Going Home

spammers suck

2012-02-14T22:06:00.003-05:00

This is a re-post of "what beethoven taught me" cuz I got sick of having to moderate spam comments on the original post. i'd tell the person off but i doubt they read this.

i sit with my head bowed, eyes closed, hands poised above the keyboard waiting for inspiration to surface... then i remembered how much i appreciated some classical music I heard on cbc radio 2 yesterday. I have to say that right now Julie Nesrallah is my favourite dj... she was telling the story of how a listener had written in about a particular cello piece that changed his life. he was suffering from chronic back pain, and one day he heard this beautiful music... it inspired him to learn how to play the cello. interestingly, the posture that is required to play the cello was just what the man needed to completely get rid of his back pain! classical music heals not only the soul, but the body as well... it is truly a gift. that story helped me to focus on the moment and really listen to the piece instead of just letting it play in the background. I really love classical music, sigh...

on a similar but sadder note, we are currently praying for our minister's wife who is very ill. I hope that she will recover and that her family and community can continue to benefit from the gifts that she brings to the world.

today's favourite link is as follows:

http://www.healthpartners.ca/en/page/multimedia-stress-popper

cheers,

Pre-game show

2012-02-08T12:08:00.000-05:00

Yeah the title is a bit misleading... I have never, ever, watched a football game, let alone the recent Superbowl or its associated shows. The closest I have come is football-themed movies, which at the moment I can't remember the names of the ones I've seen.

However, the following link will lead you to a "private, personal" pre-performance show by the National Ballet Company. It was created to show how a dancer loves to move and how they dance around to get into the "zone" before going in front of the audience. Anyway, it is - for lack of a better word - moving. (the cliches come from watching too much Hell's Kitchen, I'm afraid).

http://national.ballet.ca/interact/Video/Lost_in_Motion/

Cheers & enjoy it,

it's cold!

2012-01-14T11:01:00.002-05:00

Alright, it's January 14th, and it's finally cold in Toronto! Not that i wanted it to happen, but... it has been up and down over the freezing mark for weeks here, providing a lovely green Christmas and very little of the white stuff.

But yesterday it decided to do one of those flash freezes with snowdrifts and such, which took one of my colleagues four hours to drive to work and my new boss was in a car accident (is ok though).

So it is finally appropriate for you to watch this Air Farce bit.

A friend of mine told me to go outside and enjoy the winter beauty... Hah! Clearly, she is from up North.

Only two and a half months left to winter.... but just enough time for more hot chocolate.

cheers,

A-ha

2012-01-05T17:06:00.002-05:00

Today's fun music video... http://www.80smusicvids.com/index.php?vid=A-ha_-_Take_On_Me&a=a

it's hilarious and full of 80's cool and romance - it will make you smile, for one reason or another!

Meditations on a New Year

2011-12-31T13:35:00.001-05:00

I happened across the perfect music and video for meditating on the New Year.

It's Avro Part's Spiegel Im Spiegel set to a scene from the past... black and white video, bowler hats galore... I heard this music the other day on CBC Radio 2 (Julie Nesrallah) and that was about the second time I had heard it. Today I craved it and looked it up online here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y9RgbGLLfE and found that amazing video. I am listening as I type this so I'll have to watch the whole thing later.

Anyway, I wish you and your family a happy and healthy 2012.

Cheers!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T19:10:00.000-05:00

I love, love, love Christmas!

I had my last work day today until after New Year's, so I am totally jazzed now! I think I will take a second stab at making gingerbread cookies; this time without burning them (I hope)!

All I can do is quote the Pogues... "Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah"! I am so happy it is now officially Christmastime!

I am so thankful for how generally nice the weather has been this December... well, this year actually. Even though it was cooling off since September, we still had blooms on the roses around here until last week! And, NO SNOW! Sure, a few flurries a couple of days but nary a flake in sight tonight. Yeah, another reason for a Canadian to be happy. Ahhhhh....

I started my vacation off on the right foot, too. Well, not sure which foot I used, but I walked S to the subway on his way to work and I jogged home, then I did some yoga to stretch out after cuz I haven't been jogging much since the days got so short.

Speaking of which, the days started getting longer today!!!

I am so mellow and happy right at this moment, even though a lot of random tragedies are happening in the world and in my community, right now I am at peace. I know it never lasts, but I am going to take what I can get.

It's Christmas!!!

May God richly bless you and may He help you to celebrate Christmas as perfectly as can be :)

A look back on 2011

2011-11-27T13:21:00.001-05:00

I have been looking back on the year a bit, and I am so amazed at how I have changed in even the past six months.

The shot of my eyes on the previous post is relevant because in June I got glasses. Also I am amazed that my eyes look green there as usually they seem a nondescript grey to me. The glasses came about in an odd way. It's a longer story than it should be, so I won't tell it here. I don't actually "need" them, because I always pass all the vision tests and the optometrist said my vision is perfect. But, I do have a slight issue with one eye which, combined with staring at the computer 8-10 hours a day, was contributing to my migraines. So my glasses have a bit of a yellow tint to them as well as a slight prescription in one eye. I can now work all day at the computer and very rarely get pre-migraine signs. I also have not had a migraine since the spring. This makes me very, very happy. However, the down side is that although I despise wearing glasses, my eyes love them. They are getting used to the extra help which means one day I will end up wearing them all the time. On the up side, they make me look more intelligent. Mental note: wear glasses in front of clients.

Notwithstanding the above, as proof that I am stubborn as ever, I am not wearing glasses right now and the white background on the screen is driving me mental. I also ate a lot of Halloween chocolate this year.

Based on the doc's advice, I also took steps since June to lower my stress. Yes, I have been trying to do this for years. No, it has never worked. However, this year I wrote faithfully in another blog about my attempts to improve my health (mind, body, spirit). This, and the doctor's cautionary comments, caused me to hit the weights and the yoga mat with more determination than ever. And, since he recommended it, I took up jogging and learned that I was wrong all those years when I thought my body just couldn't do it. Actually, the weather has been so good here I went jogging twice last week. I also took ballroom dancing lessons this spring, before the serious chat with the doc. That was AMAZINGLY fun and I will totally take lessons again one day. It helped me re-discover the dancer in me. And finally, I learned some Tai Chi and got in the habit of working out in some manner or another for 5 days out of the week. Although this has not been a perfect routine, I haven't quit for the past six months. I've been going strong without "forgetting" to work out for weeks at a time like every other year I've tried it. So, I am really happy with that and celebrated with my first pair of skinny jeans in years.

Ok... I just went to get my glasses! That is so much better. And I am having a salad for lunch. Happy now?

Another thing that has changed is my attitude towards life. I have taken seriously the importance of managing my expectations for what I want to be able to fit into my life and what I actually need to be healthy. In other words, I know my limits and I should stop talking myself into things that I shouldn't be making myself do. That being said, when I set my mind to something, I know I can do it if I really want to and if God is willing. The question is, do I really want it and if so, should I go ahead, knowing myself as I do?

So now I take more time to mull things over before I do them. Not everything, but things that will take up my time or change my lifestyle. And I still remember the lessons I learned at the temple in Japan about meditation. Sometimes after a good yoga workout I sit and breathe and I can picture the temple, its gardens, and I can almost smell the wood and incense, hear the birds and crickets, and the kids who were running around outside the temple walls when we were taking our meditation lesson. I love the sound of Japanese. Anyway, just remembering these things and breathing brings me back to feelings of calm happiness and that is exactly how I want to live my life.

Here's to a happy and healthy life.

Cheers,

2011-11-22T17:36:00.001-05:00

okay... here's a shot of my eyes... and a video of my totally amazing halloween decoration which makes me dance every time!!! I think he will stay up for Christmas, and I'll just put a wreath on him or something... also, I shot some pics of my new dragon which came with my early Christmas present... and in this shot it looks like he is going to eat the poor hello kitties!

2011-11-05T22:01:00.001-04:00

Bailey has reached new cuteness...

What a great fall...

2011-11-03T17:52:00.005-04:00

Usually, fall seems to last about two weeks... then it rains and all the leaves fall off the trees. This year, it's been a gorgeous, gradual emergence of more shades of colour than I can count! It has been so beautiful, I can almost forgive the fact that it is almost winter weather now : )

I have lots more pics I'd love to share with you, but my internet connection is crud.

cheers,

ode to summer

2011-10-23T09:51:00.018-04:00

God was very very nice to me this year and we had a long, gorgeous summer. It got a bit cold in September, but it rallied nicely and we had a lovely Thanksgiving Monday which included barbeque in my uncle's backyard!

this summer I learned that I can be a runner... and that it does work for me as great exercise! I didn't start jogging outside until sometime in the middle of summer, so i'm glad that summer lasted so long or else i may not have had the chance to see how far i could go with it.

i don't want to dwell on what happening now, as it's not so warm! but these photos represent the last of the late summer pics that I took... there are hundreds but I'll share a few here.

this summer i made sure to listen happily to the sounds of the cicadas and the crickets... cicadas are everywhere here in summer, but the crickets were only at the park and in the nearby condo's garden. i remember when i was a kid summers were hot and dry and i used to think the sound of the cicadas was so desolate... but now i think "ah, it must be summer still..." and I can't wait to hear them again..

cheers,

2011-10-01T21:32:00.007-04:00

Spadina House

2011-09-04T19:10:00.011-04:00

I made some interesting discoveries at Spadina House today. I spent a few hours in the garden and orchard, breathing in the apple-y air, listening to the chirpy birds, and watching the butterflies playing. I got tons of pics and even a video of a monarch butterfly having its lunch.

i saw a lot of things for the first time, like a group of adorable little birds that had the cutest little chirps, a garden spider that apparently eats Japanese beetles, a squash patch, and lots of flowers that i've never seen before. also, they gave me some free squash and tomatoes, just picked from the garden... there were a lot of bees there of many kinds, too. some of which i don't think i've ever seen before, either. but i thought ahead and wore loose fitting long pants, so i wasn't too worried. beside all those fragrant flowers, the bees had less than no interest in me.

here are some pics...

Flamingos

2011-08-30T16:34:00.002-04:00

Today's song is I only have eyes for you...

I was working out today while S was sleeping, so instead of playing a tv show to keep me going I put on my mp3 player and listened to the audio Bible, book of Acts. It's a part of the Bible that is so exciting and tells the story of the beginnings of Christianity. And I do love a good narrative.

It reminded me that I have a lot to be thankful for. There was a section of what I listened to where someone was chastised for not giving God credit as He deserves. So, here goes;
Thanks God for this summer. Even though I worked through most of it, I was able to get out and create some summer memories. So, thanks for summer, yeah! the southern Ontario weather has been so great.

Also, thanks for the 5 pounds I've lost since spring. God, you gave me all that I have, including the stamina and determination to keep going. And, you created Jillian Michaels, whose teachings helped me to overcome some major mental hurdles.

thanks for Bailey the bunny and S the hubby and for a nice family and friends, and for visits. thanks for the birds in the trees and the crickets in the neighbour's yard. and thanks that even though my job is very hard, You are there to see me through it.

thanks for my morning run and that yard that smelled of fresh blooms, and the long downhill stretch on the way home.

Oh, and...

2011-08-20T10:55:00.002-04:00

I have glasses now! I asked the optometrist for a tint that helps me look at the computer screen without getting a migraine as often... and he broke the news that oh, and we'll just be adding a "slight" prescription to one of the lenses... I guess I was having more trouble reading than I thought I was. I can read all the optometrist's charts, but the prescription makes it easier. So, I don't *have* to wear them at all, but I do wear them to read cuz it's easier... sigh.

setbacks

2011-08-12T17:50:00.002-04:00

Today's featured artists are first of all Leigh Nash, with the song "Ocean Size Love" We happened to see her in concert a couple of years ago (at church and she was opening for ... what band was that? ... oh yeah, Jars of Clay ) Anyway that song is great.

I wrote the first bit of this posting from work and emailed it to myself:

I’m writing this from work. We just got some bad news and I’m too distracted to concentrate so I need to express myself!!!

They have ordered us to fill out a time sheet for everything we do for the next two months!!! Supposedly it has nothing to do with ‘us’ and it’s just because they need benchmark data or some such statistical info. But it’s tons of extra work and the whole time I’ll feel like I’m being nitpicked and micromanaged. This is not good for my blood pressure.

Also, right after the meeting I found out that I may not get in on a pilot project at my old office (which is walking distance from home) in the fall like I had planned to. Which also means I don’t get to do the work I wanted to do, and that I still have to take the subway out to this office unless I choose to be demoted back to my substantive job at my old office. Which I don’t want to do, for several reasons.

So, I’m mad, sad (smad!) and generally pouty. GRRR! I hope I win the lottery this weekend. BIG.

I’m going to have greasy thai food for lunch, too.

The second part of the day went a bit better, although I am still smad cuz my new next-door neighbours (I have called them @)(*$%&% names in my head cuz I swear now) were too loud last night so I had to take a full strength gravol just to sleep. To update you, I had thai pumpkin soup, a very greasy spring roll, and curry with rice for lunch. Very bad for me but oh so tasty!

Anyway, the rest of the day went better because De was exchanging a bunch of emails with me while I was at the office. It cheered me up. Thanks, De!

So, the second song of today is from my go-to for chilling out, the singular group Bob Marley and the Wailers. My CD happens to start with "Stir it up" which is as good a song as any to mellow out to (ironically considering its title).

Cheers, it's FRIDAY!

tired...

2011-08-03T09:35:00.003-04:00

wow! i am sooo tired. I just got over a really, really bad cold... but I still feel like I could sleep for ages. I spent the whole long weekend (civic holiday for those non-Ontario folks) in bed playing Fable 3 and on the couch watching the biggest loser. I lost my appetite this time (I know, rare) so I don't think the missed workouts will translate into poundage.

anyway, I wanted to share these awesome t-shirt links with you... I think I made the pics into links to the snorgtees website.

Cheers,

A moment in time

2011-07-14T18:46:00.003-04:00

Listen to this music in a separate window as you read this.

I was walking home today from the subway and I passed several Japanese maple trees in the neighbourhood. The light was at the perfect angle so you could see through the leaves. That is my favourite way to view Japanese maples, because the light makes the colours of the leaves really pop. I couldn't find a picture of the right kind of leaf all lit up like that, but the above pic is the leaf type that is most common around here (though it's not shown lit up).

I've recently developed the habit of pausing my walk just for a moment under the taller Japanese maples so I can peer up through the leaves and admire the colours. At this time of year, the helicopter seeds are mostly pink!

Just before I'd reached the Japanese maples today, I had been thinking about my passion for the natural world and where it all started. I've always been a city girl, though not always the big city.

Then I remembered an incident from my childhood. I usually remember this story because of how we were brought up differently than kids nowadays (street smart, or at least more cautious).

I was walking through the park near my house, and I was alone, though I was less than 6 years old. I had closed my eyes for the experience of walking through the park with my eyes closed... it was so long ago I don't know if there was some other reason. I think this was still around the time that I would insist on eating my ice cream cone from the bottom up as well, but that's another story.

So, it being a park, and my eyes closed, I walked right into a tree! I scraped my knee, which started bleeding and streams of blood went down my shin. Naturally, being a little kid I started to cry.

By then I was close to the road home, so a nice couple pulled their car over and asked if I was okay. Being terrified of possible kidnappers (i.e., strangers-who-you-do-not-talk-to-ever) I told them I was okay and hurried home. I hope God blesses them for being nice to some little bleeding kid (unless they were kidnappers! heh).

Anyway, as I thought about this incident again, I realized that I've always loved nature. I lived near that park about thirty years ago, but I still remember that there were huge dragonflies there, the kind that are black and have four giant wings. Although the fascination mixed with terror of a combination of flies and dragons could be part of the reason why I remember them so well.

Even so, the fact is that I purposely walked through the park with my eyes closed for no apparent reason all those years ago, and I've never stopped doing silly things like that! Oh, it might just be that I take deep breaths as I walk the scenic route home, and I open my palms to feel the wind through my fingers, both of which are a heck of a lot safer than walking around unescorted with your eyes closed.

But also I am implementing a little Eastern philosophy by trying to be present in the moment, and summer moments are so very precious in Canada, while thanking God for His amazing creation, and taking the time to appreciate it.

I hope you will find your own way to do so as well.

Cheers,

Bailey cutie

2011-07-10T16:09:00.004-04:00

It's a big file so it may not load.

My favourite music...

2011-06-29T19:21:00.002-04:00

Music. It can soothe you, make your heart soar, drive you crazy, and remind you of things long forgotten. So, for those reasons, I have selected a few pieces to show you music that has affected me in some way. It's not going to blow your mind with originality.

They are in no specific order, and they are not 'all' the songs I love or think about. I just felt like meandering down music memory lane. Therefore these pieces are songs that remind me of something worth remembering, or make me feel something worth feeling, or think something worth thinking. And then again, there are songs I just enjoy. I hope you will, too.

Oh, and the artist with a * are ones that you could pick almost anything of theirs and love it. Today, I only have time for the 'classical' section. I'll do others on other days, I promise.

Classical/Orchestral

I love Bach for the mental exercise, and how he takes you by the hand and has you run with him down a path through gorgeous grassy fields. But, I love Dvorak for how he romances me and makes me forget everything else, and Beethoven for how he tries to kiss my heart (hey, it's imaginary) and almost tears it out while he's at it. Beethoven feels like Van Gogh to me, if that makes any sense.

Here are some of my favourites... sorry there are no links this time, because I have the CD versions for most of these. But you can google them.

A. Dvorak - Slavonic Dance No. 2 in E minor, Opus 46, "Dumka'

J.S. Bach - Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 1 in A minor.

L. V. Beethoven* - Missa Solemnis in D Major, Op. 123 (Kyrie), Moonlight Sonata, Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92 (Allegretto)

A. Vivaldi - Gloria, the Four Seasons

E. Elgar - "Nimrod" from the Enigma Variations

G. Holst - The Planets (Mars)

M. Mozetich - Affairs of the Heart

J. Offenbach - Barcarolle

F. Chopin - Preludes Opus 28, No. 20 c-moll largo (this one actually makes me laugh, even though it can be played in a very melancholic way, because we used to do grand pliés to it or something in ballet class and the pianist on the recording we had did not seem to have heard of the word 'subtle'... I am laughing right now just to the memory of it)

John Williams* - Star Wars theme, Superman theme... etc.

P.I. Tchaikovsky* - the Nutcracker Suite (what did you expect?), 1812 ouverture

A. Bazzini - Calabrese, Trois morceaux lyriques, Berceuse

E. Morricone - The Mission (On Earth As it is in Heaven,)

W.A. Mozart - The Magic Flute (rather funny live) life will never be the same...,
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (reminds me of that music appreciation class I took waaay back when). Oddly enough, I was never a big Mozart follower. Too logical, I think... I read once that there was a study done saying that listening to Mozart helps people study for tests or something. However, I prefer my passionate romantics. After all, school is out!

Market Day

2011-06-18T11:21:00.004-04:00

S had to get up very early today, so I got up early too and went for a long walk to the nearest organic farmer's market. I got there early enough to get the best scone selection and my pick of produce with short lines. Then I took a leisurely walk home. If you are in Toronto on Saturday mornings, I highly recommend Wychwood Barns farmer's market. I got organic produce that was better and cheaper than at the grocery store, plus it is local. My strawberries were from 25km's away.

Above are pics taken in Ottawa in May.

Cheers,

St Catharines

2011-05-29T10:13:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was Bailey's Birthday

2011-05-25T19:52:00.003-04:00

Our cutie bear turned two!

Blank

2011-05-01T10:33:00.002-04:00

"You can never go home again, Oatman... but I guess you can shop there."

Creeping up towards my next birthday (oh my twenties... you seem so far away now!) I am of course thinking a lot about aging. But that's nothing new - I've been obsessing about it since I was about 28 and realized I had fine lines around my eyes. Too much coffee and tea and not enough water probably. Yesterday, when I was buying ballroom dancing shoes (HUGE smile!!!) there was a girl there with her mother and she was trying on pointe shoes. They were there when I got there, and were still trying to decide which ones they wanted when I left; which is pretty impressive since I have never worn ballroom shoes till yesterday and that girl was at least on her second pair of pointes. Anyway, I tried on tons of shoes before deciding. And I realized a couple of things. One, OKAY I will finally admit it - I am an adult (ugh, I prefer 'grownup' heh). However, I did wear a t-shirt to work last Friday that said, "Carbivore" and had a dinosaur salivating with a knife and fork over a stack of pancakes. But, I digress.

Anyway, yesterday I realized that I should stop worrying about getting old and start appreciating all the cool things that come with being an adult. Like not having to argue with my mother for hours over which pair of pointe shoes to wear (except my mom was way cooler than that mom and she just let me decide anyway). And, the other thing was that as I have more life experience, I know what I want and what I don't want. Namely, I don't want to wear pointe shoes because they KILL. Yeah, that is 80's talk for 'they hurt my toes like the traditional mermaid's knife feet.' And I did not even have one second of wishing I could be her. Why would I? I still have my old pointe shoes mouldering in a cabinet and can pull them out anytime. But I don't.

Anyway, since I moved back to the big city a couple of years ago, I have occasionally had various dreams about the house I grew up in. I hadn't been back there much for years and then my mom sold it and moved away... So, since I don't live in that town anymore, and neither do either of my parents, it's more than ever no longer my home. But, Toronto isn't my home either. It's just a place I am comfortable in (relatively).

I love the movie Grosse Pointe Blank. If you haven't seen it, you absolutely MUST do so. Anyway, there is this part where Mr. Blank goes back to his hometown after 10yrs or so and finds out that the house he grew up in is now a convenience store. Thus, the quote at the top of this blog. I was thinking yet again as I woke up this morning that my 'home' is gone, too. And, even if you consider my grandmother's place as the next best thing, since she's lived there longer than I have existed, still, nothing lasts. Already she has renovated a few things, so when I do get the chance to see her, so much of the place has changed... I wonder with some anxiety if I will still remember everything that happened in these places when I can no longer visit them to refresh the memories. I guess it doesn't matter, though.

Because everything in life passes away... we are all transient. I think that you really only have God as a permanent parent, and you only have heaven as a 'home'. And that here on Earth, your own loved ones are your home, wherever they are.

2011-04-22T12:33:00.001-04:00

My favourite song

2011-01-28T19:11:00.003-05:00

I am compiling a list of my favourite songs of all time. Songs that have stayed with me over the years. Sure, I haven't listened to all of them recently (like the theme song to Green Acres), but they stuck in my mind and make me smile. And in this crazy world, anything that can still do that - even after not having been heard for a few years - deserves to be on my 'best' list.

Currently winning the battle for my all-time favourite tune is:

Marjan Mozetich - Affairs of the Heart

(the link does not give you the whole piece but it is a great version) It is not the most creative music I have ever heard, but it is passionately from the heart. You jump right into it and are in love from the start to finish... does it ever really end? It is what passion, beauty and love would be if they were music.

Cheers,

today's song for you

2011-01-20T21:09:00.001-05:00

I am hoping for health and happiness for all my loved ones today.

Here is today's favourite song: A dream is a wish your heart makes.

Cheers,

Megalomaniac

2011-01-18T20:48:00.002-05:00

Here is a link to my new favourite wine Megalomaniac Homegrown Reisling.

We've had it a few times. It is fruity, very smooth and very very drinkable!

Another of my favourites is the red from La Vielle Ferme. We also enjoyed a Guilty Men wine over the holidays at a friend's, though I refused to buy it due to its name :)

Though, when we went to Quinn's Irish Steak House for S's birthday, I tasted the Masi he had (we can't remember which one it was), and compared to the CabSauv that I had from Chile, the Masi was incredibly smooth... the butter of wine!

Cheers,

Memories of Prayer Meetings past...

2011-01-09T13:05:00.003-05:00

Well we had another re-connect recently with an old friend from high school who knew both myself and S when we were young!

Props go out to our old friend Ken Coggins who moved out East (lucky guy) with his family a few years ago. Click on his name to watch/listen to his sermon on prayer. I'm glad that some things never change, only get better.

A year in review

2010-12-31T12:01:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone,

I have a sort of positive feeling about 2010. I don't really look forward to 2011 too much, but probably just because 2010 is familiar. I need to get excited about the possibilities of 2011.

And you saw how the Lord your God cared for you all along the way as you traveled through the wilderness, just as a father cares for his child. Now he has brought you to this place.

Last winter was cold, very cold, but no snow, so that rocked! I am still thanking God for that. This winter has already been a lot colder for November/December (or so it feels). And I recently reminded myself that January and February are generally the coldest months of a Toronto winter. Last winter I also dealt with some very stressful situations at work.

Then in spring, the family lost someone, which was hard on everyone. And, a member of the family deployed to Afghanistan for the second time (they are back now - yay!).

You know how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. In all their suffering he also suffered,and he personally rescued them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them through all the years. Like an eagle that rouses her chicks and hovers over her young, so he spread his wings to take them up and carried them safely on his pinions. The Lord alone guided them.

In summer I did not get very much time off, and some of the other people in my unit went on leave for the whole summer, so it left me just a bit more stressed than I already was. Even so I tried to enjoy the summer. Unfortunately, I agreed to do a certain role at the church just for the summer, but it proved too much for me and I couldn't follow through.

I will be your God throughout your lifetime — until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you. - For that is what God is like. He is our God forever and ever, and he will guide us until we die.

But we made it to fall, which is awesome because we also made it to our trip to Japan, which totally rocked. Even though we had never been anywhere before, it turned out not to be too stressful. It was actually really great and we'd love to go again some day. I came back to work refreshed and happy. I was not aware that getting away from everything is so much better than a 'staycation' (I hate that word -which is no comparison). Too bad it is so expensive! And, I got a temporary job placement at another office so my break from my old work would be extended even further! Lots of blessings in the last few months.

Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. - That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear... your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.

So, I am now trying to get a handle on my new schedule (still) and get back into the long-lost exercise habits. I also want to go back to reading the Bible and doing the meditation that we learned in Japan.

Up to this point the Lord has helped us!

I wish you and your family all the best in 2011. May it be an amazing, wonderful year full of love.

Deuteronomy 1:31. Exodus 19:4. Isaiah 63:9. Deuteronomy 32: 11-12. Isaiah 46:4. Psalm 48:14. Psalm 55:22. Matthew 6:25, 32. 1 Samuel 7:12. (NLT)

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

2010-12-26T13:51:00.003-05:00

Well I don't really want to move the Japan pics down into archives, but life goes on!

more japan pics, click to enlarge

2010-11-18T20:28:00.005-05:00

more japan pics, click to enlarge

2010-11-11T12:57:00.001-05:00

japan photos - click to enlarge

2010-10-29T20:02:00.003-04:00

more Japan photos - click to enlarge

2010-10-29T18:54:00.004-04:00

more photos - click to enlarge

2010-10-26T21:39:00.003-04:00

some pics of japan - click to enlarge please

2010-10-24T19:40:00.003-04:00

Waking up in Japan

2010-10-24T04:06:00.002-04:00

Well, it will probably be several blog posts to unpack Japan. But I woke up at 4am just now, thinking about how I used to wake up just a few days ago in Japan.

It would be somewhere between 4 to 6 am... I would have gone to bed between 6pm and 10pm the night before, exhausted from a day's sightseeing. And, since I was sleeping on a bed on the floor with a bean bag pillow, sleep was not always a very long-lasting thing.

Even so, I loved living at the temple. It was quiet in a way I didn't know existed. There are walls outside the temple complex, and walls surrounding the temple we lived in.

By this time I would realize that I was too excited about the day ahead to go back to sleep. So, I would just lie in bed, tired, and listen to the many many crickets outside. Their song was soothing and often would help me to sleep. Somewhere between 4am and 5am the songbirds would start to join in with the crickets... one by one, slowly. And then the caw of the enormous crows would begin, one by one, and I'd know the crickets would soon conclude their nightly performance.

At 6am the distant gong of a temple bell would sound. Gonggggg........ gonggggg......... I am not sure how many times. It was lovely, and deep-voiced, and peaceful, even as it seemed to be a gentle wake-up. If the priests were not awake by then, they'd better get up, because temple duties start early! I guess if we lived in a closer temple to the bell, we'd think of it as a stronger statement. But as it was, I laid in bed and tried to memorize the sound.

Our favourite bakery doesn't open until 8am, so I wouldn't rush to start my day. I opened the shower room's window and breathed in the smell of wood and incense, taking a long glance and the blue morning sky and the trees. That place smelled so good. The entire temple complex smelled like a wood-burning fire every day.

So, even though my bed at home is several feet off the ground, and I have a soft pillow, sometimes I would trade them for waking up in the temple in Japan.

Bunny Care Routine

2010-10-10T08:38:00.002-04:00

Bailey eats:
Daily overview
Breakfast: 1/8 cup timothy-based kibbles
Dinner: 1/8 cup timothy-based kibbles
Evening snack: 1 to 2 cups fresh greens
Unlimited: timothy hay
Once a day: Papaya enzyme tablet

Food Details
If Bailey is sitting on the top of his wooden house, he is saying, "Feed me please!" He loves eating. Sometimes he will look at you, then stick his head in his empty food dish, then look back at you. Yes, that also means, "Feed me please!" For someone who doesn't speak English, Bailey sure knows how to communicate.

After breakfast, Bailey will start acting crazy and standing on his hind legs and biting the bars of the cage. That is because I feed him one papaya tablet through the bars, and he is addicted to them! They are thought to help with digestion.

Kibbles: Timothy-based kibbles are lower in calories and other unwanted things. There are always lots of fresh kibbles on hand along with a measuring cup to make life easy. Bailey loves carbohydrates, and so he runs out to the end of the couch to eat a few kibbles out of the measuring cup. After he's had a few of them, I take the measuring cup and empty it into his dish in his cage. He runs back into the cage to finish them off. For a bunny sitter, Bailey probably wouldn't run to get his food until he is used to them, so the food might have to just put it in his dish.
Fresh Greens: Bunnies get sick if they eat the wrong food, so we limit Bailey's fresh greens to the following: cilantro, mint, basil, dark green lettuce, red lettuce.

Timothy Hay: This is the best hay that I know of for rabbits as they get the fibre they need. They are allowed to eat as much hay as they want. In fact, if Bailey's hay ball is empty, it must be refilled within a few hours.

Water: Rabbits need to drink a lot of water, so the water dish needs to be rinsed and refilled daily. Sometimes Bailey drops his wooden toy or his food into the water dish, so if he does this the water may have to be changed sooner to ensure that he will still drink it. There is a water bottle on the side of the cage as a backup but Bailey almost never goes to it. The water in the bottle is changed every few days.

Snacks: On Tuesdays and Fridays, Bailey gets three little store-bought treats from a box. They are basically apple flavoured carbs. He runs to the end of the couch and stands on his hind legs to get them one at a time. The first two are on the couch and the third is back by the cage so that if he keeps begging we can hand him a few bits of hay afterwards.

Food: If I run out of fresh greens or if they have gone bad in the fridge (cilantro needs to be stored with a paper towel or two to suck up excess moisture), Bailey gets a piece of a Timothy Hay block. It's basically compressed hay, but it does contain some alfalfa to make it stick together, so I don't give it to him too often. Alfalfa is high in things Bailey doesn't need a lot of so we avoid it.
Occasionally I will mix in some other kinds of hay with the Timothy hay in the hay ball, just for variety.

HEALTH: If you are taking care of Bailey and are not sure if he is feeling well, get out the bag of hay (keep it out of his reach though as he will go right for the plastic). Find a "fuzzy" end bit of hay, and offer it to him. If he doesn't go for it, drop it in front of his face. If he still doesn't go for it, try a carb-based treat (as mentioned above) or a couple of extra kibbles. If he takes it then he is probably just tired or sad. If he doesn't, watch him carefully and make sure that he eats and drinks within the next 6-12 hours. If he doesn't eat during that time, call the vet for advice.

Relaxing: If Bailey likes you enough to come out of his cage on his own and run around the couch, then he will probably come to sniff you out, and maybe even start nudging you with his face. If he does that it means that he wants you to move so he can snuggle in behind you between your back and the couch. Be careful not to squish him! If he snuggles in , you can pet him, even his face and under his chin. Just be gentle as bunnies are fragile little guys. That is partly why we always wash our hands when we get home, before petting the rabbit.
Mainly he will groom himself, but since he has very thick fur and a different constitution than a cat does, we try to brush him also. It's hard as Bailey politely gets up and hops over to the other end of the couch or back to his cage whenever we try!

Ahh, summer

2010-09-04T19:37:00.006-04:00

Well, it has been awhile since I've posted here... thanks for noticing sis!

It has been a really warm summer which I loved... I actually got used to no jackets and putting sunblock on every day and yes, wearing out the new sandals that I bought in spring (Dr Scholl's... I am a wimp when it comes to footwear).

I've been working all summer basically... but taking time out to go to the zoo and stuff like that. I really missed St Cath this summer because I used to spend Sunday afternoons on the pier, but there is no waterfront near my place now that is worth visiting ( enormous crowds, noise, and tons of car exhaust! ).

Anyway when we were at the zoo, we saw polar bears holding carrots in their hands and eating frozen watermelons! It was so cool! no pun intended...

it's freakin' cold outside today though... Canada is like a Popsicle.

adventures in travel planning

2010-07-17T09:48:00.002-04:00

Well, we are finally done planning our trip to Japan! We booked everything, including the bunny-sitter, so all that is left is learning japanese, picking our Kyoto 'top ten' places to visit, and actually going!

by the way, in case you don't read my other blog, don't eat edamame pods - just eat the beans inside them.

it's a gorgeous day and I would be sleeping through it, but they decided to work on the front entrance today and they are drilling rather loudly... so I may end up outside for a bit before my groceries are delivered.

Cheers,

Happy Canada day!

2010-07-02T12:25:00.005-04:00

one more day

2010-06-27T10:04:00.002-04:00

I'm talking myself into going to church right now as over 400 people were arrested yesterday due to G20 violent protests. They are planning a huge protest a block away from my church, to start at 1pm today. Great timing - yeah that was sarcasm.

Problem is I promised I would be there as I have volunteered for something at church... grr argh now S doesn't want me to go :(

hot time in the city

2010-06-23T17:37:00.003-04:00

yep, it's that time again. the weather heats up and the city goes nuts.

i was already starting to feel a bit stressed as my colleagues get ready to leave me almost by myself in our unit for the summer. And, the best supervisor in the universe is leaving and our new one is coming next week.

A day or two ago someone decided to shoot their gun off inside the security zone downtown - in case you are from out of town, the context here is that a big chunk of downtown is cordoned off for the G20 summit. you can get in but you have to have id and a reason to be there. i think the reason can include protesting.

We'd been seeing what we assumed were practice runs of motorcades for a few weeks around town. kindof interesting, but it made me think of the last season of 24 and that freaked me out.

then this morning i hear urgent-sounding sirens outside my work. yes, urgent-sounding ones. there are two fire stations nearby so i hear fire trucks every day, and usually ambulances too. but this time I thought, 'whose motorcade is that?!' and looked out my window... to see the Emergency Task Force whipping by in their serious-we-mean-business SUV's! What's the name of the TV show based on them? Anyway, I filed it under 'useless information but cool' in my mind.

i noticed that they arrested some rich guy for 'G20 related offences' which from the description, seemed to be plans to blow it up, or part of it anyway enough to disrupt it. he lives in our old neighbourhood, but in a giant gorgeous house. there was a picture on cp24 earlier today. yeah, not going downtown for a few days...

Now, so far compared to last year when I had to pass between a crowd of protesters and a line of police officers to get to work in the morning, the day was pretty tame.

then we had the goodbye lunch for our supervisor. good but sad. he LOVED the plaque we got for him with his name engraved on it and the message SUPERvisor ! :) I was about to go back into the office when everyone started pouring out of it... EARTHQUAKE! someone on cbc.ca commented that the earthquake was a sign that Toronto must really not want the G20 after all - but then i found out that the earthquake started closer to Ottawa. Take from that what you will :)

I looked around and thought, hey, I didn't even feel that! I must be really tired. And I just went back to the office. But when I got there, I found out that the ETF had been chasing down armed robbers who shot their guns nearby! Only three of the five were caught. I am sure they will quickly find the other two, but it was unsettling definitely.

So I called my hubby at his work to make sure we both were ok, etc.

To top it off, we're expecting a bunch of thunderstorms tonight. Goody.

a day in

2010-06-19T16:10:00.000-04:00

Today is my 'day in' when I do not go out of my apartment, except maybe to put out the recycling.

I find living in the city to be a bit too much to take in sometimes. So, it's essential for me to be able to occasionally just stay home for awhile.

Last night I did a bunch of house cleaning after work, so today after a nice lie-in as the Brits say (sleep in to us North Americans) I am playing video games, watching old GI Joe episodes with S, hanging out with Bailey, and generally being low-key.

I tend to do a bit too much in the warmer months because I feel so deprived in the winter, but I have my limits too so I never take full advantage of the good weather. Some day I want to live by the water and have my own boat to laze on, but we didn't win lotto max this week!

Empty church

2010-06-05T19:50:00.004-04:00

There is a very large old church here that is beautiful from the outside, but the congregation no longer meets there. It's so sad to pass by it and think about all the life that could be there but isn't. I am committed to my church downtown but sometimes I think about the ones closer to home too... I keep praying that God will do something amazing and breathe life back into that place and let His light shine out of there like a beacon to the rich and poor alike, the powerful and destitute who so often pass by each other on these streets.

Possibly the best movie ever.... It's the Muppet Movie of course! And there is this great scene where there is an old Presbyterian church that the band wants to turn into a coffee house... not a particularly spiritual thing to do, but it has the same spirit of community and comfort and of supporting each other that the church should naturally have anyway. I hope something amazing will happen here too.

more pics

2010-05-28T22:57:00.003-04:00

Ahh... May 2-4, summer begins!

2010-05-28T22:41:00.003-04:00

Here are some pics from last week... including May 24th. You can see from the pics of Port Dalhousie why I love the water so much and why that was my fave part of town when I lived there.

interesting walks

2010-05-26T19:13:00.003-04:00

I was cherishing every moment of the spring tree blossom season... everyone's yards all full of tulips of every colour. I was hoping to hold onto the cherry/apple blossom season for longer, but it ended. As it turns out, I needn't have worried, as this week it seems the world is even more lovely and smells absolutely amazing. I don't know the name of the huge trees with the cream coloured flower bunches on them, but they make everything smell so great! And there are lilac bushes everywhere!

One thing I noticed on my way home from walking S to the subway is that a house nearby to my apartment is for sale. Just out of curiosity, and because the house and grounds are so beautiful, I looked up the price online. It is going just under $11 million.

That is a lot... but I also just for curiosity looked up my dream house by the lake in St Catharines which just so happens to be for sale right now too. It is going for $1,630,000. So yep, it is just a dream. I am sure my mansion in heaven is way better and has a LOT less property tax anyway.

Chocolate cake and ate it too!

2010-05-12T17:05:00.002-04:00

Well we had a team meeting yesterday at work and it seemed to make everyone more at ease. Which is good because today I got a giant chocolate cake to share with my team in honour of my birthday, which is not today but I won't be in the office on my real birthday. It is a tradition in our team that whenever someone has a birthday we have a cake meeting. It's a good tradition : ) It would have been a lot less fun if there was still as much tension in the air as before.

nobody expects...

2010-05-10T17:01:00.004-04:00

there is this woman I work with and she is not very nice sometimes. most people have a really good opinion of her. sometimes i get lulled into a sense of security around her, but once every four months or so, she clobbers me with a mean attitude. i'm pretty down about it. usually the way she clobbers me is by rubbing in some oversight or error that she thinks i made. she makes me feel like dirt. i think it's because i have a higher rank than she does and i'm younger than her. or something. or, probably more likely, she doesn't tolerate human error... also i think she is a bit bitter about some things that are not in my control. so, i am just avoiding her right now because i am too depressed to deal with her. i hate going to work knowing i will have to see her and talk to her because i am so affected by what people think, and i'm pretty sure she has no respect for me. so i am just trying to be worth respecting and also i am going to lose more weight so i can look hot and she can have something else to be bitter about.
: ) I feel better already.

beautiful day

2010-05-01T13:49:00.003-04:00

strange how the apartment holds in the heat, even when the outdoors is 10-20 Celsius cooler. because of our bunny, who I am told should not be in temps over 25C, i am looking forward to when our air conditioning for the building will be turned on. until then i have to use my hydro on a fan, which thankfully Bailey actually likes.

i walked to the grocery store and back, groceries in the backpack, today. it rained on the way there but it was warm enough for my dr. scholl's sandals. on the way back the beauty of the spring blossoms was everywhere. s and I keep thinking of sakura (cherry blossom) season in Japan, which we are missing right now. but our 'hood ain't so bad, as one of the route to the store is down a street full of huge houses and well tended gardens. the air smelled so great, especially on the way home : )

Laaa lalala la laaaa!

2010-04-17T20:56:00.003-04:00

This morning I tried to play the Irish Tin Whistle.
It is doable but not easy. I can get the simple notes but the half notes (where you cover only half of the opening) are impossible! I will try again though because I have a CD and sheet music for a whole bunch of traditional Irish tunes.

I was going to write you a poem but nothing appropriate rhymes with what I was thinking... I was thinking happy thoughts but only sad or mad thoughts rhymed with them. So, I gave up. On a related note, I was listening to a Terry Pratchett audio book called "Thud" and there was this great line in it. Some rough around the edges, okay rough around pretty much everywhere types were trying to be polite and respectful so they were " [...] anxiously scanning the sentence ahead for expletives to delete." It struck me. I was going to write "It struck me as funny" or something like that but then I realized that it just struck me. If you think I am writing oddly it is just because of Mr Pratchett. I tend to absorb things and it affects what comes out of my mouth and typing afterward. Which is why I try not to watch the Gilmore Girls too much anymore because it gives me a 'smart' mouth. Which invariably turns out not to be so smart after all. If you ever watch it you'll understand. But as my niece once said about something else that wasn't a good idea either, I watch it "because I loooove it!"

And now for something completely different: Check out this video I saw today : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWndDW_271g

over a million views - I think it's pretty cool.

Cheers,
R

hot choc

2010-04-09T20:16:00.002-04:00

we had some warm weather for a few days... ahh, the three days of a Canadian summer. Predictably, now it's snowing again.

Bailey kisses

2010-03-20T09:47:00.002-04:00

Bunnies are great! The lighting in my living room, not so great. So, it's tough to get good pictures of Bailey. But, here's one from this morning.

Cheers,

Lots of research

2010-03-06T11:49:00.003-05:00

Check out this photo:

of the reeds near mt fuji... ah looking forward to it.

Well it's been stressful but fun - we've booked our flights to Japan and reserved two of the places we will be staying. We've booked a traditional Japanese ryokan for two nights, and a pension for one night. We have one more place to book for our middle section of the trip (Kyoto leg) but the place we want isn't taking bookings that far in advance so I have to wait and hope : )

I've also figured out the basic train routes we'll be taking through the countryside to get to all these places. Now, if only I can figure out the train stations themselves when we get there and we'll be ok!

Happy Anniversary

2010-02-21T11:51:00.005-05:00

Well we had a great anniversary this year. Of course our big plan for the decade-aversary is to take a trip as we didn't really have a honeymoon. So, we didn't go overboard with the actual anniversary as our trip is later this year. Anyway we basically went shopping, stayed home and watched tv and played video games. It's nice to hang out together : ). Oh, and we went to a live taping of the Hour.

Merry New Year and a Happy keep warm season!

2010-01-10T11:32:00.009-05:00

I love that Christmas is right before it really gets cold in southern Ontario. Usually we haven't even had any snow yet (this year we barely had any) which is fine with me. Jan and Feb tend to be brutally cold, but at least we kick off the winter with a couple of great holidays, and hopefully a few days off of work!

I am in hibernation mode these days. I mostly stay home and stay warm. Once you step outside these days it feels like your eyeballs are going to freeze... usually on those days I get home to find out there is an extreme cold alert. But even on those days I still see folks sitting on the sidewalk with their change-filled coffee cups, shivering. extreme cold days are when the city tries to encourage more homeless people to come indoors. but i guess you can't reach everyone in more ways than one. through work and through living here i have come to realize that some of what goes on has to do with mental illness, which is very difficult to surmount normally, but even harder when a person feels isolated from others.

I have noticed that I've become very passive lately. I think it's because I've allowed myself to relax in my career. Previously when I was miserable at my old job and wanted a promotion, I spent a lot of time utilizing motivational sales tips and suchlike. But now I just cocoon a bit and as such I am not ready when people are too assertive or aggressive... it surprises me. so I guess I have to be more assertive without being aggressive.

rant rant rant don't read if you will be offended

2009-12-29T09:39:00.003-05:00

THIS MORNING I READ AN ARTICLE ON DEALING WITH THE EFFECTS OF TRAUMA. i AM NOT KIDDING. HERE'S WHY...

well, i forgot to put on armour before visiting s's side of the family this year. while some people were very nice & great to be around, I think the judgment police should get off their high horses and cut way back on the alcohol.

i guess that this is a relatively public forum, though undoubtedly not well visited, so I'll try to keep names out of it. but yesterday i spent nine hours in a very loud place with people of all ages running around and not getting even 30 seconds of peace... i was criticized for reading a book (yep, just for even reading one), for sending a Christmas card that had Santa on it, for eating french toast with syrup on it (the latter i got yelled at by a belligerant and very drunk chef... it sounds funny but by then my nerves were completely gone) oh, and of course my favourite, i was told about why i am supposed to be having kids (also by a different drunk guy who by the way doesn't even know me!) and since it takes me awhile to process things I couldn't defend myself on anything... couple that with every time I tried to get a few seconds of alone time to collect myself (in the bathroom because the only other room available was the one full of people...) someone would promptly start knocking on the door.

it was not supposed to be 9 hours... it was supposed to be around 4 or 5, with a stop back home before going to the movies later. but we had to wait for others to join us from out of town, and they didn't arrive until way after I was at my wit's end... i thought i couldn't leave because that would mean i didn't respect the effort of coming in from out of town, but now i realize that I should have protected myself. i am not used to loud places, and definitely not people who yell at all, and definitely not people who yell at me when i am supposed to be in a safe place. i should have put on armour, but i was too tired to think of it i guess.

speaking of armour, i do believe in spiritual armour as a good metaphor for remembering to ask God to protect you and of the importance of being grounded in what matters... but i also felt judged by at least one person implicitly - for having the book A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I was not openly told off this time (yay) but I did have a conversation that left me feeling judged that my book was not a Bible but rather fiction, albeit by a Christian author...

i had brought my book as protection, a little getaway in the midst of chaos. But if it wasn't some immature 40ish guy heckling me, then it was one of the actual kids asking 'why are you reading? are you in school?' so between it all i never got a moment to regroup.

on top of which i actually was nice to all the kids and spoke to them and gave them attention and even humored them. unfortunately that meant that i got followed around a bit and even less seconds where I could just be calm for a moment. i am not used to kids and they freak me out because you never know when they will bump their heads and start wailing uncontrollably, or when a parent will suddenly ask you to do something you've never done before, like pick up a kid or wipe their ... nose.

and, i am literally talking about seconds alone that i could not get. i had sat down in a temporarily vacant corner at one point, only to be pounced upon by someone immediately and enthusiastically to show me something that to other people would be so great but to me actually propelled me to have an anxiety attack and run out of the apartment crying. Well, it was definitely a factor, but the real last straw was actually one of the children who climbed onto the couch beside me and kept punching his hand close to my face and repeatedly yelling for me to do the same.

so, this rant is part of my catharsis. and it will hopefully serve as a reminder to me for the whole year and hopefully the rest of my life which will be longer than a year, to keep these visits short, even if it doesn't look good, because neither does snapping - and who knows how my kung fu skills will be by next year.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2009-12-24T08:09:00.001-05:00

Wishing you all the best warmth, happiness, and blessings.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

My favourite time of year is finally here - phew! It's been a busy season. I am thinking of you : ) Plenty has been going on around here as one might predict during the holidays. But it has been good overall thus far. I finally got back to volunteering at the church since about Sept in the food bank. Already I feel way more a part of the community and I feel like I really belong in the congregation too. It has given me a little more confidence and at the very least a little wider circle of friends in the city. I am still a bit too shy to talk to so many people, so I help in the kitchen instead of out front with the clients. I'll let you know if I ever get the guts to do more meeting and greeting.

After Christmas Eve candlelight service tonight I will be happy to get a little rest. This year I learned how to make gingerbread cookies (men and women!) and sugar cookies (which I added chocolate chips to). I helped to organize the office holiday lunch and secret Santa (but had to be harangued into doing so as my regular workload is quite high). I did take the time last night to stroll down Queen Street and see the amazing displays of animated puppetry in The Bay storefront, and to see the enormous Christmas tree down at Nathan Phillips. There were hundreds of ice skaters there, thousands of lights, and lots of Christmas cheer to go around! And, no snow - which in my book, always makes a good Christmas (sorry to those white Christmas lovers!). Wishing you all the best, and a special thanks for those who have sent greetings already - much appreciated!

Here are my two favourite Christmas websites (for the kid in all of us!)

http://www.northpole.com/

http://www.noradsanta.org/

All the best to you and yours!
-Ruthie (and Shannon and Bailey the bunny)

Bailey photos!

2009-11-28T11:42:00.004-05:00

Fall update

2009-11-11T15:57:00.000-05:00

Bailey : A typical day
When you have a bunny rabbit, you notice things. But, once they're gone, slowly you forget : ( So for posterity, here is a day in the life of Bailey.
6am
Bailey runs around his cage a bit, especially when he hears sounds coming from down the hall. I should be getting up soon so Bailey keeps his eyes looking down the hallway for my approach. When I finally stop pressing snooze and come into the living room, Bailey knows - it's breakfast time! A bunny's favourite time of day.
I open the cage if it's not open already from S hanging out with Bailey, then I encourage the bunny to run around a bit while I get his kibbles ready. Once the kibbles are out, Bailey runs to the end of the couch to meet me and starts to eat. Bunnies eat cute. They do everything cute.
After he has a few kibbles, I put the rest in his dish in the cage and usually he goes right in to eat some more. Other days he'll flop on the couch with a "pet me" look on his face, which stops me from getting ready for work for a few more minutes. (I know, darn!)
After Work
Well, now it's time for bunny dinner! Bailey is still a baby bunny (they are called kits) even though he is almost fully grown. So, he still gets kibbles for dinner. The dinner routine is a lot like the breakfast one, only way lower key because bunnies sleep during the day and play at night (just like S!) so I am usually waking up Bailey when I get home from the office.
When he gets older I will have to restrict his calories a bit and then he gets the real treats of fresh herbs for dinner. Can't wait to hear that awesome sound a bunny makes when he crunches fresh veggies/herbs like Guinness used to do. It's soooo cute.
Late Evening
Right around the time I am thinking about what to wear tomorrow and when to brush my teeth, Bailey decides it's time to get up! Strrretchhh and out of the cage he comes, ready for snuggles or to chew on something he's not supposed to chew. But watching the little bear play is great fun. Around now S and I will give Bailey a couple extra kibbles as a treat - but he is trained to do his one and only trick in order to get them! He stands up tall on his hind legs.  When he is old enough we get to vary the kinds of treats he gets, so we'll probably teach him to hop or something for treats when they have a special taste. Right now he will hop to get on top of things or just when he's really happy.
Then he basically wants to snuggle for awhile until I go to bed. S will let him out during the night for more exercise or hanging out time. Often he will nudge us in the side if he wants past us to the other side of the couch, but S is training him to cross over our laps instead.
Middle of the night
Bailey is usually reorganizing the furniture in his cage at night, or just generally playing or lounging, which is totally okay with us. He also eats the unlimited amount of hay that is always in his cage and which all bunny experts say is a must.
But, even with the everpresent hay, by about 4 or 5am Bailey already starts to keep an eye out for breakfast…
I guess one of the best things about Bailey is that (like Guinness before him) he really likes to be around us and snuggle. Also, he can tell how we are feeling and if I've had a hard day, Bailey will come over and make me feel better. He's a good bunny.

Life in General
I'm listening to Liszt Consolation No. 3 right now. It's so beautiful. This fall has been tough because S and I have both been sick, which lasted several weeks and I missed a lot of work. Feeling better now, but the entire office is bracing for a very bad flu season as we work in a building full of commuters and germs seem to spread rather prolifically there. Don't know if that's the right word to use but it paints a picture.

Fall has been gorgeous, and God has had mercy on us for the last couple of weeks and the weather has improved. I was starting to despair a bit because summer had been so pathetic weather-wise, and fall was so cold already. But we had nice weather in the teens this weekend which was such a relief. I live in a beautiful part of the city and the trees are extraordinary here. When I look out my apartment window I still see some golden leaves on the taller trees, but many are now bare and their leaves are on the ground. I didn't get photos this year of the fall because I wasn't up to it, but I tried to really experience it when I was outside. We had amazing colours! My favourites are the maple leaves (of which I saw several varieties) which actually had several colours in them at once. Generally the veins and edges stayed green like a fading outline, with gorgeous reds and yellows in between. Then there were the breathtaking blood-red and deepest brown leaves that could only be found in nature. Truly remarkable. Anyway, I figured that photos just couldn't do justice to them.

My mind has been full of miscellaneous life lately and I've been a bit stressed, which is usually a sign of missing church (yes I missed last Sunday) so I better be more diligent. Work is okay but I am trying not to let it get to me. In order to handle my workload I really have to use all my energy, so after work tends to be about resting up for the next day's challenges. I still like what I do but sometimes it gets to be a bit much and I have to take a step back and get some perspective.

As a person I still struggle with daily human interactions and often wonder why I open my mouth at all. I tend to not take people's feelings into consideration or use the right language. Also I have trouble letting go of things. I've been trying to emulate one of my favourite historical figures, Brother Lawrence. But, I feel like a teeny, tiny and very pale version of what he was. I probably told you about this guy before but I still think he's one of the best examples of a Christian. Basically I am trying to keep in mind that I can do anything with God, but really when I fail I shouldn't be surprised (I'm not) because when I've failed I was trying to do things on my own… I have Hello Kitty notes in my cubicle to remind me to ask God first before I open my big mouth. Maybe I need a tattoo instead.
The book I am planning on reading next is "A Glimpse of Jesus: The Stranger To Self-Hatred" which I found in the church library and I'm hoping will help me with my struggles with how I view myself.
Anyway, I am getting tired now and I am sure if you want more you are welcome to write back : ) I'd love to hear what your life is like.
Cheers,

meh it's cold now

2009-10-16T12:23:00.001-04:00

all i have to say is that now that i have my super warm long johns, it's time to buy a hat that covers my ears.

meh.

Rainy Saturday

2009-10-03T11:32:00.002-04:00

This is a shot of Uncle Les and Grandma at Casa Loma a couple of weeks ago : )

As Maria mentioned in her blog, fall is definitely here. While last weekend I took a nice stroll through the Forest Hill neighbourhood gazing at the fiery red and yellow leaves, and looking longingly at the green ones that remained on the branches, this weekend is much colder and rather soggy.

Can't say that this year will be any different than others in the sense that S and I are dreading the winter. I plan on getting sports-grade long johns for each of us this afternoon.

Working out with ea active on the wii has been great. i'm seeing muscle tone. also, going back to the wii fit and using the jogging program has been great. you just turn up the volume on your wiimote and turn off your tv or change the channel. so, i've been watching "the biggest loser" episodes while i work out. the wiimote tells you if you are going too slowly and does a count down for the last 10 mins or so... I never thought I could go jogging but i guess I was wrong. the most i have done so far is 30mins (and i almost died!) but I liked it enough to try again a couple more times. the trick is that when i get home from work exhausted i have to tell myself "if they can do it, i can do it!" otherwise it's a night resting on the couch for me!

cheers,

Ahh.. summer

2009-09-18T17:52:00.002-04:00

a pic of the church door a few weeks ago...

s and i went to buskerfest, the zoo, and even checked out some costumed people at fanexpo!

i have some great pics but it takes a bit to load them.

I hope you had a great summer!

elvis at buskerfest

2009-09-05T11:34:00.004-04:00

painting exercises

2009-08-26T06:43:00.004-04:00

speaking of tornadoes...

2009-08-22T21:47:00.001-04:00

so, two days ago we had a couple of tornadoes north of the city...

today, a 'funnel cloud' which apparently is less dangerous, was north of the city as well...

August update

2009-08-22T21:39:00.000-04:00

news in short form

-Guinness our bunny died, and we were so devastated that the only thing to make us feel better was another bunny - Bailey

-Bailey settles in and is super cute and awesome - only three months old now!

-S and I decide to go to the grocery store, despite a 90% chance of rain. the storm was pretty intense but we had fun in the crazy summer rain. Later we found out that tornadoes were wreaking havoc just north of the city during the time we were on our little shopping trip.

-I had an awesome time in Niagara on the Lake with De having High Tea service - delicious and beautiful!

-The GO train started having weekend service to St Cath & the Falls, and I took it a couple of times to see family. MUCH better than driving or the bus, even though I had to rush to get there in the morning.

-I discovered mochacinos. mmmmmmnnnn but lots of calories

-De went with me to Toronto Island. It was the hottest day in the world with smog and I got eaten alive my mosquitoes despite the ton of bug spray I was wearing. I was told that they are attracted to some kinds of sunblock. So, I have decided that when I win the lotto, the summer home will not be on Toronto Island.

Cheers,

pic of bailey

2009-08-09T16:30:00.001-04:00

sad news

2009-08-03T10:54:00.003-04:00

i haven't written in a long time because guinness died.

i cried for two days straight and my eyelids were all puffy and red i looked like a car wreck. i cried myself to sleep for a bit over a week. s and i were so sad that it actually seemed that we were in a heavy deep darkness full of razor blades and nothing would ever be good again. ever.

i finally know how much i loved that little bunny and it's too late.

i kept remembering this song that my friend David F wrote about a decade ago about our friends in the Kaz. Especially the part "I never knew how close we were until you started running, and had to stop to say goodbye" I won't bother to explain the context but leaving Astana and my Kaz friends is really one of the closest experiences to losing Guinness... except losing him was much worse because he lived with us for so long and because there won't be any international emails coming from him...

anyway, since we basically were going to quit our jobs and stay home crying for the rest of our lives, we decided to get another bunny. his name is Bailey after Bailey's Irish Cream... (we nicknamed him already Seamus, potato, airplane head [because he flips his floppy ears like dumbo sometimes], bear, etc.

he's really young, about 11 weeks now. so we're teaching him stuff. he doesn't love us yet but he's getting there i hope.

now i have the problem of church. when i went to pentecostal church i used to cry at every sunday service because the worship really helped me to connect to God and it just happened... no one noticed because the place was packed and everyone in st catharines is really self centered anyway (yeah, that's totally not true...mostly)
anyway now that i am back at a baptist church and it's half empty for the summer, i finally went back since guinness died. it was a disaster. i went on the last sunday in july, and i was sad but mostly ok. as soon as i got to the pew, i instantly broke down and started sobbing uncontrollably... i wasn't expecting that. i think it was because the sanctuary really does represent God's house to me and i felt like i finally went home to Him since it happened. but i was really embarrassed and tried to calm down asap and hide my tears. i hung out in one of the out of the way bathrooms to de-puff/red my face, and about an hour later went out to lunch with friends like I had planned. that part was nice. mmmmn thai fooood.

so, i didn't go back to church this week and i don't know if i will be going back at all until s finally gets a sunday off so he can go with me.

2009-06-29T11:46:00.001-04:00

June 29, 2009

Well, it has been quite a year for us here in Toronto. I have spent a lot of time in the last few weeks reminiscing about St Catharines and comparing the differences between life here and there.

The main difference obviously is the pace of life. Not everyone here moves faster, but usually you can tell they wish they could. With the TTC I can be off on a journey in a flash, and I think that fact - combined with the fact that there is always something interesting to do in this city - makes for a get-up-and-go kind of culture.

In St Cath. I loved the slow pace of life. The Sunday afternoons on the pier, the Saturday hiking trips, the photo journeys. But I also knew that most of the time I'd have to drive the car to get anywhere, which kind of stressed me out and took away from my sense of fun. Also I love to indulge in a little drink now and then (usually just one) but I am very strict about zero drinking and driving, which meant that planning ahead was very important. For some reason we never found much to do when we lived in St Catharines, and it's probably because I made less money and was too cheap to go to shows up at Brock, and didn't want to drive to the Falls. I just liked being home.

And in retrospect I wonder if that safe and quiet comfort that I liked was less a symptom of my own lack of motivation and security and more just a way of being that was part of my environment. Getting up and going out usually took a lot out of me, but then again I was torn to shreds emotionally from that lovely job I had all those years at CTFS (Can. Tire Financial Serv.). Bless them for paying me all those years and giving me lots of skill development, but capitalism is a total bummer.

Now, you may recall that the apartment we had when we moved back to Toronto last year was large but noisy beyond belief, and that after a year of complaining we moved two months ago to another place. Things here are so much better that I do not begrudge the extra money at all! I actually feel a ton safer in this neighbourhood and it's actually quiet at night : ) sleeeep, yeah!

I am so relieved that the weather has improved. Ever since we moved to the new place I have been walking to work and sometimes I even come home for lunch! You have no idea how nice it is not to take the rush hour streetcar/bus etc. anymore! Shannon still has to take the subway but he goes at odd hours so it's not often a big crowd.

Speaking of Shannon, he's working on several projects at the moment per usual. But you'll have to ask him about them as he tells it best.

So, I have been working out regularly lately, doing aerobics of all things! I have long hated aerobics, but I did go through phases in life where I liked it. I am doing walking too of course and a little strength training, but if you've ever heard of "My fitness coach" on the Wii or "Yourself Fitness" on the old Xbox, they are the same thing. Anyway there is this program where the game system acts like a personal trainer and designs a workout program for you and then actually leads you in the workouts. I like it! Working out in front of an audience is not for me! After all those years in tights I aim to work out in the privacy of my own home.

Guinness our bunny is doing ok. He had a hard time with the move. Also now I am trying to figure out how to get his nails clipped. That is a problem because when we moved to this new apartment we decided to no longer keep our car as it was not being used very much and parking here is expensive. We used to take him in the car to Yorkdale mall because there was a PJ's pets store there and they did it for $5. But they closed that location. That would be ok but the nearest location to us that does the clipping is way north of here (cab ride = muchos bucks). There is a closer vet that will do it but you have to make an appointment, pay $25, and we'd still need a cab (Guinness is a dwarf bunny and couldn't take the stress of the subway or loud bus, etc). I keep telling Shannon that I can do it if he holds Guinness, I've seen it done tons of times and they explained it to us. Also I know the correct way to hold him. But no, S is too scared that Guinness will struggle and get hurt. I'll wear him down eventually or else someone will have to drive us.

I started learning some tai chi because I wanted a more fluid practice than yoga, which I love but tends to hold positions for ages. But what with my life schedule and workout schedule I haven't had more than 2 or 3 tai chi sessions so far. Don't worry as always I am concerned about physical and mental wellbeing and not spending time worrying about my chi!

Speaking of spirituality, the church has a community garden. It runs the length of the community building behind the church (I dunno, thirty or forty feet), wide enough for what used to be about 8 feet of lawn. They have planted fruits and veggies and they let me help! It is so great because the food goes to the food bank that the church runs. And for me personally, I don't have my own outdoor space in this apartment so I get to do some gardening again! Almost all the members of my small group (a small group is when the church breaks you up into smaller amounts of people to meet at people's homes for a personal relationship, accountability, Bible study, etc. so that church is alive and personal not just Sunday morning) actually volunteer in the food bank. But I am not one of them. It takes place after work, which is a time when I am usually so drained from dealing with work problems and colleagues that I just need to regenerate or what have you. All things considered I am still a total introvert and very shy. But once I get to know you it's a different story. You'll know if I'm nervous because I'm telling lots of jokes. If I am not saying anything it's because either you talk too much or I feel that my words would fall on deaf ears, or, that saying something may actually have worse consequences than staying silent ("if you don't have anything nice to say…"). The latter is often used at work, which can actually make my boss think that I don't have any opinions at all (apparently that's also bad). I also have a tendency to spout off scientific findings in order to point people in the "right" direction in life for health or whatever… lately I have realized that I compulsively do this because I feel that it is a valuable contribution to the conversation, but then I think that maybe that makes people annoyed or something. After all, if you had been drinking from a bph-infused bottle, would you really like me to tell you about it? Probably not. So then we go back to either Ruth says nothing or Ruth is annoying and such a downer. Wow, I am depressing myself.

Well, it is calling for rain later so I better be off to the grocery store before then.

I wish you all the best, a life free of hassle and bother, a life of happiness and joy and of course a great relationship with your Creator (no I don't mean your mom!).

Till next time,

Ruthie

“Isolation is a dream killer” -Barbara Sher

2009-06-07T21:39:00.006-04:00

Went to my favourite garden today. This part of town has an amazing scent these days due to hundreds of lilac bushes in various yards. Last time I visited this garden was about a month ago, and it was absolutely filled with tulips at the time. I would guess about 30 different varieties were there, of tulips alone! Now they're all gone in favour of other plants. I didn't get the chance to photograph them because I forgot my camera that day. Next year!

“Solitude vivifies; isolation kills” -Joseph Roux

2009-06-06T11:16:00.005-04:00

David Carradine has passed away... otherwise known (in our generation) as "Bill" and as a Shatneresque warrior in Kung Fu the Legend Continues... by the way I just loved that show when I was a kid, but then saw it later and realized it was crazy corny. And I think that Bruce Lee was supposed to be the original Kung Fu series star in the 70s but racism made them choose Carradine... I could be wrong about that but I seem to recall it in the biography I watched.

Anyway it looks like suicide but who knows. Either way, dying in a hotel room by yourself, naked, just doesn't say "I led a fulfilling and worthwhile life" and is therefore fodder for depressing thoughts and sadness.

I don't pray enough for the "stars" to come to know Jesus... there are so many of them for one thing... but when someone who you are familiar with through the arts or whatnot passes away, especially in the flamboyant manner they tend to do, I always wonder and get sad at all the missed opportunities they had to develop a relationship with their creator... so many oppportunities they had to see and do whatever they wished to on Earth as they had money, fame, etc, but so few choices remain when you're at the end.

I had a dream last night that Sean Connery was my professor for some reason. I don't even know what subject it was.

This week I am starting to study Tai Chi exercises. I won't be going in for the spirituality aspects but I will be developing my mind-body connections working on centering and peacefulness. I love yoga but I like the flow of Tai Chi movements better.

Yesterday S and I took a really long walk to the beach and I got some cool pics and video. There were parasailors!

Cheers!

Well, if this were the movies (which it is)...

2009-05-31T18:01:00.003-04:00

Here is a link to this week's favourite song: Can you picture that? by Electric Mayhem : )

WOW it's been a great week for socializing! Went on an adventure to Open Doors Toronto last weekend with a friend named Jen (where we met those three elephants : ) and then today on an after lunch walk with another Jen I just couldn't pass up getting a shot with my ole friend the CN tower (we're buddies you know). Midweek we had small group at our house for the first time ever! Then later I had a mini sleepover party... And yesterday I went to Szanto's for a family birthday do for Asia. Tired now but happy : )

That was the wrong painting...

2009-05-28T17:20:00.003-04:00

S and I have different things we like about either version. I made this painting first, then I made the bigger one from the previous blog entry the next day or something.

Back to painting!

2009-05-23T18:00:00.002-04:00

Like my new painting?

I have to wind down when I get home... With nothing on TV I have done something crazy - watching Paris Hilton's new bff on the ctv website!

"Internet: absolute communication, absolute isolation.” Paul Carvel

2009-05-20T17:03:00.009-04:00

I had a great birthday. S took me to see STAR TREK, which is officially THE BEST MOVIE EVER!!!

We went to an Irish pub for dinner (my choice) and I had a Belgian beer called Fruli, which was soooo tasty like sparkling strawberry wine only better, and roasted lamb etc.

Then we went downtown and got fancy cake for dessert : )

Later we had a party in St Cath with my fambily...

My movie top ten... (it tends to change...)

Star Trek (2009) ---------------------(because it's the best movie EVER)
Lord of the Rings ---------------------(the new series, all together)
Hot Fuzz -----------------------------(hil-a-ri-ous)
The Family Man ---------------------(good especially at Christmas)
Office Space --------------------------(classic)
Lara Croft, Tomb Raider --------------(she's my role model, sortof)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas ------(original)
The Muppet Movie -------------------(makes me laugh, makes me cry)
Nurse Betty --------------------------(it's got comedy, drama, danger, soap operas, and a great cast)
The Santa Clause ---------------------(totally cheesy but I've seen the first one 100's of times)

I should do thematic lists because I love Christmas movies so much I could do ten just on that... well, at least five...

If you take out the Christmas ones, these could maybe make the list:
An Inconvenient Truth
Deep Impact and/or The Day After Tomorrow (not as good as Deep Impact but cool effects!)
Legally Blonde -(the first one. it's a bad movie, but if you're a girl and you feel down, it will cheer you up)
Royal Wedding (Fred Astaire) or How to Marry A Millionaire (Marilyn Monroe) or Casablanca (Bogart)

Cheers,

2009-05-15T23:33:00.002-04:00

2009-05-14T12:15:00.000-04:00

These feet were made for walkin'

2009-05-09T09:56:00.008-04:00

Lately I've been walking quite a bit. In the three weeks that we've been here, I've done an average of 40 mins walking a day. Now to fit in better eating habits and strength training so I can drop those 'happy pounds' accumulated on all those Greek, Italian and Portuguese goodies over Christmas (a season which seemed to last a long time, gastronomically speaking). Oh, and those are just bangs... my hair is in a ponytail there.

It's doesn't quite feel like 'home' yet, even though all of our things are here. It felt more like home when we had S's family visiting. I think I need more people to come by and visit
(De, you're not busy today right?)

We found the pepper, but not the salt (it's in a remaining box I've been too busy to empty). Which is ok cuz I don't use salt much.

There are less than ten boxes left to unpack, but I should really go through all the big rubbermaid containers with art supplies and old paintings and reorganize them so they take up less room. Things are mostly 'put away' but not all, and not really organized, but here are some photos to give you an idea of what our new place is like.

Today's favourite song is a Tony Bennett version of "Fly me to the Moon" which S doesn't like because it changes an upbeat song a la Frank Sinatra into a sortof sad ballad. But I think it's even better than the original. I'd pick Tony over Frank most days.

Wishing you the best!

A flowered house

2009-05-03T14:35:00.003-04:00

I was given a nice pot of flowers as an apartment warming gift : )

There are still several boxes to unpack, but I found my camera!

In a city where things happen...

2009-05-01T16:39:00.002-04:00

Every day and every night are busy with bags of laundry and boxes and cleaning... things are looking better but still loads of work to do!

When I lived in St Cath, things were slower paced and there wasn't much happening. I didn't read the news for years.

Now, there are embassies being protested in front of every week, crazy imported diseases run amok, and people lash out at each other daily in the city where I live... but it's got a certain optimistic energy and fraternity about it too.

thanks

2009-04-25T10:59:00.002-04:00

well, it sure is nice to sleep through the night.

I can't really overstate that.

other things in our new place are also great, such as kitchen cabinet doors that actually close all the way or at all, bathroom tiles that are not crumbling.... things like that. I am so grateful for these things!

unfortunately, guinness has been acting up ever since the move... i've actually had to discipline him by sending him back to his cage several times. hopefully he will adjust and get comfortable soon. he really liked where his cage used to be, because for about a month or so his cage in the old place was by the window and he liked looking out there, but now he can't do that : (

for the last few weeks we've been running around like fools trying to get everything done. we finally got the bookcases with doors that we wanted since last year but didn't buy because we figured out that the old place was temporary. a bit of trouble with ikea getting all the pieces delivered intact - we ended up with everything but there were some trying times.

also we got rid of our car yesterday. someone who needs it more has it now. so we are now official pedestrians/public transpo people!

tying up loose ends takes a lot of time and energy.

i am sure there are some i have forgotten.

i was going to spend the whole day here unpacking, but now I realize i have a few errands to run, again! tired, tired from doing more in a day than I usually would, and running at that pace for a few weeks.

i did find time to workout a couple of days this week, though. yay.

thanks God and thanks family and friends for the help with moving. couldn't have done it without you.

Leavin' the hood

2009-04-15T17:36:00.003-04:00

The other night on our way home we had a detour at St Clair and Bathurst, because of another incident of violence. Two drunk guys got into a fight and one stabbed the other with a broken beer bottle. They both ended up in hospital but there was a police line because at first the one guy ran into the subway and was finally apprehended in High Park station.

Yet another reason to be moving...

Lord, help this city find peace!

Moving aarrhhgg..

2009-04-12T20:00:00.002-04:00

S and I moved some boxes today to the new place. Most of them were too heavy for me to even pick up! We went up and down stairs about 30 times. My feet are very pouty but I am happy because we got some vacuuming done too at the new place. tiiirrred.

2009-04-10T09:47:00.003-04:00

I was wearing a scoop neck sweater at work yesterday, and my desk has a lovely huge window in it (and pretty flowers and vines) but yesterday I got a sunburn! I am not kidding! It was really mild on my face because I wear spf 15 moisturizer everyday all year, but just below my neck there was a definite line where pale white met the pink of a fresh sunburn! I'm going to have to find a solution to this as I ain't giving up my window seat!

We got to the new place today and have started moving a bit. It's great! I took a couple sunset shots from our old apt balcony. The weather is getting nice again and there are buds on the trees : )

Warm SUN!

2009-04-09T17:51:00.003-04:00

WOW I was at the bus stop and the sun was WARM yeah! Summer is just around the corner. Last few days what with all the grey and snow I was thinking ugh! why am I so sad and pouty? Then I remembered that grey days are such a bummer. Today, with beautiful sun all day I am totally vitamin-D filled and happy! Yay God!

So I am giving my car to my mother-in-law at the end of the month. She is jazzed so that's good. One less thing for me to pay for and keep track of! : ) Her hubby is going to need it quite a bit soon. They just have to make sure that the little dashboard light is plugged in properly as I think the high winds loosened it last week.

You can't see Canada across lake Erie, but you know it's there. It's the same with spring. You have to have faith, especially in Cleveland. ~Paul Fleischman

Today's song: Praise You in This Storm

Cheers!

Celery, salt and pepper

2009-04-05T22:41:00.003-04:00

Pretty place setting for friend's goodbye party last weekend.

I was just talking to S and for some reason I came up with this line:

"If I had my pepper spray, you couldn't have a 'salted' me"

My day in reverse order:

watched episode of lie to me with s
ate au gratin ruffles and drank kilkenny
practiced japanese
pet guinness the bunny
wrote song lyrics - not sure on music yet.
i'm going for a parody of genres and silly lyrics.
shower
left voicemail for sister
workout while listening to the best of the pogues
researched about selling my car
made lists for moving
watched a ton of episodes of buffy
tacos lunch
made vegetable soup from scratch in slow cooker
did one load of laundry
called landlord about insane fight upstairs - at a couple of points I thought the guy was actually beating up the girl who lives there - fight went on for about three hours but after the first two they moved the argument into the bedroom so it was quieter
snuggled with cutie bunny and finished reading 'irresisitble revolution' - guinness will lay beside you on the couch now.
ate chocolate covered pretzels, kruller donut, peanut butter and choc chip cookie (thanks de!).
slept in a bit and made coffee and sent s off to work. took it slow as yesterday was a bit stressful with the long drive.
last night, drank a glass of orangina spiked with vanilla absolut. didn't finish it though as the mango vodka tastes better in orangina apparently.
the display on the dashboard decided to turn off for part of the drive home, which was inconvenient since it was in the dark. s prayed and then it went back on again. we decided it was time to sell the car.
last night ate at fallsview casino buffet with s, chuck and de. visited nana for a bit - she kissed my cheek twice.

What a week!

2009-04-01T19:26:00.002-04:00

Just when life starts to go well, I am always reminded of why heaven is much better!!!

After Grandma died last Friday, a bunch of things started piling up. I won't go into them all, but they involve going to the dentist a bunch of times (one more visit planned for next week!) and my fridge breaking and ruining a ton of food!

The fridge is fixed now Yay! Thanks God. It's also a TON quieter than it used to be. But I spent the last two nights dealing with the problem and mopping and cleaning it etc.

And, my wrists have been hurting really badly for the past week and a bit.

Add to that I have a new supervisor at work and my neighbours have still been keeping me up late.

Arrgh and some other stuff too.

So I am a bit stressed and a lot tired. Looking forward to the move being done so I can relax a bit.

Cheers

Grandma B

2009-03-27T21:04:00.001-04:00

My beautiful grandma b has passed away : (

Everyone who knew her says she is now in heaven with God and happy. I hope that she is with Grandpa B and Aunt Noreen and the rest of our lost family members.

...

Bunny tales

2009-03-21T23:44:00.002-04:00

Guinness has taken to the futon well as our new couch. He will now lie down beside us and even go to sleep there!

One month till the move!

2009-03-20T10:43:00.002-04:00

Every day on my way home from work, I pass by the building I am moving to. Can't wait! I needed to get a vacuum cleaner for the new place as it has carpets, and the Roomba was on special last week so I got one! It totally rocks : )

I have my traditional early spring cold - went downtown wearing a sweater instead of a coat and hat on a sunny day early this week. Now I'm down for the count!

We are packing a bit and doing some thinking about what furniture is coming with us and what furniture has to find a new home. Our sofabed, several bookcases, and two chairs have to go.

Spring mmmmnnnmmm....

2009-03-07T10:38:00.003-05:00

We have the new lease for our new place and we will be handing it in after the weekend. Yay!

Our super is already going to be showing our place but he said just to let him know if we get stuck and can't find a place in time. He told S that he really liked us as tenants and tried really hard to get management to do more for us... that was sweet.

I'm super tired because I actually spent time with friends this week. It was a pretty good week compared to the last few weeks. I have some cleaning to do before they show our apartment, too.

Cheers!

Waiting...

2009-03-01T11:50:00.003-05:00

Helllloooooo!

We were approved (YAY) for the apartment we wanted. However, we still haven't signed the lease, which was supposed to be left for me with the concierge... so I am left in limbo again, my least favourite place on Earth! At least until tomorrow when the office is open and I can get ahold of them again. Lord have mercy.

Spiritually though I am in a good place. I was really stressed this week because of working too hard - I got tons done this week but it meant a lot of mind bending as usual! And the weather was awful and most of the week I was trying to trust God more and worry less as we were waiting to hear back from the rental company about our new apartment... I had an awful stomach ache a few times last week and I know it was nerves.

Nevertheless, I have been reading a book called "Practicing the Presence of God" by Brother Lawrence. It is about 300 years old (for once I am not exaggerating) and it is short and simple. In a way I like it more than CS Lewis's letters because this writer really had a simple approach to life and loving God that basically brings together a lot of the random thoughts that I had been thinking about a life of serving God. But I have only just begun with CS Lewis who was a lot more prolific I think. One of the things that sticks with me is focusing on what you are doing at any given time as something that you are doing for God. And relying on Him to give you what you need to accomplish the task, and of course thanking and praising Him for doing so.

Another theme in the book which surprised me (and shouldn't have) was the sheer joy that being constantly aware of God's presence provided him. I guess I am not used to people writing books about it (anyway it's more a compendium of letters). He felt joy in the Lord so overflowing that sometimes I take it that he broke into song or dance or spontaneous praise in order to let some of it out! It brings me back to the concept of being a fool for Christ and how sometimes the Holy Spirit fills people up so much that what comes out can be a bit odd... but still we must know that it is good. Actually, I think that Brother Lawrence took it as his responsibility to manage the expression of his joy in the Lord, since he had so much, in order to continue his communion with God and to serve Him... just an idea.

Also, he seemed deeply concerned that other people didn't take advantage of this constant conversation with God.

Anyway, after this book I hope to still deepen my moment to moment relationship with God. I am planning on finishing the Irresistible Revolution in the next few weeks. I also picked up "Prayer" by CS Lewis and "Of Course You're Angry" by Rossellini and Worden from the church library but I may not get to them by the due date.

Hope all is well with you,
Ruthie

Take notice....

2009-02-20T19:10:00.002-05:00

It's official - we gave our notice and will be moving... nervous and happy at the same time! Getting all the documents together for the application process gets my worry going. But, that is not what God wants for me - no worries!

Sleepless nights return

2009-02-18T19:19:00.002-05:00

once my holidays ended I started having a great deal of trouble sleeping... we are giving our two months notice to our landlord soon and filling out an application for another place....

i really want the place we are applying to because it's the only one I've seen so far that is big enough and clean and quiet enough... plus walking distance to work...

: )

Anniversary fun!

2009-02-14T16:50:00.002-05:00

Winter view from my balcony.

It's official - we've been married 9 years now! Yay!

I took the week of our anniversary off work, as I have done for about 7 years now. Partly for the fun of it, and partly because by mid-February I'm sick and tired of going outside in the cold.

It couldn't have come too soon, as I was getting pushed too hard with various life circumstances.

This week has been great. The warm air showed up (it's gone now) long enough for the huge snowpiles to melt (yeah!).

My mom came to town for an overnight visit. It was fun just hanging out with her. It was the first time she's visited us here.

The day after she left I got invited for soup at a friend's after church. It was nice to be there with mostly nice people sharing a meal.

The next major event happened on Tuesday - my Dad called right when S was leaving for work. He was stuck at Pearson airport due to fog at his destination! He was going to visit his mom in the hospital up north but no more flights until the next day. It was God's grace that I had the day off when this happened because Dad and I got to hang out and talk for hours and have Thai food while we watched a movie : ) And he stayed at our place overnight and caught a flight the next day. I thought it was a good visit.

S's time off started on Wednesday. After we dropped off Dad at the shuttle bus to the airport, we had an appointment to look at an apartment as we are considering moving. I loved the location and the apartment, but it was too small so we are passing on it. I got a little down because on the internet it seemed so perfect but it just wouldn't have worked for us. So we ordered pizzas and garlic bread and watched more movies. S had this great idea that we'd watch medieval era movies this week to get in the mood for Medieval Times dinner theatre, where we went on Friday.

Thursday we went indoor rock climbing! It was my idea, but when we got there I was totally freaked out by the walls and their heights. We had a lesson and then started climbing together. It ended up being fun, but I really had to force myself to get to the top on my final climb as I was terrified! All the other tries I gave up before the top, but I wanted to get there at least once (otherwise how will I be Lara Croft?) so I was really proud of myself when I finally did it! S was great as support and he was holding the rope for me so it was a great trust exercise too.

Then last night we went to Medieval Times. It rocked! We were right to watch those movies first (particularly A Knight's Tale) as it made the tournament that much more exciting. Now I can understand why people used to go to tournaments - the drama, the fights, the joust, the pageantry, the horses... fun stuff. Plus dinner too!

Today we went to see another apartment, more expensive, but much nicer and in the same neighbourhood as the other one I wanted. It was a 'grown up' place with a concierge! It was encouraging to see it and after I check out two more places on Monday or Tuesday we'll know if we're willing to spend the money. God, I know you're listening. Guide us to the right choices please : )

Then we went to a little restaurant called Eastern Twist, where we had delicious curry to warm us up on the way home. All in all, a nice vacation and anniversary.

..

Haappie Anniversarie!

2009-02-11T22:15:00.001-05:00

9 roses for 9 years, this is a good tradition : )

..

Weird dreams

2009-02-08T10:36:00.001-05:00

S and I both had bad dreams last night about a red baseball cap. His was about work and mine was about terrorists.

Let me know if anyone knows why.

Going Home

spammers suck

This is a re-post of "what beethoven taught me" cuz I got sick of having to moderate spam comments on the original post. i'd tell the person off but i doubt they read this.

Pre-game show

it's cold!

A-ha

Meditations on a New Year

Merry Christmas!

A look back on 2011

What a great fall...

ode to summer

Spadina House

Flamingos

Oh, and...

setbacks

tired...

A moment in time

Bailey cutie

My favourite music...

Market Day

St Catharines

Yesterday was Bailey's Birthday

Blank

My favourite song

Marjan Mozetich - Affairs of the Heart

today's song for you

Megalomaniac

Memories of Prayer Meetings past...

A year in review

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

more japan pics, click to enlarge

more japan pics, click to enlarge

japan photos - click to enlarge

more Japan photos - click to enlarge

more photos - click to enlarge

some pics of japan - click to enlarge please

Waking up in Japan

Bunny Care Routine

Ahh, summer

adventures in travel planning

Happy Canada day!

one more day

hot time in the city

a day in

Empty church

more pics

Ahh... May 2-4, summer begins!

interesting walks

Chocolate cake and ate it too!

nobody expects...

beautiful day

Laaa lalala la laaaa!

hot choc

Bailey kisses

Lots of research

Happy Anniversary

Merry New Year and a Happy keep warm season!

rant rant rant don't read if you will be offended

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Bailey photos!

Fall update

meh it's cold now

Rainy Saturday

Ahh.. summer

elvis at buskerfest

painting exercises

speaking of tornadoes...

August update

pic of bailey

sad news

Newsletter

“Isolation is a dream killer” -Barbara Sher

“Solitude vivifies; isolation kills” -Joseph Roux

Well, if this were the movies (which it is)...

That was the wrong painting...

Back to painting!

"Internet: absolute communication, absolute isolation.” Paul Carvel

These feet were made for walkin'

A flowered house

In a city where things happen...