Sophie's Story

           This past week I worked 40 hours because part of my duties are to cover vacations and time off requests. I like this arrangement because it benefits everyone. Working part time allows me to get housework done, spend more time with C and our cats and visit my parents regularly and help them when needed. It's good for the pharmacy because I know our computer system, our customers, the area doctors and the tech staff. There is no need to bring in a relief pharmacist and all the expenses that hiring from an outside agency incurs.          Many times when I cover a vacation the schedule is one eight hour day with alternating 12 hour days. I don't mind working 12 hours once in awhile. When I worked full time I worked one a week. This was the first time that I can remember where I worked every day of the week like a normal person.           I enjoyed it. It was good to be able to come in and know wh...

                          Yesterday was sunny and warm. A good day for the first long ride of the year.  We put the bikes on the back of the car and headed for our favourite trail.          We decided it would be good to take it slow and enjoy the scenery. Since the trees and not fully leafed out we saw flowers growing along the trail. We saw birds and rabbits. While many of the small stream beds were dry, the Cannon River was flowing on one side of the trail. In a few weeks the river would be full of people tubing and canoeing.          We stopped once for a water break. I watched the birds fly around in the trees. It felt good to be outside. We rode through the fields that were ready for planting. The grass on the side of the trail was neatly cut. The last time we had ridden it was a couple of feet high.          We ate lunch at a c...

           One of my favourite roles in a Toastmaster meeting is Table Topics Master. To help members practice speaking without preparation, the TTM gives random questions to those attending the meeting. The member then has to fashion a 30 second to two minute answer.  It's a helpful skill to have, especially when job hunting. I like being the TTM because I enjoy asking good questions and weaving in why I asked. This is helpful when we have no speeches as it takes a bit of pressure off members to do multiple questions.          One of the questions I posed at yesterday's meeting is, "What two things don't go together?"           The answer was celery and peanut butter and eggs and ketchup with an explanation as to why. It was a fun answer and made me think of a recent trip to a restaurant.          Last week we went to a bar and grill about 30 minutes away from where we liv...

           This week started with the announcement that Pope Francis died. The news mad me very sad. I was happy when he was released from the hospital a few weeks ago, glad that he survived a few close calls. I had hoped he would recover at home and when strong enough return to more public duties.          Things turned out differently.          For the record, I'm not Catholic so the fact that I'm mourning the pope may seem strange to some. It seems strange to me too. While I have great respect for the work of Saint Pope John Paul II, I didn't mourn him like I do Francis.          I remember the excitement around his election. He was the first to take the name Francis, the first pope from outside Europe and the first Jesuit to be elected. He chose to live simply all his life and that did not change after his election. He seemed to eschew the trappings of his office in favour of pla...

           Last year I was visiting my friend, Dana. During the visit she offered me a cinnamon roll to try. She was pleased with how the batch had turned out and told me they tasted like the ones from Cinnabon. It was a very good roll and I told her so. I also told her I'd never had a roll from Cinnabon. She told me I'd have to try them sometime.          For those of you who may be reading this and are either not from the United States or have never been in a shopping mall, Cinnabon is a small chain bakery that makes cinnamon rolls. Many times you know you are walking near one by the smell of cinnamon and baking dough. They have cinnamon rolls topped with various things, small bite sized rolls and boxes of rolls to take home.          Most of the time when I've been in a mall, it's closer to lunch time. Since I believe cinnamon rolls are either breakfast or teatime treats I've never sampled one. I must adm...

           Turns out I was wrong about my amaryllis plants. This year we will enjoy two flowing plants.  The buds starting showing up early this week. One bud is showing part of a stem and the other seems to be deciding if it should peek out of the bulb. I'm grateful and surprised. Getting amaryllis to flower is not something I'm good at. I did not inherit the green thumb of my mother or father.          At this time of year I have an itch to put seeds in the ground. There is something about seeds that has always fascinated me. Seeds don't look like much. Sometimes they are small brown and dry. Sometimes they are tiny specks almost too small to see. I like acorns with their jaunty brown caps and maple seeds with their wings that help them to sail on the wind. I even like the black walnuts that fall off the tree in our back yard, unless I accidentally step on one. Those things hurt.          No matter wh...