Monday, July 31, 2006
more pics...isle style :)
Husband, wife and kids (well, not our kids! They're my students from South Korea)
Delicious, refreshing, juicy, sweet raspberries from our garden (sent the kids out picking berries so we can freeze some, eat some and make yummy concoctions with them)
Off to baseball practice with my SIL and nieces
At the beach (our favorite way to spend the hot afternoons)
It's Been A While
...since I've last posted. We just got back from a very short trip to Montreal to visit friends and family. J and I were surprised that it only took 9 hrs to get to Mtl from the island! The drive was a very scenic and enjoyable one. We spent some quality time with family and took my students to Old Montreal and the Old Port. The Old Port is one of my fave places in Mtl. The only prob was that when we went, it was sooooo incredibly HOT and muggy! Ewww! Anyway, here are a few pics! 
Here's one of my student, Patrick, clowning around at the Old Port :) Crazy kid! lol He made a lot of passers-by laugh :)
Here's one of my student, Patrick, clowning around at the Old Port :) Crazy kid! lol He made a lot of passers-by laugh :)
Sunday, July 23, 2006
This is what I see...
from my backyard!!! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we can view the Northern Lights (aka Aurora Borealis) from our very own backyard! When I lived in Toronto, I used to think I'd have to venture 
all the way to Yellowknife to see this amazing natural phenomenon.
I can just sit out in a lawn chair, glance up into the sky, and be dazzled by nature's very own fireworks. I have seen them several times in my two years on the island. The best viewing time (as far as I've seen) has got to be from August to sometime in the winter. The skies are much crisper then too and there's all kinds of neat activity going on in the sky then.
I've only ever seen the greeny-blue lights. I'd love to see some vibrant pinks and purples someday.
To be honest, my first experience seeing the Northern Lights was the first summer I moved up to the island. I didn't even know they were Northern Lights at all! I was awakened by these bright, flashing lights and I peered out the window to see these lights dancing all over the sky! I totally had no clue what was going on and as funny as it sounds, I thought they were aliens! Hey...I was half asleep, okay??! :) After a friend told me what they were, I felt silly. They are spectacular and I wish everyone gets a chance to experience seeing them in their lifetime. Beautiful
PS. The photos aren't mine. The photographer's name's on them though. They are such pretty photos.
all the way to Yellowknife to see this amazing natural phenomenon.I can just sit out in a lawn chair, glance up into the sky, and be dazzled by nature's very own fireworks. I have seen them several times in my two years on the island. The best viewing time (as far as I've seen) has got to be from August to sometime in the winter. The skies are much crisper then too and there's all kinds of neat activity going on in the sky then.
I've only ever seen the greeny-blue lights. I'd love to see some vibrant pinks and purples someday.To be honest, my first experience seeing the Northern Lights was the first summer I moved up to the island. I didn't even know they were Northern Lights at all! I was awakened by these bright, flashing lights and I peered out the window to see these lights dancing all over the sky! I totally had no clue what was going on and as funny as it sounds, I thought they were aliens! Hey...I was half asleep, okay??! :) After a friend told me what they were, I felt silly. They are spectacular and I wish everyone gets a chance to experience seeing them in their lifetime. Beautiful
PS. The photos aren't mine. The photographer's name's on them though. They are such pretty photos.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Things you probably didn't know about me...
1. I sometimes don't separate our laundry (white/brights/darks)
LOL..yeah, I know..and I'm embarrassed!
2. I hang our clothes outside to dry instead of throwing them in the dryer
to save energy/hydro.
3. I buy NoName and Our Compliments brands at the grocery store!
4. I'm sometimes absent-minded and forget things easily.
5. I avoid using my credit card and haven't used it in ages! Yay!
6. I check my e-mail every day, no matter how busy I am with work.
7. I have my own small business.
8. I live exactly 4 minutes and 40 seconds from my parents by car.
9. We don't have a dishwasher because I prefer washing dishes by hand
(funny enough, it actually helps me relax after supper and a long day of
hard work).
10. I'm in bed by 10PM on most nights and up with the sun.
LOL..yeah, I know..and I'm embarrassed!
2. I hang our clothes outside to dry instead of throwing them in the dryer
to save energy/hydro.
3. I buy NoName and Our Compliments brands at the grocery store!
4. I'm sometimes absent-minded and forget things easily.
5. I avoid using my credit card and haven't used it in ages! Yay!
6. I check my e-mail every day, no matter how busy I am with work.
7. I have my own small business.
8. I live exactly 4 minutes and 40 seconds from my parents by car.
9. We don't have a dishwasher because I prefer washing dishes by hand
(funny enough, it actually helps me relax after supper and a long day of
hard work).
10. I'm in bed by 10PM on most nights and up with the sun.
Running on empty...
Ever feel like you just need to get away to a deserted island (oh hey..I AM on a 'deserted' island) or just need to unwind for a few minutes?
Today's Saturday. Saturday = weekend. Weekend = more work :(
Got up at 6:30 AM, did 3 loads of laundry, cooked breakfast for my 2 students and my husband, hung the laundry to dry on the clothesline, had the kids out picking baskets of raspberries and red currants, mopped the kitchen floor, made the kids lunch, drove them to my SIL's so they could hang out with her girls for the day (farm chores, hiking along the fossil trails, swimming), drove to the motel to help my mom clean all of the rooms, and then I have to go home to vacuum, clean the bathroom, take the clothes off the clothesline, and pick veggies from the garden. I still have to cook supper for my hubby (the kids are eating at my SIL's) and take the kids stargazing tonight.
No rest for the weary...lol
Today's Saturday. Saturday = weekend. Weekend = more work :(
Got up at 6:30 AM, did 3 loads of laundry, cooked breakfast for my 2 students and my husband, hung the laundry to dry on the clothesline, had the kids out picking baskets of raspberries and red currants, mopped the kitchen floor, made the kids lunch, drove them to my SIL's so they could hang out with her girls for the day (farm chores, hiking along the fossil trails, swimming), drove to the motel to help my mom clean all of the rooms, and then I have to go home to vacuum, clean the bathroom, take the clothes off the clothesline, and pick veggies from the garden. I still have to cook supper for my hubby (the kids are eating at my SIL's) and take the kids stargazing tonight.
No rest for the weary...lol
Friday, July 21, 2006
Car tunes...
Songs I love to sing when driving...
I was very surprised when our 9 yr old niece started belting out the tunes with me on our way to the beach today!! :)
*You're so vain - Carly Simon
*Mrs. Robinson - Simon and Garfunkel
*How Deep is your Love - The Bee Gees
*Here comes the sun - The Beatles
*The Sign - Ace of Base
*Every Morning - Sugar Ray
*Dust in the Wind - Kansas
*I want you back - Jackson 5
*Free Bird -Lynyrd Skynyrd
*If you could read my mind - Gordon Lightfoot
*I Have a Dream - ABBA
*California Dreamin' - Mamas and the Papas
I was very surprised when our 9 yr old niece started belting out the tunes with me on our way to the beach today!! :)
*You're so vain - Carly Simon
*Mrs. Robinson - Simon and Garfunkel
*How Deep is your Love - The Bee Gees
*Here comes the sun - The Beatles
*The Sign - Ace of Base
*Every Morning - Sugar Ray
*Dust in the Wind - Kansas
*I want you back - Jackson 5
*Free Bird -Lynyrd Skynyrd
*If you could read my mind - Gordon Lightfoot
*I Have a Dream - ABBA
*California Dreamin' - Mamas and the Papas
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Today I'm thankful for...
1* being married to my darling husband
2* quiet time so I can be alone and just chill
3* Thursday nights because the kids (my students) have baseball until
9PM and I can vacuum my house without them vying for my
attention! :)
4*picking those big, fresh, sweet, juicy, red raspberries from our many
raspberry bushes on our property!!!
5*my new (not brand new though!) set of wheels!! I luv my Ford Explorer Sport SUV!
6*living so close to the beaches (esp. on hot days like today!)
7*my family
8*my friends
9*having that reserve $$$ for rainy days
10*Not having used my credit card in nearly a year!
I know it's super tacky to post a pic of your vehicle...but this is my new baby :) Fun to just kick around in. I don't drive very far anyway! Work is 4 mins and 5 kms away! lol
Update: I did have alone time while the kids were at baseball and my hubby was out working, BUT I never got around to vacuuming my house!!! I ended up taking out the garbage and then picking a few baskets of raspberries and red currants to go in the freezer for the winter and to make preserves. Man, wish there were more hours in the day. I never seem to have enough time to do everything I want (or need) to do! Urrrgh.
2* quiet time so I can be alone and just chill
3* Thursday nights because the kids (my students) have baseball until
9PM and I can vacuum my house without them vying for my
attention! :)
4*picking those big, fresh, sweet, juicy, red raspberries from our many
raspberry bushes on our property!!!
5*my new (not brand new though!) set of wheels!! I luv my Ford Explorer Sport SUV!
6*living so close to the beaches (esp. on hot days like today!)
7*my family
8*my friends
9*having that reserve $$$ for rainy days
10*Not having used my credit card in nearly a year!
I know it's super tacky to post a pic of your vehicle...but this is my new baby :) Fun to just kick around in. I don't drive very far anyway! Work is 4 mins and 5 kms away! lol
Update: I did have alone time while the kids were at baseball and my hubby was out working, BUT I never got around to vacuuming my house!!! I ended up taking out the garbage and then picking a few baskets of raspberries and red currants to go in the freezer for the winter and to make preserves. Man, wish there were more hours in the day. I never seem to have enough time to do everything I want (or need) to do! Urrrgh.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Oh no....
I'm my mom!!! LOL This afternoon, I realized how much I'm starting to take after my mom :) When we were kids, we never really did anything for ourselves because a) when we made our beds or put away our clothes, our mom would just redo everything we did because it wasn't perfect (ie: her way) or b) our nanny would do it for us (yes, there was a brief time during our childhoods where we had live-in nannies.
Anyway, the point is that we never really learned how to do things because whatever we did was redone because it wasn't done the right way. Today, I saw that I too do the same. *Yikes* My two students were doing such a wonderful job washing my SUV and when they were done, they happily announced that they'd done a great job. Oh, and a great job it was! My vehicle is now black again!! The only thing is, when they went in the house, I snuck back and retouched some of the streaks they'd left behind. I told myself a zillion times that I would never do that when J and I have our own kids and here I am doing it.
I promise that when J and I have our own kiddies, I will let them help with the dishes and cleaning up, I will let them put away their clothes, make their beds and keep their rooms clean...even if they're not always spotless, streak-free, wrinkle -free,etc. because kids are kids and don't do things like adults do and kids learn through 'doing' and shouldn't be discouraged *sigh* Do I have OCD???? Hope not! LOL
Anyway, the point is that we never really learned how to do things because whatever we did was redone because it wasn't done the right way. Today, I saw that I too do the same. *Yikes* My two students were doing such a wonderful job washing my SUV and when they were done, they happily announced that they'd done a great job. Oh, and a great job it was! My vehicle is now black again!! The only thing is, when they went in the house, I snuck back and retouched some of the streaks they'd left behind. I told myself a zillion times that I would never do that when J and I have our own kids and here I am doing it.
I promise that when J and I have our own kiddies, I will let them help with the dishes and cleaning up, I will let them put away their clothes, make their beds and keep their rooms clean...even if they're not always spotless, streak-free, wrinkle -free,etc. because kids are kids and don't do things like adults do and kids learn through 'doing' and shouldn't be discouraged *sigh* Do I have OCD???? Hope not! LOL
Twister???
I've been out of commission for the past few days because: A) Things here are super crazy busy with the students and our nieces :) B) I'm helping a special person through a difficult time, C) we just had a twister...
Yep, you heard right...a twister! Not sure if it is officially classified as a tornado, but we did see a few funnel clouds and the west end of the island has been hit pretty badly. We were out of power for almost two days, which really sucked because I couldn't even take a shower! Ewww! Makes you really appreciate all the things we take for granted. Living by candlelight and cooking meals on open flame...washing from wash basins with water my hubby had in his emergency reserve barrels...yeah, just like the good 'ol days.
One of my Korean students said, "Christine, does this happen often?" I started laughing and had to explain that this was a twister and no, we don't get this often. Trees and power lines were knocked down, homes were ruined, barns were dropped... One woman had a tree crash through her house and hit her on the head. Needless to say, emergency services were busy that night.
This was my first experience with this kind of 'natural disaster' (though not too severe)...and it was actually kind of exciting!! I'm just happy nothing of ours was damaged and no one was too badly hurt!
Yep, you heard right...a twister! Not sure if it is officially classified as a tornado, but we did see a few funnel clouds and the west end of the island has been hit pretty badly. We were out of power for almost two days, which really sucked because I couldn't even take a shower! Ewww! Makes you really appreciate all the things we take for granted. Living by candlelight and cooking meals on open flame...washing from wash basins with water my hubby had in his emergency reserve barrels...yeah, just like the good 'ol days.
One of my Korean students said, "Christine, does this happen often?" I started laughing and had to explain that this was a twister and no, we don't get this often. Trees and power lines were knocked down, homes were ruined, barns were dropped... One woman had a tree crash through her house and hit her on the head. Needless to say, emergency services were busy that night.
This was my first experience with this kind of 'natural disaster' (though not too severe)...and it was actually kind of exciting!! I'm just happy nothing of ours was damaged and no one was too badly hurt!
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Ode to Summer...
With the sweltering heat of summer, what better way to treat yourself than with a refreshing, delicious MANGO SALAD!!?!?
My mom's original recipe calls for watercress, but since watercress is difficult to find on the island, we now use spinach.
You will need:
5 cups spinach
2 unripe mangoes (still green and hard- you want a tart taste to it and if it's too ripe, it's too sweet and can be mushy)
Wash and cut spinach (if you use baby spinach, then no need to cut); peel and grate mangoes (I use a cheese grater to grate mine). Put both ingredients in a salad bowl.
For your dressing:
Mix together 1/2 c. balsamic vinegar, 1/2 c. olive oil, 1 tbsp. honey, 1 or 2 tbsp. minced garlic (depending on your taste. I LOVE garlic, so I go a bit heavy on the stuff), salt and pepper to taste.
Pour dressing on salad and lightly toss. This is one of my favorite recipes. Soooo nice on a hot summer day!!
My mom's original recipe calls for watercress, but since watercress is difficult to find on the island, we now use spinach.
You will need:
5 cups spinach
2 unripe mangoes (still green and hard- you want a tart taste to it and if it's too ripe, it's too sweet and can be mushy)
Wash and cut spinach (if you use baby spinach, then no need to cut); peel and grate mangoes (I use a cheese grater to grate mine). Put both ingredients in a salad bowl.
For your dressing:
Mix together 1/2 c. balsamic vinegar, 1/2 c. olive oil, 1 tbsp. honey, 1 or 2 tbsp. minced garlic (depending on your taste. I LOVE garlic, so I go a bit heavy on the stuff), salt and pepper to taste.
Pour dressing on salad and lightly toss. This is one of my favorite recipes. Soooo nice on a hot summer day!!
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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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