Curried Carrot Soup with cornbread Croutons

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

Logorama from Marc Altshuler - Human Music on Vimeo.

Jack Stafford at C'est What

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

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

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

Busy Doing Nothing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.