Drive in movies must be be a thing of the past!

I will be back tomorrow as I am enjoying 'Heritage Days' to the fullest.
Also the weather has been quite remarkable this weekend...
Happy Days.....

I know that there were at least ten Drive-ins back in 1977 in the City!

Saturday night is 'Hippo's' and 'Unshelved's' night off...'Unshelved' wants to go to a Drive -in movie somewhere in our city. Wish us 'Good Luck'......
We'll chat tomorrow..

Our visit to another space....

'Hippo' and 'Unshelved' spent a wonderful day in a different space at the Botanical gardens on the other side of the city. Many aquaintances and friends came along and enjoyed the great sunny/cloudy/rainy day. We took a bus and enjoyed the ride and our kind bus driver took us on a scenic route to our destination. Each person was provided with a bottle of water and a small package of a healthy treat to munch along the way. Many had never been to the gardens before and for some it provided a bit if recall which they appeared to enjoy.
The 'Butterfly Pavillion' was definitely a hit and the Kurimoto Japenese Garden was enjoyed by all. A few of my friends were wanting to stay and linger some more but we all have schedules keep especially the bus driver really should go home to eat. They thought that they would like to hitch a ride from a stranger going back into town. Hippo reacted very quickly with a comment "That when she is the'Trip Leader' that if you travel to the the gardens with 'Hippo' you go back home with Hippo to the 'drop off 'location'"and then Hippo cautioned "you must know any person that you accept a ride from very well and accepting or asking for rides from strangers just isn.t acceptable.
One must never get into a vehicle with a person that they just think they know.. and fortunately
'All is Well' and it was a wonderful day.....

I haven't laughed so hard in years......

It's an 'appointment day' for 'Hippo'and 'Unshelved' is working at his favourite library today. Hippo will be driven to appointments by her granddaughter which is one of Hippo's greatest pleasures. Loves those visits that are 'one on one' with grandsons or granddaughters. I cannot believe how quickly time passes and the children have become much taller than me. Hippo and her chauffeur proceeded from the Mall after purchasing a treat to eat along the way. Then a grocery store stop for the heavier items and bulky packages that are easier to bring home in the car. We made our monthly regular visit to the neighbourhood pet store. Hippo was wishing to purchase 'two frog friends' for her frog who lives in her fish pond with 4 fish siblings that sat on her deck at home. The wee shy frog was appearing somewhat lonely lately so perhaps new pals will help keep the frog from jumping ship again. Two frogs were bought and put in appropriate bag with water and air and fastened quite well or so it appeared and cahier added a shopping bag....We went to the car and about to drive off and then I felt my clothing becoming very damp and reported it to my ground pilot-water began to flow quickly right out of the bags and she said "Oh my sweet hannah-what if the frogs get out in the car?" Well, we immediately re-parked the car and decided to return hastily to the pet store but we were laughing so hard that I thought there's no way we'd win this game but with many more giggles, we entered the store and of course apologies flew from the staff-I said "don't worry about my clothes-they will dry, just re-bag the two frogs and we'll run along! Our laughter continued all the way home and the frogs are now in the pond. The family have all heard the tale and wished that they had all been there!------This is a day that I will never forget and I hope to have many more.----

Yesterday......

We had a delightful day on Wednesday.' Hippo' and 'Unshelved' met today at a neighbourhood cafe for a wee visit and recall, and lots of laughs too, about how yesterday had been spent. We found it good practice to describe all of the folks that we had seen that affected us in an emotional way. There was a little confusion at times, attempting to remember the color of a dress or cap or who had a walker or cane. There was a senior lady dressed in a pretty green skirt,who made us laugh by telling us the funniest tale. We chatted about the interesting chap who also was so kind and keen. He wants to meet us for a tea at the mall and join in on some of our capers. Hippo thinks that's a great idea to get to know him well but we must learn more about this kind man before we venture from the mall. One can't be too cautious.I said to "'Unshelved', we shouldn't give him our email addresses for a while until we know him a little better. Wouldn't you agree?""I do agree 'Unshelved' mentioned about the young lady in her twenties who loved the idea of our 'smile challenge' We both feel it was a wonderful day and well worth the rides and trip to the mall. Also our new chums said "it's great to keep busy" or "we'd all be back in the past like old memories." Examples were "Who visited yesterday?" or "where did I put my keys?" and the last one we thought of was "why isn't there any mail today?, when you had picked it up three hours ago?
Our emotional challenge served it's purpose and gave us all a few Tweaks.....

'HIPPO' and 'UNSHELVED' are planning to have an emotional day......

"'Unshelved. is joining me today and we have planned, due to dull weather and such to go about town on the buses and by the ground.A good mix of activity all way round. Perhaps we will stop for treat or two and watch people. If none are bothered we might try a bite size piece of cake or a square and chuckle a bit about how many steps it will take to knock off the weight. We do know a place for banana cream pie but we have decided to 'file and save as' that idea for treat time in the future. 'Hippo' encourages that sort of thing-sometimes I wonder where Hippo comes from? "The idea today, is to make people smile. 'Unshelved' will comment and pass onto me for storing and stacking and placing in our emotional bank. We will go on two buses and do our smile thing and then go to a mall ,where we can sit and talk about it all. The challenge is for us to remember who made us laugh or shy or embarrassed us a little and did we learn all the attributes of a smile. We will meet a few friends that we have not seen in a while and with a little more luck, maybe greet a new acquaintance or two. So we are off on the bus for the smile challenge day and then meet some friends for awhile."
So today,give someone a smile of yours. It might be the only sunshine he or she sees all day..
by H.Jackson
Tomorrow ,we'll report all info. we learned and also the fun that we had during our emotional day...............

The wheels on the bus go all around the town!

Have you ever noticed that there are two 'flavours' of buses that we (seniors) and others travel upon to go to their work/ volunteer or appointments/or hanging out for a tea? Many buses are crowded and appear very stark. These particular busers do not share a smile and certainly don't put you on file. When we must take one of those buses, it turns out for us 'standing room only' 'Unshelved' gets upset.I say "cool it" to the "mood" today as we continue along the way. There are a few routes that have a genuine neighbourhood ambience which is the type of bus that'Hippo' and 'Unshelved' take most every day, unless having to go to a different location. That reminds me of a meeting that I had yesterday with someone who beats on a very different drum.It was an unplanned meeting with a man and a cart.I had noticed him somewhere in my whereabouts recently and thought he could use some of our keen 'seniors' nutritional advice and some healthy tips from the HIPPO too!He is somewhat of a 'rollypoly' of sorts of a man on the edge of retirement, in the grocery store yesterday as we both headed quickly into the same cashier line. He turned and looked at me and he said "Hi, You're from bus route #22." It caught me off guard and I blushed a wee bit but quickly responded with a cheerful Hello. Then I began to observe his chosen cart items,(maybe not a right thing to do) and felt that a lesson in nutrition should really begin,but biting my tongue,I didn't say a thing. My thoughts turned to salt/ sugar and plenty of fat and a few other items in that cart that make Hippos fall flat! On my bus ride this morning I noticed the same man aboard bus route #22.He rang the buzzer 6 blocks before his regular stop and the driver said "he is usually such a regular chap" and I smiled to myself wondering if he really knew if he was that kind of guy. The driver responded to the request of the stop. I beamed within,as I hoped that the chap had learned that usually making unhealthy choices doesn't go so well. To myself ,I thought that he might have some fluid and weight on his mind. After his departure the Bus driver said "it will do his heart good to walk with a few extra steps but I do think it should be in a cautious timely manner."

"I love Bus route #22"- Each day the anticipation is there for 'Unshelved' and 'myself' of whom we might meet on the bus route today that we did not know yesterday. Do you have a favourite route?

Just a regular day for the HIPPO....

It's a nice relaxed day with bright summer sun making many folks smile. I don't see very much of my friend "UNSHELVED" on the weekend as he waits for his family to call. They come over and take him for a stroll (little do they know he manages just fine all week long) They fuss and they fume about the clutter of his room and the mess of his kitchen. He tells them he's fine and gets along very well but I think that his response just passes by deaf ears.
When I see him at the Library tomorrow,I will remind him that being unheard might be better than not being seen..I also tell him about many folks who never see their family so maybe he should put on a bright face and continue to function the way most of us do for six days a week. He only has to mind his P's and Q's for a few hours a week. I know that he will smile and continue to file and store information on all sorts of pathways all through the day.
This is the day that I plan for the week -all the chores that need doing and also activities that are in my bucket, so to speak. Then there's exercises,walking and socializing too.Oh my,I have so much more to do. I cannot forget that I do volunteer and coach the odd session of such interesting things.
I must remember to priortise my daily schedule-maybe a bit too late!

Thanks for the memories-Hang in with "HIPPO"

It's a lovely bright day when"HIPPO" and "UNSHELVED" get lots of natural vitamin D. It's been the kind in a bottle all summer long! Vitamin D that is.... UNSHELVED wanted to cruise(on feet) on Whyte alone. I went shopping alone and this is where my adventures often begin. Of course one couldn't help eavesdropping a wee bit in a grocery line (just checking on my sound processing to see if it's fit) - there were two ladies(about 40yrs old) in front of me and they were discussing an issue that had occurred for one of them yesterday with their "senior" mother. Being "HIPPO" I do socialize with such folk so understanding first hand.
For one of the sisters. It went like this-"I could have just driven across town and slapped her face and she said I was so very angry." The calm quiet sister was a little concerned with the rage of her sister that she looked back to see if anyone had heard. She noticed that I grinned back at her and she shook her head and apoligized for sister's rage. Well I said one has to say what's on their mind. She said to me you are encouraging her (sort of tongue and cheek.)I said "That's the way I travel as I go! - I live for the moment with few regrets..." The raging sister turns to me ,"It's my mother, I am talking about-I nodded with a non chalant grin. She had settled and asked in an eager voice " When can we start hanging out for a spell and I am downright serious, I do love your style."