I was both shocked and elated to find out the Hall Road area has been designated a “no-growth” zone by the City. Right beside me a developer had wanted to put in a subdivision with 16 homes, but with this designation, he can’t. My view is saved, along with the coyote dens that are on that land.

Then today I was shocked and maddened to hear from my pal Lorraine who lives on Manhattan Drive that the City is trying to buy up all of those homes, level them, and turn that into a park. As they had just built this house a few years ago, Lorraine said she doesn’t want to move, plus who would buy the house knowing the City will eventually get you out anyway?

I just find the City’s decisions to be quite fascinating. The old heritage area downtown has been designated for densification. Of all areas in Kelowna, this is filled with lovely old homes on large, landscaped lots. Now they’ll have to put up with carriage houses and perhaps the destruction of some single-family homes for small apartment buildings.

As there’s not one single thing anyone can do about these things, I keep my mind on the things I might be able to control. These appear to be few and far between as well, given on the latest “treasure hunt” with Elsa I came home with yet another oil painting.

Another thing out of my control is poor old mom and her declining health. The other day the care aide found her on the ground and had to call the paramedics to help get her up. Luke and Jan are also available at times, though both work, and so I’ve decided to come weekly now as mom’s in such bad shape. However, she’ll likely keep on ticking, knowing mom.

Do you recall how I used to like saying Stephen Colbert’s band leader Jon Batiste was my boyfriend? He’s moved on, as have I. I’m now madly in love with Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen. I have never in my life experienced such heady potty mouth as Michael’s. When I met Denis on a blind date, and I realized he swore with every other word, I knew this was the guy for me. We married soon after.

When Michael calls someone a “f.ing putz” I swoon. I notice when I go on tirades people blanche a bit, and I think it’s because I look so f. ing innocent. Ha ha. They’re not used to hearing such colourful descriptions coming from such a sweet old lady. Though at the Puerto Vallarta airport I met the loveliest young woman of English descent who had no problems with the term I used to describe a person who irritated me.

I believe I can trace it back to my gramma. She suffered from potty mouth, though it was all in German. I learned absolutely hilarious Schwabian expressions as a child and just thought that was a normal way of speaking. I sure miss my gramma.

One thing I’m surprised and happy to be able to report that I was able to control, was my food intake. I’ve now lost ten pounds since January, and I did it largely by following the Weight Watchers diet though I didn’t join as so much of it is available on-line. I couldn’t control my cocktail intake, though, and still lost weight, so I say, “bottoms up.”