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!!)

It's All Finished . . .

But the surprise hasn't yet happened so I still can't share much. Do know that I am really excited with how it all came together. And I hope that everyone shares the same opinion as myself.

On another note, though - I am starting my photography class tomorrow!! Woot woot!! Excited about all I am going to learn and I certainly hope that all of you will see noticeable results as well!

p.s. does anyone know where the spell check went to?? can i still trigger it within blogger or am i destined to no longer be able to veil my mistakes??

It even required me to put the top down on Zinny to load the car!!! Any guesses??

Stay Tuned

I just spent the day running around gathering a bunch of items I need for a very fun surprise!! Cannot wait to post the pictures and tell you all the details.

But in the interim, know that I am soooooo very excited about this one!

Olympic Pride

Yesterday the Olympic torch found its way to Calgary. I have been anxiously awaiting its arrival for the last week. And finally it was time.

The timing was perfect. Jimmy picked me up at work a smidge early. We found a parking spot right outside my apartment and bundled up a little for the anticipated wait. 1410 was a short stroll in the afternoon sun from my place and the olympic torch was promising to pass right along 17th Ave turning at 14th street.

We made it to the restaurant at 5 and as I had anticipated the place was still fairly open with a couple of tables right along the windows facing the street. Jimmy ordered us some snacks while I looked up the route on the iphone. Never hurts to double check, right??

As the web page open, I slightly panicked as it was only listing the 17th ave route up to 8th street. But the interactive map link confirmed that we were sitting on the route.You could feel the excitement in the air as others piled inside to wait it out and the streets started to fill with red jackets and touques, scarfs and flags. Yeah!! This was going to be perfect.

Our snacks arrived and we alternated between people watching or trying to determine where on the route the torch was at with the live olympic coverage on the tvs. The excitement continued to grow and I could no longer contain it. I think Jimmy was laughing at me as I kept checking my phone to see what time it was.

The timing was perfect, our snacks were done, the bill was paid, we bundled up and found a spot on the sidewalk right as Brenda was walking over to join us!!

Before we had a chance to pick up any swag, we could hear the music coming our way. The first of the caravan was the Coca Cola stage.

It even had a live band on it.

Next came the RBC stage. What a great job that would be - to follow the Olympic torch all over this beautiful country of ours!

After a moment's reprieve, the cheering started again and we could see the torch heading our way.

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I was so excited with everything that i didn't hold the camera still for any of the pics . . oops!!! Just passed us, another runner got out of the van folloiwng the torch and we saw the flame pass between the two. The runner that went past us turned out to be someone with 1410 - kind of cool!

The tower had the flame lit for the olymjpic torch celebration downtown at Olympic plaza. When Jimmy and I got back to my place, we went out onto my balcony and were able to watch it.

What a fantastic evening it was. I couldn't have imagined it any better than it was.

Lina's

Lina's is one of my favorite places in Calgary. It is a little Italian market that is stuffed full of tasty meats, delicious olives, fresh pastas, yummy little desserts, fresh produce, a wide array of olive oils and balsamic vinegars. As I wander up and down the aisles I am drawn to a new kind of biscuit, a tasty chocolate sauce or the aroma from the warm focaccia breads.

The majority of my dinner parties involve a stop at Lina's as I know that I will find something different whether it be a cookie to serve with my chocolate mousse, chocolate sauces to drizzle over whipping cream for the latte's, little chocolates from Europe to put at each person's place or maybe a little hostess gift in the household section.

However, my absolute favorite part of Lina's is the cheese section. So many varieties and flavors across three big coolers stocked full of cheese. By shopping at Lina's all these years I have developed various traditions. And Jimmy can certainly vouch for the fact that these traditions are as special to me as Lina's is. As you will soon find out, the majority of the traditions are around that cheese cooler.

Today I was bringing a cheese plate to Lincoln's little baby shower and so of course I needed to swing by Lina's. It was extra busy on such a beautiful Saturday but I lucked into a close parking spot. As I walked through the entrance into the store, my eyes automatically glanced to the left . . . YES!! . . . the new City Palate was out and it is the January/February Cheap Eats edition. As I am still on the condo plan, it's the perfect edition.

As I walked into the store and grabbed a basket every aisle looked jammed. My heart sank as I knew I was on a tight timeline. I weaved my way over to the breads. Elbowed through a couple people to get a bag and managed to find a fresh focaccia. By the time I grabbed a second bag, a whole new group of people had stopped in front of the breads. Curses . . . don't they realize that I need some time in the cheese section.

I made my way to the olives cooler and already had my choices made before the lady was ready to help me - a large mixed olives and a small sundried olives.

Next up, cheeses!!!

I patiently waited while the remaining customers were being served. I had to look at all the cheeses anyways so I knew which ones I wanted to try first. A nice young gentleman kindly asked if I had been helped yet. I felt my heart lift just a little from the anxious pit and smiled sweetly while responding, "No."

Sarah is a maple and berry lover so I decided that the maple cheddar was the perfect start. And this is where the tradition starts. You can't just buy a cheese there; it may not be what you are looking for. Regardless of how many times I have bought a cheese, it still needs to be tasted. So of course I had to ask for a quick taste. He found the maple cheddar, cut off a small bite and handed it to me. Yummy, just the right maple flavor.

Next I wanted to try a stilton . . . this week Lina's had quite the variety of stilton’s: apricot, cranberry, ginger mango and so I thought the ginger mango could be either quite tasty or the wrong mix of flavors. One bite and I knew that it was totally the wrong mix of flavors.

Nicole has declared her love for chevre fromage so of course I couldn't leave her without a lovely cheese. By the time I told him I was looking for a goat cheese, the gentleman had caught onto my game. He suggested a couple and gave me samples of each. They were both delicious but I quickly chose one.

Now onto another hard cheese, three samples were passed my way and after some thoughtful deliberation I made my choice. The anxiety I had felt as I drove to Lina's had completely melted away.

I needed a soft cheese and a blue cheese. For the soft I had spotted St. Andre which I have had a few times with Jimmy's cousins so I thought that would be a nice balance of flavors and my new found cheese friend was quickly unwrapping the blues for me to try. It didn't take long to choose a nice creamy blue with a rich sharpness to it.

As I put the last cheese in my basket I could hear a father beside me speaking to his son who was about 4 or 5. . . "Now that we are in the cheese area, we try a few cheeses before we make our choice. Shopping at Lina's isn't done until you have bought a cheese!" As the lady passed over a sample, the dad split it in two and handed half of it to his son.

The corners of my mouth turned up as a huge smile crossed my face. As I walked away I was so excited that someone else was passing Lina shopping traditions onto others.

Blades of Glory

When I was little I used to dream about being a figure skater.

You see, my mom had this old LP that I used to love playing over and over again. The confidence in the name escapes me but I think it was 'Teenville' and it was a collection of singers from her high school years. I think it had Bobby Vee and a few others. One of the songs had the following lyrics:

Every day, it's a-getting closer, going faster than a roller coaster.

Love like yours will surely come my way.

Every day, it's a-getting faster, everyone says go ahead and ask her.

love like yours will surely come my way.

Every day seems a little longer, in every way my love's a little stronger.

Come what may, do you ever long for true love from me?

Every day, it's a-getting closer, going faster than a roller coaster.

Love like yours will surely come my way.

Every day, it's a-getting faster, everyone says go ahead and ask her.

love like yours will surely come my way.

Every day seems a little longer, in every way my love's a little stronger.

Come what may, do you ever long for true love from me?

Every day, it's a-getting closer, going faster than a roller coaster.

Love like yours will surely come my way.

Love like ours will surely be here to stay.

(For those of you dying to listen to this song, you will just have to ask me to sing it to you . . . there was also a point in time I dreamt of being a rock star . . . !!)
 
I listened to that record so many times I could sing almost every song off of it by memory and this one was certainly my favorite.
 
Since I lived on a farm, we had various bodies of water nearby that would freeze and the dugout in the yard was perfect for skating. Dad kept the ice pretty cleaned off and my brother would head out there after school and clean off the fresh snow. We would lace up our skates, make the walk across the yard with the skate guards making fresh tracks in the snow, slide down the hill to the dugout surface and skate for hours.
 
When Trev was out there with me, I had to use my inside the head voice to sing and practice my spectacular moves. But when Trev was not out there with me . . . well that was the perfect time to fulfill my dream not only as a figure skater but also a singer. I would belt out with all that was within me . . .
 

Every day, it's a-getting closer, going faster than a roller coaster.

Love like yours will surely come my way.

Skate in circles warming up . . .

love like yours will surely come my way.

Testing out gliding on one skate . . .

Every day seems a little longer, in every way my love's a little stronger.

Come what may, do you ever long for true love from me?

More sweeps around the ice to build up speed

Every day, it's a-getting closer, going faster than a roller coaster.

Love like yours will surely come my way.

Every day, it's a-getting faster, everyone says go ahead and ask her.

love like yours will surely come my way.

A little sit spin (in my mind it was a beautiful work of art; to my brother hiding in the trees spying on me I am sure I looked more like I was perched akwardly on an invisible chair with my arms flying all over to keep my balance) . . .

Every day seems a little longer, in every way my love's a little stronger.

Come what may, do you ever long for true love from me?

Skating, smiling and beautiful hand and arm work to prep for the grand finale . . .

Every day, it's a-getting closer, going faster than a roller coaster.

Love like yours will surely come my way.

Love like ours will surely be here to stay.

Here it is . . . the grand finale . . . the open armed, one skate bent at the waist glide to stand up and finish in a spin (again to Trev I am sure it was circles with a five foot circumference as my arms were no longer quite as graceful as they were during the prep phase. To the untrained eye it could be easily confused with the chicken dance.).

In my mind it was as beautiful as Tracy Wilson or Elizabeth Manley.


Dad informed me at Christmas that the dugout is no longer appropriate to skate on. I was quite sad that my nephews would never experience it and I wouldn't be able to share it with Jimmy.

But . . . mom told me tonight that they are now able to skate on the gravel pit in the pasture just down the road. Dad and Trev cleared it off on the weekend and everyone was out playing a little shinny this past weekend. Even little Chasey at 2 1/2 was able to find his footing on skates for the first time.

It made my heart smile. I cannot wait to go home in February with Jimmy. Watch a little hockey in town, skate a little on the gravel pit. It won't be the same without my awesome moves but making memories with my nephews that they will remember for years to come is even better!

Love like ours will surely be here to stay.

Every day, it's a-getting faster, everyone says go ahead and ask her.

Today was the first day back to work after the Christmas season. I am sure many rolled over and hit the snooze an extra time. I don't doubt that some were a little later than usual. I am quite confident that some needed an extra cup of coffee. Maybe some were like me and did all three??

But there is always one thing that is exciting about the first day back. Something that helps to put a a spring in your step. That one item that makes the day seem a little bit brighter.

And what shall it be? The new wool scarf from your chic grandma? Maybe the lovely pair of angora socks from your twin daughters? A glittery bracelet that was tucked into your stocking from your handsome fiance? Or the new sweater you bought yourself with Christmas money? Was it the new underwear from your mom? The engraved cufflinks from your loving wife? Or were you one of the extra blessed who got to drive to work in their new shiny red car from your fabulous hubby?

As I made my way to the office, I spotted some carrying bags of items they need to return. I saw others carrying their lunch in the coveted Holt Renfrew bag. I saw one lady who was most certainly wearing  a new hat and another who was sporting new boots. More than a couple people were walking to the beat of the music on their new iphone. And I am sure there was more than one office full of sqealing girls admiring a new hair do or captively listening to a New Year's engagement story whilst gazing longingly at a sparkling diamond ring!

For me? I was proudly wearing the new little earing from my nephews - they truly do have fabulous taste (thanks Kim) and a new pair of socks. Tomorrow? I'm going to look extra saucy with my freshly straightened hair (love it Mom)!

I am so very blessed

This year, for whatever reason, has been an exceptionally overwhelming Christmas season. I am not too sure why - am I just getting to that age or has the year been that much harder. I can tell you one reason for sure has been facing the reality of sickness and death. Each year seems to bring about that much more of each!

But as I take a moment to sit and be I am again flooded with memories of what makes Christmas so very special:

• the reason for the season - that we have hope for an eternal life and a savior to mercifully redeem us
• the many hugs that are freely passed around without a care in the world - take that H1N1
• warm cookies straight from the oven
• pot after pot of delicious coffee
• flying wrapping paper as children experience the joy of getting
• watching the smiles of the childs faces as adults experience the joy of receiving
• wearing the brand new christmas sweater and thinking about the dear friend that gave it to you
• seeing gramps old nut bowls with dear family gathered round telling jokes and shelling peanuts
• a candy cane dipped in eggnog
• twinkling of the snow as you come home from another late night spent with friends and family
• the Grinch!! (both the cartoon and my pops)
• sitting around the tree with only the christmas lights on
• the plentitude that was given to me
• a photo album filled with such lovely memories of the past few years
• the whispered i love you's
• sticky fingers doing my hair with a multitude of elastics and clips
• little ones declaring their bowl of jello is 'baby' sized - my mercies!!
• chocolate mustaches
• family games
• quiet visits with dear aunts
• dreaming about the new year on the horizon

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Auntie Jules Christmas Photo Album

Escalaphobia . . . A Fear of Escalators

For those of you who don't know this little fact - I am scared of escalators. You see, when my brother and I were little, shopping malls were a bit of an adventure for us. We grew up on a farm and as such a day into the city was a pretty big adventure. We would schedule all our appointments for that day and mom would try to get in as much shopping as she could. So escalators were quite a novelty.

One day when we were out shopping at Sears on a visit to Grandma's in Calgary, Trev and I were feeling exceptionally adventerous! We decided it would be quite fun to jump on the down escalator at the bottom, run up it and ride it down again only to do that all over again. We were quite young and I guess Trev wasn't quite as stable on his feet because after a particularly big jump, he fell down and got his little bum caught as the escalator stair folded into the teeth at the end. It tore right through his jeans and little underwear and was pretty sore for a while.

Ever since that day, I do not overly like escalators. It isn't a paralyzing fear as long as I have a clear vision of the stair I am stepping onto and have a free hand to grab the railing. I may slightly hesitate at the start as I choose the perfect stair but with all of my travelling, I have certainly learned to cope. Almost.

I was shopping at Zellers in Market Mall before Christmas to grab some of the basics I needed for baking and wrapping. To set the layout, the Zellers in Market Mall is two stories but it is the only thing on the second level at the mall. As such, there is no cashier upstairs, the escalators are arranged in a way that a shopping cart can not go up and down them, I couldn't find any other shopping basket and the upper level is where they have all the household goods. On the way from searching for a pastry bag to the escalator I passed the toy department. Since this was the weekend before Christmas and I still needed toys for all the boys and Rhyder's birthday toy I quickly checked it out. To my surprise, the toy selection was superior to even Walmart and after a few minutes in the Transformer aisle I was quite elated with my choices.

Keeping in mind that I had no shopping cart or basket, I was loaded down with boxes stacked upon boxes and my chin resting on the top to ensure nothing went flying. Then I remembered the escalator. What was I going to do?? Well I would just have to ride it down. There was no other choice and how bad can it be.

As I approached the escalator I tried desparately to get that clear sighting of the stair. I glanced around (turning my whole body in a full circle as my chin was keeping my toy tower in place) and realized I had all the time in the world as there was no one around. I stood there putting my feet out but I just couldn't take that step as I had no clue where on the stairs I would be. My only other alternative was to try and balance the tower on one hand, side step onto the escalator while my other hand has a death grip on the handle. As I am moving all the toys over and cautiously stepping towards the stairs, I feel my toy tower give way. I turn around to gather my items to discover there are now 5 or 6 people waiting for the escalator. Of course - now that pressure is added to this adventure.

Out of desperation I manage to sputter out in a long run on sentence without taking a breath: 'I'm sorry - it's just that i am scared of escalators and i can't see where i am going and there were no baskets but i needed to buy toys for my nephews and i'm sorry, let me gather all my things so you can get on; you see i'm scared of escalators and well i couldn't see where i was going and so when i tried to move the packages everything fell!'. By now my face is beet red, the packages are all gathered and I have slunk away from the escalator to allow others to pass. A couple of people offered to carry some packages but I quickly turned it down and said if they could just forward me to an elevator I will be just fine!

Finally this lady insisted so I passed a couple of boxes to her and followed her onto the escalator with a firm grip on the handle and a clear vision of my first step explaining to her the whole way down why I was scared of escalators and how I have 3 fabulous nephews to buy for and the Zellers toy department is surprisingly better than Walmart and they have no shopping baskets and and and! I am sure that was the longest escalator ride of her life - heavens to betsy!!

Maybe it is time to face this fear head on: Simple Steps to Overcoming your Fear of Escalators and seek out medical attention :S.