Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Merry Christmas, from our house to yours.


Christmas Joys
Evergreen boughs that fill our homes
With fragrant Christmas scents,
Hearts filled with the loving glow
That Christmas represents;
Christmas cookies, turkeys stuffed,
Festive holly berry,
Little faces bright with joy,
Loved ones being merry;
Parties, songs, beribboned gifts,
Silver bells that tinkle,
Christmas trees and ornaments,
Colorful lights that twinkle;
Relatives waiting with open arms
To smile and hug and kiss us;
These are some of the special joys
That come along with Christmas.
By Joanna Fuchs

A prideful moment


Monday night the Olympic Torch was carried into the city amongst cheers whistles and thunderous applause. I was one of the thousands who braved the cold to watch as our own rendition of the Olympic cauldron was lit by the Torch carrier. The three-time Olympian and graduate of North Park Collegiate, Kevin Sullivan carried the Olympic torch the final leg of its journey through Brantford to light up the Olympic cauldron. It really was an awesome sight to watch as he ran up the steps stood facing us all, smiled and then lit the cauldron with the torch. As Oh Canada was played every person as far as I could see, and yes including myself sang along proudly. I guess it was just one of those moments in a person’s time when they can honestly feel the pride of our country.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

A trip to remember.....


Yesterday morning myself and a group of really good friends boarded a huge comfortable Great Canadian Holidays and Coaches bus and headed to Niagara Falls for a wonderful day of Christmas fun.

We arrived at the “Oh Canada Eh?” Dinner Theatre at about 12:15pm and were treated to a home style Christmas Turkey lunch with all the trimmings. After lunch we spent 2 magical hours back in the 50’ and 60’s where 6 people were stranded on Christmas Eve at a Diner. Each person had their own personal problems but with the help of 2 angels who were trying to earn their Angel Wings and the magic of the season, each person over came their problems and added to the spirit of Christmas by singing and dancing to every Christmas carol you could think of. The Christmas Musical was called Jump, Jingle & Jive, and let me tell you, everyone was having a wonderful time. With the cast and audience singing Christmas carols the whole place WAS jumping, jiving and jingling. It certainly got me waaaaaaaaaay into the Christmas Spirit.

After the show, we all loaded into the bus again and Vic our driver, delivered us to the Kittling Ridge Wine Estate, where we had a guided tour of the winery. With lots of taste testing happing, the Christmas Spirit grew even more boisterous and fun. Needless to say the ride home from the Winery included very loud renditions’ of our take on Christmas Carols. Even though Vic didn’t partake in the Wine Tour he certainly joined in on the singing and what a voice he had too! I really can’t remember when I laughed so much and had such a wonderful day out with the girls.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

The count down!

Well here it is the third very long weekend at work. It seems like I have been living here every weekend for the last 3 weekends. The hours are good, and I really can’t complain since Mr. Visa seems to be staying silent, but I really am looking forward to tomorrow when I don’t have to work period! I do have some major housework to contend with, but hey, maybe the dust bunnies, cobwebs and anything else that’s lurking around can join me in a self proclaimed “I’m tired of working” holiday.

The count down is now officially on, at least for me. There are only 18 more days (not including today), until a brand New Year is upon us. I’m not one for making New Years Resolutions since I’m never able to keep them, so I have struck that off my to do list as I prepare for the hectic weeks ahead. I’m not the Betty Crocker type either. In fact I am the kind of woman on the T.V. commercial where she sprinkles water and flour on her face to make it look like she’s been baking up a storm when her hubby comes in. So for me, it will be off to the different Deli’s to order the odd desert platter and or fruit platter and who doesn’t just love M&M Meats?

The programs have ended at the centre so my days will be free. Well that’s not entirely true. There is the day that I have to go for training so that I can learn how to run a machine I have no desire to use. The senior management have all decided that the low ones on the so called corporate totem pole should have janitorial skills along with office skills. Well I say bull pucky to that, but then again I am one of the low ones on this pole, therefore I have no voice or opinion. One just has to love their job in today’s economic crisis!....NOT. The night time rentals are still on a steady roll so that will keep my evenings still fairly busy. I’m going for the “awwww” factor here my fellow bloggers. I’m doing my rendition of Scarlet O’Hara. The back of my hand is pressed against my forehead and I’m about to pass out! Now do you feel sorry for me????? I didn’t think so. Typing actions are never very convincing.

It seems we’ll have the usual Christmas visitors this year plus a few new friends that will be stopping by throughout the holiday season. We have a small poker night planned for New Years Eve, and if all goes right I just might end up betting my other half. Who knows I just might lose, Oh no that would just be so dang awful! With plenty to eat and drink, and more than our fair share of laughter, I’m sure everyone will have a wonderful time. This year the digital camera will certainly get a lot of use. Well until next time my fellow bloggers............................

Once again, we come to the Holiday Season, a deeply religious time that each of us observes, in his own way, by going to the mall of his choice.
Dave Barry

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Tis the Season.......

Well my fellow bloggers, another Christmas season is here and with it comes all the hectic traffic, crowds and sold out items in the stores, but one can not forget the one sight that makes it all worth while. The shinning eyes of children as they stand in line watching the most magical man in the whole world, Santa Claus. I can’t help but stop and watch as child after child makes his or her way up to sit on Santa’s knee and whisper shyly what they want for Christmas. It’s amazing the wonder and amazement this Jolly Old Man in Red puts on 98 percent of children’s faces. I remember years ago when the Man in Red made my kids eyes shine and sparkle with happiness when they slipped off his knee to let another child have their talk with Santa. I really do miss those times especially at this time of year. This year there will be a major absence missing in my home but I know where ever he is he’s watching and saying bah hum bug with a sideways grin.

There are many things I want and need to blog about, but I am going to wait until after the holiday season to get some of the dead weight of my chest. I made a promise to myself and so far I have kept that promise. I promised myself that I was no longer going to let the little piss ant things get on my nerves anymore. Life is way to short and far too valuable to allow other peoples comments to interfere with my thoughts and way of living, but that doesn’t mean that I’m going to allow myself or others that are close to me be used in other peoples habitual dramas and childish back stabbings, and mark my words I will put those who have decided to involve my family members in their small but very noticeable ways of trying to cause their own dramas, in their place.

Now with that little bit of warning, on to a better and a lighter tone.

Not much has been happening in my little corner of the blogging world. That doesn’t mean that I have put my proverbial halo back on my head. It just means that I haven’t been blogging about my adventures. I guess you’ll have to wait and see, because you never know what DM has been up too and what she is willing to let slip purposely! I will say that this coming Wednesday night a group of us girls will be having a Christmas
get-together at a local pizzeria and with this particular group, no one knows what will happen next. I’m also looking forward to an outing that I’m hoping is going to happen within in the first few weeks of the new year. If all goes right a few of us girls will be going out on the town seeing a good show and spending the “entire” night doing what WE want to do. What a way to begin the new year. I have a few other things planned for the up coming new year, but all will be revealed as they happen.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Biting my tongue........

Well the end of another work week has been successfully completed and now it’s time to kick back and relax, at least until Sunday when it starts all over again. This week has not been the best but then again it hasn’t been the worst either. Since a fellow employee has been off due to an injury, it has been up to the rest of us to cover her duties as well as our own. I really don’t mind lending a hand when needed, but when the upper management has decided to do nothing to try and find someone to cover the absentee employee’s position, that’s when I get a bit pissy. It seems that even our direct Supervisor has decided that as long as there a few of us that she can have carry the extra load then there is no need to bother. The upper management as well as the direct Supervisor are able to do their jobs and end their day by clearing their desks and walking out to enjoy an evening or weekend ahead. I had to bite my tongue this morning when I arrived at work and as soon as the Supervisor saw me, she asked me to begin to pick up the extra load of this absentee employee. This is coming from someone who was sitting at her desk and instead of helping to carry the extra workload by chipping in herself, she hands off the extra things to others. I guess maybe lending a helping hand is beneath someone when they carry the name Supervisor.

Ok, my ranting is done, at least for now.

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

On Tuesday night I had my P.I.C. cover me. She said that everything went well and that was a good thing since I felt guilty enough by not being able to go in. On Wednesday night when I went in there were more than a few people who asked me if I was ok since I had missed my shift Tuesday night. In a non-selfish way it made me feel good knowing that people did notice that I wasn’t at my usual spot and that they were concerned enough to ask if I was ok. There were a few comments made by some regular weekly patrons that really lifted my spirits. I’ll spare you the details, but the long and short was that they did miss seeing me. I have to admit that I really did need to hear those comments. Everyone has those moments when they feel so tiny in this universe that they almost cease to exist. Well thanks to the concern, compliments and flattery I received on Wednesday night I know I do exist and that people do notice when I’m not around.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire............

Oh what a tangled web we weave when at first we practice to deceive.

This saying has been around longer then I can remember, but it sure rings true. I think I can safely say that we are all guilty in the telling of lies for different reasons throughout our lives. If you’re gasping and looking all shocked and stuff well damn it, you’re lying right now to yourself. I guess I could open up a whole debate on when, where, how and why a person might decide to lie, but that debate usually ends up making people get all pissy with others causing a blogging word war and to be honest, that war has been done too many times to be even the least bit entertaining. This blog IS centered around the art of lying and I do mean art since it takes a skilled person to carry out the lies and on top of it all have people believe those lies.

Recently I have witnessed a person start a lie and because there would be major consequences has let this lie snowball into a big blob of slimy green bull sh**.
(Queue a short clip of Steve McQueen’s horrified face as the blob begins to consume everything in sight).
This person chose to start this lie and before they knew what happened it had grown into a whopper of a tale. I was skeptical at first but said nothing until this persons lie started to include others and the events that had occurred causing this person to lie began to change. In all honesty this person’s story changed every time someone spoke with them. I have no idea how this person was able to keep their story straight when they were questioned by a higher authority but they did. It all came out to their advantage and they came out smelling like a rose, at least for the time being. There is also another saying that usually rings true and that is “what goes around comes around”. This person may not realize just what the blob of a lie has done to them in the long run, but I’m sure they will get what they so richly deserve in the end. And on the ending of this blog entry I can take a deep breath and sigh happily because I was not involved in this at all. Oh dear, on second thought I’m usually blamed for everything so if you don’t hear from me then fear the worst. I have had to slip into the Witness Protection Program, my new name will be “pssst, hey you” and if by chance a sneaker has turned up floating in the river, I wear a size 6. Please contact my P.I.C so she can identify it. Right now I am looking over my shoulder because I feel Tony Soprano like eyes on me. Damn those Italian type mobsters!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Spring, Summer, Winter or Fall, all you gotta do is call......

A frosty morning, a hot cup of coffee, curled up on the couch with my laptop and the quietness of the morning with no work today. Now this I could get used to. After doing the usual morning computer things such as checking email, face book updates and paying some bills I decided to check out a few blogs. I ran across one that caught my attention. It was about the friends people keep and how we seem to gravitate towards like minded people. At the end of this blog a question was asked “So what does the company you keep say about you?”

In my life I have met and made some wonderful friends. Some of those friends have been in my life for a few brief fleeting times adding to my life in wonderful ways. Some have been in my life for many years giving me countless warm and fond memories and then there are the friends that have stuck beside me through thick and thin holding me up when I fell and standing with me even though they may not have agreed with my choices or decisions. We all come from different walks of life. We are married, divorced and single. Some of us have grown children while others have children that are still growing. We have different hobbies, different likes and dislikes and different outlooks on life in general. But the one thing my friends and I have in common and that has bonded us all is the respect, admiration and love we have for one another. These are the friends that will walk “with” me through my life. There is no jealousy, envy or pettiness amongst the group I call “my friends”. I’m a very lucky person to have friends like I do.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

What a fun Night!!!

What can I say? Tonight has to be the funniest night I have had in eons. I went to my scheduled Zumba class and as per-usual I had to leave the class 15 minutes early since I was supposed to be supervising. I had started to put away the table in the hall since it was getting pretty crowded with hockey players. Some of the guys were watching with interest as the ladies in the gym were partaking in the Zumba class. I spoke up and told them since there was only about 10 minutes left they would be more than welcome to join the class. There was a stretch of nervous laughter and gruff voices saying “no freaking way”. Then one voice popped up and said I’ll do it. I really didn’t believe him but OMG he told me to lead away so into the gym we went. The one song was just ending and low and behold the next song was the dreaded arm song. My P.I.C can tell you that even the bravest souls feel the pain since the song seems to go on and on and on and on and…well you get the picture. Anyway this sports minded, shows up to every hockey game that he can kind of man was feeling the pain. His buddies somehow got a hold of a digital cam and filmed him turning red in the face and huffing and puffing away. He took it all in good spirits and I have to applaud his bravery because all his buddies had their noses pressed against the door watching since he was the only male in there. It was a night to remember for sure! After class the Instructor and I discussed the outing that we planned for the end of the session. It’s going to be a hoot when about 20 or so ladies walk into Boston Pizza to have a drink in celebration of the Christmas Season and the last Zumba class for 2009. I already have someone that is going to cover for me on that night so I can’t wait!!!!

Monday, November 9, 2009

Autumn 2009


My video of solitude and peace yesterday during my visit to the country
The serenity of the country fills the soul with peace.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

A wonderful ending to a stressful week.

What a beautiful weekend it turned out to be. The sun was shining most of yesterday and to be honest, that gave me the incentive to clean, clean, clean! I had my tunes blaring and the windows open so that the “Halloween” dust and cob webs were able to flow into the warm fall air. I vacuumed and dusted and hells bells, I even washed the dining room floor. I took a quick trip out to Wal-Mart to purchase a few things for the walls of the living room just to change things up a bit. I ended up spending more than I had intended, but oh well, the living room AND the dining room both have a few new possessions to adorn the walls. It felt so good having a day off where it wasn’t windy, rainy or cold. I did get a lot accomplished including the laundry. I took a small break and had a cup of coffee out on the deck and chatted with my neighbour. It gave me such a lift in spirits when he commented on how well I was looking and he had noticed the weight I had lost. This is coming from a man who is battling cancer and undergoing chemo treatments. I’m not one to fish for compliments or put myself in someone’s face in order to be noticed. I refuse to suck up to people so I can feel good about myself, so this compliment meant a lot to me since it was sincere and heartfelt.

Today I’m sitting at work and it looks like we may have a repeat of yesterday’s weather. It’s a short day for me and if the Google weather is right I’ll be done work just as the temperatures begin to warm the cool morning air. I plan on taking a drive out to the country after work to have a quiet visit with nature and then it will be back to the city for a visit to the grocery store. If the weather stays as nice as predicted during the day I might even have a bar-b-que for dinner and then relax with a glass of wine. I hope everyone has had a chance to enjoy the Indian Summer of Autumn 2009!


Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile.
William Cullen Bryant

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Rainy Saturday Morning




Well here I am, sitting in front of the office computer. It’s just beginning to get light out and it’s pouring rain. Most people are either still in bed, or just getting up. I’m watching the rain pour down as a group of hockey players stand in the main lobby having their morning coffee and catching up on their weekly gossip. Yes fellow bloggers, men DO gossip! Oh I have heard some of the most outrageous gossip from pretty much all the hockey groups that enter our facility. No. I’m not eaves dropping either. You have to understand that when men gossip, they do not lower their voice or lean in close to the person they are talking with. It seems that when men gossip, their voices grow a tad bit louder. Instead of cuss words happening every in every other sentence or so, they seem to spill out to every other word. I pretend NOT to hear, but inside I’m laughing my arse off. In all honesty there is a major difference between the gossiping genders. The female gossipers seem to steer their tid bits of information towards the catty and insulting areas, where as our male counterparts are sharing their information in a more back-slapping, belly laugh “is that f***ed up or what?” direction. I guess if I have to be sitting here at work this early on a Saturday morning I might as well sit back and enjoy the sounds of the male titter- tattle.

Oh by the way… I hope everyone has a SPOOKTACULAR HALLOWEEN!!!!!!

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Another challenge accomplished...yahhh for me!

Today I did something that was a pretty big deal for me. Most probably won’t think it’s such a great achievement since they do it many times over, but I will say it took a bit of courage on my part to accomplish this feat. I had been mulling over the idea of changing my hair style and colour. Oh don’t snicker yet. The style change is one thing but a different colour was way to out there for me. I made an appointment with the hair salon my P.I.C had recommended and on my own I ventured outward to my destination. The stylist I had was very understanding and to be honest very compassionate when she realized my nervousness. It’s hard to explain just how difficult a change like this is for me. I have done a few things to make myself feel better, but a change of hair style and adding highlights is something that is hard for me. As she foiled my hair she told me about her own recent experiences on making changes in her life. She even told me about how some of her friends didn’t understand and realize what a big step she was taking because the changes she decided to make were everyday living for her friends. Within the 2 hours I spent with this woman we exchanged a few of the change experiences that we have done. We had a lot of laughs and even drew in a few of the other patrons into our discussion. All in all I was more than satisfied with the outcome and after the many compliments on my hair I was able to walk out feeling a lot better about myself.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Turning a page.........

Today was rather a strange day. It was fairly mild and the sun did peek out a few times but most of the day it was cloudy. I guess sometimes the weather does really match ones mood. The grey dismal feeling of the day spilt over into the events of my day. It wasn’t a day of a so called pity party but a day of having a light flick on inside my head. I’m sure we all have days where things just don’t seem to be right but you can’t seem to put your finger on what it is and then something is said or done and “bingo” the light all of a sudden gets turned on. Well that was my day today. It’s not a bad thing, but yet again it’s not really a good thing either. It’s just what it is, something that just wasn’t meant to be.

The hardest thing to learn in life is which bridge to cross and which to burn. ~David Russell

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Another chapter written....

Abraham Lincoln:
And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.


This weekend I had to do something that I had been putting off. There are some things in ones life that has to be dealt with whether you want to or not and this was one of those times in my life. Saturday evening I spent some time up at my dad’s place and helped his companion go through his belongings. Boy that was pretty difficult. There were some tears, but there was some laughter to go along with them. I never realized how much of a pack rat my father was. As for his clothing, well lordy he had some clothes that I would guess to be almost as old as he was! With a bottle of wine to keep us company, we got to work boxing up his clothes in order to donate them to the local Thrift Shops and the Salvation Army. On Sunday evening my brother came in from London and met myself and my other two sisters up at my dads. We spent some time reminiscing about both mom and dad. Again there were some tears but we couldn’t help laugh as each of us recalled different things in our lives that had happened. It’s hard to believe that mom has been gone for 22 years now. Well 22 yrs come November 24th. There were a lot of “oh my god, do you remember this?” And fits of laughter rang throughout the apartment when my brother pointed out the huge almost afro like perm I had in a few of the pictures. All I could say was, “what the hell was I thinking when I had that done????????” I laid claim to all those horrid pictures so that I could make sure that the days of DM and her fro would never been seen again! We didn’t realize how late it was, so we ordered a pizza and of course had more wine while we finished going through all the pictures. I’ll admit my childhood and teen years were filled with more than a few traumatic events and it was certainly no picnic by any means, but when all is said and done, I survived and that’s what is important.

So, now another chapter in my life has been written and as we all left with some sentimental possessions of my fathers, I looked around one last time and whispered softly “Rest in peace Mom and Dad” and then closed the door for the last time.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Time Flies..........????????



I’m not sure whether Mother Nature is P.M.S.ing or whether Old Man Winter had a slight brain fart. Either way we felt and saw the effects of it. Yesterday we actually had a bit of snow flurry activity with the cold winds and it is only mid October. This is way too early in the season to see this. Last Night I didn’t get away from work until almost 10pm and hells bells it was cold! This morning I woke up to a very frosty morning. I took Bentley out for his morning ritual and almost slipped on my arse on the deck. It was covered with a thick layer of frost. I’m trying to figure out if the Global Warming we hear so much about has actually forgot about Indian Summer or if those two words have long been forgotten. Back a long time ago in a land I will refer to as my childhood, I remember the colourful and warm days of Indian Summer as being fun. Walking to school kicking piles of leaves and watching them scatter or trying to find the brightest colour of Maple leaf that was perfectly shaped. I live on a main route the children take to get to school and so far this season I have not seen anything remotely resembling what I remember. Now occasionally I do slip into my “Sometimers Mode” where upon I forget where my glasses are and search the house frantically not realizing I’m wearing them, but come on now, children laughing and kicking leaves as they walk is something even my mind could remember (at least I hope so). And to top it all off, yesterday while I was curled up on the couch with a heavy blanket and a nice hot cup of tea watching whatever held my attention on T.V. I actually saw a Christmas commercial! Come on people!! We just had Thanksgiving and we haven’t even put the jack-o-lanterns out for Halloween yet, and I witness a commercial with dancing Christmas gifts shuffling their way towards a decorated Christmas tree? If this is really what they mean when they say time goes by faster when you are an adult, to hell with being an adult. I want to be a kid again!

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Just another day

Today was just a laze around day. I did have plans but due to circumstances beyond my control they had to be postponed. During my day I had a lot of time to reflect on things that have happened in my life over the last year. I’ve experienced new things, put an end to old things, felt and experienced heartbreak and experienced yet another loss in my life. Yes I know, everyone goes through these stages in their lives and I’m not making light of their situations, but there are days when someone else’s pain doesn’t seem as big as mine. Does that make me selfish? I don’t think it does since we all feel different things at different times. I’m the one that has to do the proverbial “pull up my big girl panties and get on with life” so to speak and at times that’s a hard feat to do but somehow I always manage. So, here I am. Cheering with a Banana colada while I get ready to shake my booty doing the single single double!

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend!!!!


Thanksgiving did not become an official holiday in Canada until January 31st, 1957; when Parliament proclaimed that the 2nd Monday in October would "be a Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed".
That doesn't mean that Canadians never thanked the higher power or powers in the past for bountiful harvests; only that this was the first recognition of the day we now celebrate as Thanksgiving Day
There is one aspect of North American culture that really gets on my last nerve, and that is this obsession with being "first" and finding the "first". All too often in their quest to determine who was number one, they lose sight of what was really important. That being said, many have credited Martin Frobisher with holding the first Thanksgiving, when in 1578 he held a feast to thank God for his safe landing at Newfoundland.
However, the Canadian people were holding thanksgiving feasts thousands of years before he ever arrived, so we certainly know that he was not the first; and besides, who cares? Saying "Thank God we didn't drown", has absolutely nothing to do with the way that we celebrate Thanksgiving, and Martin Frobisher's accomplishments belong with navigational history and exploration; not agriculture. The farmer is slighted enough.
In France, even before the arrival of French immigrants to Canada; an annual event took place giving thanks for a good harvest.
This practice was continued with the early French settlers who would hold feasts of "thanksgiving", inspired by similar and frequent celebrations that took place in most native communities; both before and after the harvest. The Acadians took it one step further and every year would hold a party and dance in honour of their aboriginal neighbours, to thank them for their help during the lean times, and for being such gracious hosts to their ancestors when they first arrived in the country.
The first traditional style of celebrating Thanksgiving began with a fall festival known as The Harvest Home. It was usually celebrated on a weekday, though churches would often hold them on a Sunday, when the altar, columns, window ledges and archways were decorated with autumn fruits and vegetables. In some communities the local women even placed some of their finest baking in the display. After the Thanksgiving Service, there would be a community dinner consisting of large pots of baked beans, meat pies, fruit pies, squash, turnips, home-made pickles and salads. After dinner the men would go to the rectory to talk and smoke (no football games to watch), while the children played games and the women strolled about gossiping, exchanging wisdom and offering advice. By late afternoon, the congregation disbanded, though often the festivities were simply moved to their own homes. Sunday was always thought to be the best day for courting or "sparking", so no doubt many young couples began their romantic liaisons at a Harvest Home. From this event emerged the Agricultural Fall Fair, where the ladies from the local church would display their baking, preserves, and hand made articles. The events generally lasted all day and included competitions like log sawing or rolling; races and greased pole climbs. The first charity bazaar is believed to have been held by Lady Colborne, wife of the Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada in 1830. This became an annual event when all of the affluent women donated various "pretty toys", which were sold to raise money to clothe the poor, and purchase red flannel to make undergarments for the less fortunate. The women would make a party of it and often pressured their male acquaintances into purchasing items they probably didn't need or want. At least one etiquette book of the day frowned on the practice: "If you have a table at a fair, use no unladylike means to obtain buyers. Never appear so beggarly as to retain the change, if a larger amount is presented than the price, offer the change promptly, when the gentleman will be at liberty to donate it if he thinks best, and you may accept with thanks. He is under no obligation to make such a donation". Possibly the first "Thanksgiving Day" of note was proclaimed in Halifax in 1763; after the Peace of Paris ceded Canada to Britain. In Ontario there is mention of a Thanksgiving Day on June 18, 1816, celebrating the English victory over Napoleon, but again these were not really anything like the "bountiful harvest" that the day is meant to honour.
By 1879, taking the lead from Sara Hale, editor of Godey's Lady's Book; the annual event was officially named the Fall Festival and began with the traditional turkey shoot.
The cornucopia, which originated in Greek Mythology as the Horn of Amalthea, a symbol of prosperity; was later adopted as a symbol of the event. A curved goat's horn would be filled with vegetables, fruits and grains, which also became known as a "horn of plenty", and though actual goat's horns are rarely used anymore, the cornucopia is recognized by many cultures as representing a "bountiful harvest".

Monday, October 5, 2009

OHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOO!




My heart was in my throat; my armpits were soaked due to the panicked state of my mind and my hands were trembling so much that I thought they would actually fall off due to the constant hard vibrations of every nerve in my body as it went into overload. I saw my whole life flash before my eyes (and there was nothing exciting in that) as I whispered over and over “Oh My God! What the f**k did I just do?”

Main Entry: de•lete
Pronunciation: \di-ˈlēt, dē-\
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): de•let•ed; de•let•ing
Etymology: Latin deletus, past participle of delēre to wipe out, destroy
Date: circa 1605
: to eliminate especially by blotting out, cutting out, or erasing

I had screwed up royally and there was no way on this earth that I was going to explain to my supervisor that I had accidently deleted a clients entire contract so I did the only thing I could think of (besides run away and never come back) I called my old Supervisor praying to all that’s supposed to be holy that she would be home. For a change, luck was on my side and I almost wept with joy when I heard her voice. In a panicked “oh my god please help me voice”, I quickly explained to her what I did and begged her to help me rectify my royal screw up before I had to go in front of my current supervisor and explain what I did. I could hear her soft chuckles over my panicked state as she walked me through the entire process over the phone. Again I almost wept with joy as the clients contract was put back into place. The only issue I have to worry about now is the client’s contract number is different from the first. I’m so hoping that my supervisor will not notice this tiny change since she seems to be focused on other things at the moment. I owe my guardian angel big time!!!!

Saturday, October 3, 2009

A cruise on the Grand River Queen












I think I was born in the wrong year. Either that or my Irish background doesn’t seem to be as lucky as some. Late Friday afternoon we made our way to Caledonia to cruise down the Grand River while dinning on a roast beef dinner. The cruise and dinner were excellent but Mother Nature had decided to go into P.M.S mode again sending the rain to dampen (no pun intended) our fun. The cruise lasted 3 hours and even though it was raining the majority of the trip it still turned out wonderful.

Captain Emily steered the boat ever so slowly while doing her commentary and putting a humours spin on the history of the Caledonia stretch of the Grand River. During the brief periods of no rain, we stepped out onto the deck of the boat and took in the sites. We all had to laugh when a flash of lightening lit up the sky followed by a very low rumbling of thunder, which in turn was followed by the theme from “Gilligan’s Island” being played over the boats speaker system. Dinner was served at 6pm and it was amazing. It was not the deli typed roast beef, but it was a “real” roast of beef. The potatoes were not instant; they were actually peeled and boiled and the vegetables were a mixture of garden grown cauliflower, broccoli, carrots and beans. Desert was a fresh homemade strawberry shortcake. There was enough to feed a small army! So there Mother Nature, we had a good time despite your trying to dampen our spirits!

Friday, October 2, 2009

A relaxing day

Saying goodbye to the month of September wasn’t that hard to do since the weather hasn’t been that great. October doesn’t look to promising either, but oh well, that’s Mother Natures department. I’ll just try and keep the image of summer around a wee bit longer, at least until the majority of the leaves turn colour. That’s when I really enjoy the fall season. Yesterday was another lazy day for me. Seems like I’m getting into the habit of being lazy and I’m not sure that’s a good thing. I did spend the morning passing emails back and forth to a friend and that took up a good portion of the day and gave me lots of laughs. Last night I took the time to light a few candles, pour myself a martini and had a nice soak in the tub. Ahhhh, the bliss of having no children at home any more.

Today I’m off to work and then doing odds and ends during the afternoon. Later I’ll be off to have dinner while enjoying a boat cruise down the Grand River. I’ve lived here all my live and I have never cruised down the river so now I will be able to strike yet another thing off my bucket list. I still have one more item to take care of before 2009 has ended. I’m not sure what I will do next but since I’m growing more confident within my own self I’m sure I’ll achieve my goal.


Well behaved women rarely make history!!

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Ouch!

"People say that age is just a state of mind. I say it's more about the state of your body." - Geoffrey Parfitt


You know you’re getting old when you sneeze and cough and then feel a horrible pulling sensation in your groin. Well that’s what I did this morning and damn it does hurt! I stayed on the couch the majority of the day with the heating pad hoping the stretched muscles would slowly shrink back into a more comfortable length, but that didn’t help. Tonight was Zumba and I couldn’t even do that because it feels like every muscles in my groin area has been stretched to the limit. I was able to peek in and watch and HOLY SHAKE YOUR BOOTY BLOGGERS!!!!!! My P.I.C did the front row! Good for you P.I.C. I’m giving you a standing ovation plus a thumbs up for doing that.

Thats about it for my blogging brain tonight, I have just gone totally blank when it comes to what I was going to blog about. Damn this “sometimers” it sneaks up on me all the time!!!!!!

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Things don't change. You change your way of looking, thats all...

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.


That quote was from Mark Twain. It was also read at The Celebration of Life in honour of my father. A 78 year old man stood up and declared this reading as one my dad would have liked, since more often than not dad did what he wanted whether it was frowned upon or not.

Yesterday was what I would call an eye opener of sorts. It’s hard to explain, but even though I knew my dad I really had no clue what he was all about. Yes, he was my dad. He instilled his morals and values on us kids. He was a hard worker, a stubborn cuss and a very stern man when it came to us kids and directing us into the life of adulthood. But that was only one side of him. It was the side that only us kids could see. The other side of him was filled with wanting to explore his dreams and discover everything he could about anything he was able to. It’s hard to picture my father as someone who had dreams, and I’m not being disrespectful either. It’s hard to fathom because he was my father, and I’ll be honest, I never really thought much about my dad actually having a life other than being a father to us kids. My children probably think the same thing about me. Mom has a life other than being a mom? Noooooo that’s just not possible! I have decided that I am going to write a type of journal so that when I am gone and my children hear that I did have a life other than being just a mom, they can read about the other side of me. I’m sure they’ll laugh, gasp and cry out oh my god, mom did that? There again, that will be an eye opener for MY children.

Friday, September 25, 2009

The end of the work week....

T.G.I.F it seems like it has been a very long week. Maybe it’s the coolness of the day, but I’m certainly glad it’s Friday. Now I don’t have to go in till Sunday and that’s just fine with me.

Tomorrow morning I go and have my nails done again. I really can’t afford it, but since I don’t usually spend money on myself I have decided that it’s time I do a few “me” things. In the afternoon I have another Celebration of Life to attend in honour of my father. This one is for all the family and friends who were unable to make it into town when we held the first one.

As for the rest of the weekend, the weather does not sound to promising so going to work on Sunday won’t be too bad.

I hope everyone is able to enjoy their weekend whether Mother Nature is in a good mood or not.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Ohhhhhh what a night!


Last night I stepped way out of my comfort zone, and to be honest it wasn’t as bad as imagined it would be. I guess I had to prove to myself that I can do anything if I put my mind to it. It’s not an easy thing to do, but once the initial step was taken, it all just fell into place. Now I “was” awkward and thanks to the heat in the gym, my face was red so no one could see how damn much I was blushing but it wall all good in an Egyptian sort of way. It’s your turn next time my P.I.C!!!!

I had to leave the Zumba class a tad earlier than normal so I could get the money all sorted out before my usual night time brain farts began. It’s damn hectic not to say freaking confusing trying to keep track of cash verses debit versus credit cards for payments. Not to mention who paid and by what means. And P.I.C, thank you so much for that yummy treat you brought me. I must confess that I was on overload so when the coast was clear I sampled it, which led to another small sample and that in turn led me to pouring it into my coffee cup and taking into to the office with me! Now that’s what I call having a coffee break!!!!!!!!

After my “coffee break” the usual hockey group came EXPLODING through the doors in their usual cheery ways. Hi sunshine was echoed in unison as they all but bolted towards the gym. Once they got settled and my coffee cup was half empty I can honestly say I WAS a ray of sunshine. I was able to get all paperwork done and the top of the desk sorted out and cleared away just as they finished up. Then it was time to head home for the night.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

First post of Autumn 2009


The first day of autumn and what a mild day it was. The sun really didn’t show too much, but the humidity was extremely high. I was hoping that today’s tot’s program would be different from last week, but my hopes were dashed when the same father that stayed for the entire morning with his child last week, made another all morning appearance. Don’t get me wrong now. He’s a nice enough gentleman but the age group for this class is 2-5 yrs of age. Now he may very well have a 2 or 5 in IN his age, but that’s beside the point. Ok, I held my breath and expelled slowly in order not to go on about this. My new grip on my own corner of reality (those damn voices in my head) is to not sweat the small stuff any more. So far I think I have done a pretty good job, especially when it comes to my work. Back a few months ago if a parent had decided to stay for not one but 2 full mornings because they feel their child may be to young for this type of program, I would have been frustrated as hell. This time I’m not going to worry about it and I’ll let the parent play and do crafts with their own child and I will concentrate on the other children who are in the class. So I am patting myself on the shoulder and saying, “keep up the good work!”

Tonight I have a centre full of people so it is pretty hectic. There is ball hockey in the gym, a meeting in the large upstairs room and another meeting in the upstairs boardroom. When I had a chance, I slipped outside to get a bit of fresh air and I heard what I call a major sign of fall. It was dark outside and I could only see the faint “V” outline, but the unmistakable cries from a flock of Canadian Geese was echoing through the air. Since the centre sits just in front of a wooded area I could actually smell the leaves on the ground. I immediately went into my childhood mode and remembered raking the leaves into a huge pile and either running and jumping in them or taking turns being buried under them. Ohhhhhhhhhh, to be a child again. Who knows I just might find a pile of leaves in the near future and take a running leap into it!

Tomorrow I have the morning off so I’ll probably do what I have grown used to doing and just mess around on the computer. As you have probably heard as your reading this, I have learned how to add music to my blog. It took many different tries and a bit of cussing and deleting, but I finally did it. Yahhhhhh me!!!!! I think my next attempt will be to……………….no never mind, I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Last Post for Summer 2009!

The last weekend of summer has come and gone. Damn I’m not sure we can even call what Mother Nature gave us this time as a summer. I guess I can’t complain since this past weekend was filled with sun shine and warmth. It was my Saturday to work and since I work every Sunday it was a busy weekend for me. After work on Saturday I came home and cleaned the house from top to bottom. I vacuumed, dusted and febreezed every square inch of the house. I had invited some good friends over for a bar-b-que, a few drinks and a night of laughs, and laugh we did!

Sunday I had a pretty full day at work with the usual rental group and hockey teams. It must have been my lucky day since during the course of the day I had 3 Tim Hortons coffees delivered to me. I had a friend come and visit with me at work and between giving out ice packs and answering the phone we were able to have a good visit.

Today it’s rainy and just plain yucky out. Traditional for the last day of summer. I’m just going to kick back, relax and watch whatever daytime shows that seem interesting. Have a good day everyone!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Just Something.....

*I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be*

And in my best Forest Gump voice...."thats all i got to say about that"

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Pulling up my own big girl panties for a change!!!

Today is just going to be one of those lazy assed days when I don’t do a thing. I have the day off, but I do go in tonight so my inner management (those little voices in my head) has told me to take it easy. There are many things I could voice my opinions on, but I’ll keep those to myself, at least for the time being. I do feel somewhat vindicated in my own little way about something that has been coming to a boil for a very long time. I was
able to voice “my” feelings about certain things that had been weighing heavily on me. All the help books and all the T.V help celebrities are always stating that it’s your own inner soul that needs to be helped before you can feel any peace within yourself. I was always worried that I would hurt or anger others if I said what was hurting me, but as they say, do not worry about others, let them worry about themselves. Since I have voiced what was inside of me, I do feel lighter and better about myself. I don’t feel guilty or ashamed and I don’t feel regret. I have learned that my inner peace is just as important as anyone else’s and if I don’t take the initiative to help myself, than why should anyone else? So, I can say with a clear heart and mind, I AM ME AND MY FEELINGS ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT AS ANYONE ELSES!

With that being said, it’s onward I trod to explore and experience all I can while I am still able to.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

What a day!!!




Today was one day I wished I could have stayed in bed with the blankets over my head. Instead I had to get up, do my usual morning chores of feeding my mini zoo and slowly get ready for work. I did think I had a bit of time before I had to leave, even though I was going to be leaving about 20 minutes sooner than normal. Well the 20 minutes earlier turned into almost 45 minutes earlier starting my whole day off on a rather sour note. I was half dressed and had a mouth full of toothpaste when I heard a beep in the driveway. I looked at the clock, shrugged it off and finished brushing my teeth since it was to early for my ride. I brushed my hair and slipped on my shirt and heard another longer beep coming from my driveway. This time I looked out and there was my ride. I frantically dragged the puppy out to do his after breakfast business, dragged him back in and slipped on my shoes, grabbed my purse and flew out the door. I just knew this was not going to be a good day.

Since this was the first day of the Tot’s program, I was expecting some tears and a few pleadings from the children as the moms tried in vain to leave. The tears were not really that bad and that gave me a bit of hope. Then one father, and one mother decided to stay for the morning, making it impossible for me to guide their children into a morning of play and fun. At this point, I’m not sure who was having the problem, the parents or the children. The morning finally ended and then I was back home for a brief period of time and then back out for the bi-annual Health and Safety training. Talk about boring! It was all I could do to keep myself awake. I did take notes when the Health and Safety rep, indicated certain things would be on the test. I did the usual chicken scratch whenever she said to, thinking I was at least alert enough to do that. Wow, was I ever surprised when the test came and everything she had said would be on the test …wasn’t! I stumbled through it and was relieved when I was able to hand it over to her knowing it would be another 2 years before I do it again. Then it was back home again to grab a quick bite to eat and then head back to work to do my evening shift.

The one hockey team I was hoping would not show up because it was rather early in the season for them to start IS coming so I’ll get home about 10:30. That’s just enough time to take the animals in my zoo out for the night, bring them back in and then fall right into bed. What an exhausting and busy day!

Monday, September 14, 2009

When is enough...enough??????

I have been told, and I do agree 100% that blogging is more of an online journal where one can type out their thoughts and feelings in a publicly controlled way. Controlling it is easy since you can allow comments, dis-allow comments or just not post anything to personal since it is sort of a public forum. I allow comments on my blogs since I don’t write anything of a truly personal nature. Sometimes the comments can give me another spin on what I have blogged about helping me out when I need it. Other times the comments are put there to make me laugh and sometimes the odd comment is put on to do nothing but piss me off. Even those comments I allow to be posted since I have chosen to join the Blogging Community and all the wonderful and not so wonderful bloggers.

This blog will contain some personal feelings I have dealt with and over the course of time I have put them to rest. But one never knows when some piece of news or contact with certain people will bring the feelings to light once again. I must warn you that this will be lengthy so by all means, go get another coffee or tea, get comfortable and read till your hearts content because there will be some who knows exactly whom and what I am talking about.
Stating once more for the record...this is MY blog...MY journal and MY feelings.

Many years ago (roughly 10 yrs) a good friend of mine went through some very troubling times within her life and marriage. The only alternative this friend felt she had was to end her marriage and move away. It was distressing to all who was involved but it was something my friend had chosen to do. Yes it was even distressing for me since she was a childhood friend and I was going to miss her dearly. Not to mention the fact her husband was friends with mine. My friend and I had some pretty harsh words towards each other about her decision but when all was said and done, I realized she had to follow what her inner self guided her to do. Because of the close relationship we shared I had some back lash about her decision, but I stood up and firmly defended her actions even though some people blamed her for everything. Over the years my friend and I still had some issues and obstacles that we had to work on and some worked out and others just seemed to fester and grow bigger. I’ll not blame everything on her because I know there is and always will be a silent barrier between us. I’m not sure what it is and even if I did know I’m not sure it could be fixed. My friend has stated recently that since she has moved I have not called her nor came to visit her but she has called me and visited me, and she has. I can not disagree with that. But in all fairness to me she has only come to visit me when she has been in town to visit her family. She has not taken the hundreds of miles trip “just” to visit with me. The latest accusation from her was, her feelings that I did not understand her sense of humor when it came to something she had written and if we were such good friends how could I think she would be that disrespectful to me. The only reply I have to that is timing and wording. I had complained about a few things on my blog about how some people use the Facebook web page to air out their dirty laundry and personal lives by writing “stupid assed comments”. I did more or less complain about it and wrote something to the effect that maybe they should use better judgement. Within a 24hr period she had posted her “sense of humour” comment on the Facebook web page. Now that normally wouldn’t have bothered me had it just been that. But there was an indirect retort about waiting for the Facebook Police to say something to her. Now remember, I blogged about this, on my blogging page. A totally different site. Blogger.com has no relationship to the Facebook page at all. Yet there was a direct stab at what I had written on my blog on the home page of Facebook. I did privately call her on it and as per usual with her she turned it around and tried to make ME feel as though I was the one misunderstanding things. Now please, if I am off base with this one please tell me fellow bloggers, since she is insisting that I am the one that has disrespected our friendship by accusing her of taking a stab at me. I will eat crow and apologise if I am in the wrong, but I honestly do not feel I was wrong. When I look back over the last 10 years, it has become very apparent that this friend will push the blame on others before she takes onus for anything.

People always come into your life for a reason, a season and a lifetime. When you figure out which it is, you know exactly what to do.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

What a beautiful day!

Well it’s another beautiful day signaling the arrival of fall. It’s getting dark earlier, and the nights are growing chilly. You have to wear a sweater in the mornings, but by noon, it’s back to being fairly warm out. I have noticed the leaves on some trees are already changing colour and chestnuts are scattering under every chestnut tree. I’ve noticed the constant rumblings of lawn mowers are now far and few between and bags of leaves are now decorating the curbsides where there used to be bags of lawn clippings. Fall doesn’t officially start for another week, but as we all know, Mother Nature never follows the calendar rules.

Another sign of fall for me is the return of the regular Ball Hockey groups. Throughout the summer there was only the regular Church Service on Sundays, but today was the official start of just one of the many Ball Hockey teams that rent the centre. Over the next couple of weeks the remaining teams will start and by the week after Thanksgiving all teams will be in full swing. Wow, time is going by so quickly, it’s almost scary to think about. When you think about it, Thanksgiving is just 29 days away, and I won’t even mention what comes next! I’m thinking maybe I should get my “Bucket List” out again and start making plans to get a few more “bucket” items checked off since time is passing by so dang fast. I’m not sure what those items might be yet, but I’ll do at least 2 by the end of 2009.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

A good day


Bills, bills and more bills. That’s all I seem to concentrate on lately, which in turn has put me into a slight slump. Well enough is enough. At least for me it is. I’m doing it again but this time I caught myself before I got sucked into the black hole of throwing myself a pity party. Today I met a friend for coffee and before I knew it we had talked half the morning away. This past summer I have had to weather a few things on my own and it wasn’t easy. I was beginning to feel the old self pity thing happening to me. You know, the feeling of no one really cares about what I have been going through, because they have their own problems. It’s strange how fast the proverbial wall can start to go back up when you begin to feel you are alone and no one is there for you. I have to admit that I was getting tired of always being the arms that help hold others up. I was tired of being the ears that others used when they needed to talk, or being pushed aside or shut out of people’s lives when they no longer needed to vent. It felt so good when I was asked how I was doing and how I was coping with the loss that I had suffered. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not one to make my feelings known and I try and act like I’m strong and don’t need a shoulder so others won’t feel “obligated” to ask how I am doing. But again, it felt good to know someone actually cared enough to ask questions about “me”.

Anyway, enough of that since I have cancelled my pity party and the “funk” that I was falling into has slipped back into the shadows. Work doesn’t seem as gloomy anymore, even though we will only be working 2 mornings a week. Two mornings a week is better than having no working mornings and the majority of the sports teams are slowly starting back up. We went in this past week to wash up the toys and to get the bulletin boards ready and it actually felt good to be back into the routine of listening to the mumblings of a certain person while we enjoyed our morning coffee. My Supervisor has also begun to be nicer to me and finally includes me in conversations when she makes her dreaded appearances in the room. I’m not sure how long that will last, but I have made a pact with the little voices in my head to not let myself get upset with the complaints and back stabbing that will surely begin soon.

I went to an actual Salon and had my nails done properly. I have been getting the acrylic French Tip nail manicure done and the last few times I have not been happy with their work. The tips seem to break off or chip and they just don’t seem too enthusiastic about their work. This time I made an appointment with a regular Salon to have it done and I am very impressed with the outcome. They were friendly and very helpful and made me feel completely at ease. Yes it cost a bit more money, but it is true, “you get what you pay for” and I am worth the money it takes if it makes me feel good about myself. I went out with a friend and while they were busy doing a few errands in and about the mall, I ran into a co-worker. She bought me a coffee while we both waited for our scheduled appointments and during our coffee we had a really nice talk. We parted ways and I was off to spend the rest of the time with my friend. All in all it was a good day!

Friday, September 11, 2009

Hear Ye Hear Ye...I need attention!

Facebook, MSN, ICQ, Yahoo and Blogs. These are all excellent ways to keep in contact with family and friends, that is until people start airing their their personal problems and writing things to bring attention to themselves. I stopped using ICQ along time ago; I don’t have MSN although all my kids use it. I’m not on Yahoo, but I do have Facebook and as you know, I do have my blog.

Facebook is a good communication program but in all honesty I am tired of reading stupid assed updates on the people I have added onto my Facebook page. I know, you’re probably thinking “just delete these people”. I have begun my own filing system where in I start to place people into certain categories. The first category I have called “Just Plain F*&ked up”. Those people have been deleted and are now floating around the cyberspace landfill site. The second category I have called face book game junkies. These are the ones that play every single game on face book and to make matters worse sends me the freaking game, clogging up my face book page. The third category is the whiners and complainers that air the personal problems on the walls of a very PUBLIC site. I’m sure 99.9% of the friends people have on their face book do not want to hear that you have argued with your brothers or sisters or a friend. That you have received bad news or suffered a loss. As far as I’m concerned such matters should be dealt with in a personal way either by email, phone or even on a private blog. I recently suffered a loss in my life and not once did I post my loss on face book. All my face book friends had no idea my father was ill. It was only a small close group of friends that I had PRIVATELY confided in that knew of my situation. Even when my friends on face book found out about my loss, they used discretion and privately sent their thoughts and condolences to me through the face book email. No wonder face book is always under scrutiny and some web officials want face book taken down.

I am a dedicated Blogger. Well as dedicated as time will allow me to be. I only have given certain people my Blogger address and those are the ones that I would want to know my personal business. A blog is a personal journal where one can write whatever they feel and if they choose they can have people comment on what they have written.

I guess what I’m seeing is those who post personal drama and such on Face Book are those who need the continued attention of others and can only achieve this attention by using a very PUBLIC forum to gain attention and sympathy.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Good Morning Elgin Street Neighbours!


Damn this morning was a chilly one. Don’t ask me why, but I was up bright and early. I fed all the animals in my private zoo, donned my jacket and boots and took the pup out for his morning backyard visit. It really is quiet in the early morning hours and I was rather surprised at how the sound of a dog barking echo’s in the air. There is a family of wild rabbits that have decided to make a home under the garden shed at the back of the yard. I’m guessing the mother rabbit pushed the father rabbit out of his slumber to investigate the noise that we were making in the yard. It seems that the wild rabbits of the city have no fear since a rather large brown one hopped out into the center of the yard and just sat there, this in turn sent Bentley into a barking frenzy. The long eared creature continued to sit there unimpressed while I held firmly to Bentley’s leash and tried to hush him. A few of the neighbourhood dogs decided they wanted in on whatever action was happening and started to bark as well. Lights began to turn on in the surrounding homes and I could hear voices shushing their dogs as the choir of barking rang through the air. I rather clumsily picked up my 25lb puppy and hurried into the house hoping no one would see that it was my dog that started the whole thing. I’m sure the rabbit enjoyed seeing my rather hasty retreat since it was our noise that made him have to get out of his bed in the first place.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Where has the time gone?

Damn, it’s hard to believe that the last few days of August are here. In certain ways it feels like this summer has been a long one but than again it seems like we never really had a summer. The weather has absolutely sucked giving us only a few days of the heat and sun shine of summer. The camping trip we had started to plan had to be put on hold, but I’m still hoping that maybe one weekend in September we can make it a reality. Speaking of September, I have almost finished my program planning and to be honest I am looking forward to going back to work. My usual night time and weekend hours will follow shortly after the Labour Day weekend. There will be no more lazy days and weekends for me. I’ll have to try and work out all my brain farts and slip back into the smiling Costumer Service mod that is expected of us being on the front lines of our department. My P.I.C will probably think I have finally lost it, but yes, I’m even looking forward to the usual morning coffee’s, eye rolling and bitch-fests that usually has us pulling our hair out by the roots. I wonder if I would be caught if I snuck a bottle of Baileys Irish Cream into the building and stashed it away for those mornings when our plain coffees need an extra boost??

Saturday morning I will be involved in a Zumba for breast cancer in Burlington. I’m not sure how I’m going to fair with that since its hard enough to do 1 hour of Latin dance exercise let alone 3 full hours. Hopefully there will be many in attendance so that I can get lost in the single single double moves! I’m sure my muscles will be screaming in protest by the end of hour 1. To make matters worse I was dumb enough to promise in writing that I would not miss anymore Zumba classes during the week or I would move my back row place to the front row. Damn those brain farts of mine!
Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Even an anvil won't make a dent!

It never ceases to amaze me on how clueless and “it’s not a very nice word but it is fitting” stupid some people can be. Over a period of time I have seen the image of a good thing change into something that is, well for lack of a better phrase “one crayon short of a full box”.

Changes are inevitable and as we grow from childhood through our teen years and into adulthood we learn to accept the different changes. The majority of times the changes we encounter are good and bring us to different roads in life. I have finally come to the conclusion that there will be a small change in my life. At one point this change would have been a sad one, but now it is a necessary factor in my life. I can no longer sit idly by and let the selfishness and excuses flow. I have surrounded myself with a circle of “forks” but as my father always said, “do not do battle with a clueless one since your battle will be in vain.” I’m sure I will be sent words of laughable wisdom and maybe even an email or two, but I will heed my father’s words. Oh I will enjoy the so called wisdom that I will no doubt get, and I will certainly share those clueless words so others may enjoy them as well.

Monday, August 24, 2009

An old chapter finished, a new one begins!

The sad tears have dried and it’s time to move on and let the smiles of happy memories take their place. We bid my Father farewell on Saturday to the great big Playable Places and Great Bloomin’ Spaces in the sky as per his wishes and after that we gathered for a toast of his favourite drink of choice and an afternoon and evening of wonderful memories. We all held up a shot glass of Crown Royal Whiskey in memory of Dad. After going around the room, laughing at some of the toasts that were being said, we held cheers to my father(in true Irish tradition) and downed the shot of whiskey. I for one felt the hot liquid slide down my throat and swore flames escaped my mouth!



I did learn something very interesting though. The arms of support that I assumed would be there for me were not. Oh I did get the usual 5 words that always follows when sadness strikes (my thoughts are with you)and it wasn't even very personal, but that was all I got. It was the arms of a very dear friend as well as phone calls lending from people lending me their support and words of compassion from others within the blogging community which truly helped me through this time. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t what I got from this individual. It really is true that when a person is down they will find out who their true friends are. This time it was me who was wearing the rose coloured glasses. Any who….onward I trod to continue my quest of living my life to the fullest and when it’s my turn to leave this mixed up world, I’ll have a margarita in one hand, chocolate in the other and a damn BIG smile on my face!

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Good friends share good times, but great friends divide pain.



Many grateful thanks to all my friends who held me up when I needed the suport. You truly are friends that have left footprints on my heart!

Monday, August 10, 2009

Rest in peace Dad

January 27 1934 - August 9 2009

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

A night of laughs.


Parents start you off on life
but friends get you through it.

Last night I had a great time. Two friends came over and throughout the night we shared lots of laughs and some strawberry daiquiris. We watched my oldest cat scooch across the living room floor and almost pee’d our pants laughing when the one friend exclaimed with excitement that he was doing the moon walk. There is nothing more embarrassing than having ones guests witness the butt scratching of your pet across the carpet, but the tears of laughter and our tightly crossed legs helped keep my flaming red face a well kept secret.

We made the beginning plans of our up and coming camping trip. My P.I.C has never experienced a NIGHT in the great outdoors so we are all looking forward to this over night camping trip. If she enjoys it as much as I think she will, we might plan a weekend camping trip next summer. Just think a group of women in the great outdoors. Sounds like a fun time to me!

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

A day in the life....

I just thought I’d sweep away the few little cobwebs in the corner of my world. It has been a few weeks since I blogged but I have had my hands full with the newest addition to the house. In all honesty the male species, be it human or animal seems to have the same personality traits. They do what they want, when they want and have a one track mind. Bentley has now entered the terrible twos. Two month period that is. He doesn’t let me rest and if he catches me grabbing a few zzzz’s on the couch he makes sure by vocally announcing to everyone in the neighbourhood. I will say that his bark is definitely NOT worse then his razor sharp puppy teeth. He has discovered that teething on wooden furniture, wooden base boards and human flesh has a certain ode da joy to it. I forgot just how demanding having a puppy can be!

I did have a chance to attend a zumba class last night. It has been well over 2 months since I cha cha cha’d and mamboed my wiggly bits around the floor but in all honesty I think I did pretty damn good. There were a few new dances and it took a bit to learn them but I have to pat myself on the back since before the end of the song I had them down pat. I was amazed that the only part that hurt on me was my arse cheeks. I guess the wibbly wobbly bits that I have sat on for way to long decided to protest a wee bit. I was filled with sweat and my face was red but I have to admit that it felt damn good. Looks like Monday nights will be filled with zumba again!

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

A New Addition


After many months of thinking and stewing over this thought of mine, I decided to go ahead and just throw caution to the wind. My children are all grown and have left the nest to embark on the wonderful thing we call life. Well at least 2 of my children have. The other one seems to have fallen down a manhole and Lordy just like any male he won’t ask for directions. Some have said that I am now beginning to suffer the so called “empty nest” syndrome and to those people I say…are you nuts!!!!!! I’m no longer a waitress, or a laundress. I’m no longer the short order cook and I finally have HOT water for my showers. I can take a bath and even add bubbles without the usual dozen or so knocks on the door asking when I’ll be done. I can blare my music full tilt while I listen to MY kind of music. I have even mastered the art of zumba dancing in the tub while the bubbles cover all my wobbly bits. Although I will admit the water that sloshes over the side of the tub is a pain in the arse to mop up afterwards. I never realized there were so many channels that are offered on cable. For years I have been subjected to the Much Music channel and all the drama that follows. I have seen diva after diva rise and fall and have witnessed some pretty bizarre behaviour from the young artistically inclined music culture of today’s world. So, does it sound like I’m suffering from the “empty nest” syndrome? I think not!

Anyway, back to my throwing caution to the wind idea. I have decided to expand a small part of my nest. Some people may call me crazy but everyone knows I have been suffering from that since my first child hit the teen years and 2 more times after that. (shakes my head to stop the voices inside from arguing). Ok, now where was I? Oh yes my new addition. I have just bought Bentley. Not A Bentley, but a 6 week old Golden Retriever. He’s a welcome addition to my little area of the nest.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Mother Nature Strikes Back!




When it rains, it really does pour and as per usual, it’s not in a good way. Yesterday afternoon at around 1:00pm, the skies darkened, the wind began to really blow and a few thick and heavy rain drops spattered onto the ground. Within seconds the torrential downpour began. With the high winds and heavy rain it was virtually impossible to see down to the corner of my street. There were only a few rumbles of thunder as this storm swept through the area reminding us that Mother Nature was awake and not in a good mood.

The roadway drains were plugged giving the rising water no where to go except up onto the boulevards and flood peoples driveways. The majority of vehicles were slowly crawling down the street hoping their motors didn’t get wet and stall out on them, but there were some drivers who didn’t give a flying….err I mean who didn’t really pay much attention. I guess some adults just can’t resist the childhood impulse of splashing through puddles. I’ll admit that I love to do that as well, but there are times when those impulses need to be put on hold. As I said, the road was truly flooding and the water was rising fast. Homeowners including myself were trying desperately to keep the water away from our ground level window wells since the overflow from the road was finding any drainage anywhere it could. It’s really hard to picture unless you were able to see what was happening. Some drivers began to whip down the street causing actual waves and wakes to rush up peoples driveways and gathering inside the window wells causing some flooding in a few basements. There were a group of us standing in knee deep water on the side of the road pleading to the drivers to slow down so the water wouldn’t rush towards people’s homes. We were met with drivers cussing at us and giving us the finger while they laughed and gunned their vehicles. At times like this I’m so proud to live in a community with thoughtful and helpful people…….NOT!

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Just A Fun Night!

Last night was a night filled with many happy memories. We had a few friends over for dinner and drinks and with that came a lot of laughs. It’s funny what your mind seems to tuck away into a small corner and then all of a sudden it comes sneaking out bringing back all sorts of thoughts. There were memories of camping trips and fishing trips along with many “oh oh, do you remember when” stories. There were conflicting stories of our younger days when each one of us remembered the events in a totally different way filling the house with some very loud laughter. I’m sure our neighbors had some private laughs of their own since the noise level seemed to increase through out the evening. When the night finally came to and end there were tight hugs for everyone and promises to get together again. It’s always a wonderful thing to be able to laugh with your family and friends!

Well, here I am at work, the sun is shinning and the weather is beautiful. I’m not going to complain too much about being at work since Mr. Visa needs some attention after a week in Myrtle Beach. The usual Sunday rental group has just started but they are anything but “the usual”. My P.I.C can attest to the “unusualness” of this group. My P.I.C. covered for me for one Sunday, but this is my second Sunday back at work. I had to hold a straight face when one particular person poked his head into the office and welcomed me back and complimented me on my wonderful tan and how well it seems to “glow”. Again, I have red hair. I do NOT tan, but then, maybe it’s the fading “pink” tinge that seems to be “glowing”. If you ask me, I think this fellow has been carrying the P.A system on his shoulders a wee bit to long!

After work I have a few errands I have to get done and then it’s back home to clean the house after last night. Oh, by the way P.I.C., there is a song that’s stuck in my head and for some reason I think of you………………………….a camping we will go, a camping we will go, high heigh-ho the derry-o a camping WE WILL go!

Friday, June 12, 2009

Gonna slip off my shoes and run in bare feet!!!


Well the end of the school year session has just ended and if I’m to be honest with myself, I will miss going into work. I’ll miss the morning coffee and the before class gossip sessions, but I’ll be in constant contact with my P.I.C and our supervisor. Speaking of our Supervisor, I have a feeling she has now stepped over to join us on the dark side. After years of trying to crack jokes with her and having only a slight smile given in return, she now draws smiley faces on our notes and has begun to tell jokes herself. I was away on holidays last week and upon my return I wrote in the log book that I was back. I included a few joking words asking if I was missed and added a smiley face. She actually replied back in the log book that I WAS missed and not only added 3 exclamation marks but she drew a smiley face of her own! She still has her “ dah” moments but she has come along way.

It was hard to keep my emotions under control as the children were saying good-bye and the parents were thanking us for helping their child take their first steps into the world of education. There were hugs and hand shakes as well as major compliments on a job well done. It is nice to know that even though we are a small stepping stone for these children, the parents are truly grateful to us. My P.I.C and I received some very lovely thank you gifts including a very useful glass iced tea pitcher, which by the way will certainly double as a margarita pitcher!

Now that summer is upon us I’m trying to persuade my P.I.C into both of us rounding up a few girls, pull up our big girl princess panties and take a stab at outdoor living for a weekend. Hey who knows what can happen! My P.I.C has been taking more steps out of her comfort zone so it just “might” work. Stanger things have happened. And pssst P.I.C I really am serious about this!!!!

Friday, May 22, 2009

"Everything you can imagine is real." Pablo Picasso


Ones imagination can be used in many ways. Some people, including myself, like to use our imagination with writing, and some people lose themselves in their artistic talent of drawing. But there is nothing that can be compared to the imagination of a child. During my years of working with children, I have encountered many imaginative minds and I’m always amazed at what little minds can accomplish. There is one child we have that has a very vivid and innocent quality to his imagination. At 4 years old his vocabulary is outstanding and could even put some adults to shame with words and sentences that seem to glide past his lips. Last week a group of children proclaimed my P.I.C. to be the super hero “Wonder Woman”. Today I was proclaimed to be “Super Girl”. I couldn’t help but chuckle since I haven’t been called a girl in many decades. I asked this particular child what my super powers were and with a very serious face he said; “You have the powers of the sun. You can shine down on everyone and keep the evil spirits and ghosts away from the Island.” Now to me, that’s a very big honour since I have been entrusted with keeping everyone safe. I then asked him what costume “Super Girl” wears. He was dead serious as he thought for a moment and then stated that “Super Girl” wears a blue and white striped shirt, blue coloured jeans, a watch and ear rings. Ironically that was the exact outfit that I was wearing. It really fascinated me how this child used some reality mixed in with his imagination to create such a wonderful childhood scenario.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Happy Victoria Day!




I hope everyone was able to enjoy their May 24 weekend (even though it falls on the 18th this year). It's the first offical start to the up and comming Summer season. yaaaaa!!!!!!

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Check or Fold?????????





The wind was strong as the frosty air started to blanket the darkening city. The music was playing quietly in the back ground with the 2 gentle giants keeping watch over the room. I tried not to flinch as the pile began to grow in the middle of the table. I was getting good at keeping the others from reading my expressions, but I wasn’t sure how long I could keep it up. I knew this could be it for me. I could either come out ahead or I’d lose everything. All eyes seemed to be watching me, waiting for some kind of reaction. This was it. It was my turn. I looked up and smiled as I slowly pushed my bid into the middle of the table. I was risking it all, but I had no choice. Hopefully they wouldn’t sense the fear that lurked just behind my eyes. I swallowed hard just as the person beside me groaned and threw down his hand and pushed away from the table. The person next to him decided to withdraw as well and folded. That left only 2 of us. He continued to stare at me and pushed another bid into the middle. I had gone to far, but it was to late to turn back. I smiled and pushed my bid next to his. Ironically Kenny Rogers began to croon out “You got to know when to hold em. Know when to fold em. Know when to walk away and know when to run…” I never took my eyes off of his. He tried to stare me down, but I held strong. Finally he moved. Even the gentle giants felt his disappointment and looked up curiously as he shook his head and finally decided to fold. I smiled and exhaled the breath that had been building up inside my lungs. I reached to the middle of the table and pulled the pot towards me. I couldn’t believe what I had just accomplished. I had nothing in my hand. It was totally useless, yet I once again bluffed my way through it. I looked at the time and declared that it was late and I had to get home. I smiled proudly as I gathered up my winnings and carefully filled my money-bag (I’m so glad the Glad invented the zip-lock baggies). With hugs and kisses exchanged between everyone I slipped into the frosty night air a few pounds heavier than when I first arrived. I’ll be the first to admit that “draw poker” between good friends makes for a very fun night!!!

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Me, Me and Me

Lately I have been feeling a bit out of sorts. I’m not sure what it’s all about or what brought it on, but it does kind of suck. It’s not that I’m drowning in silent tears or that I want to isolate myself, it’s just a blah feeling. I tried in so many ways to keep this feeling under control, but to no avail. Joking around and trying to pretend that all is wonderful in my little corner of reality didn’t make a difference. Wednesday night after my weekly zumba fitness class I was literally exhausted both mentally and physically and I knew that I wasn’t going to be able to take much more so instead of continuing to wallow in my own what ever the hell it is that I’m wallowing in, I decided to have a “me” day.

My “me” day consisted on doing absolutely nothing. The weather wasn’t the greatest and it was windy as hell, but the sun was shinning. I sat outside for awhile and let the wind blow off as much emotional discharge as possible. I then soaked in the tub with my music blasting. After I relaxed for a bit more I decided on the spur of the moment to treat myself to something I’ve always wanted to do but never did. It sure felt good taking time for me and just concentrating on me, myself and I.

It’s amazing how just treating one’s self to a “me” day can make you feel good again!!

“to touch the silence deep within your mind can sometimes be lonely, yet soothing and powerful” …..Douglas Novack

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Can you really teach and old dog new tricks????

I’ve always considered myself a pretty confidant person in many aspects of life, until it comes to a thing called “Class”. No, I’m not talking about any self esteem issues, nor am I talking about any type of attitude. The Class I am talking about took close to 2 hours to learn. It consists of many different areas and if I’m not careful I could wreak havoc on unsuspecting people. I had my first try at using the “Class” that I was taught and now I’m just waiting to see if I have what it takes.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Bodily harm or just Bottled up!

Spring is now in full bloom thanks to all the rain we have gotten. The usual flood warnings are being issued and the lawns are now covered in dandelions. I do have to admit that even though we have certainly received our fair share of rain, it is wonderful to feel the warm sun on my face as well as look out the window and see GREEN! Tulips, daffodils and crocuses are taking center stage along side the nesting birds. My yearly friends are back and are busy constructing their temporary home in the upper left hand corner of my front porch. Soon that corner will be filled with the sounds of hungry youngsters and not to long after that my yearly friends and their offspring will embark on a new and exciting life.

Now I will push Mother Nature gently aside, inhale deeply, clench my hands into fists and then slowly let my breath out before I type the very next word


GHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, that felt a wee bit better. Looks around and smiles. Please excuse that outburst and I did try to contain my wording by not typing swear words, although if there was one phrase that I would want to use it would be “what the %^&* is their problem?????
Recently I have been witness to as well as being the recipient of someone’s unbalanced, unhinged emotional behaviour. This person has lied about me, talked about me behind my back, did some really petty and whacked out things at the work place in order for me to be blamed, and those are only a few examples of what’s been going on. Luckily my supervisor has not taken anything this person has said or done seriously, but that doesn’t stop the anger and resentment that has started to boil inside me. Now I know this person has been having their own issues and finding it hard to cope with the changes that have occurred, but hells bells, don’t blame me. I have hiked up my big girl panties so high that I’m walking around with a virtual wedgy. People have tried talking to this person but to no avail. This person just seems to put on the whoa is me face and expect everyone to surrender, smile and let this persons behaviour slide. Well not any more. At least not from me. We all have our own personal drama to contend with and life is not easy for anyone. If we all brought our personal life to work each and every day it would not be called the “work” place any more!

To this person all I can say is this………………………..Credo che il suo momento di andare in pensione!!!!!!!!