Wow, it feels like time is slipping away so quickly and I am not too sure where it slipped too . . . I will admit though I am certainly loving the beautiful weather outside which might have contributed to the status of my days. There was also this little thing called OUR FIRST CLIENT RELEASE OF OUR NEW PRODUCT that happened at work. That also might have contributed a bit to my mental state as of late considering I had worked every night for the last two weeks. But all that aside, I did manage to slip in some adventures.

There was the sewage that flooded the apartment lobby. Bright and early - before the stomach had awoken for the day I was greeted with the pungent odor and the distinctive squish of wet carpet beneath your feet. Eeew!!!! It was ankle deep by the time I reached the outside door. Fortunately I had chosen a cute skirt and my knee high boots; unfortunately I had to walk all the way to the office before I could wash off my boots . . .

And there was the fun birthday planned for a friend out in Banff. After a lovely Saturday brunching and cruising with the top down I met the ladies at a little restaurant for dinner. By the time we were ready to move on, I was feeling incredibly ill. I spent the rest of the evening watching bad Banff hotel TV and waiting for the nausea to pass.

Then there was the moment Sarah and I decided we want to sample two kinds of ice cream . . . for the record - the double is the size of Lincoln's head!!!! But oh such a perfect treat to stroll through Garrison woods with. Just watch out for vehicles reversing. They don't always look in their rear view mirror first.

Finally there was the lovely dinner with a dear friend at a yummy little mexican restaurant on south macleod. I quickly became a huge advocate of the beef burrito! The evening was a much needed break after a little thing called A PRODUCTION EMERGENCY ON THE PROJECT I AM WORKING that happened at work the day after the other little thing I shared about at the start of the blog.

Yeah, the past week and a bit has certainly contained a few adventures. But I think that is why I like my life so much most days. It is certainly rarely boring and almost never predictable.

Okay - enough procrastination! I need to get my work done so that I can head out tomorrow night to visit a friend and her new little one! Too fun!!!

Those kinds of friends

There is something special about those friends that you have known forever. You know the ones. The friends that taught you how to tie your shoes. The friends that learned how to read before you and so would read the books to you. The friends that got their license a whole year before you turned 16 and kept all the secrets from that year. The friends that witnessed your first school girl crush on Todd Georffey that moved away before he could break your heart. The friends that know your family almost as well as you do.

Some people weren't blessed by those kinds of friendships. But I was not one of those unfortunate ones. My dad didn't serve in the army or move all over with his work. Quite the opposite in fact. These friends all go 'home to Christmas' to the same house they grew up in. These friends’ families have had the same post office box in town since we first learned our address in school. These friends co-op numbers have not changed (my dad's is 765 in case anyone is driving through Southey and needs to fill with gas).


Not everything has stayed the same though. We have left and found our own way. Some have married and born children. We have loved, lost, grieved and celebrated. Each of these events has changed us, some ever so slightly, and others more than we will ever share with most people.


Regardless of how much we all have changed, we still choose to be friends. There is still something amongst us that binds us together. That gives us permission to speak into each other's lives. To dream together. To draw strength from each other. To love each other and accept each other as we are.


So ladies - this is to each of you. It was a blessing to be together last weekend. We may not have many photos to document the weekend. Our matching purchases are not for everyone to notice. However, we have some new memories to add to the wealth of old ones. We had many laughs. And until we meet again, you all know you are in my thoughts and prayers!


I love you girls dearly.

I got a special delivery this week.

They are gorgeous! Thanks mom and dad!!!

Vogglio

Once I realized that I had two food/dining out posts for this past week, I thought I better not post a third. But since I managed to post two in between, I thought I could slide this one in.

Finally tried a little pizza joint that is close to my apartment. From the outside, I didn't really know what to think. As a result I had been scared from trying it.

However from the delicious pizza I can tell you that others are right: Vogglio really does have some of the best pizza in town. The thin crust pizza was a definite hit!!! I would recommend the vegetarian margharita pizza if you love olives!

A breath of fresh air

Good Friday proved to be the perfect day to escape the city and its daily routine. We gassed up Zinny, and were off. Without a plan nor an end destination in mind, time granted us permission to stop wherever we wished. And stop we did . . .

We saw swans and bovines:

We witnessed geese skating

We made our way to the Rafter Six Ranch (they filmed Gunsmoke there you know . . . )

We drove through Canmore and took the long route home via Ghost Lake. The colors were spectacular.

We wondered over His handiwork

Late April Weather

Various nights as of late, the timing is perfect for Brenda and I to walk home together. At the point where we part paths we are both less then 2 blocks away from our respective apartments.

Tongiht was one of those nights. However, looking outside 15 minutes before the home bell rang, I wasn't too sure about this plan. Perhaps Jimmy would feel like being our night in shining armor...

(if you look closely enough you can see the effects of light snow flurries)

By the time Brenda's train arrived outside my office, the snow, rain and wind were gone. We Let Jimmy know we were okay and started the 15 minute walk home.

Within 2 minutes the wind picked up and brought with it sleet that felt like shreds of glass. We ducked behind a sign so that Brenda could wrap her scarf like a baboushka around her hair. I wasn't willing to give up the little warmth it was adding to my neck and decided to risk losing my cute hairdo instead.

In the end neither of us were better off than the other. Both of us had mascara streaming down our faces, our hair was soaked and our pants were dripping!

(This was the view from my apartment by the time I made it home)

Finally arriving at my apartment, soaked through to the skin, the sleet running down my face, I could not wait to get up to my place and hunker down underneath a blanket. But alas, my luck had not turned yet. The elevators were both broken - one stuck on floor 4 and the other on 17. After waiting a couple of minutes and continually pushing the buttons neither one had moved. Argh - floor 17 - that was where I could not wait to be!!! Stairs it is.

So 17 flights later, I am upstairs with nothing to eat (was going to hit the grocery store once I made it home), my lights are flashing on and off and I need to head out to cheer the Schooners to their first play off victory.

Oh dear - I hope the elevator is in operation again by the time I get home . . .

A little taste of heaven . . .

The five of us lovely ladies ventured over to International Avenue to check out Fassil's. I was the only one who had eaten at this delightful restaurant prior and I was quite anxious to share it with 4 of my great friends.

The menu can seem a little daunting but we did our best to narrow it down to the veggie sampler, a chicken dish and a beef dish. You also do not want to show up at this restaurant starving as their timing may not always be your timing for service. And on this particular night - the air was quite cool inside. However, if you can get past all of that, you quickly discover that this restaurant is worth the trek!

The friendly server was quick to inform us that we ordered a dish made with raw meat - whew dodged that disappointing outcome - so we pulled out our fall back pick and patiently waited for the meal to arrive. Okay maybe not quite so patiently when a couple of dishes were served around us and we the fabulous aroma of spices drifted our way!

Time seemed to go by quite quickly especially since it had been a while since we had all been together and there was a lot to discuss - dud ex boyfriends, trips to mexico, babies, houses and all sorts of topics flew around the table. It was great to all be on the same page again in each others lives.

And then it was our turn. A big platter of food was placed in the middle of the table with fresh injera to eat with. The smells rising up were amazing. Now for the big test - would all my promises of how fabulous the food is come true - or would I need to eat my words and confirm that this experience was no different than another Ethiopian restaurant we had tried!

After the first bite, the smiling faces around the tables confirmed that the dinner club choice was a success!!!

Thanks ladies for a delightful night as always!

Saffron

We picked up a little Indian TakeOut for dinner tonight from a yummy little spot in the NW. Saffron Fine Indian Take Out is in a little strip mall with no room to dine in. And for a Tuesday night, it is the perfect way to dine in at home. I had eaten it at friend's prior and so when Jimmy suggested it, I was quick to agree. The deal was golden when the lady assured me that it would be ready in 15 - 20 minutes.

We had the beef samosas, matter paneer and of course the butter chicken. Every dish was filled with fresh ingredients and a delightful mix of spices. The serving sizes were surprisingly healthy as well. There is even enough for lunch tomorrow - yeah!!!

Anyways, wanted to share the little secret in case you ever find yourself across from Northland mall hankering for something a little different.

And for tomorrow, we are headed to Fassil's for dinner club!! So excited.

Quiet Dinners

Sleeping In

Relaxing Morning Coffee

Waffles

Dinner Parties

Brunch Guests

Cute little Lincoln and Benjamin

Crave Cupcakes

Disappointing Losses

Go Schooners Go

Sunshine

Great Friends

Zinny with the Top Down

Dreaming about Houses

Afternoon Naps

Basketball

Laughter

Amazing Race

Cowtown's Hidden Treasures

I was trying to gather all the appropriate information for dinner club this month. It is my turn to choose the restaurant and when we send out the email with the announcement for the time and place, we always include a little ditty about the restaurant, location and any web sites we can find on it. But that is neither near nor there.

What is important is this: In my travels for this finformation for dinner club, I stumbled across a series of videos in the making in which some locals are creating 25 videos for 25 days on 25 wonderful things that Calgary has to offer. The first video i watched was on desserts. They will not win an oscar but each taste involved chocolate. Having given up chocolate for lent this year (and for some reason this year seems to be harder than it has been) I found myself drooling over each bite he took!

Their blog contains the links to their other topics which are short little ditty's and really quite fun! If nothing else, they confirm what I have known all along - there are some wonderful little spaces in calgary to play, eat and just enjoy!

p.s. totally burnt my little grilled cheese whilst writing this blog; grilled cheese with pre-shredded cheese is extra tricky though - in my defense.

Photo class is ending tomorrow. I have learned so much about taking photos, working with light and editing. And to showcase all we have learned, we were to take 3 pics that tell a story. So here is my story.

I love architectural detail. I know that for many it is no surprise to hear that. After all, stuffed in the closet in my bedroom on the farm should be a scrapbook filled with the perfect interior design elements featured in mom's Good Housekeeping magazines from years ago. And, that is the primary reason for my move to Calgary.

I also love churches. I know that God is not confined to a space but I love walking into a church that is awe-inspiring.

So after much thought, I knew what I wanted to do. Jimmy and I stopped for some yummy Starbucks coffee and with the top down on a gorgeous day in March we headed off to find the perfect church. Grace Presbyterian was the final choice. I loved the stone work, the white trimming and the beautiful stained glass windows.

To present it to the class, I need to print them out as 8x10 and frame them. I will let you know how it all turns out but at this point, I am quite impressed with the camera and the operator!

Sunny Stroll

This weekend the weather was absolutely perfect. Steve, Susan, Benjamin, Jimmy and I loaded up and headed out to K-country to catch some rays and see some sights.

We had such a great time together as always. Fully of laughs, fabulous memories and a little caching!! (The boys stumbled across a geocache stash so we just had to leave a little something behind!)

And little Benjamin was a perfect doll on the entire trek!

On a sunny day

What a perfect day for a morning coffee and wander through Marda Loop with a great friend and easy conversation!

I wouldn't have started my Saturday any other way even though some stranger did burst in on me in the washroom!!! Curses the door was even locked!!!

Pink Stiletto's

Falling makes me laugh. I am fully aware that it is kind of cruel. It's not like I wish others harm but watching others fall causes a giggle to rise up and escape. It is seriously uncontrollable. I don't know if it is the fact that it often seems to be in slow motion. Or if it is the way the arms grasp at the air hoping they can catch themselves.


I know it sounds rude but in all fairness I bust out in uncontrollable fits of laughter when I fall myself. I can only imagine how ridiculous I must look. So in my reality laughing at myself justifies laughing at others.


Yesterday I happened to catch someone fall. He wasn't hurt. And I barely caught it in my peripheral. But it was really funny. I laughed out loud. It was still as amusing today as it was yesterday. Enroute to a yummy Indian lunch buffet I shared the story with Andrew and Ifran. They also 'took to fits of laughter'!


This afternoon karma snuck up on me. I was walking back to my cube after a meeting in the boardroom. I was following Karen and Wes, Doug and Mitch were all behind me. In a split second, I felt my pink stilettos tangle up. As the world slowed to a snail’s space I drastically tried to catch myself. My book, phone and pens went flying in various directions. Noooooooooooo...As my hands grasped at empty air, the floor was getting closer and closer. I couldn't stop myself and I thudded on the floor scraping my knee as I went down. My arm skidded across the carpet resulting in a rug burn from the wrist to the elbow. And in it all I laughed. I am sure my butt was sticking up in the air in front of the men. I am quite confident my hair was slightly askew and the huge welt on my arm was like a blinking neon sign. My bracelet broke resulting in beads scattered across the floor. And I sat there and laughed.


Once I was able to untangle my left stiletto from my right pant leg, I was able to get back on my feet. I assured everyone I was just fine. And I laughed.


It really is funny. Regardless of who falls.

psssst . . . it's a secret

So I finally did it.

I took the plunge.

I made an appointment with the banker to find out what I need to do before I can buy.

I found out I am really close.

Really really close.

Fully approved.

Just need to save a little bit more :)

Woot woot.

What do you think of this place??

A little place with promise. Especially love the swords.

OR

Doesn't this place look sweet? I can certainly see myself fixing this up a little!!

the perfect canadian weekend

laughs and giggles

nail biting hockey

clinking glasses with friends to a well fought victory

sleeping in

crave cupcakes
national pride

wheatgrass juice

cards from sweet friends

saturday outfits

coffee

fresh sushi

friends stopping in
shattering olympic records

movies

amazing race

gold medals

figure skating gala

river walks

sunshine

skipping through puddles

a winning goal
group hugs
planning how to accomplish your dreams
that my friends, is Canada

There's a monster upstairs

Jimmy and I were at home this weekend to visit my family. And the latest trend at Grandpa and Grandma's house is to go monster hunting.

This is a very serious mission. You must be fully equipped and so the first thing everyone does is tests out  the flashlights. If possible, every boy likes to carry two but with the extra visitors from Calgary, they weren't always able to be fully prepared. But with the new LED flashlights, you can get even deeper into those shadows with a single light!

Grandpa was the first to trek up those stairs with all three boys in tow. After various reports that always start with little feet pounding down the stairs, eyes huge - especially Rhyder's who was a strong imagination and such an earnest look about him, we discovered the monster had a cold (there was a pack of tissues under the desk), he was freezing (had taken the boys blankets from the chair they were sitting on after their last visit to the closet shelf they were discovered on) and the monster had left spiderwebs and flies in his wake.

On Sunday, the boys were anxious to continue their search. Grandma was sure to tell them the monster had been spotted again as the trailer door was swinging wide open without any tracks leading up to it. This made them all the more excited and so they grabbed both Jimmy and I to sneak up the stairs and see what we could see.

Rhyder was quick to spot out that Jimmy's suitcase was open, there was water on the table in Jimmy's room and my phone had moved a little from the day before. Jimmy dilligently packed up his suitcase and zippered it shut. We tidied up the beds, put away any clothes that were sitting out and generally made sure both the bedrooms were in order!

So Jimmy and I (of course not having kids of our own were on the same wave length) decided to have a little fun with this. When all the kids were distracted downstairs, I 'went to the bathroom' but actually raced upstairs, flung Jimmy's suitcase open, tossed around some clothes, poured some of the water down the sink and hid my phone. It wasn't long before the boys were ready to hunt more monsters.

If at all possible, Rhyder became even more earnest when he saw the general disaray. Without a moment to spare, he raced downstairs and told everyone the news.

********************************************************************************

I had been promising the boys a sleepover and it finally worked out to have one Sunday night. But rather than Jimmy and I trying to drag stuff over to Trev and Kim's and then come back to the farm to pack up for the plane it made much more sense for the boys to stay with us that night. It wasn't long before bed time had come and gone and it was incredibly apparent that we could not delay a moment longer. My plan was to tuck the boys into their sleeping bags beside my bed and watch a little olympics before hitting the hay myself.

I wasn't getting it when Rhyder suddenly became very nervous over the thought of me going downstairs without him! He insisted that I was going to sleep with them in my bed and begged to come to the bathroom with me to brush my teeth. Our compromise was to leave the main bedroom light on and I rushed as quickly as possible to Rhyder's questioning on how much longer.

We snuggled into the double bed. Joshua on one side and Rhyder on the other. They had their pookie, rufus (Rhyder) and their geoffrey (Joshua). The hall light was on and the door was open a crack to let the light in. Suddenly it all became clear!

Rhyder, clutching pookie and rufus tight: "Auntie, do you think the monster will get us while we sleep"

Juliane: "Oh no honey, this monster only comes out in the daylight"

Rhyder: "Okay!"

The topic quickly turned to school, friends, our weekend highlights.

Rhyder: "But auntie, what if he does come out."

Juliane: "We'll be safe honey, I will protect you. Remember, if we are scared, we pray and ask Jesus to help us not to be scared."

The air was filled with a long moment of silence and then we started talking about other things. After a little while . . .

Rhyder: "But auntie, he opened Uncle Jimmy's suitcase."

Juliane: "Oh sweetie, I think Uncle Jimmy just needed to get something out of his suitcase"

Joshua: "It's okay Rhyder. It was just them playing tricks on us. Right Auntie? You was just playing tricks on us kids!"


Juliane: "Yes honey, Uncle Jimmy must have just needed something from his bedroom."


Another pause, this time not quite as long


Rhyder: "Is the door locked."

Juliane: "You betcha! Grandpa always locks the door. And Jimmy and Grandpa will protect us too."

Rhyder: "Uncle Jimmy gets scared sometimes. He was scared today. But Grandpa never gets scared! Right Auntie?! Grandpa isn't scared."

Juliane: "That's right buddy, Grandpa isn't scared. And I know that Uncle Jimmy will help us too!"

Joshua: "Rhyder, they was just playing tricks. It wasn't really real!"

Rhyder: "But auntie what about your phone?"

Juliane: "It's over on the trunk, charging. I moved it to charge it."

Joshua: "Yeah, I see it."

Rhyder: "I can't see it. Are you sure it is there?"

Joshua and Juliane: "You bet - it's over there; Yeah buddy, I can see it!"

Juliane: "Honey, the monster isn't real. It is all our imagination. That is what makes playing so fun. But when it is bed time, it is important to remember that was just our imagination!"

Rhyder, as he snuggled extra close and clutched pookie: "Auntie, here's rufus to sleep with. I don't need him!"

Juliane: "We ready to change topics? Let's chat about fun things!" What's your favorite ice cream?"

Joshua: "Chocolate! but i don't think i have ever had chocolate ice cream."

Rhyder: "What's yours auntie?"

Juliane: "Chocolate!!"

Rhyder: "Mine too!! Grandpa's favorite is chocolate too!"

And with that not another word was spoken as both of them drifted off to sleep. Although Joshua did find my hand and clutch it tight.

Moral of the story, the next time you take your nephews on a monster hunt, don't do it on the same day you have a sleepover planned in the same room that you plant a monster!

Catching Up

I had the opportunity to catch up with some old friends lately. It must have been 10 or 15 years since I have seen them and almost as long since I have had any news on them.

Not much has changed in their lives. The family owned business continues to grow. Unfortunately that also means it continues to cause strife amongst everyone (power and money always seems to have that effect on families). The family has increased in size- children have grown up - marriages celebrated - degrees earned - and sadly divorces mourned.

Nick and Sharon will always have Paris. Victor will always love Ashley and Jake will always protect his sister from Victor's vile ways. Everyone has their role in the family and they all play it to a fault. Aww, the Newmans.

But as I was cleaning my house and listening to their trivial chatter in the backgroun, I felt such a strong sense of familiarity. Funny how that can be. After all those years of Grandpa and Gladys watching Young and the Restless or at the very least being sure to tell me all the news, it's almost like the Newmans were our out of town relatives.

I am sure it will be another 10 years before I hear any news again. I am willing to bet that not much will have changed. I am also quite confident that it will still be familiar.

I love this girl

I met Colleen at Briercrest and I can declare that my life has certainly not been the same. She is a true delight to be around and I absolutely love her to pieces.

This past January she toured around the Saskatchewan country side with Dara, another precious sole that we both have the privilege of knowing. They were featured on STC's 15 minutes of fame.

Check it out:

Minus 40 Tour: Songs to Warm your Soul

(Pick Season 4 and Episode 22)

I'm so proud of Colleen. She has big dreams and isn't scared to pursue them. It is such an honor to cheer her on from the sidelines.

While you were out

Yeah - finally I can share my exciting secret!!

It was Jimmy's birthday in January and the weekend before his birthday was the annual ski trip with all the boys. This presented the perfect opportunity to do something extra special. Something that I have been thinking about for awhile as Jimmy has uttered a desire for this change on more than one occasion. The timing was perfect as I had 2 whole days to execute the plan.

The other aspect about this plan that made my eyes light up was that it included a passion of mine. A passion that drew me out to Calgary all those years ago. Something that I dearly miss when I moved into the software industry.

And so as those two worlds met - my passion for design and my love of giving a really fun gift to someone I really care about, the idea was born. The design started to take shape in my mind. The to do list started to form.

And here is the final result:

Thanks to C's help, we got the dresser together, Totem's popcorn eaten, the mirror hung and the TV hooked up.

What do you think?

(p.s. Jimmy loved it! It wasn't a lame present at all!!)