Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Where did you say you were from???
Ever since I added ClustrMaps to my blog, I've noticed that readers who visit my blog come from all over the globe. It struck me as being really funny, because:
#1 My blog is kind of boring and not very interesting.
#2 I started the blog to keep in touch with family, friends and students now that I have moved out of the city and to an island that is in the middle of the Great Lakes.
#3 I never advertise or promote my blog, so I assumed it was tucked away, well hidden in cyber space.
Looking at my Clustr Map, I am interested to see where everyone is from! Which part of the globe are you located and how did you find this sorry excuse for a blog? :)
PS. I was considering changing the blog, since I noticed most blogs have a theme or an actual point. There are cooking blogs, humour blogs, mommy blogs (which a lot of my friends have), teaching blogs, travel blogs, etc. I was thinking maybe I should focus on one thing instead of lumping everything under one roof. What do you think?
#1 My blog is kind of boring and not very interesting.
#2 I started the blog to keep in touch with family, friends and students now that I have moved out of the city and to an island that is in the middle of the Great Lakes.
#3 I never advertise or promote my blog, so I assumed it was tucked away, well hidden in cyber space.
Looking at my Clustr Map, I am interested to see where everyone is from! Which part of the globe are you located and how did you find this sorry excuse for a blog? :)
PS. I was considering changing the blog, since I noticed most blogs have a theme or an actual point. There are cooking blogs, humour blogs, mommy blogs (which a lot of my friends have), teaching blogs, travel blogs, etc. I was thinking maybe I should focus on one thing instead of lumping everything under one roof. What do you think?
I luuuuuv my Papa
My Dad has the habit of giving me some very unconventional presents. One Christmas, he gave me a compass. Apparently, it wasn't intended as a "so you'll always know where you're going in life" or a "so you'll always know how to find your way back home where your loved ones are" gift. Nah...my Dad is not the sentimental type. It was more of a "since you always get lost wherever you are, here's a compass" gift.
He used to always return from business trips with souvenirs for Mom, my brothers and me. Little thimbles and miniature coffee mugs that said I (heart) NY or t-shirts with a dude smoking a huge stogie with the caption "I've been to Prague" written on it, were the types of gifts he'd bring back to us. (Though, why there would be a t-shirt with a guy smoking and saying "I've been to Prague", is beyond my comprehension)
A few months ago, he got me a mini wisk for eggs. It's the tiniest wisk ever. He said it makes your eggs really fluffy.
Just yesterday, Dad invited us over for supper. He and Mom went on a day trip and came back with some goodies. We had Greek souvlaki for supper. I haven't had a souvlaki since I moved up to the island!!! Anyway, Dad was excited to give me a present! Oooooooh! Presents! I love presents! He handed me a massive bottle of flax seed oil! 1000 mg, of flax seed oil, to be exact. LOL! He had been doing research on the internet and found that flax has a lot of health benefits. (I had been using flax seeds in baking and flax seed powder in shakes and smoothies for years though). It is such a great gift and so thoughtful of Dad. He's so cute! He's always looking out for me! :)
*Rich in fiber and your Omegas
*Rich in fiber and your Omegas*Has the ability to reduce the risk of heart disease
*Stimulates the immune activity
*Keeps saturated fats mobile in the bloodstream
...Thanks Dad, for thinking of my Omega intake!
My Dad's not the only one who seems to enjoy giving me unconventional gifts. I guess I come from a family of jokers. My middle brother once got me the "Latoya Jackson Biography" for Christmas. LOL! Why??? Oh, why did he get me that? I guess I will never know! :) He thought it was funny though! What a crazy family! It seems Hubby is embracing the tradition of strange gift-giving as well! He's given me some unusual, but sweet gifts! Love it!
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Happy and Sad
I'm so very happy because:
* I get to live on such a beautiful island
* I have a wonderful husband
* We have a great life up here together
*I don't live too far from my parents and my mother-in-law
* We're close to nature
* We don't have the hectic commutes to work every day
* I don't have to live in a crowded, polluted, congested place
* It's a healthier lifestyle here (lots of physical activity every day and no junk food close by)
* We're doing what we love doing
* We get to go to the beach whenever we want
* My pup, Chance is so much happier having so much land to run around on
* Our two little nieces live close-by and spend a lot of time with us
*I've got a amazing sister-in-law who lives just around the corner from us
*We have a lot of very good friends in our lives. We're so lucky!
I'm kinda sad because:
*I sometimes miss the rest of my family
* I really miss my Baby Bro
*I don't get to see my little nephew, Kenny all the time. He's now 4 months old and I've seen him 3 times, but I still feel like I'm missing out on his growing up
* I always miss family events like this past weekend's bridal shower/stag for my cousin and his fiancee. At least we'll be at the wedding in August though.
* I don't get to see my friends often. We visit with them twice or three times a year or they come up to see us.
Here are a few pics of the family fun I missed in Montreal on the weekend: (above) The happy couple, looking so cute together! (below) Baby Bro's girlfriend. Good lord...She's officially part of our crazy family! LOL!
Baby bro and my cousin. Goofy, eh? LOL!
Little Kenny and my cousin, Jey. I cannot believe how fast my little nephew is growing...and I'm missing out on it all :(
I also miss the girls! They are so much fun :) See you at the wedding in August!
* I get to live on such a beautiful island
* I have a wonderful husband
* We have a great life up here together
*I don't live too far from my parents and my mother-in-law
* We're close to nature
* We don't have the hectic commutes to work every day
* I don't have to live in a crowded, polluted, congested place
* It's a healthier lifestyle here (lots of physical activity every day and no junk food close by)
* We're doing what we love doing
* We get to go to the beach whenever we want
* My pup, Chance is so much happier having so much land to run around on
* Our two little nieces live close-by and spend a lot of time with us
*I've got a amazing sister-in-law who lives just around the corner from us
*We have a lot of very good friends in our lives. We're so lucky!
I'm kinda sad because:
*I sometimes miss the rest of my family
* I really miss my Baby Bro
*I don't get to see my little nephew, Kenny all the time. He's now 4 months old and I've seen him 3 times, but I still feel like I'm missing out on his growing up
* I always miss family events like this past weekend's bridal shower/stag for my cousin and his fiancee. At least we'll be at the wedding in August though.
* I don't get to see my friends often. We visit with them twice or three times a year or they come up to see us.
Here are a few pics of the family fun I missed in Montreal on the weekend: (above) The happy couple, looking so cute together! (below) Baby Bro's girlfriend. Good lord...She's officially part of our crazy family! LOL!Baby bro and my cousin. Goofy, eh? LOL!Little Kenny and my cousin, Jey. I cannot believe how fast my little nephew is growing...and I'm missing out on it all :(I also miss the girls! They are so much fun :) See you at the wedding in August!Saturday, June 23, 2007
Only in Japan!
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! One of the things I miss about teaching and living in Japan is watching all the crazy TV game shows they have there! The Japanese certainly know how to have a good laugh. Their pranks are so crazy and over the top! If anyone were to ever play a prank like this in North America, I'd imagine there would be huge lawsuits dished out!
Enjoy (I know I have a warped sense of humour)! I hope this gives you your daily dose of laughter. It certainly gave me my fix! *sigh* Gotta love Japanese game shows! LOL!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Throwback Thursday (My First One!)
Inspired by Jane, Audrey and Sharon at PinksandBlues, I have decided to start my own Throwback Thursday posts! What fun it is to take a walk down memory lane. I just love looking at old pics!
This photo was taken circa 1983 on one of our trips to Trinidad and Tobago to spend Christmas with my Dad's family. This photo was taken before our youngest brother was born. I really miss those good 'ol days when we used to go traveling together as a family. I miss the excitement of always being on the go during summer and winter vacation. My brother and I used to hang out with the locals, and return to Canada with a "Trini accent" for a few weeks! We'd also climb mango trees, pick the fruit off and just eat the mangoes and get our hands and faces all sticky with mango juice. We'd get one of my grandmother's employees to get us fresh coconut and we'd drink the coconut juice (or as some call it, coconut 'milk') straight from the coconut! LOL! We'd pick bananas (the little ones) and eat them...and my brother would even spend days catching lizards. We'd go to the beach and see sea turtles. We'd build sand castles and bury each other in the sand. We'd listen to calypso and steel band music. We'd eat 'doubles', chickpea and channa, roti and jerk chicken. We would bring all our school books but we never ended up doing any work! Those were our carefree, youthful days. I do miss those kinds of days.
PS. Thanks to Dawn for letting everyone use the Throwback Thursday banner she made!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Parting is such sweet sorrow
Our friends left for Toronto this morning and we already miss them. It was wonderful being able to spend some time with Dina, Gavin and Elie. Too bad we didn't have enough time to hit the beaches and more of the Island attractions. I think I made the mistake of trying to cram in too much in too short a time. We went to the Bridal Veil Falls and walked around Kagawong, and we drove by the beach at Providence Bay. 
I think next time I take friends sightseeing, I should split up the trips and spend more time in each spot. One day we should see Michael's Bay and spend time on the beach at either Carter Bay or Providence Bay. The next day, we could see the Bridal Veil Falls in Kagawong and walk the hiking trails up to the bay. We could even check out some of the lighthouses around the island. Another day would be reserved for beach time in South Bay and checking out the little shops near the ferry terminal. We could even take the boat across to Tobermory and spend the day there. On the Tobermory side, there are many things to see and do: scuba diving, glass bottom boat tours, shops, pubs, restaurants, and all kinds of neat things.Dina, sorry I didn't think of splitting up the sightseeing a bit. We ended up doing a lot of driving around the island (and it's not that small of an island!). I guess I just get so excited about the island and how beautiful it is, that I try to cram everything in.
We dined at the Garden's Gate last night and enjoyed a good meal. Unfortunately, we were all so full that none of us were able to eat one of the Garden's Gate's signature desserts! John was even too full to eat his favourite "Mad About Chocolate Cheesecake"!
Curiosity Killer, Canine and Lotus: Our table ordered the White Fish with risotto cakes, the Chicken Schnitzel with risotto cakes, the Fettucini Alfredo with chicken, and the Sun-dried tomato and garlic crusted chicken with mashed potato. The dishes all came with veggies (garlic scapes and cauliflower) and either soup or salad and homemade dinner rolls with homemade butter. Sorry, I totally forgot to take pics for you!
Monday, June 18, 2007
I'm baaaaaack!!!
It's so nice to get away sometimes, but I'm always so glad to return home :)
The food presentation was pretty impressive!
The bride was stunning and the groom was dashing. We are so excited for the newlyweds. They are certainly one of our favourite couples ever.
While in Ottawa, we also had a chance to spend some time with some very good family friends. Good food, good company, good times. That's what life is all about--Being with the people you love the most in the world. Little Lily is such a sweet girl! Too cute!
Now we're home and my friend Dina, her hubby and their baby are here for a few days. Tomorrow, we're off to do some touristy things! I'm going to take them to the Bridal Veil Falls, Providence Bay, Carter Bay, and the Manitoulin Soap Factory. We'll wrap up the evening with supper at the Garden's Gate Restaurant :)The surf and turf supper: baked salmon with dill, steak, salad with homemade balsamic vinaigrette, dinner rolls (made my my MIL), scalloped potatoes, green pepper, homemade apple sauce, strawberry/rhubarb/raspberry dessert and to commemorate our one year wedding anniversary, we all ate the top of Hubby's and my wedding cake. Totally decadent--chocolate mousse cake!
Hubby took the last pic. I thought it was kind of cool.
K & J's wedding was a spectacular event. It was held at the Museum of Nature in Ottawa. Needless to say, it was very sophisticated and elegant. The guests got a special treat-- a tour of the dinosaur and bird exhibits. 
The food presentation was pretty impressive! The bride was stunning and the groom was dashing. We are so excited for the newlyweds. They are certainly one of our favourite couples ever.While in Ottawa, we also had a chance to spend some time with some very good family friends. Good food, good company, good times. That's what life is all about--Being with the people you love the most in the world. Little Lily is such a sweet girl! Too cute! Now we're home and my friend Dina, her hubby and their baby are here for a few days. Tomorrow, we're off to do some touristy things! I'm going to take them to the Bridal Veil Falls, Providence Bay, Carter Bay, and the Manitoulin Soap Factory. We'll wrap up the evening with supper at the Garden's Gate Restaurant :)I love these photos of Elie! He was so excited to see the kittens!
Our lovely friend, E with the kittens! Aren't they the cutest little fuzz balls you've ever seen???
Our lovely friend, E with the kittens! Aren't they the cutest little fuzz balls you've ever seen???Hubby took the last pic. I thought it was kind of cool.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
I'm excited because....
* We're off to Ottawa tomorrow for the weekend!
* We're going to Kelly and Jude's evening wedding at the Museum of Nature. Ooooh la la!
* We're going to spend some time with an old childhood friend of mine whom I haven't seen since we were teenagers! We'll be having supper with her, her hubby, her baby and her parents.
* We're going to be celebrating our one year wedding anniversary!
* When we return to the island, Dina (and her hubby and baby) will be visiting us!
Not so happy because:
* We'll be leaving the animals at home :( My dad will come over and babysit them though.
* I still have loads of cleaning to do!
* I accidentally threw in a pink pair of pyjama pants in the wash and now my beige pants and khaki shorts have pink splotches!! Argh!
* I never sleep well unless I'm in my own bed.
* I may or may not get a chance to swing by Kingston on the way home to see my little nephew, Kenny! He'll be 3 months old on Saturday! I miss my little cuddle bunny!
* We're going to Kelly and Jude's evening wedding at the Museum of Nature. Ooooh la la!
* We're going to spend some time with an old childhood friend of mine whom I haven't seen since we were teenagers! We'll be having supper with her, her hubby, her baby and her parents.
* We're going to be celebrating our one year wedding anniversary!
* When we return to the island, Dina (and her hubby and baby) will be visiting us!
Not so happy because:
* We'll be leaving the animals at home :( My dad will come over and babysit them though.
* I still have loads of cleaning to do!
* I accidentally threw in a pink pair of pyjama pants in the wash and now my beige pants and khaki shorts have pink splotches!! Argh!
* I never sleep well unless I'm in my own bed.
* I may or may not get a chance to swing by Kingston on the way home to see my little nephew, Kenny! He'll be 3 months old on Saturday! I miss my little cuddle bunny!
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
This time last year...
I was getting excited for our wedding day.
I was stressed out with final details - flowers, menu, cake, decorations, hairdo's, make-up...
I was excited about spending the rest of my life with my wonderful hubby-to-be!!! :)
I was spending time with my wonderful maid of honor and bridesmaids.
I was arguing with my mom about everything pertaining to the wedding! LOL!
I was enjoying being with friends and family I hadn't seen in ages. Some even came from all over Canada, the US, the Philippines, Venezuela, Japan, etc.
I was getting a manicure and pedicure with my best gal pals.
I was checking out the beach (our ceremony venue) for last minute details.
I was finalizing, writing and rewriting my wedding vows.
I was trying not to become Bridezilla!!!
I can't believe that Hubby and I will have been married a year on June 17th! The year just flew by! :)
Monday, June 11, 2007
Summer
Summer is hereand already, I fear,
the sweltering heat is near.
Sleepless nights
and mosquito bites.
Drained from the sun
and tan lines have begun.
Oh, blessing or curse?
What can be worse?
The horrible heat
or Winter's cold feet?
Okay, lame poem! I know! It was 32.6 degrees today, though our thermometer currently reads 34.1! Yikes! It's only the beginning of June and it's already so hot! I shouldn't complain, because winter is pretty cold. I'm trying to decide whether I like the heat or the cold better. LOL! When it's cold, at least you can wear layers and layers of clothes, and throw on an extra duvet or comforter. When it's hot, you have no choice but to either strip down to nothing (ahem...kind of hard when you have ESL students living in your house!) or go swimming several times a day! Needless to say, I usually end up taking the students to the beach almost every day after lessons! Of course, we go on other field trips (horseback riding, hiking, camping, canoeing, Science North, Toronto, Montreal, etc) but the beach seems to always be a winner!
Now that it's June, here are my To Do's:
1) Clean the house from top to bottom now that P1 has left and get the place ready for the next batch of students arriving in July.
2) Fix all the window screens that the cats have clawed through as they plotted their escape!
3) Try to figure out a way to cool down the greenhouse! You can almost feel an asthma attack coming on when you enter!
4) Stain the outside of our house.
The list is longer, but I'll try to tackle those items first. This weekend we'll be at our friends' wedding in Ottawa (on our one year wedding anniversary)! The following week, Dina and her hubby and baby are coming for a visit!! Our students arrive the first week of July. My cousins are coming with friends for Canada Day long weekend. My friend, K is coming in July and Stephen and Elisabeth are coming too! Oh, and so is Curiosity Killer! Can't wait! This is going to be a fun summer!
PS. Dina, if you are reading this, the mosquitoes aren't that bad! LOL! I just needed something that rhymed for the poem! If you're lucky, you may be able to see some Northern Light action! However, they're more apparent later on in the summer and in the winter.
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About the Blog Author
City girl moves to the country, falls in love, and marries a farmer. She tries to incorporate her city ways with her new country lifestyle and blogs to keep in touch with friends, family & students who live far, far away :) Can this city girl go country? Watch as she learns all sorts of exciting things about life on the farm and in a small rural community. *UPDATE* We are now parents! Our baby girl was born on Nov. 11, 2008 (at 28 weeks gestation- 12 weeks premature, but she's quite the trooper)!!!
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