. Ordered the tiles for our master bathroom renovation.

7.    My radio interview has aired. Here is the link. https://www.hopestreamradio.com/programs/author-interview Benaiah: Mighty Man of God by P.H. Thompson. It doesn’t sound terrible. He made me feel at ease.

8.    Church. Our evening services started up again.

9.    Home alone today as my husband is starting his next seminary course. Mostly getting ready for teaching school, Bible study, and the writer’s retreat.

10. More prep.

11. School day brought to you by the letter Bb, the number 2, the colour red, squares, and the story of the fall.

12. Back to leading women’s Precepts Bible studies, beginning in the book of Acts. Then heading to Guelph for a Christian writers’ retreat called Refocus which actually gives lots of time for writing.

13. I sold a few books I brought with me.

14. Coming home. It was a profitable weekend. I started working on my new novel, which is always exciting. I was on a roll since I had outlined and all I had to do was flesh out my scene cards. I finished 4-1/2 chapters and wrote 6000 words. I also had good feedback on my novel’s concept and first chapter at the critique corner. I had a good roommate, the food and fellowship was good. Hearing excerpts from everyone’s writing showed me there is a lot of great talent in the Christian Canadian world.

15. Church. I invited a few more people to my book signing at Chapters next week.

16. We’re improving our curb appeal by having our steps covered in stamped concrete. My husband started another course at seminary. Our renters are moving out.

17. School prep. Getting the word out about next Saturday’s book signing.

18. School day brought to you by the letter Cc, the number 3, triangles, the story of Cain and Abel, caterpillars, canoes, and Canada.

19. Scandal now because they discovered pictures of the Prime Minister in blackface. First of all, he should’ve known better. He was 29, and a high school teacher, setting an example to impressionable teens. Second, he knew about it all this time, but never brought it up because he was hoping it wouldn’t be discovered. Third, they will forgive him because he’s their man, and the media will help him spin it. Fourth, if it was anyone else in his caucus, he would have gotten rid of them right away. He is being hypocritical, just as he was when he was accused of groping a woman. He had his people hush it up, while he fired another member for a comment. Fifth, the media are trying to say there are factors to consider, whereas we know if it was the conservative leader, Andrew Scheer, he’d be calling for his resignation, citing this as proof of his racism.

20. Getting my things together for my book signing at Chapters tomorrow.

21. I had the book signing at Chapters. I had eighteen people come to see me; most were already at my book launch, but came to support me. I got 15 new signups for my author email list by having a draw for a $25 Chapters gift card. I sold four books, two to unbelievers. One is a Hindu lady, my pharmacist. The other saw my ad on facebook and came to buy a gift for a Christian friend of hers. My husband was there all day for support.

22. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! I just got an email invitation to be a guest on the 700 Club Canada to talk about my book! It will be recorded in November in St. Catherines. Of course I said yes, but I’m terrified. The radio interview was scary enough, but t.v? The daughter of a friend at church works for the person who decides who comes on the show. She had read my book and here we are!

23. Dental appointment.

24.Pain clinic.

25.School day brought to you by the letter Dd, the number four, the shape rectangle, and dragonflies. My granddaughter can hear a song once and remember it perfectly. On her first day of school, age 2-1/2 she already can recite the days of the week.

26. Bible study. Renovations starting on the master bathroom. Our renters have moved out and we rearranged the furniture that’s there.

27. My husband is going on a men’s retreat weekend, so I’m going to spend the night at my daughter’s so they can go see the Downton Abbey movie while I babysit.

28.Brunch with the family at Cannon, then driving home. Nap and salad from Freshii for dinner. I just discovered this restaurant and now I’m trying all their menu items.

29. I’m two weeks into a weight loss program called noom, which tracks calories and exercise. It is sustainable because its sensible. It doesn’t make sense to cut out an entire food group. So far I’ve lost seven pounds. Also, great news! A man was saved this morning at the mens' retreat.

30. Home day alone. I bought food, did laundry, went for a walk, napped, worked on my Bible study homework, and worked on my novel research, which is basically listening to sermons on the life of Joseph. Allistair Begg has about twenty sermons on it which I mostly listen to while I walk. Fascinating. I’m so excited for this project. Movie night at church, watching the movie Breakthrough with the women’s ministry group.

Renovations Begin

August Journaling

1.    Grandkids visiting.

2.    Busy day with the kids, sidewalk chalk, kiddie pool.

3.    A relative from Florida came for dinner.

4.    Church then dropping off the grandkids in Hamilton and eating dinner.

5.    Simcoe Day; our daughter headed back to Ottawa. She starts her job tomorrow.

6.    This is a prep week as the next two weeks will be busy with DVBS at church, then the Carey Conference. Also need to get ready for teaching my granddaughter nursery school one day a week.

7.    Got some bloodwork taken, paid the mortgage, picked up a prescription and some groceries. Then nap time and making an easy dinner. School prep. Relax.

8.    Helping a friend plan how much food to buy for the meals for DVBS next week.

9.    We had our hot tub and half our deck removed and a beautiful cedar deck built in its place and sod put down.

10. We also replaced the toilet and vanity in our powder room.

11. A friend is visiting from Alberta. We hadn’t seen each other in 30 years, but easily picked up where we left off.

12. The beginning of DVBS. I’m helping with the food. Hot dogs today.

13. Busy work in the kitchen. Today we made mac and cheese.

14. The kids seem to appreciate the food. Pancakes for lunch today.

15. Today we made grilled cheese.

16. Final day; we made mini taco bites for snack and mini pizzas for lunch. Exhausted doesn’t begin to describe how I feel. Every day I need at least a two hour nap to recover. There were 50 kids and 50 volunteers. Packing for the Carey conference tomorrow.

17. First day of our 27^th Carey conference. We are in the same trailer. Catching up with friends.

18. I have a book table set up for my novel. Getting good feedback from people who can’t put it down.

19. Our daughter came for the day with the grandkids. We kept them busy.

20. Great preaching.

21. To Paris for lunch.

22. Last day of the conference because we’ll be visiting my aunt in London tomorrow on our way home. I sold 24 books. But word of mouth is working as some read it during the week and started telling others.

23. Breakfast in Paris, lunch in London, dinner in Toronto.

24. Today we took my husband’s sister to the Tartan House Bed and Breakfast for High Tea. She just moved back into her house a year after a house fire.

25. Church. Lamb burgers, Greek salad.

26. Haircut, nap, dinner. Not very productive.

27. Pain clinic, then an appointment with my hormone doctor. Lots of changes. For some reason, I was hit with my first fibro flare in years, and I can’t even figure out what the trigger was. Frustrating.

28. Still in pain, but we had to go to get ideas for improving our curb appeal. Our back yard is mostly done, as is our powder room. I’ll post before and after pictures of the powder room. Prepared for our first school day next week.

29. Spent the day with the grandkids.

30. Choosing new vanities for our other two bathrooms.

31. Errands.

Mediterranean Cruise

 July Journalling 2019

1.    Canada Day! The grandkids came over for a last visit before we leave.

2.    Last day to pack and prepare. Picked up some euros and all my blister packed pills. Rented and loaded the truck to move our daughter.

3.    Moving our youngest to Ottawa to work for a year for a federal judge. She will be living in a house with three others. I am driving my car there so she can use it for three weeks while we’re away. She will drive the CRV and my husband will drive the moving truck one way.

4.    We ended up driving back home last night after my husband put together her bed and hung her curtains up. There is a problem with our furnace again that we have to deal with before we go. A few months ago they replaced the motor at great cost to us, and said it was pumping out carbon monoxide but venting it outside. Last minute packing. Going to miss the grandkids.

5.    Off to Europe for a Mediterranean cruise. The flight will be the hardest part because I can’t stretch out.

6.    Arrived in Rome, Italy. The flight was agony, as I expected. Although we’ve been here before, I wish we had more time. It’s one of my favourite places and there’s so much more to see. Hard to adjust to the time change. Rested then went out for dinner. Brought along my book to take a picture of it in many world landmarks, we went to Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon again.

7.    Setting sail on our ship, Koningsdam (Holland America Cruise Line) for our 12 day cruise of Ancient Empires.

8.    Sea day.

9.    Olympia, Greece. We missed our excursion and lost the money we paid for it as they wouldn’t give us a refund. We ended up going to Ancient Olympia on our own with a cab.

10. Athens, Greece: Seeing the Acropolis and spending time in the Plaka. Did you know that real Greek salad doesn’t include lettuce?

11. Second day in Athens: we did a half day tour of Ancient Corinth and paid extra for a stop at Mars Hill, where the Apostle Paul preached Acts 17. While there we met some Christians from Australia. We also saw the Corinth canal.

12. A beach day at Mykonos, Greece. They didn’t tell us in advance that the sunbeds where not included in the price.

13. Ephesus, Turkey. We had an interactive tour of ancient Ephesus. Very impressive ruins. So great to stand in the places where Paul worked and preached. Then we were taken to a Turkish rug company. Very beautiful but out of our price range. I’ll post a picture of the library.

14. Rhodes Island, Greece, where there was the Colossus, until God knocked him over by kneecapping him. Beach day. Very nice beach. Spent the day with some Canadians we met on our excursion to Ephesus.

15. Santorini, Greece, which is the most beautiful island in Greece, which the white buildings against blue waters.

16. Crete, Greece, and another beach day.

17. Sea day. Pedicure.

18. Naples, Italy with a tour along the Amalfi Coast. Our bus broke down for an hour. We sat on the wrong side of the bus so we had no view and the roads are so narrow they can’t even pull over till we get to the bottom.

19. Returning to Rome, then flying to Barcelona, Spain. Dinner out. Delicious food.

20. In Barcelona, Spain. We did a bus tour and a tour of La Sagrada Familia. We had dinner out at Barceloneta.

21. Second day in Barcelona, did a second bus tour since all stores and museums are closed. Also went to the same restaurant for lunch and dinner tapas and sangria. Love Spanish food.

22. Travelling home to Toronto from Barcelona. Our transfer didn’t arrive and they were closed on the weekend so we couldn’t confirm our pickup time.

23. Nice to travel, but nice to be home, too. Exhausted from the flight and the time change. Unfortunately, I got used to having someone else cook for me, and wondered why the food didn’t appear in front of me when I sat down at the table. Also, no one made my bed and cleaned my bathroom. But happy to get back to regular food. Went to see the grandkids and bring them some gifts.

24. Our daughter brought my car back from Ottawa where she had it while we were away.

25. Pain clinic, then nap and celebrating a friend’s birthday.

26. It’s our 33^rd anniversary. We went out for breakfast, then downtown to Barsa Taberna for Spanish tapas, which we learned to love in Barcelona.

27. Visiting out of town relatives at my mother-in-law’s. Bringing blueberry pie for dessert.

28. Prepping for a radio interview tomorrow. A little nervous.

29. Did a radio interview about my novel on a St. Catherine’s based Christian radio station called Hope Stream Radio. It will air within 5 weeks. It’s about fifteen minutes long. He made me feel at ease.

30. Ugh. Mammogram. So painful.

31. Chiro and massage, then the grandkids are coming for the weekend so my daughter and her husband can paint their house.