Writer's Blog

January

2012-01-29T22:13:00.000-05:00

January has gone by so quickly, and I haven't made any posts this year yet.
I returned to work on January 9th with a cold, and I have held onto it up till now. No fun!

I did make a few cards and gifts this month. Someone I thought was leaving my school, (who actually isn't) got this lovely owl card set, and someone who is definitely leaving, (she's retiring) got this set with 2 designs.

I decided to make a few bracelets and necklaces again. It has been such a long time since I've made any jewelry. I used to make and sell a lot, but stopped for some reason or other.

Susy, a friend of mine invited me to her Divorce party, she was so happy that part of her life was over, she needed to celebrate.

A teacher at school invited Dr. Gurvinder Virk to fit us for orthotics. I was so happy as my old ones were a mess, and my knees were really hurting. Not only did we get orthotics, but we got a choice of shoes and boots too!

I went with my friends Glenn and Greg to a Raptors game, and the team was not on their best form. They played the Portland Trail Blazers, and we lost. Aftyer that we went over to On The Rocks for a drink or two and sang karaoke.

I did take a few days off because I couldn't shake this cold. I even went for a chest x-ray to ensure I wasn't getting pneumonia like last year.

I tried Zumba at the gym, and liked it so much I have now taken 2 classes and will continue with it on a weekly basis. I discovered Body Vibe over the winter break, and since it is a low impact workout, I love it.

I went to see The Iron Lady with my friend Vanessa, but wasn't really that impressed. I was impressed with the acting that Meryl Streep did, but the actual film didn't do much for me.

I continued the knitting club at school and now have 6 girls and 1 boy involved. One of the girls finished a scarf that she made for he mom.

Other than that not much going on. I did hear from my cousin that my aunt wants to send me some birthday money, and my sister said that she would be sending me money from my dad, too. Also a friend of mine that lives in Florida has invited me there for March break, so I may just use that money and go for a little sunshine!

My Annual Newsletter

2011-12-31T21:15:00.001-05:00

If you are interested in what last year held for me, please enjoy the latest newsletter.

Another wonderful Christmas celebration

2011-12-26T16:35:00.002-05:00

It may not have been like the Christmas's I remember from England, but it was wonderful nonetheless.

Thomas decided that he wanted to cook a full traditional Christmas dinner, including homemade cranberry sauce. So on Christmas Eve, he went out to find the perfect bird, whilst I went out to find the veggies.

Christmas morning we got up and opened presents. Thomas made homemade granola for me, using gluten-free oats. It's such a huge jar, I'll be enjoying it with my yogurt for a long time.

I also asked for a wireless mouse, and he gave me a mouse plus a keyboard. I love it, it makes things so much easier! Then I opened another gift, I guessed it right away, because he wrapped it in such an obvious way, it was a new frying pan. I was wanting one, as the old one got a bit beat up by some couchsurfers! Then came a box full of lovely goodies. There is all kinds of gluten-free crackers, and two delicious cheeses, as well as some ginger beer and a wine cooler that is alcohol free, I think. Also included in there is the most giant Toblerone ever and a package of ginger and cinnamon buckwheat snacks from Shasha Co.

I gave Thomas a few things that he had asked for, including an H&M gift card for some clothes, a pair of camera gloves, (I bet you didn't know such a thing existed, did you?), some long and regular underwear, a rice cooker, (Because he wanted to take mine to college with him), a card holder, so that his cards don't get bent in his pocket, and a slew of silly presents, like the wooden plan and train that he has to build!
We then ate a breakfast of waffles with blueberries, raspberries and bananas with real maple syrup and a cup of tea. Then we checked out/played with our new 'toys'. Later we just vegged out and listened to some Christmas music.
Later in the afternoon, my sister Lorna skyped me from England and we had a chat about how our day was going. She unfortunately is suffering from vertigo again, and hopes it will be gone by the time she has to fly to Egypt in early January. Then it was time for Thomas to start preparing the turkey. It was a comedy of errors, being his first time, but he managed. The look on his face when he removed the giblets and the neck of the turkey was priceless! Then when he was taking it out of the oven to baste it and add the potatoes he spilled so much of the turkey juices all over the oven, the floor and his jeans too. We cleaned that up and then, got on with the rest of the meal. Thomas made the cranberries using orange juice, cranberries and sugar. I cooked the vegetables, green beans, carrots, corn and some colourful small potatoes, purple, white and yellow. The gravy was heated in the microwave, as we were running out of space on the top of the stove. Then we put together a salad and I put out the bread and the desserts.
By this time both Kay and Beatriz arrived. Kay had worked all day at Starbucks, and Beatriz had just returned from her friend's place in Whitby.
We set up the food on the counter buffet style so that everyone could take as much as they liked. Thomas was a little unsure when it came to carving the bird, but he did a fine job.

We all enjoyed a great meal. I made mine the day before, my favourite sweet potato vegetarian shepherd's pie. I added the other veggies to my plate as well as some salad.

After a flavourful meal and decadent desserts, we all sat in the the livingroom to open further gifts. Kay got gift cards for H&M and for Deserres, an art store (she is an artist) some bath salts, a jewelry box, and a pair of 'Queen of Clean' rubber gloves. Thomas got a water bottle and a grey sweater, Beatriz got a gift card for clothes, and a nail polish dryer machine and a tea pot. I got more gluten free goodies, cookies this time and some money to go toward a trainer for the new year.

I am grateful that I have people to share my holiday with and the joy they bring me.

So happy holidays to everyone and I wish you all a healthy and eventful New Year!

Happy Hallowe'en (A Tribute to Steve Jobs)

2011-10-30T18:16:00.001-04:00

My friend Vanessa came up with the idea to be an iPod for Hallowe'en, so we scavenged what we could in the art room at the school. We came up with felt, a sheet, some mactac paper, clear page protectors, some apple sauce cups, some grey material and from the gym we borrowed a couple of skipping ropes.

I got to work on my sewing machine, with just an idea in my head, and this is the end result.

We used the skipping ropes as the ear phones, that was probably the hardest thing to figure out!

You can see them here as Vanessa is holding them up while I am rocking out!!

We shall be wearing these at our schools, and then we are thinking it would be a great idea to go to the Apple store in the Eaton Centre.

Queen of painting boo boos

2011-08-21T21:26:00.003-04:00

The pole I was using with the roller snapped and I got paint on the floor.

The edger tool I was using hit a piece of stucco and jumped out of my hand and I got paint on the floor.

I ran out of primer and used what I thought was another primer, but it turned out to be oil based and I wrecked my good brush and a roller, because I don't have any mineral spirits.

I am allergic to the paint, so my eyes are swollen and itchy and I keep sneezing and wheezing.

2 coats should have been enough, but it isn't and I still need to do a 3rd coat.

I ran out of painters tape and had to use masking tape.

As I was taking the tape off the wall after painting it took off chunks of paint with it.

Now I can't even do the baseboards because I don't have any tape or a brush, so that may not even get done.

I have a couchsurfer coming tomorrow sometime and my apartment is a disaster, and the bed she is supposed to sleep on is covered with junk.

I think I'm quitting for the day, just in case something else goes wrong!!

I have decided that if I ever need a room painted again, I'm going to hire someone!

Vacation Time

2011-06-24T23:03:00.000-04:00

Only a few days left of school. I am getting excited about my trip home to England, partly because I am taking a friend there this time. Visiting my home is nice, but I never really think of it as being a vacation. This time though I know that I will feel differently. I will be showing my friend around my home town that is full of history, as well as London. We have also booked a 4 day trip to Spain, that had better be as good as all the problems I have had booking it! Not only that, but in the process I discovered that my passport would have expired while I was away. I am picking up the new one from the passport office on Wednesday, just a few days before I leave for England.

So fingers crossed that all the problems have already happened, and I will have a fun and exciting vacation in England and Spain.

Art Auction

2011-06-09T22:01:00.000-04:00

The children in my classroom are 6 and 7 year olds, who made this amazing quilt for out silent auction on Thursday June 17. We are hoping to get a good chunk of money to support the programs that the school's budget no longer includes. Programs like field trips, visiting artists, authors, scientists, and other wonderful creative activities.

The unit we have been working on is 'Good Stewardship'

First the children engraved a styrofoam piece with a pencil making images of ways to care for our environment. It was then inked and put it on a canvas. I took all the pieces, and sewed them together, adding a border. On the border the students added words that match their images. Each child sewed and tied a simple knot between each panel.

This quilt is to be auctioned off on Thursday, so if you are interested in bidding for this beautiful piece, drop by Bruce Public School, after 5:30p.m. at 51 Larchmount Ave in the east end of Toronto, near Queen and Leslie.

Fingers crossed we'll get a good bid.

Belly Dancing

2011-05-27T22:39:00.000-04:00

Someone on Facebook, added me to an event, Belly Dancing, that included a yoga warm up and meditation at the end.

It all sounded very intriguing, and I added a comment stating that I was over 50 and over weight, and wondered if this would be a good thing for me to try. The reply came saying yes, it would be a great thing for me to try. So I signed up.

It was held in a condo only a few minutes walk from my home, and it was only $10. Well worth the investment.

After the class, photos were taken, and I felt happy, even though I had difficulty with some of the moves!

Here I am with the instructor next to me.

And here we are with 'belly dancing arms!'

Woo Hoo

2011-05-23T15:55:00.000-04:00

I was talking to a friend of mine a while ago, about the 4 blogs that I own. I have a general life one, a dating one, a card one, and a scrapbook one. I also used to have another one where I sold cards that I made, but I deleted that one a while ago. I was saying that it sometimes becomes crazy trying to keep them up, only to not post in months on one or the others.

So imagine my joy just a few minutes ago, when I googled, "How do I merge my blogs?" and it came up with a simple answer!

So now my general and dating ones are merged and my card and scrapbook ones are merged also. Now if you are interested in my general life stuff, you also get to read about my dating life! (Well you would if there was one!) And now my craft stuff is altogether, as it should be.

So go ahead, check out my blogs.

Communication, thanks to Skype

2011-05-23T09:20:00.004-04:00

I am very grateful that Skype exists.

I gave up my landline at the beginning of the year, in favour of an android smart phone from Wind. With this I don't need an internet provider, as I can tether my phone to my computer. So the savings are big. My biggest concern was that I needed a way to stay in touch with my family overseas. I decided that Skype was sufficient because most of my family members are online. I also call my dad, who is not online, through Skype too. It is ridiculously cheap and the quality is fantastic. I can have my weekly chat with him for my usual 30 minutes, and pay only a few cents.

The best thing though, is that my sister got a laptop for Christmas and finally got hooked up online. So we have Skype chats where I can see her and she can see me. I love that. My brother who also lives in the UK, Skypes me once in a while too. I am looking into being able to conference, but it looks like we have to pay for that service.

My sister, Lorna, always brightens up my day. She has a wicked sense of humour, and is my best friend. Funny really, when you think we hated each other growing up! She is a lot like my mum, but would have hated hearing this when she was younger! I love her very much, as she has been the primary person in taking care of my dad for the past 7 years. She does the things that no one really wants to do, and usually without complaint, unless warranted.

So thank you Skype for making possible the connection that I still have with my family.

Grey days of April/May

2011-05-05T11:03:00.001-04:00

I am happy that the sun is out this morning, it brightens up my day. But there really hasn't been too much sunshine in the last couple of months, not to mention the winter blahs.

And with temperature fluctuations comes the cold and 'flu season, again! I am certain we won't see anymore snow for at least 6 or 7 months, but the days can be windy and cold during the month of May.

I have had a sore throat since the middle of March, which then turned into a cough on Good Friday in April. The doctor initially gave me a nasal spray for the sore throat, then new asthma inhalers for the cough. I had asked if perhaps a chest x-ray was necessary, but was told it was just asthma. I had asked if antibiotics might help, again, I was told it was asthma. On returning to the Dr. again yesterday, May, I was told it wasn't asthma it was pneumonia. So finally I am hoping the antibiotics will clear up the chest infection, and I will be able to walk and talk without becoming breathless and coughing.

I think we all know our own bodies best, and it sometimes becomes frustrating when a doctor won't listen. I knew in April that it was a chest infection, since I've had bronchitis on a number of occasions. If I had been given either an x-ray or the antibiotics, then I would have recovered and not have to take further sick days off work. I understand that doctors don't like to hand out medication, especially antibiotics, too often, but I and not a pill popper, and I am not visiting the doctors office continuously, so I feel that they should listen to me.

So wish me well, and thanks for allowing the little rant!

Dateless in Toronto

2011-05-05T10:46:00.000-04:00

I was just checking my blog and realised that it is over a year since I posted. I probably haven't had many dates since the last post, and this worries me.

I did have shoulder surgery in October last year, and hadn't felt much like dating during that time. I am still, in fact undergoing physiotherapy, although now I am much better.

So now the sun has peaked through a few days recently and it makes me feel like I should be out there having fun. Stay tuned for upcoming date reviews.

World Autism Awareness Day

2011-04-02T23:25:00.000-04:00

Today, on the 4th Annual World Autism Awareness Day, we are joining prominent buildings across North America and the world — including the Empire State Building in New York City and the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada — who will turn their lights blue to raise awareness for autism and to commemorate World Autism Awareness Day. Light it up Blue is aiming to light the world blue all throughout April — city by city, town by town — by taking action to raise autism awareness in our communities. Help us LIGHT it up BLUE this month!

I took this photo tonight at 11pm, from the sunroom in my apartment. Sorry for the poor quality, but it's the best my little camera can do.

Scooby Doo is dead!

2011-02-19T21:05:00.000-05:00

I take the bus from my apartment to work, and the other day while I was waiting, I noticed something strange on the ground behind me. I strained my eyes to get a better look, and realised that it was a Scooby Doo toy that had lost it's stuffing. I just had to take a photo of the sad sight.

Breakfast

2011-02-19T21:01:00.000-05:00

I wanted something light this morning.
Vanilla yogourt, strawberries, blueberries and pumpkin seeds.

And of course a cup of tea!

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

2011-02-19T17:47:00.003-05:00

As I mentioned previously, the secretary at my school looks out for and passes on to me, recipes that she thinks I might enjoy. This was one that I thought sounded delicious so I had to try it out.

It is quinoa stuffed peppers.
It is quite labour intensive. Chopped onions, celery, minced garlic, chopped spinach, cumin, diced tomatoes, beans, quinoa, grated carrots and grated cheese. I don't own a food processor, so it takes a while. After sauteing the onions and celery in olive oil, adding cumin and garlic, then spinach and tomatoes, it cooked for 5 minutes. Then I added the beans, I used aduki, but black beans are just as good. Then added quinoa, carrots and water to boil then simmer for 20 minutes. I added the cheese and seasoned it with salt and pepper.

I cut 4 large peppers in half, but they weren't large enough, and stuffed each half with a mountain of the mixture.
Then I poured in some tomato juice that was drained from the chopped tomatoes, into the baking dish. I placed the stuffed peppers into the dish. I put foil over the top, then baked them for an hour.

Then I removed the foil, added some grated cheese to the top and baked another 15 minutes.

I must admit they looked really delicious.
I took one and put it on the plate and poured some of the pan juice over the top.
It tasted as good as it looked.

I took four pieces into school the following day, two for Nancy the secretary and two for my friend Vanessa. They agreed that they were very tasty.

Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

2011-01-31T21:41:00.001-05:00

The secretary in the office at school keeps an eye out for recipes for me. I have made this one twice now, it is so good.

Sweet potatoes are so much better than regular potato. In the pan I started with onions, and leaks. I added turnip, parsnip and carrots.

Then I added a can of adzuki beans. Then the veggie broth, and some rosemary and thyme.

I cooked this for about 10 minutes, then put it in a casserole dish with the mashed sweet potato on top. Then I sprinkled some Parmesan cheese on top of the potatoes. It baked in the oven for another 30 minutes.

This is the end result. It tastes delish!

Snack program project

2011-01-31T21:14:00.001-05:00

I have a plan in mind for a Snack Money BLITZ for my school. The plan for the snack blitz is a huge poster that will hopefully encourage our parents to come up with about $900 in donations to help pay for their kid's snacks. I am very hopeful, as this is an inner city school, and many of our parents are unemployed. I want to put some photos of the snacks on the poster as well as some quotes from the kids on their favourite snacks, and then some information on the cost per snack per child. We have about 180 kids, and if everyone could donate $5 then we should reach the goal.

On my other blog SCRAPPED, I posted a few images that I cut out on my Cricut. Along with these and some photos of the snacks, I think I should be able to catch the interest of the parents.

Here are a couples of photos of the snacks.

Island School

2011-01-30T13:47:00.003-05:00

Every other year our grade 5 and 6's get to go to the Island school for about a week. This time they went the first week back after the holiday break. I wanted to add pictures, but because they are children from my school, of course I can't. I have added some that are blurry so that you can get an idea of what I saw.

I don't go with the kids, but they usually invite teachers over one evening for dinner and activities. I wanted to go, and because the other teachers couldn't get there until later, we missed dinner this year.

We have to take the ferry to Wards Island and a van picks us up from the dock. There are very few vehicles on the island, perhaps just the emergency vehicles, police, fire, ambulance, and a few parks vehicles, and then the van and school bus for the school. Most people on the island have bicycles.

By the time we got there, the kids were on their way to activities. They were participating in a 'Winter Olympics'. I hung out mostly with Vanessa the grade 6 teacher and we caught up a little bit, during her event, the luge. The kids had scooter boards and they had to be pushed from one end of the gym to the other. They had a few other things to complete, including a cheer and collecting a bunch of bean bags. There were other events too, but I missed out on what they were, I know hockey was one and I think there was an obstacle course too.

Here are some pictures of the kids doing a luge run!

I think this is an obstacle course.

Breakfast

2011-01-30T13:20:00.000-05:00

A little breakfast I made for myself on January 15. That is a plate from the new set I bought after Christmas for $20.

Gluten-free blueberry muffin, yogurt, clementine orange, cantaloupe and strawberries. And of course a nice mug full of tea.

One man's garbage is anothers treasure

2011-01-30T13:10:00.002-05:00

I found this in the basement of my building. It was going out as garbage. I called my son to see if he wanted it for his my apartment, but it was too tall. I had my neighbour help me bring it up to my apartment, because is was too good to throw away.

This is how it looks now that I have filled it with scrapbook stuff.

I'm not usually a dumpster diver, but this one was worth it. It's a Billy bookshelf from Ikea.

January Update

2011-01-30T12:45:00.001-05:00

I was just looking at my January 1st blog, and I had to laugh. All good intentions! But I have had just about no success on any of the points.

I saw the surgeon last Wednesday 3 months post surgery, and he was not happy. In fact he had a little rant about the physiotherapists not doing the best for me. When he found out that I was not paying, but was having it through OHIP, (Ontario Health Insurance Plan), he said that if I was paying privately he was sure they would be doing a better job! So I went back and told that to the physiotherapist, (who was not very happy, obviously) and then I was subject to a very painful session. I guess that is how it will go from now on, but hopefully that will mean I will progress further than before. The surgeon said he has patients just 6 weeks post surgery who are much further along than me.

As for my body image, it continues to get worse. I renewed my gym subscription, with all good intentions, but due to the pain in my shoulder and a bout of the 'flu, I haven't had the energy or the lung capacity to go and work out. Hopefully beginning in February I can change this.

Expanding my group of friends has actually gone backwards. In the winter months I just feel like staying home and staying warm! I haven't been to any events other than my own Board Games Night which is in my building! I know that once spring shows up that this will change.

Same goes for my love life. I had just commented to my friend Kat, who is a Relationship Coach, that I just have no desire to date in the winter. I'm not sure if that is typical of singles in Canada, but again I never have a good body image during those months and I hate all the clothes I have to wear to stay warm!

My relationship with my family is about the same. I got rid of my land line so now I won't be phoning them as much. I did hook both my brother and sister up on Skype and we even had a conference call. It was pretty cool. Now if only they would log on to Skype on the weekends we can chat more often. In the process of getting rid of my land line, I gave up that number. My son is so sentimental that he didn't want to lose the number we have always had, so he took it on. If anyone calls for me they will get him, and he'll pass on my new number.

I have scrapped maybe 3 times this month, so no change there either. I just bought a cool new cartridge for my Cricut machine, and cut out some lovey retro looking kitchen stuff. Go check it out at Scrapped. That is another blog I have.

As for flossing, I didn't have a dentist appointment this month, or ate anything that got caught in my teeth, so I figure that I flossed a total of about 5 times this month. I know, I KNOW, gross! I never have been a big flosser, I have very healthy teeth, and so I just don't see the need!

So here comes February, lets see what I can accomplish this month.

2010 Newsletter

2011-01-01T09:06:00.000-05:00

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1/1/11

2011-01-01T08:38:00.003-05:00

January 1st.

A time to renew and plan for success.

I'm not really sure what my plan is, but basically to have a better year than the last, to be a more positive influence on the lives I touch and to be and do the best that I can.

Some of the things that will improve are:

the movement of my arm and shoulder, which means continued physiotherapy and exercise
my body image, which means returning to the gym on a more regular basis
expanding my group of friends, beyond Work, Couchsurfing and Meetup
my love life, which means going on more dates
my relationship with my family
the frequency with which I scrapbook
flossing

I started blogging almost 6 years ago, and my first entry was, `101 Things to do in 1001 days`. I just checked back on it and most of the items are done, only about 20 or so were never completed. Some of the things took a lot longer than I expected, and others are just not as important to me any more.

I will also be more aware of what I have, how I use it and be appreciative of it.

How about you?

Merry Christmas surprise!

2010-12-26T09:12:00.001-05:00

So the plans were set, the lasagna made, and I was just waiting for my guests to arrive.

Thomas showed up around 12:30 and we both had some lunch before opening the gifts. I had already given him loads of stuff to help set up his new apartment, you know the stuff like dish drainer, pot holders, bag clips, waste paper bins etc. and of course a big bag of groceries. I also gave him a nice area rug for his living room. So for Christmas day I gave him the new Canon lens for his DSLR camera, another rug for the kitchen (he has ceramic floors), a kettle, some long underwear, a t. shirt from the One of a Kind Show, a salt and pepper grinder, and a bunch of other things he needed.

He gave me a lap pad for my lap top, or to use when my table is covered in scrapbook stuff. He had one of his photos printed and framed for me, that is absolutely beautiful.

He bought me a beautiful piece of art work he saw me admiring in a store.

I also got a tea infuser spoon, some English candy and chocolate, a huge 1lb bag of yarn and some silly gifts added to my stocking.
It was a fun afternoon, and while I prepared the vegetables for roasting he took a little nap. I was expecting Beatriz to arrive around 4:30, so I picked up the book I got from the library and started to read.

Just before Beatriz arrived, Thomas came to tell me that there had been a problem with Kay's flight from Korea. She was supposed to arrive sometime at the beginning of January. He said something about her not being able to get a visa for the connection in the USA. I mentioned that the very same thing had happened to one of my couch surfers, then asked when she would be coming and he said that she had already arrived 4 days ago! WOW, what a surprise. Then I asked why she wasn't here for dinner and he told me she was on her way. Then the panic set in. I didn't have any gifts for her!. Thomas kept saying it was okay, but I couldn't stand the thought of someone coming for Christmas and not having a gift to open.

I grabbed my one of my cards and wrote it to her, then I took a spare box of truffles and that would be my present. A sad offering, but something anyway.

The buzzer went just as Thomas got a call from Kay saying she was in the neighbourhood. I let Beatriz in and Thomas went to pick up Kay. I was so happy that I had a houseful of guests for a wonderful Christmas Day celebration.

Beatriz gave me the hand blender I was wanting, it came with a whisk, a measuring cup and a chopper.

I gave her a set of dishes, an iron and a mail and key holder to go beside her door. She asked specifically for those. I had also made a mini album with pictures of our trip to Cuba in. And while I was visiting Thomas at the liquor store I thought it would be a great idea to get Beatriz a bottle of wine from her home, Argentina.

Kay gave me something that I had asked Thomas for. She brought it from Korea. It is a hand held pump and special plastic bags with a valve in, that can store food and the air can be pumped out for extra freshness.
I gave her the chocolate that she was very happy with. I apologised for not having more for her.

Later I showed Beatriz, who is also a knitter, the huge bag of yarn Thomas had given me. She asked me if I would start knitting again, and I told her I had already made somethings earlier in the week. I went to get the some of the things, a neck warmer and a pair of fingerless gloves. As I was showing them to her I realized that these would make a lovely gift for Kay. So I offered them to her which she accepted graciously.

I set up the food buffet style in the kitchen so all could choose what they wanted. There was spinach lasagna, made with gluten-free noodles, roasted vegetables, salad, dinner rolls, and cornbread. Not your traditional Christmas dinner, but a wonderful meal all the same. We had Beatriz's wine and cranberry juice. We pulled crackers and laughed at the silly jokes and quotes in them, we even wore the silly gold and silver crowns. After eating dinner I set out a variety of mini desserts and I had some gluten-free Christmas cake I found at the farmer's market. It was a lovely meal, with some great company and some lively conversation.

After dinner we relaxed in the living room and watched my favourite Christmas movie, A Christmas Story.

This will go down as one of my favourite Christmases, mostly because of the company, the food, and the big surprise of meeting Kay again.

my blog: Letter to my daughter ( in the wake of senseless t...

2010-10-08T17:10:00.000-04:00

my blog: Letter to my daughter ( in the wake of senseless t...: "Hello my girl, I wanted to say hi and tell you how much I miss you and that I hope your classes are going well and that you are having fun ..."

Summer Break

2010-07-03T19:01:00.002-04:00

It's been ages since I last added anything here. I have been dealing with some personal issues that have more or less worked themselves out. A positive attitude works wonders.

We hosted the G20 summit here in Toronto and it was a ridiculous display of events, from protesters, to riot police, to the holding cells, to the damage done to our city. All costing the city a disgusting amount of money. I kept hearing many of our citizens asking why they can't teleconference. The savings would be phenomenal, the leaders would be safe, and they could focus on the business that needs to be discussed.

I hosted Jack Stafford who played at the Cameron House for the North by North East (NXNE). He invited me out to watch the Stones in Exile movie and to catch a few music groups, one of which was from England dressed in Orange NASA-like suits.

So the last few weeks of school were wonderful.

Helping out with a grade 1/2 class on a trip to the beach, ending at a splashpad where I was greatful for the cool spray that came my way whilst observing the children.

The Grade 6 children got to take a trip to Niagara Falls where they hiked and explored. I wish I could have gone with them, but I was needed at the school.

Their graduation on Monday was a lovely event with awards and speeches. I helped put together a wonderful slide show including pictures of the students from 2006 when they looked like innocent little angels! I was lucky enough to be invited to their graduation party in an aunt's beautiful back yard. The kids had such a fantastic time being kids, having cupcake and whip cream fights, as well as dressing the part for the Under the Sea theme.

We also had the last day assembly where the teachers could congratulate students in some of their accomplishments. At the end, just before the last bell we did the clapout for the graduates. We line the hallway from the gym to the front of the school and clap as they walk out of the school for the last time as grade 6 students. I always get teary eyed at this point.

The staff party this year was held in a co-worker's back yard. She also hosted us the first week of school in her yard in September 2009. There was her famous sangria, hamburgers, pizzas, veggie kabobs, and tons more. I stayed only for a short while as I had an appointment with a Dr. But from all accounts this was a wonderful party that went on well into the night.

The very next day was the last day of school for the staff. No kids, just a morning filled with a meeting that covered many plans for next year.

And that was it. School over for 2 months.

I don't have many plans for the summer. Doing a bit of hosting during July for couch surfers and going to the Queen's Plate tomorrow, Sunday to watch the races, and possibly get a glimpse of Queen Elizabeth.

I will also get some more scrapbook pages done, go to the gym, ride my bike, hang out with friends and read lots of books, (I finally renewed my library card!)

I am seeing my sports medicine doctor on the 19th and will hopefully get moving on surgery for my shoulder. A large tear in my rotater cuff, so the scan said, but the MRI will give a more accurate idea.

James Taylor and Carole King

2010-05-29T16:09:00.004-04:00

Last night I went to the Air Canada Centre to see a concert with two old favourites of mine. Carole King and James Taylor. I had such a great evening listening to the two of them singing. Carole had a cold or sore throat, and was rather raspy throughout, but I loved it anyway. They were the most gracious entertainers and genuinely thanked the audience for their applause. The other thing I found quite touching was the fact that all the performers applauded their peers for their performances after each song. So cool.

Here is a video that I recorded:

Meredith

2010-05-28T13:51:00.000-04:00

I dropped by the gym yesterday to say a final farewell to my trainer, Meredith. She has been a good friend helping me out with both my exercise and my diet. She is returning to her native Prince Edward Island to work in her other field of expertise, nutrition.

Good Bye and Good Luck Meredith

Victoria Day Breakfast.

2010-05-26T00:04:00.000-04:00

I woke up yesterday and decided I should have a good breakfast to celebrate Victoria Day. Here in Canada most of us refer to this as the May two four weekend. No one really understands why we call it Victoria Day, well we know it is supposed to be Queen Victoria's birthday, but why?? We just enjoy the day off and watch fireworks. So now I will start a new tradition and make myself a big breakfast instead of the usual green smoothie variety.

Here I have scrambled eggs with a little onion added in, cucumber, tomatoes and a gluten-free bagel. That bagel looks good right? It was and I appreciate the fact that I finally found some at the grocery store. However, $7 for 5 bagels is a sin!

Here is the mug of tea I finished off my breakfast with. I seldom drink black tea anymore, since I only really drink it with milk and I'm trying not to drink cows milk now. Once in a while I buy a 250ml container of skim milk just so that I can have a cup of tea. It just doesn't taste the same with Almond milk.

Curried Carrot Soup with cornbread Croutons

2010-05-11T23:53:00.000-04:00

Iris over at The Daily Dietribe, suggested that her readers adopt a gluten-free blogger. So of course I am choosing my favourite blogger who produces amazing food, not only taste-wise,but she takes delicious photos of her food. Gluten-Free Goddess Karina Allrich always makes her food so appealing, not only from the ingredients that she uses, but her writing style is so succulent that you just can't help but to be enticed to try out her recipes.

The first recipe I tried was her Cider Roasted Vegetables. To die for.
Then I tried the Warm Quinoa + Spinach Salad with Grape Tomatoes.

I loved the Focaccia with Garlic and Tomato.

For Christmas dinner in 2009 I made the Vegetarian Shepherds Pie. and served it to my friend, who is neither vegetarian or gluten-free.

This picture is of the latest dish I made. Curried Carrot Soup with Pan Toasted Cornbread Croutons. (Except I didn't pan toast the croutons!)

I served it to a friend after a great spinning class. We were ravenous and ate it with extra cornbread, followed by yoghourt, strawberry muffins and fresh strawberries and blueberries. We finished off with a cup of herbal tea. Delicious. My friend joked about the fact I say I hate cooking, and yet every time I feed her it tastes great. That is really thanks to Karina.

My next dish is that I am dying to try out is Baked Grape Tomatoes with Basil and Cornbread Crumbs.

Logorama - animated short

2010-05-09T14:19:00.000-04:00

Logorama from Marc Altshuler - Human Music on Vimeo.

Jack Stafford at C'est What

2010-05-09T01:24:00.000-04:00

An invitation was sent out to all Toronto Couchsurfers encouraging them to go to C'est What and listen to Jack Stafford sing. He is a couchsurfer too, and is on tour spreading his music around.

I dropped by and chatted to a few other couchsurfers, and enjoyed the 2 sets of music played.

A sample can be heard here:
www.thejackstaffordfoundation.com

Meningitis Septicemia

2010-05-06T12:57:00.000-04:00

Meningitis is an inflammation of the lining of the brain and it can be caused by several different germs. Some are bacterial and some are viruses. Meningitis caused by a virus (viral meningitis) is generally less serious. The bacterial germs can cause septicemia (blood poisoning or infection of the blood) as well as meningitis. Anyone of any age can get meningitis or septicemia and the tow illnesses can occur at teh same time. If the illness is diagnosed early and treated quickly, most people recover completely.

Bacterial meningitis is quite rare, but can be very serious. There are three main types, named after the germs that can cause the illness. The three types are:

Meningococcal
Pneumococcal
Hemophilus influenza type b (known as Hib)

Immunization against Hib infection is now possible. Children are immunized at two, three and four months - at the same time as diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and polio. If you do not remember your child being immunized, and he or she is under four, you should contact your doctor.

Each year there are over 2000 cases of bacterial meningitis in England and Wales. This figure is lower that it was because of the success of the Hib vaccine (the most common type of meningitis in children under four used to be Hib). The meningococcal germ is now the most common cause of meningitis and septicemia in all age groups. Young people and adults also get the pneumococcal form of meningitis and septicemia.

The germs that cause bacterial meningitis are very common and live naturally in the back of the nose and throat. Coughing, sneezing and kissing spread the germs, but they do not live for more than a few seconds outside the body and are not easily passed from one person to another. People of any age can carry them for weeks or months without becoming ill. It is only rarely that they overcome the body's defenses by entering the blood from the throat causing meningitis or septicemia. You cannot get the germs from water supplies, swimming pools, factories or buildings.

People with meningitis or septicemia usually have a rash which can be anything from tiny red spots to larhe blotchy bruises. If you press a drinking glass against their rash it will remain visible through the glass (whereas rashes that occur with most other infections will fade or blanch). Their skin may be pale and clammy, even though they have a fever.

Besides a rash, the other symptoms that may be found in cases of meningitis are: fever, vomiting, severe headache, still neck, dislike of bright lights, impaired consciousness or excessive drowsiness. The symptoms of septicemia are similar, though the rash is always present; the headache is not so severe; a stiff neck and dislike of bright lights are not usually found.

If you are worried someone may have meningitis or septicemia you should seek medical help immediately.

Fabulous Flower

2010-05-06T10:16:00.000-04:00

I took this photo 4 years ago, at the green house in Allen Gardens. Love these colours.

Busy Doing Nothing

2010-05-05T21:14:00.006-04:00

My life has been a bit confusing and mixed up in the last few weeks. Things have happened to me that I cannot explain, and I have been accused of something that isn't very nice. I am at this time not at work, and I don't know when I will return. I can't really get specific on the details as there is are investigations going on.

So the trick has been to keep myself busy so that I am not overwhelmed with negative thoughts, and obsessing with what the outcome may end up being.

I decided that it would be a great idea to go back to my personal fitness trainer, Meredith and work with her a couple of times a week. This has been a great help. I go up to her condo and use the gym there. It is much more personal, cleaner and comfortable.

I am also doing a little shopping here and there and spending far too much money. But what's wrong with that? I bought a great pair of rubber boots to wear in the rain, some clothes, and scrapbook supplies.

I got my hair cut and went back to having highlights. In order to make it look natural, Telli my hairdresser had to give me high and low lights. It turned out quite dark, almost my own hair colour. She also wanted to make my hair a little healthier, as there were quite a few split ends. So she cut it quite short. So at this point I am not much in love with my hairstyle and colour. Thank goodness it grows!

I have been to a few events with MeetIn. I saw Grease a few weeks back, then more recently I saw Burn the Floor. I thought this dance show would be great as some of the dancers were from So You Think You Can Dance. However it was quite repetitious and at times boring. I was expecting the dances to tell a story, but it lacked there somewhat.

I have been out for dinner a few times, and a lunch here and there, more money spent! But it is important to surround yourself with friends while your life is taking you on an unknown path. I was at a wonderful restaurant for lunch on Sunday, Bar Mercurio on Bloor St. W. They have gluten-free desserts. Lots of them. I am going to have to go back to try each and every one of them. This could potentially become my first date meeting place!!

I went to get an ultrasound of my shoulder and they ended up doing both shoulders. I have to wait until next Friday to get the results. But yesterday at my weekly physiotherapy appointment my therapist Sabrina at Athletes Care told me that the scan shows tears on both shoulders. She had initially thought it was just an impingement, but realized after a number of treatments that there must be more. So I'll find out from Dr. Edelist what the treatment will be. Sabrina doesn't think surgery is an option as the tear is only partial on each side. So it's likely that it will have to continue to be medication for the pain and physiotherapy.

I participated in a great scavenger hunt a few weekends ago. There were about 4-500 people who met at Nathan Philips Square, and we got into groups of about 8. My group were mostly couchsurfers. We had a blast finding all the stuff. We broke up into smaller groups to get it all done. 2 hours later we returned to Nathan Philips Square to discover that we came 12th after the scores were totaled up.

I met a friend at Ed's Ice Cream shop for a well deserved treat. I usually get cappuccino and raspberry, they are my favourite flavours. While there I saw my friend's photography pieces on display in the shop. Very cool, literally, they are photos of ice sculptures.

My good friend Beatriz celebrated her birthday on April 30, so I got her a ticket to join me at the show Burn The Floor. She enjoyed it, but also said it was a bit repetitious. After the show we went to the Pickle Barrel, and ate some food with a few others from MeetIn. I spent almost a week on a mini album that I made for Beatriz's birthday present.

Now we are here in May, and I need to find new things to do. May 1st was National Scrapbook Day, so I spent a large part of the weekend completing challenges offered by My Pink Stamper.

I am planning on joining a few people to make a few cards. My Stampin'Up demonstrator, Caroline holds classes for stampers every month.

I have had a few hours sitting in the sun, reading and relaxing, but that gets boring quickly.

So if you have any ideas of how I can keep busy, let me know.

Good Luck

2010-04-18T11:54:00.000-04:00

Having made the decision to go out with guys who contact me through the dating websites that I am a member of, I accepted a date with Donald. His profile said he likes the active life, and mentioned he was trying to get a business up and running. Also on the subject of "Do you like to drink?" he had responded, "Prefer not to say" I felt this was a little suspicious, so my first email to him asked him about it and I mentioned that I was allergic to alcohol (in case he was an alcoholic and was looking for a drinking buddy!) He replied that he too had an allergy.

I suggested a coffee shop not too far from me, and while I was waiting for him I saw a friend who I met through Couchsurfing and started chatting to him. A few minutes later I felt a man staring at me, saw it was him and introduced Donald to Dave. I walked to the counter to order my tea, and asked Donald if he was getting something, to which he replied, "no, I've already had my tea." I paid for my tea, and while I was putting milk in it I suggested that Donald find us a seat. (I was a little surprised that he didn't offer to pay for my tea).

I noticed immediately he was uncomfortable making eye contact. I understand that nerves get the best of us sometimes, but I need a confident man in my life, not someone who embarrasses easily. I started with easy conversation to put him at ease, and that seemed to help.

We talked a little about the things he was interested in and it sounded like he no longer participated in them. His family is a bit fractured by divorce and he doesn't see his kids much and most of his interests were their interests.

He told me a lot about his kids, his ex, his dog, his motorbike, his therapist, his cat, and little about what he does for a living. I got the impression that he hasn't had a job in 2 years, and is having a hard time finding work.

I told him a little about my son, why I came to Canada, my work, my experiences of the dating scene, and this and that.

I was really hungry, so I said I needed to go home and eat. We got up and he asked if he could walk me, and I politely declined the offer. At the corner I said that it was nice meeting him and I wished us both good luck on our search. He had a genuine stunned look on his face. It made me feel a little uncomfortable, but I was surprised that he thought we had any chemistry.

I walked home looking forward to eating something, but once I got home the fire alarm in my building went off and I smelled smoke. The garbage chute was on fire again, this was probably the 4th time its happened. So by the time the fire was out and the fire fighters left I was starving!

The alarm went off again later on, so I left the building to meet some friends at a nearby pub to talk about the problems we have dating!

This morning I got an email from Donald who said the he guessed Good Luck meant I had found something in him I didn't like. I responded saying it wasn't something I didn't like, just no chemistry. He wrote back saying he didn't think that chemistry could be developed or felt in a coffee shop. I wont respond any further, as I don't want to continue any relationship with him.

Limp Fish

2010-04-05T12:16:00.000-04:00

My last date was one I have had too often. I was contacted through an online dating site by Jim who said I was pretty. I checked out his profile and saw a man that looked older than his years, and his profile description showed me he was a man who liked an even keel, with little to no excitement to offer. But he contacted me and I want to try to see through any invitations that I get.

He had suggested we go to the Distillery District for tea, so I agreed. I met him at the market, then we walked over to Toronto's first pedestrian only village. On meeting him, I offered Jim a handshake only to receive a very limp hand that made me want wipe my hand on my jacket! Doesn't EVERYONE know that a firm handshake is the desirable method of a first greeting?

From Wikipedia:
"It is considered to be in poor taste to show dominance with too strong a handshake; conversely, too weak a handshake (sometimes referred to as a "limp fish" or "dead fish" handshake) is also considered unseemly due to people perceiving it as a sign of weakness. Because a first impression can last a lifetime, the handshake is actually very important when meeting people for the first time and a weak handshake can instantly make people form negative opinions of you"

I found another article on 'Manly' handshakes here. Quite funny actually.

So we talked on the walk over and my impression of him didn't change. We sat in the coffee shop sipping our tea chatting about this and that, and still my impression didn't change. He told me that he could not stand hearing people swear, (and my first thought was, "WTF?"). He told me he loved to eat cheese. He told me that he was an accountant, (but I had figured that out already!)

After 30 minutes or so I left to use the ladies room, and on return I remained standing and suggested we leave. He insisted on walking me home, where the conversation remained bland. A block before my building I said goodbye and he wanted to offer me his business card, but he couldn't find one. Just as well really.

I wish I knew the secret of finding a good guy to date. Or even just a guy who has interesting things to say, or perhaps just a good firm handshake.

The search continues........

Easter

2010-04-04T02:09:00.009-04:00

I have 4 days off for the Easter holiday. I don't do religious holidays, just lost faith along the way. But I am grateful for the extra days off, as it gives me a chance to reconnect with friends and family.

I spent most of Friday at home tidying and putting stuff away. It was a record breaking temperature, but when I went out, it didn't feel that way to me. So I didn't feel too bad about staying in. I did go out on my E-bike to pick up a new vacuum cleaner, as my old one broke 2 new belts on the first try. I found a good one that does floors and carpet, and it is very light weight.

On Saturday I went grocery shopping and got some great deals. I also went to Joe Fresh to check out their new summer stuff. It was another warm day, although not record breaking this time. I found some great deals on tee shirts, as well as a cardigan and a pair of shorts. I dropped into the St. Lawrence Market to pick up a few things, and found a Kinder Surprise egg that I bought for Thomas, and then promptly ate it later that afternoon!

I spent the majority of the day outside, enjoying the sunshine. I took a few photos of flowers that have blossomed already. Those poor things will have a shock when the temperature returns to the normal for this time of year.

I called my aunt in England, she is my mum's sister, so it's almost like talking to my mum. We had a good laugh about roller coasters and other daring activities she used to love to sneak away and do. Later I chatted with a friend in England on Skype, he didn't even realize he had Skype till I messaged him on it!

Sunday I am cooking brunch for Beatriz and just chilling out. I plan on making some omelettes, hash browns, and tomatoes with some fresh strawberries, blueberries and bananas with yoghurt for dessert.

Happy Easter everyone.

New furniture

2010-03-16T09:39:00.004-04:00

Here are some of the pieces I bought at Ikea.

The armchairs have been sent back because although they look okay, they were as hard as a rock to sit on.

The other pictures show the dining room table with pieces of the sideboard waiting to be put together.

There is the book cases that are lying on the floor waiting for the backs to be nailed on.

At the time I took the photos I didn't have the sideboard put together yet.

I will post more pictures when the spring cleaning is done, and if and when I find new armchairs to replace the ones I sent back.

Time for a Change

2010-01-23T10:50:00.000-05:00

I've had my living room furniture for over 15 years now and I have decided it is time for a change. I went through this a few years ago, and in doing so, I realized that couches and chairs are ridiculously expensive!

Three years ago I got the cushion covers of the couch reupholstered in black leather, because I couldn't find anything as comfortable at a reasonable price and so stuck with the same couch. The leather had started to crack so it needed to be done. I went to a leather shop and found a piece of leather that mostly matched the old stuff. I then found someone in the west end who would reupholster them for me. He did a great job, and I got it at a great price, way less than a new couch, that's for sure.

It has served me well, but the original reason I wanted to change the furniture, is because I was tired of having black in the living room.

While I was at Ikea with my friend Beatriz a few weeks ago I saw the Poang chair in red, and the idea came to me that I didn't need new chairs, just new covers. So I bought a red Poang cover to try out. I put it on the chair and lived with it for a week, but I knew almost immediately that it wasn't going to work. The colour was wrong. Plus my chair is one of the very old models and the cover isn't really made for it. So while talking with my son, he suggested just buying new chairs. It actually makes sense since the covers cost $60 and the new chair is $99.

So tomorrow I will be returning the cover and looking at a variety of chairs.

New Years Eve

2010-01-02T16:12:00.000-05:00

My plans changed for New Year's Eve. I was supposed to go to a house party with my friend Beatriz, but she wasn't feeling great because she had a bit of a cold. So Vanessa and I decided that she would come to my home and we would un-celebrate the new year! Neither one of us are in a relationship and we both hate the stroke of midnight when we have no one to kiss and hold close, so we would just watch videos and ignore welcoming in 2010.

We decided to watch "Love Actually" and when I tried to use the DVD player nothing happened. Early this past year Rogers upgraded me to a digital box, and I figure they must have done something or else the dvd player is broken. So I tried to come up with a solution, which turned out to be just fine. We watched it on my laptop, but then I realizes that I could hook up my desk top monitor because it is bigger. Doing that I also figured out that if i hooked up the speakers too, then the sound would improve. It did and we were happy with the solution.

After the movie we watched the end of another movie on tv, and then I showed Vanessa a bunch of funny You Tube videos. We had a great laugh!

Vanessa slept on my comfy couch and promised that she would go to the gym the following morning. I had a hard time falling asleep for some reason, but I think it was about 5:30 am when I finally fell asleep. Vanessa didn't manage to wake up in time for her class, so we just relaxed. I made pancakes for breakfast with strawberries, blueberries, clementines and apple sauce. We drank tea and spent the whole day doing as little as possible.

What a wonderful way to start off 2010.

Shopping Road Trip

2009-12-30T23:45:00.000-05:00

Every once in a while my fellow scrapbooker Keitha invites me along to a shopping road trip to purchase scrapbooking supplies. On Tuesday December 29 she picked me up in front of my building at about 9:45am. We headed west and our first stop was Michaels at the Dixie Value Mall. I was very excited because I had seen the flyer and they had Cricut cartridges on sale and I was ready to buy at least two, perhaps more. Unfortunately when I saw them I was confused as to why they were priced at $119.95. I was told by the sales associate that the sale ended the day before. CRUSHED! I managed to spend $18 on this and that, thanks to a 50% off one item coupon I found online.

We drove further west looking for Angela's Craft Centre at 37 King St in Dundas. Somehow we ended up in Stoney Creek at the same address! So on our way to the correct address we stopped off at The Memory Keeper in Hamilton on 1119 Fennell Av. I had seen them at the CreativFestival earlier in the year, and had even ordered a Scorpal from their website. When we got to the store, I was really impressed. There was a class going on in the back and I felt as though I wanted to sit down and join in. The store itself carried lots of current and new items including the Hero Art's stamps. We spent a long time here. I picked up a deep cut blade and housing for my Cricut at a great price. They had some great page kits that I picked up and I added a few more Copic markers to my collection. Their Cuttlebug folders were really inexpensive and I picked up the Diamond Plate.

We were getting hungry at this time and stopped off at Tim Horton's for lunch. I was successful in getting them to make an egg salad sandwich on my gluten-free bread, unlike the Tim Horton's in Toronto.

We received better directions to Angela's and eventually arrived there! This store has some amazing cards on display and taking photos of them is encouraged. I bought myself a light box, because I usually use a battery operated touch light under a clear plastic shoebox. I also picked up a couple of packages of clear acrylic stamps.

From Angela's we headed to Forever Scrapbooks in Burlington. As we entered we were told that everything in the store was 20% off. I only found an acrylic block for a new stamp, but Keitha had more luck than me.

Finally we decided to drop off at another Michaels in Oakville. I picked up some Stickles, 2 packs of card stock and an amazing box from storing photos in but I'll use for other storage.

We headed back to Toronto and arrived at my apartment at about 7pm. A great day hanging out with a friend who enjoys shopping for scrapbook stuff as much as I do!

Love, Infatuation or Stalking?

2009-12-27T21:57:00.000-05:00

A recent date I had was with a man I met on Plenty of Fish. He looked pretty good on his profile picture, even for a 53 year old man! We agreed to meet at the coffee shop, Balzac’s in the Distillery District on a Sunday. I arrived to see him standing outside the shop. He seemed like a good guy who really did look like the picture on his profile. I found a place to sit and the date began.

He liked to talk a lot about himself. He was an editor of videos as well as some sort of musician. He had been recently separated from his 2nd wife. He had a couple of kids who were amazing. He told me of his 2nd wife, that they met in September and were married by November. The warning bells should have sounded at this point, but I was enjoying the company of an interesting man, (I thought). We spent some time walking around the area looking in shops and galleries. He then walked me home and we made plans to meet again the following weekend. We also exchanged numbers. I thought that this could potentially be the beginning of a good friendship and perhaps more. We had spent perhaps 2 1/2 hours together.

Later that night I sent him a text to let him know I enjoyed meeting him that day. The next day he called while I was working at school and when I checked my phone, I text him and told him I couldn’t have him calling while I was working in the classroom or on the playground. He texted me right back even though I was still working. He ended up calling or texting 3 times that Monday. The following day he did the same, he either texted or called me 3 times. After the 2nd call I had told him I was extremely tired and was going to bed early because I thought I was coming down with something. An hour later he called me again, “just to hear your voice”. I was so tired and he had called after knowing I was going to bed. The next day, Wednesday I decided to take off work because I had a fever and was feeling pretty awful I knew that I’d have to turn off my phone because I suspected he would keep calling if he knew I was not working. At the end of the day I turned the phone on and alas, there were 3 messages from him! I sent him an email explaining how this was too much for me, having only spent just over 2 hours together. I was feeling overwhelmed by these calls and I asked him not to contact me again until we met later on the weekend. He emailed me and agreed, saying that he was only doing that because he liked me so much.

We met up near my place and we drove to High Park where he wanted to eat. I had already eaten and so I just had tea. The whole time he talked about himself, his kids, his job, his band, him, him, him. I was pretty bored around this time. But I had to give him the benefit of doubt, to ensure I wasn’t mistaken. I should have gone with my gut instinct, and I should have listened better while he was telling me that he met and married his 2nd wife within 2 months! We went for a walk in High Park. The weather was very cold, and so we cut it short and we drove around trying to decide what to do. I suggested he take me to the Magic Oven, a favourite restaurant of mine, so that I could eat. Whilst at the restaurant he continued to dominate the conversation with talk of himself. I made my decision then and there that I was not interested in this man. He drove me home and that was the last I saw of him.

Garrison Creek Gang

2009-12-27T21:05:00.000-05:00

I used to work at a daycare centre called Garrison Creek. Some of the women I work with still stay in touch with me. Some of us decided to meet up last night for dinner. We ate at my favourite restaurant, (in fact I've eaten there 3 times this week!) The Hot House. The actually serve gluten-free pasta and pizza.

When I walked in I saw Susy first. She had a lot to tell me because even though we are in contact through Facebook, I hadn't seen her in about 10 years. She told me of her dissolving relationship with her husband and some major crap in her life. But she looked amazing and is out giving her 2nd life a good work out!

Then Debbie and Louisa came in. I had seen Debbie at my birthday party and Louisa in the summer. We sat and talked and talked, to the point that the waitress told us to wave her over when we were ready to order! The food was good, the company amazing and the mood happy.

We left the restaurant and went on to The Bier Markt and bar close to my apartment. Since we were early we had no problems getting a seat and a table were all the action would be later in the evening. The place got crowded after the Toronto Maple Leafs game ended, (they lost). Some of us drank and some of us didn't but we all had a really good time regardless. Susy fell down some steps from the table, I'm sure the beer she had was safe though! We left sometime after midnight.

It's always reassuring that when you get together with friends that you seldom see, you still hold that bond and it's like time melts away.

Holiday fun

2009-12-26T14:06:00.002-05:00

Well I am way behind on my annual newsletter that I send out to family and friends, perhaps I can work on that this afternoon.

School ended on Friday December 18, and the holiday began. I made a few plans, but most of them were canceled. I was planning on working out more often, but my back problems have limited me somewhat. I was going to go for a back massage, but my masseuse canceled as she was sick. I was going to have lunch with 2 friends, but one was sick so we canceled until next week.

However, I did manage to host 3 couchsurfers who are going to University in Washington State, 2 from Japan and 1 from Poland. Lovely women who spent 3 days in Toronto. We enjoyed a lovely dinner together their last night here.

I also got in a Dr.s appointment and got a couple of prescriptions.

I have managed to get to the gym once this past week, even though it should have been more often.

On Christmas Eve I got my hair done and am a little unsure of the results. I usually get high lights and I decided to try just colouring all of it. I think it's a big mistake, but I'll give it a few days to get used to and if I still am not happy with it I will change it.

I got 2 phone calls on Christmas day. One from my son in South Korea and one from my dad in England. Thomas chose this coat for his Christmas present from me.

My very good friend Beatriz came over for dinner in the evening of Christmas day and I served a vegetarian shepherds pie with salad and focaccia bread. Beatriz brought a fruit tray along for dessert and we added a few chocolates with it.

Today I have planned to meet 3 friends that I worked with over 12 years ago, to have dinner with and then perhaps a comedy show.

I am hoping to go to Ikea on Sunday to have a look around, perhaps spend some money.

I have plans on Monday to get fitted for new orthotics, get to the gym and work out with my trainer, and go to get that massage I missed last week.

On Tuesday I will be hanging out with my friend Keitha showing her my new Cricut machine and the Sure Cuts A Lot program my son gave me for Christmas, and perhaps hitting some craft stores to see if there are any deals.

I will also be hanging out with a couple of teacher friends some time this coming week.

Only a week left of my holidays and I have a few other things I'd like to get done, like some scrapbooking and cleaning up. I also want to spend some time just relaxing and reading and drinking tea!

Christmas Party

2009-12-12T16:07:00.006-05:00

My first Christmas party was spent with Maria and Mehmet, whom I only see a few times a year.

Maria is George's sister. She survive breast cancer, and is on the mend.

Her daughter Meggie was there, and her boyfriend, as well as Tanya another family member.

I got a ride with other friends of Maria's as they now live too far away to take the TTC. Tom and Carrie picked me up from the subway and also brought me back to the city.

Maria's home is absolutely beautiful, however in a few months they will be moving into a smaller home not far from where they live now. Their neighbourhood was filled with homes that went all out on decorations for the holiday. Lights everywhere.

When it came to the food, it was the first time I've ever been somewhere to eat where I didn't have to worry about what was in the food. Maria is also sensitive to wheat and is vegetarian! So I ate to my heart's content.

It was great to catch up, with my 'sister' and to meet new people. We even did some Greek dancing!

Thanks again Maria for sharing the holidays with me in your home. It means a lot.

New Shoes

2009-11-11T19:31:00.000-05:00

I was home one afternoon a couple of weeks ago watching an Oprah show when it was announced that for the rest of that day and the following day there was coupon on the Oprah website that allowed 50% off anything at Payless shoes. And wonder of wonders, it was good here in Canada too!

So I printed up a copy and added it to my facebook so that other friends could take advantage of it too.

I went the following day and found 2 pairs of shoes, just like the ones I bought in the summer, as well as a pair of boots.

It was like paying the price of the boots at regular price, and getting the shoes free! Not a bad deal.

Thanks Oprah!

Halloween

2009-10-30T23:12:00.002-04:00

Here we are, the 3 staff in my classroom. Myself, the Black Widow Spider, the teacher the Hippy and the educational assistant, the pumpkin woman.

My costume is missing the extra legs I made. When I sewed them all together, I didn't realise that I wouldn't be able to move my arms around very much, so I was restricted. Therefore after only an hour I took them off. The dress is hard to see like this, it is a very fine black lace type of material. I am also wearing a black veil which I had originally wore over my face, (the widow bit), but turned it around to the back while I was working. Some of the kids thought I had dyed my hair black. NEVER! It makes me look really old!! I have really long fake eye lashes on, that fascinated the kids. The best comment I had all day was from the non verbal autistic boy I work with, when he got off the school bus he said, "Mary's new eyelashes", then about 2 minutes later he said, "Butterfly kisses, please!" So of course I had to give him some.

Below is my son's very first Halloween costume. He is 18 months old. I cut the feet off an old yellow sleeper that was too small, put on an old red hat I found at Goodwill along with his red rubber boots, and added a little make up. The intention was for him to be a clown, but the kids who came Trick or Treating at our door thought he was Ronald McDonald!

Bully

2009-10-27T22:32:00.000-04:00

I am at a loss as to some people's actions. I work in a school, where we are supposed to be examples for the children we work for. Today I experienced something quite unbelievable and incredibly unprofessional.

I have been sick with the 'flu for about a week now, with a wicked sore throat, fever and sneezing as well as feeling totally exhausted.

When I picked up my mail at home today there was a brown envelope, addressed to me, without a return address. When I opened it I found 4 pages of information on hypochondria. There were a few paragraphs high lighted. The high lighted sentences were about depression, how people thought they had something wrong with them, when there is nothing wrong with them, about how they bring it on to themselves. Someone from my school sent this to me, because no one else knows that I have been sick, other than my doctor. She would not send me information from Wikipedia, and would not send it anonymously.

We have all heard about cyber bullying but this is another sort of bullying. I find it incredible that someone that I work with would get such pleasure out of sending this to me. Do they think they are trying to be helpful? No. Do they think they are offering me advice? No. It is sheer meanness, harassment, attempt at intimidation, and an attempt to push me over the edge.

I was shocked when I got this, but the gloves are off, and although I can't prove who sent this to me, (because they have chosen to be cowardly in not taking responsibility for it), I will have the last say. I plan on taking this to the superintendent, and the board of education and show that my human rights have been attacked. So be ready, whoever you are, because I don't allow ANYONE to attack me in such a way.

And remember, what goes around, comes around.

Thanksgiving in Canada

2009-10-09T18:22:00.013-04:00

Well here we are again, another long weekend holiday.

I don't celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday as such, although I do have things that I am thankful for.

Usually these holidays are focused around food, and I am not much of a lover of food. Also I don't have any family here in Canada, so I don't do the whole family get together thing. So I think I miss out somewhat.

In the past I have invited others who also don't have family locally, to join me in a potluck and last year I was invited to join others for their Thanksgiving celebration.

As it turned out, it was more than a meal with friends, I discovered that the hosts knew an old friend of mine from many years ago, so we got to catch up on our lives.

But as I mentioned I do have things that I am thankful for.

Unfortunately over the past few days I have been a bit down so I have only been thinking 'poor me'!

I am not enjoying my job much lately as I am not being used to my potential. Nothing worse than being bored sitting doing little or nothing when you have so much to offer.
I have had disagreements with a co worker who sort of broke the code of ethics according to the union rules, and I am tempted to do something about that.
I also got a telling off by the administration at work, who pointed out something that I did that was unacceptable. He repeated it at least 3 times, and so as you can imagine I had to retaliate, and I reminded him of an occasion when he did something that was way worse. He tried extremely hard to remain calm, but I could see in his eyes that he was furious!

I refuse to have people try to put me down, when I know that they are threatened by my strength. So that being said, I really feel that a change is about to happen. Perhaps I need to find a new job, perhaps I need to let others know what is going on. Not sure what direction I will end up going, but it is only a matter of time.

I am spending my evenings in front of the tv, wishing I had a partner to share my daily comings and goings with, and sometimes feeling a little sorry for myself. No partner, no family, no happiness at work, and seemingly not much to be thankful for.

But I do have things to be thankful for.

I seldom get phone calls from my family in England. Out of sight, out of mind I guess.

I am always the one who calls. It gets to me sometimes. I feel like I don't matter to them.

My son does call a couple of times a month, and one of my sisters will send an email once in a while.

But I really do have things to be thankful for.

For example, today at work, the child I am responsible for was away, so I got to spend time with other teachers. I even had a recess break, AND a lunch break with other adults!

I have an amazing apartment that I can afford to keep. And the view is pretty spectacular.

I have nutritious and delicious foods in my fridge, that is delivered by Front Door Organics, and I can afford to have that option.

I have a few very good friends that I can call up when I am feeling low, and they know the right things to say to me, to reassure me that I am a wonderful person, and I am worthwhile.

My family have a huge responsibility back home in England with my dad, who lives alone in a 3 bedroom house, and is in the throws of Alzheimer's disease. I am thousands of miles away and I don't have to worry about that sort of thing. I call a few times a month and talk to him, and that really is all I have to do. Well that's all I can do. I do go home usually once a year to spend a few weeks with him, so that my sisters can have stress-free time to themselves.

I do have a job that provides money for me to treat myself to things on occasion. Like the $2000 I just spent to pay for a trainer who will help me get my body in shape, which in turn will help my mind.

I get enjoyment from my paper crafts. People love to receive the things that I make for them, and I get satisfaction when I complete a project.

I have a $500 blender that makes amazing smoothies for breakfast.

My son is independent enough to spend months and years at a time in another country teaching children English.

So I do have things that I am thankful for.

It's just sometimes I need to be reminded! I guess Thanksgiving is good for that.

Breakfast

2009-09-26T12:25:00.003-04:00

This morning I got up early and did some chores that were piling up: laundry, compost, recycling and dishes.

After they were done I decided I needed a hearty breakfast and decided on pancakes.

I haven't really been able to find a tasty gluten free pancake, so as long as I added lots of fruits to the ones I made this morning, they tasted good.

3 strawberries, 1/2 pear, a few raspberries, a small banana with 2 gluten free pancakes.

Wild and Wonderful Weekend

2009-09-18T19:09:00.003-04:00

Last weekend made up for my crappy uneventful summer vacation.

It began with my monthly Board Games Night. I usually invite the Meetin group and sometimes the couchsurfing group. This time I invited both groups, plus the MeetUp games group. I had a fantastic turn out of over 30 people. We had great food, drinks, fun and socializing. The best ever to date.

It continued with me dressing in Red and White for a Flash Mob especially for TIFF. Check out the You Tube video, I am at 1:20 on the left side. It was so funny, people stopped to try to get a glimpse of someone famous.

I followed that with a ride down to Harbourfront where I partook of delicious foods at the Vegetarian Food Festival. I ate at Govinda's the Hare Krishna food stand. Delicious and only $6. I sampled other foods, and bought some Hemp milk. I found a lovely hair accessory that was made in South Africa. I also signed up for Front Door Organics, and will expect my first order of fresh organic fruits and vegetables grown in Ontario to be delivered on September 23.

Then at 5pm I called a friend who surfed my couch last year for TIFF. He is a screen writer, and although he wasn't staying with me this year, he mentioned that he'd like to take me out for a vegetarian meal. He told me that he had been really busy, and wanted to know if I might be available to attend an after party for a movie that he was seeing. Of course I said yes. He said that he was waiting to hear from a couple of other guests that he had invited, but if he didn't hear from them in the next hour, then he'd call back and tell me where the event was taking place. He said I'd need some sort of cocktail dress. So after hanging up, I ran up the street to Winners and bought myself a great dress and got back just in time for his 6pm phone call telling me where to meet him.

The movie he saw was "Get Low". As I waited for him to arrive at Atelier I watched the cars arrive and out of the first one was Sissy Spacek. She was followed by Robert Duvall and then a young star I wasn't familiar with, Lucas Black. And finally Bill Murray showed up. Eventually my friend Martin showed up and we went in. What a great night. I met some cute young guys who took an interest in me, and I spent the majority of the night with them. Martin left after an hour as he said he had other stuff to do. The 2 young guys took me to another club after, and we danced the night away.

Sunday arrived and I was feeling excited about the day. I met up with some couchsurfing friends at the corner of Yonge and Dundas for a 'Free Hugs' event. I made a sign earlier and held it above my head and gave out hundreds of hugs. It was so energizing and made me feel so good. I had a number of people comment that I gave great hugs. One person went as far as to say I gave out 'Mom' hugs! One group of friend were leaving, but I just wanted to keep going! I stayed and then another group joined me. I actually met a few people that I knew, and 2 of them hugged me before they even realized it was me! When it was time to stop, again I felt that I wanted to go on hugging people. But since everyone was leaving it wouldn't have been safe to do it by myself. I did have a few propositions whilst hugging some guys, as well as a couple of sneaky kisses and a bum smack!

So that was my amazing weekend, full of excitement and fun.

Unfortunately this weekend will be nothing to compare as I have a sore throat, and all I want to do is sleep.

Double Date?

2009-08-28T23:25:00.000-04:00

Another date I had was with a guy who owned a motorbike shop. That should be fun, right?

I had taken a day off from work, just to chill out when he called and suggested that we go for a ride in his car. I agreed and he picked me up. Little did I realize that the ride was to pick up equipment and supplies for his shop? He seemed to revel in showing me off to his suppliers.

This wasn’t my idea of a date.

He said we would go out for lunch after we dropped off the stuff at his shop. At the shop introduced me to his staff.

This is when he told me that one of his staff had also received my name and profile in the mail, because he was also a member of the same introductory service. So he thought it would be a good idea for all three of us to have lunch together.

As it was, they talked shop the whole time and I was virtually ignored. I couldn’t wait to get home, and was annoyed with myself having wasted my precious day off.

Speed Dating

2009-08-25T18:13:00.000-04:00

My first experience with Speed Dating was an eye opener. It was 12 five minute dates in a coffee shop in Downtown Toronto with a group of very professional looking gorgeous people. I just didn’t fit in somehow. The top I had chosen to wear was a little too tight, and it made me very uncomfortable. I didn’t figure out until about the 3^rd or 4^th date that I was talking too much, and not listening to what the guys had to tell me. I know I was not making much of an impression on anyone.

For those of you who have never had the pleasure of speed dating, the way it works is like this. You sit and talk with a man for about 5 minutes, then a whistle/bell/gong sounds, and it’s time for the men to move to the next table. You have all of 15 seconds to jot down on your score card if you felt a connection with the previous guy. If he also felt a connection he records that too, and at the end of the evening you hand in your cards, and the following day or two you get an email with the names and email addresses of the people who mutually connected.

So the next time I tried it, about a year later, I went with a sure-fire plan to get lots of connections.

I went off to the local florist and bought a bunch of carnations and a roll of florist tape. At home I cut off all the flowering buds, stood them in water, and then wrapped the ends in floral tape. I made sure I had enough button holes for all the dates I would have. This time the venue was a bar. I bought myself a drink and sat down and waited for the event to begin.

Each man that sat at my table was surprised at receiving a flower. I knew this time I had made an impression, and wouldn’t easily be forgotten. All the men I had recorded on my card also recorded me on theirs. So of the 15 potential dates, I chose and got 12 emails addresses.

More recently I got an invitation to do a Speed Dating event with FastLIfe.ca at no cost, but the catch this time was that it was being filmed for an upcoming reality TV show. The theme of the dates was, “Toy Boy”. Basically the women were older and the men were between 25 and 35. When I joined this group I had lowered my age by 5 years, because all the invitations I was getting was for really old men! I said I was 48.

I arrived at the event where there were men and woman standing around while the crew got things organized. I chatted to a few people at the bar, and already had an idea of who I was interested in.

We were told that we would be interviewed and asked why we were interested in dating younger/older people. When it came to my turn, they asked my age and told them my real age without thinking! Fortunately they didn’t kick me out.

The dates began and one of two cameras was close to me with the boom just above my head. I chatted, listened, laughed and had a fun time, but realized pretty quickly that there really wasn’t much there that I was interested in.

After about the 6^th date I had to comment to the camera guy. He had spent a lot of time filming me and my dates. So I asked him if there were any other interesting people around. He ignored me! When the following date sat at my table the camera was again in my face.

“Really guys?” I asked?

They took the hint and moved to another couple. As it turned out the guy at the table was the most interesting and attractive. He said that in fact he had lied about his age and was older. So we had something in common. Our short conversation ended up being quite risqué. I recorded him as a yes, and waited for the next date. The camera guy came back, and I toyed with him saying that he missed the best date yet!

The next day I received my email address and after contacting him, he seemed to have lost interest.

Look out for the show, Love Inc., it airs sometime in 2010 on Slice

Older Singles Meet Up

2009-08-24T16:51:00.000-04:00

I joined a Meet Up group for older singles and have attended 2 interesting events.

The first was for women only. It was to inform women what attracted men to the opposite sex. Although there was no professional guest giving solidly researched information, the host did her best having done her own research, and used her own experiences.

All of the women there were divorced women. I was the only one who had never been married. That is not to say that I haven't experienced relationships and the ending of them. As the evening went on I got the impression that many of the women were bitter and blamed all men for the faults of their last bad relationship. I tried a number of times to spin the conversation into a more positive light, but was shot down, because I had "never been divorced."

The end of the evening couldn't come fast enough for me. Hanging out with a bunch of women who enjoyed bashing men, (who were not there to defend themselves) was not my idea of a great evening.

The second event was a barbecue, with over 100 people. I arrived fairly early and after paying the fee of $15, I walked into the yard only to see a receiving line of people lined up against the right angles of the fence.

Immediately I wanted to jump in the middle and shout, "I'm here now, the party can begin!" But being my first time I held back. It reminded me of the school dances where the boys stood together and the girls hugged the walls, neither one looking at the other. So I started at the beginning of the line and introduced myself to each and everyone.

We all had name tags on, so the dialogue went, "Hi George, I'm Mary. Nice to meet you." Then I went on to the next person and continued until I got to the last person. After introducing myself I asked him to come to the middle of the yard and talk to me. Then it seemed that people relaxed a bit and moved around a little.

These were older people 40+ I think, which makes me wonder what they are shy about. Surely we get bolder as we age, or is that just me? I don't care much what people think, if you don't like me, that's your problem.

Anyway it turned out that there were way too many people in that tiny yard, which made it difficult to walk around and meet everyone. Some people were complaining about there being no booze, others wondered where the music was. The host purposely excludes both to encourage socializing.

I was given a ride home by another guest who promptly asked for my number. Why, oh why do I always get that guilt feeling? Why is No so hard for me to say? My mind told me that since he gave me a ride all the way home, I should at least accept a cup of coffee from him some time in the future. Why? He was not attractive or interesting. There was neither spark nor fizzle. I need to make the word No much more accessible in my vocabulary.

Introductory Service

2009-08-23T10:48:00.000-04:00

Before internet dating there were introductory services. I’d get about 2-4 names and phone numbers with a profile in the mail each week. We’d phone and talk to see if we had anything in common, to see if there were any sparks, to see if we should meet. Sometimes it was just one short phone call, sometimes many long ones. I was tricked on many occasions when my mind would draw a picture to match the voice, only to be disappointed when we met.

Many of my dates were unbelievable. Many were boring. Few were interesting.

One date I had was with a very nervous man. He picked me up at my building, and that was when I noticed the tic. Also he was about the same height as me. I’m short, really short.

He didn’t have a car, so I thought we’d take a cab. However he wanted to take the local transit. That was okay. We went to the revolving restaurant at the top of the Manulife Building.

He talked about himself all night, not asking about me.

He continued the tic throughout the date. I was afraid that I might end up subconsciously imitating the tic too.

He didn’t order a drink, or anything to eat, and I was afraid that he was going to stick me with the bill. Sure enough when the check came, he just left it on the table. After some time I got up to use the washroom, and slid the check towards him and asked him to pay while I was in the ladies room. When I returned he asked me if I could pay the tip!

While in the elevator in front of others, he suggested that I’d be okay to see myself home.

I was amazed the next day when he called and asked for another date.

Six Degrees of Love

2009-08-21T00:13:00.000-04:00

I have experienced love or what could be considered love probably 6 times in my life.

My first love, Kevin was when I was 15. He was at the same boarding school as me, and he was a year younger. We shared so much in that last year at school. It was a sweet and simple love. But it ended once I left and went on to work, and he continued his education.

The second was a blind date. But now I think about it, it was lust more likely. Larry was a musician playing trombone with the Woody Herman Orchestra. We made each other very happy. Even though he went to England on tour and asked my parents for permission to marry me, it wasn’t meant to be. His was a life I couldn’t keep up with, and so I decided to leave.

The third was my son’s father, who still refuses to think of my son as his. Stanley was also a musician who played trumpet for the National Ballet of Canada Orchestra. We had a passionate fling, he being 17 years older; I am convinced that was infatuation, not love. When I got pregnant, he wanted nothing to do with me. I thought that if I didn’t push, he’d come around. My son doesn’t know his father.

The fourth was a man that I met through an introductory service, (pre internet dating). Looking at Ron I thought we had nothing in common, but I felt at ease talking to him. After 2 years I ended the relationship, realizing that it never really was love. I was happy to have someone accept me as a woman with a child.

The fifth was not really love, but it sure was fun. I hung out with a neighbour who was in the entertainment business. We hit it off, but he had a girlfriend who was overseas. He was looking for someone, as was I, to go out with and have a bit of fun. That’s what we did, until he married his girlfriend.

And finally the real true love of my life. George. Again a blind date, and again I thought we had nothing in common, but he was the sweetest, loving man I’ve ever met. In fact the relationship was so great, that we questioned why things were so perfect. We made the decision to go with it full tilt, and enjoy the ride. It ended three years after we met. He died suddenly, and I missed him incredibly.

In the mean time I have had my share of dates and short relationships that were fun initially, but fizzled out when the excitement vanished.

I am open again to find the man who will enhance my life. And I do have a lot to offer.

Okay...

2009-08-19T20:58:00.000-04:00

My life is one full of adventure, mishaps, travel, challenges, ups and downs. And now on to another adventure, looking for love.

I have tried online dating.

Lavalife was so much fun. I noticed that when I listed myself as looking to date or relationship, that I got almost no attention. But the minute I signed into intimate encounters, there were men jumping out of the monitor trying to get my attention.

eHarmony seemed promising as I filled out endless pages of information on what I wanted and what I was like. Alas, the two men who showed interest fizzled out when it came time to meet. I had over 250 profiles sent to me and only 2 showed mutual interest. I even tried to increase the area I was willing to travel, but that didn't work either. Six months of looking and nothing to show for it. Not even a date.

Plenty of Fish is a free site that sends matches regularly, but looking at the men and their interests was a bit disheartening. Too many men like to cuddle up in front of t.v. watching a movie. Where is the adventure, where is the excitement and anticipation?

I've tried social network groups.

Meetin has a group here in Toronto, but is seems to be younger people who are new to the city looking to make friends. It is also well known that it is not to be used as a dating site. I did attend many events and even hosted a number of my own, but no potential boyfriends showed up.

Meetup has so many groups it is hard to keep them all straight. I did join a over forty's singles group, and the first event was for women only!! And it seemed to me that the night ended up with the majority of the women bashing men. I tried on two other occasions to join meetings but alas, they were canceled.

Couchsurfing is a fantastic online group where people offer their homes to others from anywhere in the world to stay a night or two. You can travel and see your destination through your host's eyes. I have hosted over 40 people in the last 2 years, the average age of the surfers is 30 perhaps. I have made amazing friends, but no potential dates here either.

Meet Market Adventures was tons of fun. A group specifically for people who love adventures and to meet others who have similar interests. I enjoyed so many of the adventures, horse back riding, glidersoaring, dog sledding, circus school, hiking, and so much more. The average age was about 30. Made lots of friends again, but no dates.

So what else is out there?

The bar scene. I'm so over that, although if there is potential there I will give it a go. Where do all the eligible men go, you know, the ones looking for a woman over fifty?

Take a course. I can't think of courses that would interest me that men would be interested in too. Scrapbooking? Card making? Gluten-free cooking?

The Gym. I'm a member at the gym, and I love working out there. It seems the men are there to take care of their bodies, not looking for over 50 women.

Speed Dating. Been to many and figured out how to get men interested, but once we have exchanged email addresses, there seems to be little interest on their part. Why put my name down, if you aren't going to call me?

I am sure I am missing other ways of meeting men who are looking to enhance their lives by having me in it.

But what are they?

Where are they?

THERE'S NO JOB TOO BIG, (oh yes there is!)

2009-08-01T13:35:00.002-04:00

I have the summers off and decided that it would be a great idea to clear out my scrap room, purge and put stuff back in an organized manner.

What a joke!

I took EVERYTHING out of the room and put it in the living room on Monday. I did this because I have a guest coming to stay today, and knew it would be incentive to clean it up quickly. WRONG!

I did quite a lot everyday, but it just didn't seem to look like I did anything. So today I scrambled about trying to organize stuff, but unfortunately I ended up just shoving stuff in boxes and putting it in the scraproom. I still have time to spend in there doing little bits every day, but it really is overwhelming. And I only threw out about 2 garbage bags of stuff, and have only a small box of giveaways. I really tried hard to get rid of stuff I don't use anymore, and stuff that has sat around for a year collecting dust.

My biggest sin is the scraps of left over paper and cardstock. I just can not throw it out. I have promised myself to go through it again early next week and throw out those little strips and pieces smaller than 4 x 4.

Last night in bed I was convinced that I have some sort of illness that makes me think I need more stuff. With all the paper, card, embellishments, stamps, inks, and other yummy stuff, I still visit any store that sells stuff that I think will fit on a card or page.

Insane!

Also I realize that when you do decide to organize, it makes sense to have the right boxes, shelves, and storage systems BEFORE you start. Well at least now I know what I need. The room is only 5'9" x 9'6", and with all the mismatched shelving and boxes, that don't fit, I realize I need to go out and invest in some useful pieces, (lol, more money to spend!)

What a way to spend a holiday weekend!

Colonoscopy Journal

2009-07-28T11:20:00.003-04:00

Someone sent me this in an email and I loved it so much I had to add it here.

I called my friend Andy Sable, a gastroenterologist, to make an appointment for a colonoscopy.

A few days later, in his office, Andy showed me a color diagram of the colon, a lengthy organ that appears to go all over the place, at one point passing briefly through Minneapolis.

Then Andy explained the colonoscopy procedure to me in a thorough, reassuring and patient manner.

I nodded thoughtfully, but I didn't really hear anything he said, because my brain was shrieking, 'HE'S GOING TO STICK A TUBE 17,000 FEET UP YOUR BEHIND!'

I left Andy's office with some written instructions, and a prescription for a product called 'MoviPrep,' which comes in a box large enough to hold a microwave oven. I will discuss MoviPrep in detail later; for now suffice it to say that we must never allow it to fall into the hands of America's enemies.

I spent the next several days productively sitting around being nervous.

Then, on the day before my colonoscopy, I began my preparation. In accordance with my instructions, I didn't eat any solid food that day; all I had was chicken broth, which is basically water, only with less flavor.

Then, in the evening, I took the MoviPrep. You mix two packets of powder together in a one-liter plastic jug, then you fill it with lukewarm water. (For those unfamiliar with the metric system, a liter is about 32 gallons). Then you have to drink the whole jug. This takes about an hour, because MoviPrep tastes - and here I am being kind - like a mixture ofgoat spit and urinal cleanser, with just a hint of lemon.

The instructions for MoviPrep, clearly written by somebody with a great sense of humor, state that after you drink it, 'a loose, watery bowel movement may result.'

This is kind of like saying that after you jump off your roof, you may experience contact with the ground.

MoviPrep is a nuclear laxative. I don't want to be too graphic, here, but, have you ever seen a space-shuttle launch? This is pretty much the MoviPrep experience, with you as the shuttle. There are times when you wish the commode had a seat belt. You spend several hours pretty much confined to the bathroom, spurting violently. You eliminate everything. And then, when you figure you must be totally empty, you have to drink another liter of MoviPrep, at which point, as far as I can tell, your bowels travel into the future and start eliminating food that you have not even eaten yet.

After an action-packed evening, I finally got to sleep.

The next morning my wife drove me to the clinic. I was very nervous. Not only was I worried about the procedure, but I had been experiencing occasional return bouts of MoviPrep spurtage. I was thinking, 'What if I spurt on Andy?' How do you apologize to a friend for something like that? Flowers would not be enough.

At the clinic I had to sign many forms acknowledging that I understood and totally agreed with whatever the heck the forms said. Then they led me to a room full of other colonoscopy people, where I went inside a little curtained space and took off my clothes and put on one of those hospital garments designed by sadist perverts, the kind that, when you put it on, makes you feel even more naked than when you are actually naked..

Then a nurse named Eddie put a little needle in a vein in my left hand. Ordinarily I would have fainted, but Eddie was very good, and I was already lying down. Eddie also told me that some people put vodka in their MoviPrep. At first I was ticked off that I hadn't thought of this, but then I pondered what would happen if you got yourself too tipsy to make it to the bathroom, so you were staggering around in full Fire Hose Mode. You would have no choice but to burn your house.

When everything was ready, Eddie wheeled me into the procedure room, where Andy was waiting with a nurse and an anesthesiologist. I did not see the 17,000-foot tube, but I knew Andy had it hidden around there somewhere. I was seriously nervous at this point.

Andy had me roll over on my left side, and the anesthesiologist began hooking something up to the needle in my hand.

There was music playing in the room, and I realized that the song was 'Dancing Queen' by ABBA. I remarked to Andy that, of all the songs that could be playing during this particular procedure, 'Dancing Queen' had to be the least appropriate.

'You want me to turn it up?' said Andy, from somewhere behind me.

'Ha ha,' I said. And then it was time, the moment I had been dreading for more than a decade. If you are squeamish, prepare yourself, because I am going to tell you, in explicit detail, exactly what it was like.

I have no idea. Really. I slept through it. One moment, ABBA was yelling 'Dancing Queen, feel the beat of the tambourine,' and the next moment, I was back in the other room, waking up in a very mellow mood.

Andy was looking down at me and asking me how I felt. I felt excellent. I felt even more excellent when Andy told me that It was all over, and that my colon had passed with flying colors. I have never been prouder of an internal organ.

Food Inc

2009-07-19T19:59:00.000-04:00

My Esty

2009-06-14T02:03:00.000-04:00

Etsy
Buy Handmade
makingmaryment

Couch Surfing

2009-06-08T20:53:00.002-04:00

What is CouchSurfing? from Jan Keck on Vimeo.

I have been a host for couchsurfers for over a year now, and I hang out with the Toronto Couchsurfing Group. For more information please go to www.couchsurfing.com

Why God Made Moms

2009-05-11T19:32:00.001-04:00

Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?

1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.

2. Mostly to clean the house.

3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?

1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.

2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.

3. God made my mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?

1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.

2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?

1. We're related.

2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's mom like me.

What kind of a little girl was your mom?

1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.

2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.

3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?

1. His last name.

2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?

3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?

1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a lot.

2. She got too old to do anything else with him.

3. My grandma says that mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?

1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.

2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.

3. I guess mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms and dads?

1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.

2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.

3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friends.

4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?

1. Mothers don't do spare time.

2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?

1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.

2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?

1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.

2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it not me.

3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

WHEN YOU STOP LAUGHING --

SEND IT ON TO OTHER MOTHERS,

GRANDMOTHERS, AND AUNTS....

and anyone else who has anything to do with kids or just needs a good laugh!!!

SICK and TIRED!

2009-05-03T13:48:00.004-04:00

Well the new month begins much like the last month ended, I am still sick with something! It seems that I have not had a full week at school since just before March break due to not feeling right. Last week, even though I had a sore throat and runny nose, I did see the whole week through. But I am pretty sure, as I write this, I will be taking Monday off to try to get my body back to normal.

I went to the doctor and had a host of tests done, blood work, ECG, a carotid Doppler, and all is normal. I don't feel stressed and I don't have reasons to be either. Yesterday I woke up and scared myself when I looked in the mirror, as a blood vessel in my eye had broken. I checked online for causes, and it was either from sneezing, coughing or plugging my nose and blowing to fix my blocked ears! So now I will look freaky for about 2 weeks until it disappears.

I have been ridiculously tired for a few weeks now. I came home Friday after work instead of working out, and slept on the couch. Yesterday after taking a few kids from school to the Toronto Football Club, I came home and slept again. I'm sleeping during the night too, and I am still tired.

Up until this past week, I was eating very well, using my new Blendtec to make green smoothies and soups, as well as adding more fish and eggs to my diet. This past week though, I was just too tired and had a poor appetite. Having said that, I did have gluten-free pancakes and syrup this morning and then for lunch I had rice and Indian stir fried veggies. But I still feel shaky, as though I am hungry.

So what more should I do? I am sleeping, sort of eating properly and getting fresh air, and this morning, because I couldn't take it any more I took a pain killer to try to feel better.

HELP!

Karina's Kitchen- Recipes from a Gluten-Free Goddess: The Gluten-Free Cheat-Sheet- How to Go G-Free

2009-04-30T23:04:00.000-04:00

Karina's Kitchen- Recipes from a Gluten-Free Goddess: The Gluten-Free Cheat-Sheet- How to Go G-Free

Congratulations Sophie

2009-03-23T18:14:00.004-04:00

My niece Sophie and her partner Mark delivered their first baby today in England. Their little girl, Talia was born at 7.21 pm England time, weighing in at 6lb 12oz. My sister text me to tell me that the grandparents are so happy and that Talia is perfectly beautiful.

Great Job Sophie, I'm so proud of you.

(I just realized that this is my 100th post!)

Amazing James

2009-03-08T19:29:00.002-04:00

I called my dad to have my weekly chat with him, and in the process I told him that I had chatted online with my brother, his son, David. My dad then asked me if I wanted to talk to him as he was there with my dad. I was surprised, and asked if David was visiting him. That's when my dad realised he was thinking James, his grandson was his son David.

I spoke to James for almost 45 minutes talking about what is happening with my dad. James moved in with my dad while the family awaited caregivers to come and help him out. Now that the caregivers are there, my nephew doesn't feel comfortable leaving as on more than one occasion the caregivers have forgotten to come. Essentially their job is to come three times a day to make sure he is taking his pills. One woman came and filled in the paper work stating she had watched him take the pills with water, but when James came into the kitchen he discovered the pills on the table. Also it seems that they are really only there to make sure he takes his pills. Only one person stops to have a little chat while they are there. The others are in and out.

I am extremely happy that James is there. He has managed, single-handedly to clean up my dad's house, even his bedroom! My dad won't allow anyone to touch anything, as he wants it left the way my mum had it when she died. Anyway James had removed cobwebs and dust and dirt and grime from everywhere. He is now working on trying to get him to bathe more often, good luck on that one!

I can only call in to check up on my dad, so it is very comforting to know that someone is there during the day. James drives a cab at night, so he can spend the daylight hours with his grandpa.

My Mum 08/16/1929 - 07/21/2004

2009-02-27T18:47:00.002-05:00

Eileen Hicken was born August 16, 1929 in Cape Town, South Africa, daughter to Isabel and Frank Voges. She was sister to Joyce, Audrey and Yvonne. She arrived in England for a holiday with Joyce in 1950.

Eileen started her nurses training in the same year, at St. Mary's hospital. She worked a year at St. Mary's (54 -55), a year at St. Albrights (55 - 56), and 23 years at Colchester Maternity hospital (69 - 92). Her contribution in providing a vital service to mum's and their babies was phenomenal. She gained personal satisfaction and made many friends throughout the duration of her career. She retired in 1992 after 26 years of nursing.

Eileen met Phil a soldier, in Colchester and after a romantic courtship, married on March 7, 1953. They enjoyed 51 loving years together, enhancing their relationship with a son David, and three daughters, Mary, Lorna and Yvonne.

Eileen was an aunt to Kathy in Ireland, Ann in Australia, Della in New Zealand, she had a nephew, Johan in South Africa, and her closest nieces and nephew, Marilyn, Felicity and Glen in England.

Throughout her life Eileen loved to broaden her knowledge of the world. She took in students from all over who came to Colchester to learn English. She traveled to many places in the world and returned to visit her home, Cape Town after 48 years.

Eileen had many friends who admired her. Her three closest friends were Millie, who became an aunt to all of Eileen's family, Connie who nursed with her from the begining, and Anne who nursed with her at the maternity hospital.

She loved her grandchildren and they loved to visit her. They were always surprised with her latest find from a car boot sale.

Vanessa enjoyed having her grandma as her hair dressing model.
Megan and her grandma enjoyed each other's company, having a chat and a laugh.

Jack loved adventures at the beach hut and Friday woods with his grandma.

Jenna's last visit with her nanny was full of laughs and funny sketches nanny thought her very talented.

When nanny visited Folkestone, Chris looked forward to his visit with her at the Burstyn Hotel, especially watching a show with her.

She was proud of Thomas in all his endeavours, including his studies at university.

James would willingly drop everything to drive his grandma wherever she needed to go.

She knew Sophie's love of chocolate, and would always appear with a big bar of Galaxy to Sophie's delight.

One of the most fun filled family events that was enjoyed annually, was the Boxing Day trips to the Mercury Theatre to watch the Christmas Pantomime.

Eileen knitted many sweaters for children in Africa. She collected money to buy goats for the poor families in Africa. Her family will continue to collect donations in her name for this very worthy cause.

Eileen enjoyed the volunteer work she did with the seniors at the Activity Centre. It gave her pleasure serving tea to the "old dears" and listening to their tales.

Some of Eileen's loves were:

Her family
Her grandchildren
Her career
Roses
Travel
History
Helping children and their families in Africa
And watching sports and athletics on television

Rest in Peace, Mum

BASKETBALL

2009-02-22T08:35:00.005-05:00

Here I am many years ago sitting on the left end of the bench. Only 5 feet tall and still I managed to play on the girl's basketball team. Way back then (circa 1970) there were only a few other schools that had girl's teams.

Our coach was David Cook who was our geography teacher (not pictured here). He was pretty good, we did pretty well I think. I also used to score for the boy's team. The boy on the right end is Julian Castle who scored for the girl's team.

Last semester I watched all of my school's girl's games, they did really well. They got to the semi finals that they won, and then on to the finals. They won the finals and went onto the regionals. They did really well however lost the last game by one point. The girls are amazing.

This semester I am following the boy's team. The two teams play very different games. The boys so far are in the middle of the semi finals. Next game is sometime this week.

At the last sports awards assembly the girls showed off their pennent for the finals win. All the kids who played on any team got awards of some sort. The parent's of the girls who played basketball surprised the 2 coaches with basket balls signed by the team. Then I was surprised when Vanessa, another teacher, and I received an award for being the best teacher fans!

Sad News

2009-02-08T17:11:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I told you about sweet little Cora fighting a tremendous battle. How sad I was today when I read that she lost that battle. I can't imagine the sadness her family is going through now. Keep them in your prayers.

The Macs

2009-02-07T19:25:00.003-05:00

I came across this blog quite by accident from a scrapbook blog who commented on the story. I sat and read the story and cried. Then I went back to the beginning of the blog when Jess and Joel gave birth to their little Cora 11 months ago.

After an ear infection and little Cora not feeling herself, he parents took her to the doctor who quickly saw things were much worse than an ear infection. Late in January they took her to the hospital where it was discovered that she had Neuroblastoma. She has had 4 surgeries since then, removing the worst, having tubes put in her ears, releasing fluid build up around her heart, and her parents and uncle have been updating their blog to keep everyone informed. The family have a very strong religious belief, and are asking everyone to pray for them. If you are interested or can help with prayers, please go to their website and make a comment to help the family know that others are concerned for them.

It is when we read things like this that we realise how lucky we are, even when we think things are bad, someone else, somewhere else is battling much worse scenerios and are doing so with dignity.

I just wanted to blog about this in hopes that others would read it and then send their prayers to whomever they think can help.

http://themcclenahans.blogspot.com/

Dad's upcoming birthday

2009-01-26T17:30:00.004-05:00

While I was talking to my dad on the weekend, I was wondering how fast his Alzheimer's would progress. He was hit by a car last week while crossing the street. He misjudged how far the car was and thought he had enough time to cross before the car came. He left the dog outside for 6 hours in the snow in December, having forgot that he had let the dog out. Someone brought him back home the week before last, explaining to a neighbour that he'd forgotten where he lived.

This particular phone call he only repeated himself once, which was unusual. However on about 6 occasions during the call he forgot simple words. "The thing with grated carrots and stuff," I reminded him was salad. "Those things I take in the morning and at night," medicine. My brother had been over that weekend explaining to him that he would like to be the Power ofAttorney for him. I'm hopeful he understood what it was, but said what a great thing that my brother wanted to do that for him.

Aging is hard enough, but watching your parent slowly decline is awful. We all try to keep a positive outlook, but at the same time we have to remember that it's his disease when he sometimes says hurtful things, it the disease when he forgets to bath, its the disease when he forgets his keys and can't get in his house, (only to discover that when you show up to let him in, that the keys were in his pocket all along).

On February 3 he will turn 82. He is the only one from his own family left. His parents, step mum and both sisters died many years ago. His wife of 51 years died 4 1/2 years ago, and he now shares his home with Lucy, his faithful dog. My 2 sisters visit him weekly, my brother makes it there when he can, and all that I can do is call him once a week. We talk for about an hour, and often he has very little to tell me about, but I try to fill in the gaps with memories of old times, or stories of my kids at work.

This is the card I made for him.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

2009-01-04T22:16:00.004-05:00

I was all prepared to sit at home and work on a few scrapbook pages when I got a text from Glenn saying that he had a spare ticket for the play Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I checked out the time of the show and realised that I had 10 minutes to get there. I got my boots and coat on and rushed to the Canon Theatre. I had been there a few weeks previously to see A Chorus Line.

Glenn met me there and we went up to our seats to watch the show. I was a little disappointed with the singing, and the play itself lost a lot of the story, so for those who were unfamiliar with the story, they didn't quite understand it. But it was a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon and I was given the ticket for free.

I did however manage to get a couple of scrapbook pages done earlier in the day. I haven't any journaling on either one, as that is not one of my strong points. I have made notes on the second one though.

January 1st

2009-01-02T00:54:00.004-05:00

So after over 2 months I finally got a scrapbook page completed today. I have been working on Thank You cards for the kids at school.

Then I decided to make a gift tag for my friend Vanessa. I think she'll like it, I figured she can use it as a book mark. It is 6 x 4.

So when I finally pulled out some page kits I put together in the summer I found one that was relatively simple to do.

Well it's a start anyway, I'm pretty sure I will add more to it, but I am happy that I found some creativity to get me going again!

New Year's Eve, couchsurfing style

2009-01-01T10:33:00.005-05:00

I arrived with Beatriz around 9:30 at Mita's home and offered the food that I made.
Then we got drinks and left the kitchen and went into the living room.

There was food there too.

Just before midnight we all gathered in the living room.

Here is Mita's New Year's Eve Ball:

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

After the ball dropped.

Even Bugs had a great time.

I celebrated with my good friend Beatriz.

Thanks Mita for a wonderful party.

Hanging out with friends

2008-12-30T11:14:00.003-05:00

It has been a year since I last got together with Debbie and Louisa, but we try to meet at least once a year. We all worked together over 10 years ago in Daycare. But we've remained good friends.

Louisa moved sometime ago to the outskirts of Toronto, and is presently living in Whitby working as a social worker.

Debbie lives only 25 minutes from me, and is training to be a midwife.

Louisa wanted to do something different, so after meeting at the Eaton Centre, we walked to an Indian restaurant for dinner and then on to Second City to watch a comedy show. I enjoyed most of the humour, and one comedian in particular. After the intermission they did a little improve. Louisa was worried about the 2 extra chairs that had been set next to her, concerned that they were adding more people to the table. As it turned out both Debbie and Louisa became a part of the show. The 2 seats were occupied by a couple of the troupe and the scenario was a car stuck in a traffic jam. It was very funny, especially having them both in the skit. Debbie was mortified that they chose to sit there, but she attempted to pretend to drive the car and honk the horn!

After the show we went to Gabby's for some drinks and to laugh about our fun we had just had, and the silly things we used to get up to!

Friends, no matter how often or seldom you see them are the spice of life.

Christmas Day Events

2008-12-29T12:39:00.005-05:00

This is likely the last post for 2008.

I just wanted to document my Christmas day.
Thomas and I opened our gifts and I was surprised by a beautiful cup and infuser that Thomas brought back from Korea, as well as 4 delicious herbal teas. Kay also sent me a gift of rice cakes for Korea. I had requested a bath robe from Thomas and he found the greatest robe that I will try out tomorrow. He also gave me a mouse for my new laptop, and loads of candy and chocolate and chips from an English store I just found.
WOW it was great.
I gave him clothes and boots that he picked out as well as a pair of slippers that clean the floor while you wear them!

Later that morning Thomas made himself a nice pancake breakfast and I just fasted as I had an upset stomach and wanted to feel better for dinner.

I called my sister Lorna and spoke to her. Although my dad was there I didn't get to speak to him as he was sleeping. They had a great Christmas and were just chilling and were going to watch Lorna's favourite DVD Weekend At Bernie's.

I made dinner later. Thomas had bought a whole roasted chicken for himself that I heated in the oven. I made roasted vegetable lasagna for myself. We also had peas, broccoli, carrots and roast potatoes. For dessert we had apple crumble which is Thomas' favourite.
Later that evening we were watching my all time favourite movie, Lost Horizon (1937) and I had just finished making a cup of tea when there was a bit of commotion in the hallway outside my door. I heard a child calling out that there was a fire in the building. We opened the door saw and smelled smoke and then got ready to leave the building.
It was a fire in the garbage chute that the fire fighters had out quickly. We had the same fire in the summer time.

Of course I took my tea AND my camera!

Some of the good natured residents smiling when I said, "Merry Christmas"

(Yes there were a number of good looking fire fighters around)
When we got back into the apartment we finished watching the movie and watched t.v. and ate our chocolates.

Now I am preparing myself for 2009 and another great year. This year I predict a big change in my single status!

Novemeber photos

2008-11-09T18:01:00.006-05:00

Well so much for this great idea! I tried and then when I uploaded the pictures onto my computer, I somehow managed to delete them. So now I am a few days behind. Oh well here are the ones that I managed to save!

My metropass

My desk

Tomatoes

Scrapbook supplies

Omlette

Box in a bag

November pictures

2008-11-02T14:14:00.004-05:00

The plan is to take a picture each day and then cut a 2x2 piece of it out and make 12 x 12 scrapbook layout for the month of November. So far I have taken 2 pictures and this is what they look like.
A very late dinner
Laundry..... it must be Sunday!

What MARY means

2008-09-27T18:33:00.000-04:00

What Mary Means

You are confident, self assured, and capable. You are not easily intimidated.

You master any and all skills easily. You don't have to work hard for what you want.

You make your life out to be exactly how you want it. And you'll knock down anyone who gets in your way!

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.

You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.

You have the classic "Type A" personality.

You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something.

You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense.

You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.

You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in.

You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising.

You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

flagcounter

2008-09-06T15:04:00.001-04:00

Couch Surfing Calendar

2008-08-29T21:47:00.005-04:00

Weekend Scrapbook Retreat

2008-08-22T00:10:00.001-04:00

Keitha and I drove down to Romeo Michigan where we met Kathy and Felicia for a weekend of scrap booking. We stayed at the Scrap Palace where they treated us like queens.

Keitha and I shared the blue room. There were 7 other women there who were from Michigan. A loud lot.

I managed to get 16 pages completed as well as 2 cards and 2 make and takes that Keitha demonstrated.

The food was really good, and even though I am vegetarian, Amy and Pierina were able to come up with some great dishes for me. Snacks and drinks were always available.

Scrap Palace has a great variety of tools, inks, stamps, paper cutters, punches and a host of other scrap booking supplies available to use.

I had a 15 minute massage on Saturday which really helped out the pain I had in my neck and shoulder, and made my headache disappear.

We also spent sometime and money shopping in Archiver's a great scrapbook store.

The 2 nights we spent there were quite enjoyable and I know that if the opportunity arose to go again, I'd definitely go.