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Funny...because it's true!
2007-08-11 21:37:00
Saw this on J's and MsMamma's blogs. Just had to try it!You Are Cindy BradyWarm hearted and sweet, you have a childlike innocence that lets you see the good in everyone.But you're also a bit of a baby. You stick your nose where it doesn't belong... and cry when you get caught!What Brady Are You?P.S. Happy Birthday to my Grandma! :)
More About: Funny , True

Throwback Thursday #7
2007-08-09 02:39:00
Thanks to the girls at PinksandBlues, Thursday has become my favourite day of the week! I know I'm posting my Throwback Thursday photos a day early, but I just know I won't be able to post them tomorrow. I'll be teaching all day and then our ESL students have baseball and one of them has a birthday tomorrow and I'm trying to orchestrate a surprise birthday party for him. I think it will be special for him to celebrate his birthday while in Canada, don't you?Anyway, here is this week's installment of photos of yours truly. I grew up with my cousins. We all lived a few minutes from each other and we were always together. I love having grown up in a big family because I always felt like I had tons of brothers and sisters (well, I have one female cousin on my mom's side and she's ten years younger than me). Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, New Year and all the family suppers were always so much fun. We even went on family vacations together! *sigh* I miss the days of seemingly e...

The Potter's Wheel
2007-08-08 01:17:00
The children squealed with excitement at the thought of coming up with beautiful creations at the potter's wheel. They sat attentively as he talked about clay. "Clay has no worth", said the pottery teacher, as he slammed down a beautiful ceramic vase and let it shatter into pieces. "It comes from the earth. It's like mud. It's only valuable when someone makes something from it. That is when it becomes precious." The children sat in awe and wonderment. A bit startled that the pottery teacher smashed a perfectly good vase, their eyes opened and their ears perked up.To the childrens' surprise, the pottery instructor took them for a ride and showed them many different types of soil and how to find clay. First, they saw top soil in the ditches along the highway. Then they saw another layer of "dirt" that was rocky. Still no clay. At the beach, they found sand with its coarseness and granular characteristics. Finally, along the sandy beach, they found some patches of clay. "If it look...
More About: Wheel , Heel

It's Just Another Manic Monday
2007-08-07 05:39:00
I didn't think I was going to write another post tonight, but I just had to share this story with you. Imagine yourself exhausted from the day and attempting to get some alone time by settling down and unwinding--just trying to watch an episode of Big Love. The students are all in their rooms, getting ready for bed. All of a sudden, the ESL students you are hosting for the summer decide to do their homework at the last minute. Bedtime is 10PM and it is 9:58. There's giggling and they're all happy and giddy, then all of a sudden there's screaming, screeching and CRYING!!! "Oh goodness", I thought. "It's just a spider". The kids are deathly afraid of spiders and scream every time the see one. Truth be told, I am really scared of spiders too. I just pretend that I'm not scared because I know the students are more scared than I am. I pick the daddy long legs up by their legs and usher them outside. It's something I've learned that I have to do if the kids are more afraid than I ...
More About: Monday , Manic Monday , Onda , Manic

People are strange...When you're a stranger
2007-08-07 02:20:00
What started out as a "secret blog" has been discovered. Do I start a new "secret blog" now? Nah. I'm far too lazy to have to go through all that work. Nothing negative has occurred from the discovery of my blog. Really, it's just a dinky and totally random blog, but I find it very cathartic to write. The only thing that is alarming is that on a few occasions I've gone to social functions and people have come up to me and have said things like, "Oh! I read your blog every day!" or "My son in Toronto reads your blog and reports to me all the time!". It was then that I realized just how accessible people's information is on the internet and how privacy doesn't really exist even if you try to be really low key. It's a good thing I don't list real names and luckily I try to be careful of what I discuss on here.Though this blog was intended to enable me to keep in touch with friends and family who live far from the Island, I have "met" some wonderful people via the blog. Several p...
More About: People , Strange , Range , Tran , Ranger

Japan- Revisited
2007-08-06 23:38:00
Chiharu, one of my lovely Japan ese friends, came to visit me on the Island for a few days. She was an ESL student of mine at one of the English language schools I taught at in Toronto five years ago. She couldn't have picked a better weekend to visit Manitoulin Island, since there were so many activities and events going on. We went to the PowWow in Wikwemikong, the beach at Carter Bay and the Haweater festivities in Little Current. We had a great visit and reminisced. There was a lot of laughter and poor Chiharu had to put up with me showing her all my photos of my life teaching in Japan.Chiharu remembered that my absolute favourite food in Japan is okonomiyaki. She was such a dear and surprised us by making us some Japanese food on the weekend! Okonomiyaki is sort of like a pancake but with vegetables or meat/seafood. The dish is topped with a special okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise. In Japanese, okonomi means "what you like" and yaki means "grilled". The Japanese describe okono...

Addicted to Love
2007-08-04 04:35:00
BIG LOVE, that is!!! I had seen a few episodes of the the show before, but the Mommanista got me even more hooked on the program! I don't know if I should thank her or curse her for introducing me to my latest addictions (blogging and watching BigLove )! I don't really know what the appeal is, but I find myself drawn to the show. I just love, love, love watching to see what will happen next. The HBO TV drama is centered around Bill Henrickson, a fundamentalist Mormon and his family. They live in Utah and practice "plural marriage". Bill (Bill Paxton) shares his life with his three wives (Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloe Sevigny and Ginnifer Goodwin) and their combined family. The story of their struggle to follow their lifestyle and beliefs while keeping it a secret, is an interesting one. Each episode, the plot gets more and more interesting. Dealings with the Church Prophet from Bill's former compound (Juniper Creek) and dodgy business transactions make the show interesting. However,...
More About: Addicted To Love , Addicted , Addict

Throwback Thursday #7
2007-08-02 13:31:00
My lovely blog friend, Jane recently lost her beloved canine baby recently. Young Bismarck was diagnosed lymphoma of the GI tract. When you read Jane's blog, you know instantly just how much she loves her beautiful pups. Jane's love for her fur babies has prompted me to reflect on my life with my precious pooch. Reading Jane's posts about what she and her family have been going through in the recent months with Bizzy's cancer and cancer treatments, just got me all choked up inside. Jane, we're thinking of you guys and hope you find some comfort in all the memories you have of Biz and know that he was the happiest pup ever with you guys! Thank you for posting about what you are going through. There's no doubt that your posts reflect what a big heart you have.I felt that this Throwback Thursday post should be of my pup and not of me. Here's Chance at the tender age of 2 months old. When I got him, he was the teeniest, tiniest little pup ever. He weighed 4 lbs and was so small t...

The Big Canoe, Beaver Tails, and the Little Tub
2007-07-28 04:54:00
Our day trip in Tobermory:I took my students and my nieces on a trip to Tobermory for the day. Instead of taking my vehicle on the boat, we walked on. While waiting to board the ferry, I started chatting with this lovely lady who was also walking on. She had several pieces of luggage, so I asked the boys if they could help her out. They were more than willing to help (they are such sweet kids) and our new friend was so pleased. We helped her bring her bags to the dining area of the boat and to our surprise, she bought all of us drinks. My niece, Toad, was surprised that I started talking with the lady in the first place and even more surprised that she bought everyone a refreshing drink since the day was already a very hot one at 9AM! This was the kids' first lesson of the day: Random Acts of Kindness. Above photo: The kids and our new friend. Below photo: Dancers performing traditional dancing styles and techniques. It was really interesting and fun for everyone to see! Tobermory ...
More About: Canoe , Tail , Tails , Litt , Beaver

Meme me in the morning and in the afternoon....
2007-07-27 03:37:00
The lovely Louann, from 3BoysandaLady tagged me for this really great meme. I haven't done any memes for a while now, and apparently everyone seems to think it's time for me to do more of them! The wonderful and most endearing 'UncivilOne' tagged me for a meme too. The students are back from baseball, have all taken their showers and brushed their teeth. They've all done their homework and are watching The Chronicles of Narnia. This means...I get to blog now! Yay! Now for Louann's meme:The Great EightThe rules:1. Let others know who tagged you. 2. Players start with 8 random facts about themselves.3. Those who are tagged should post these rules and write their 8 random facts.4. Players should tag 8 other people and notify them that they have been tagged.Here we go!1. I am in my early (very early!) 30s, but look really young for my age. When I went dancing with some girlfriends in Toronto, I got carded! 2. I'm a cry baby. I cry when I watch TV commercials, Disney movies, and w...
More About: Meme , Morning , Afternoon , The A , In The Morning

Throwback Thursday #6
2007-07-26 13:22:00
In keeping with this wonderful new tradition from the ladies at PinksandBlues, here is my latest Throwback Thursday post. It's so much fun to look back at old photos and remember some really good times. Unfortunately, I grew up in a time where the latest fashion left a lot to be desired! *NOTE* All of the photos used for this post have been "borrowed" from some friends from elementary school and high school. I was tagged in these photos on their Facebook (Steph and Stacy, I hope you don't mind me using them)!! :) This photo was at a birthday party. The birthday girl always had the best parties! I think this was when we were in grade 5. Ohhhhh....the 90's!! Look at my poofy hair!!! Ick! Oh, and the teased bangs! Thank goodness this wasn't one of those "crimped" hair days! Just looking at this picture makes me think of Rick Astley, Samantha Fox, Debbie Gibson, and all of those pop bands from back then. Too funny! This last photo is from our high school grad year. Okay, this is go...

Grrrrrr!
2007-07-24 02:58:00
Okay...as much as I love living on the island, the one thing I do miss is getting together with my girlfriends. Gaviesgal and I used to go for Korean food, Indian food, and we once attempted to drink every type of martini on the drinklist at The Green Room in Toronto. I'm kinda bummed because tomorrow I'll be missing a lunch date with CuriosityKiller, Gaviesgal, TheMommanista, Nathanial'sMommy and Karen. Boooo hooooooooo! :(

The Boys (and Girls!!!) of Summer
2007-07-22 05:57:00
Fun Friday: Part deux! This time, I've got pics! The above photo is of the Bridal Veil Falls in Kagawong. The kids and I usually spend our afternoons at one of the many beaches on the island, but this time, we ventured to the falls. Having fun, splish splashing the afternoon away. Going behind the falls. The boys were so cute! Hunting for treasure!!! This is what they found! LOL! A crayfish! I can't even tell you how fast I jumped out of the water when my student brought his latest find to me! LOL I'm a girlie girl! I admit it! More fun swimming and splashing. I had to drag them all out of the water! LOL! We then went on a hike. This was not just any hike though. These kids were on a mission. They each collected some samples of leaves and flowers. Check out the smiles on their faces! Who says studying isn't fun?!?! :) In my opinion, outdoor lessons are wonderful!The kids had to identify the samples they collected. Hubby's got a BIG book of plants, trees and flowers that are ind...
More About: Girls , Summer , Boys , The Boys

Fun Friday
2007-07-21 03:06:00
Today started out sad because my cousins had to leave for Montreal after a five day stay on the island. I always get so sad when my family and friends have to return to their respective homes and I just feel like something is missing when they go. The house gets so quiet, and I don't have to play 'tour guide' anymore. You have to understand that I come from a very large (and loud) closely-knit family. If there aren't a dozen people in the house all talking at the same time and if there aren't never ending meals to prepare or never ending piles of dishes to wash...then it's not 'home'. I'm used to sharing my space with my loved ones and I really, really miss them when they go home.At least I have my students and my nieces to keep me busy. The kids just cracked me up this morning when we were studying "Question forms" (who, what, where, when, why, how). All the laughter in the room just made everything seem all bright and cheery again. We were also lucky that today was a spec...
More About: Friday , Frida

Awwwwww!!!
2007-07-20 02:30:00
I've been away from the blog for a bit these past few days and I really miss posting and reading comments from others. I also miss writing comments and catching up on my favourite blogs.I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the wonderful girls at PinksandBlues have awarded me with yet another blog award! Seriously...I was shocked! :) Audrey, Jane and Sharon are three of the most amazing, intelligent, kind-hearted souls ever. You can always count on the 'girls' for a kind word or some helpful insight. You can always count on the girls for a good laugh or an shoulder to lean on (Thanks, Jane!) and they've also got the lowdown on all your family needs. If you need info on baby stuff, kids' stuff, mommy, daddy, grandparents' and pet stuff...you know where to go! They are definitely on my daily 'must read' list of blogs. Be sure to check out their http://www.pinksandblues.com/ site too!Rules of participating:1. Copy these rules.2. Reflect on five bloggers and write a least ...

Throwback Thursday #5
2007-07-19 06:03:00
Once again, it's time for another walk down memory lane. Inspired by the girls at Pinks and Blues, here's my weekly installment of oldies but goodies! Looking at this first photo brings bittersweet memories. This photo was taken in my grandparents' home when my grandfather was still alive. I really miss those times spent there. I loved going to my grandparents' house!This pic makes me feel happy because I remember how wonderful a bond I had with Baby Bro when he was a wee one, but it also makes me sad because I really wished I could have frozen time and kept him as teeny tiny as he was then. He had the most adorable red cheeks all the time, and he was such a drool monster. I love that kid!!! For my grandparents' 50th Golden Anniversary, we had a HUGE party for them. They renewed their wedding vows and celebrated with all their loved ones. It was quite the spectacular and memorable event! My grandfather has since passed away and every time I look at this picture, I remember all ...
More About: Throwback , Thursday

Crazy Busy
2007-07-17 06:14:00
Yes, I've been MIA for the past few days. Why is it that life always seems to get in the way of blogging? :)It has been crazy busy the past while, so I'll try to do all my blogging in one post! Brace yourselves...There are a lot of pics!!! Too tired to cook supper??? Make your own pizza dough (I use my biscuit recipe located in the recipe section of my blog...I'm too lazy to link it, so you'll have to search for it yourselves if you want to take a look). Get out the toppings and let the kids go wild! They love making their own pizza and before you know it, supper's already made! Hubby and I went for a drive while the kids were with my SIL for baseball practice. We're really interested in alternative energy, and find these windmills so amazing to look at! After a tearful goodbye, I remain slightly down in the dumps since we gave away our first kittens yesterday afternoon. I cried all the way home. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I've grown quite attached to the little buggers...
More About: Crazy , Busy

Throwback Thursday #4
2007-07-12 13:32:00
Can you guess what year (or decade) this is? LOL! I love looking at old pics and seeing the changes in styles of clothing, hair, make-up, furniture, decor...Check out the curtains and the brown corduroy couch! Oh, and mom's outfit and dad's shades are soooo funny! :) Up until now, all our pics were pre-Baby Bro. Here are some with him included. I love Baby Bro and miss him so much. I miss his baby years. I wish I could just freeze time when he was a baby. He was so sweet, and full of drool...and had the cutest, reddest cheeks ever! Now he's 21 (in Aug). This is one of my favourite photos ever. I remember Middle Brother and I used to fight over who got to hold Baby Bro and who got to feed him. Funny, no one really ever fought over who got to change his diapers! LOL!
More About: Throwback , Thursday

High
2007-07-12 02:29:00
...on life, that is! I'm in such a fantastic mood because:1) My three summer students are dream students! They are so amazing, funny, full of life, respectful, well behaved...I just love them!2) My friend, Kathy is coming up to the Island next Tuesday for a while :)3) Two of my cousins are coming to the Island on Monday and are staying until Friday.4) The weather has been fantastic!5) We've been to the beach almost every afternoon, after lessons.6) The students are at baseball practice with my wonderful sister-in-law right now.7) The kittens are absolutely adorable! They are so fun to watch and have their own personalities! Too cute!On the flip side:1) My students are only here until mid to late August. I already know I'm going to miss those sweet, little angels when they go!2) I'll be teaching during the day, but hopefully I'll still be able to spend some time with my college buddy!3) I don't want my cousins to go back to Montreal! They're like brothers to me and I always ge...
More About: High

Schmooze Fest!
2007-07-10 04:23:00
I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I had received an award today. Thank you so much Louann ! That was so sweet!I also copied this from Louann because she did such a lovely job describing things :) schmooze or schmoose also shmooze : v. intr. To converse casually, especially in order to gain an advantage or make a social connection.And Lancy furthers adds that "good schmoozers effortlessly weave their way in and out of the blogosphere, leaving friendly trails and smiles, happily making new friends along the way. They don?t limit their visits to only the rich and successful, but spend some time to say hello to new blogs as well. They are the ones who engage others in meaningful conversations, refusing to let it end at a mere hello - all the while fostering a sense of closeness and friendship." As I have mentioned in an earlier post, I mainly blog to keep in touch with my friends, family and students who live far away from me. However, in the process of keeping in touch throu...
More About: Fest

Sunday Special
2007-07-09 05:27:00
Okay, I am seriously addicted to spending my afternoons at the beach! I know you must be sick of seeing photos of the beach, but here are some from today. I never imagined that there would be water this shade of turquoise and aqua right here in Canada. It's quite amazing, really. Five, count 'em...FIVE kiddies! Aren't they the cutest? Our nieces, Toad and Pook with my three students who arrived in Canada last night. Hubby playing tag with the kids.Here they were trying to build a sand castle with a giant moat around it. You could hear the squeals and yelps every time the waves washed ashore and turned their moat into mush! :) He loves me...he really loves me...LOL!One of the rare pics you will find me sans maquillage! ;)
More About: Sunday , Special

Just another day on beautiful Manitoulin Island. T...
2007-07-07 22:07:00
Just another day on beautiful Manitou lin Island .The day began quite normally. My niece, Pook was with me for the day. She helped me prepare for the arrival of our new batch of students. Pook was so sweet and made some name tags and "Welcome to Canada" signs for the students.Earlier in the day, my gal pal, N and I were talking about going for a swim. We decided on taking my niece and her little sister to my fave place on the island...Carter's Bay, the beach Hubby and I got married on last June. Before I left the house, Fred was flaked out on our bed. The poor girl was so uncomfortable and so huge from being so pregnant! N, Little C and Pook. Ahhhhh...pretty! N and Little C.When we got home, Fred was acting strangely. Sometime after supper, her water broke...right beside where Pook was sitting! LOL! Pook got to experience first hand, the miracle of birth. She recorded the times of birth for me. Fred had 5 kittens. 2 orange and 3 black. Pook said they looked like little, wet rats! LOL!
More About: Beautiful , Beau , Just Another Day

A journey in the garden
2007-07-06 01:26:00
...the Garden 's Gate, that is! Upon entering the quaint farm-house style restaurant, you are welcomed with a spectacular array of colours and scents. As you walk down the path to the restaurant, you are greeted by the most beautiful flowers in their garden.You have a choice between the soup of the day and a salad to start with. I usually choose the salad, but this time, I opted for the Mulligatawny soup. It was a wonderful, warm, flavourful soup, with a hint of curry. Lovely! The freshly baked homemade dinner rolls are my favourite! The butter is flavoured with a hint of dill. Hubby chose the salad. There are three homemade dressings to choose from. Deciding what to order is always a challenge, because everything on the menu is wonderful! I chose the Fettucini Alfredo with chicken. The presentation was beautiful, with the vegetables on the side. Originally, I thought that it was string beans that I was eating, but it didn't quite have the same texture. We discovered that those d...
More About: Journey , In The Garden , The G , Arden

Throwback Thursday #3
2007-07-05 14:57:00
Brothers and sisters- Part 1I was not even a year old when my Middle Brother was born. Mom used to feel sorry for me because I wasn't weaned from my bottle yet and I'd go to the fridge when no one was looking and steal Middle Brother's bottle! Mom would see me scurrying to my bedroom and find me on my bed with Middle Brother's bottle. LOL! Baby Bro came 9 years later. Back then, I was an over-protective older sister and would cry when anyone even came near my brother. Middle Brother used to follow me everywhere and we were really close when we were kids. We had a really great childhood. We weren't so close in high school and in early adulthood. Now that we're both married and he has a child of his own, we're close again. Middle Brother has a heart of gold and will do anything for his loved ones. Although even now, moments of sibling rivalry occasionally reappear (I know...Sad since we're in our 30's!), I love Middle Brother and I am so proud of all his accomplishments. He ...
More About: Throwback , Thursday

Happy 4th of July...
2007-07-04 16:38:00
to all my American friends (and blogging buddies). Hope you have a wonderful day.While I'm here, I'd like to send out a few shout outs. Warning: Please excuse the lousy poems.I know a great guy,his name is Murray.He can answer all your Island questionsand get you Watkins products in a hurry!Parsley, sage, rosemary and curry...even cleanser so your toilet doesn't get furry!I know a cool guy,his name is Dylon.Quite frankly, he's one of the coolest guysin the Nation!He makes the most beautiful jewelryyou ever will see,and he's a writer, artisan and on Etsy!I realize these links aren't American, and since today is an American holiday, I really ought to send some linky luv to our neighbours south of the border.Sharon, Jane and Audrey too,are always bringing the coolest products to you.From grandparent's, mommy's, daddy's, baby's, and pet stuff too,these girls always know what's hip and what's new!In the States, there lives a guy whose name is Diesel.He's a writer, a PhotoSh...
More About: Happy , July

Men and Women
2007-07-03 20:33:00
Having been married for one year now, there are a few things that I have learned. My husband is my best friend, my partner, my team member, my soulmate, my confidant, my everything. I have also found that the relationship between man and woman can sometimes be rather curious.I find it very intriguing how different the two sexes can be. For example, the time it takes to get ready to go out for the evening or an event:Hubby - undress, hop in the shower, shampoo, rinse, soap, rinse, jump out of the shower, towel dry body, towel dry hair, put on underwear, socks, shirt, pants, shoes. Good to go in less than 10 minutes.Me - choose outfit to wear to event, change outfit 3 or 4 times, find shoes to match, find a cuter pair of shoes, find a more comfortable pair, decide between the cute and comfortable factor, make a final decision on the shoes, undress, hop in shower, wet hair, shampoo, rinse, apply facial scrub, condition hair, rinse off scrub, lather body wash onto body, rinse off condit...
More About: Women , Men and Women

Why I did not make our bed this morning...
2007-07-02 21:12:00
This is why :)
More About: Morning , Make

Brought to you by the Girls at Pinks and Blues
2007-07-02 20:49:00
Yet once again, the fine ladies at Pinks&Blues are having another wonderful contest for their lucky readers. This time, they are giving away a Vera Bradley purse (with matching coin purse) and a jar of luscious coconut body butter from The Body Shop (courtesy of their favourite Body Shop consultant, Sheena Williams). To enter the contest, all you have to do is link up The Body Shop/Vera Bradley Contest and Sheena's The Body Shop site to your blog. Leave the girls a comment on their blog and they'll enter you in the contest for a random draw.I don't know if I'll enter the contest, since I'm not good at winning things! LOL! I just love the girls at Pinks&Blues and I can vouch for how amazing that coconut body butter is! It's the only thing that can really make my skin feel soft and mosturized! Love it!
More About: Girls , The G , The Girl

Happy Canada Day!!!
2007-07-02 02:30:00
Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian family and friends (and blog friends). The festivities began early in the morning. The fire department held a yard sale and many people came out to support the local fire department. There were many activities going on in SouthBay. It was soooo busy! All the festive colours, floats for the parade, Canadian flags, hamburgers, ice cream, local artists selling their crafts...It was wonderful! Since Hubby is a firefighter and an emergency first responder, guess who had to help at the yard sale? :) That's right! We all pitched in and helped out. It was lots of fun talking to tourists and locals and raising money for the fire department. A pic of hubby, just because I think he looks cute in his uniform! LOL! Hubby showing a bunch of kids the inside of a fire truck. The kids got a kick out of honking the horn, hearing the siren, seeing the lights flash. Showin' some Canadian spirit! My SIL and my niece were in the parade. So was my hubby (he was drivi...
More About: Happy , Canada Day

Take a walk in my garden...
2007-06-30 02:29:00
At the request of Lotus, I have decided to add some photos of my garden. Before I begin our virtual tour, I must say two things:1) Jill, please forgive me. I just want you to know that I do not wear this get-up in public...ever! LOL! I was at home, in the garden with John and our nieces. I know you'd shoot me if you ever saw me wear a sundress and workboots... together! You're surprised I even have garden boots, right? 2) Lotus, in case you're wondering about the plastic drop-sheet I put over our 10x100 ft garden (yes, I am insane!!), I was trying to figure out how best to combat the weeds when I don't exactly have time to do any weeding all the time. Last year, I weeded (I couldn't keep up with the darn weeds!) and it was back-breaking effort just to keep up. The year before that, we mulched. This year, we put plastic down so the weeds wouldn't grow through...and we mulched. I'm thinking next year we'll do a combination of this method and perhaps some raised beds!!! Of cour...
More About: Garden , Walk , Arden , Garde