Comments

Sometimes I wonder who exactly reads my blog. It is out there in cyberspace for anyone to peruse and I'm curious who my readers are! If I depend on the "comment" section alone, it would seem that it is mostly my dear old mom that is my faithful following. But, once in a while, someone will say "oh ya, I read that on your blog".

So, although you may not feel like you have a "comment" for any particular post, this post is all about the comments! If you read my blog on a somewhat regular basis, leave me a comment to let me know! It's a pretty easy process...if my MOM can do it, I'm sure you can too! It will be fun to see who's reading and where they are in the world.

Thanks for participating!!

The Cupcake Courier

Check out this awesome CUPCAKE COURIER I got for my birthday. It can carry 36 cupcakes in one convenient swoop.

Originally, I had planned to buy this cupcake carrier at Michael's. I had looked at them and decided it would meet my needs of transporting cupcakes to work for various birthdays. It seemed good enough...2 levels for 24 cupcakes. It had little ridges to help the cupcakes stay in place...

But then, my sister told me about the cupcake courier. www.cupcakecourier.com She had read about it on a mom's discussion group and the consensus was that the courier was far superior. I checked it out online and it did seem to be the bee's knees of cupcake transport.

So, imagine how excited I was on my birthday to receive a cupcake courier from my sister Jo-Anne! And, it was just in time for my St. Paddy's Day potluck. Perfect timing.

The courier is perfect because the cupcake sits down in the hole...like a muffin tin. There is no room for accidents while transporting. And, it makes decorating convenient too. The ones I made yesterday are so adorable! I iced them in green and the stuck a chocolate coin under an icing rainbow. Cuteness? I think so.

Birthday Girl

March 16th marks the passing of another year. It was on that date I entered this world! So, each year on that date, people sing to me, give me cards...even gifts!

On Sunday I showed up at my sister's house for dinner with the fam, only to find 2 little boys "decorating" for my "party". Too cute. Jesse was all about ripping off his own tape while Liam just ran around with the helium balloons. After we were properly decked out for the party, Jesse played me a pretty rockin' rendition of "Happy Birthday Auntie Janice" on his guitar. (his guitar was a cardboard box with elastic bands that he made that afternoon) Wow, birthdays with kids are so fun!

Today, on my actual birthday, I met a friend for breakfast at Cora's. Not a bad way to start the day! Then I decided to finally use the gift certificate I've had on my fridge for the past YEAR (yes, got it for my birthday last year) and get a manicure/pedicure. I got green on my phalanges...for St. Paddy's Day!

I tried to keep the birthday on the down-low at work...but that didn't last long. In fact, because Nick (our resident town crier for such events) was off today, he called in on speakerphone to lead a round of Happy Birthday. Nice.

Thanks to everyone that made my day a great one!

Adventures with Laurie

One week ago I had a rare but delightful evening out with my dear friend Laurie. In December we went to see Stuart McLean and the Vinyl Cafe. One of his musical guests was a Matt Anderson. We were so taken with his powerful voice and stage presence, that when we discovered he was returning to Centennial Hall in March, we decided to snatch up 2 seats right at the front.

Since Laurie lives in Brights Grove our friendship is unfortunately mostly online. So, it was so great to spend some real face time together! We headed out for a little dinner and "catch up" at Cafe One on Richmond Row. When true kindred spirits are together, the conversation is easy, the laughs come from the belly and the time passes far too quickly. Soon enough we had to head out for the show.

Centennial Hall was just across the way with Victoria Park standing between us. It seemed like a good idea to stroll through the park. At the time, we didn't know what was before us! It was dark and it seemed like the paths we needed to take were blocked with piles of dirty snow. We ended up tiptoeing our way through through the bumpy semi-frozen terrain of the park!

The concert was great and so was the company. Love ya Laur!

Saying Good Bye to Aunt Mary

On Saturday I said good bye to my Aunt Mary. I was honoured that the family asked me to say a few words at the funeral. I wrote down what I wanted to say and thought I had composed myself. However, when I stood at the front and looked into the front row and saw Mary's son Roy and his wife Elaine, and their 2 children Wendy & Dan, well, that's when my voice got a little wobbly. I did make it through and this is what I said:

When I was small, Uncle Cliff and Aunt Mary lived just down the road. That was a long time ago and too long ago to remember any details. But, I do remember enjoying Mary's company. I think it's because she was an adult that acted like a kid.

Around the time they left for Tobermory, Mary gave me a small book. It was called "My Jesus Pocket Book of Nursery Rhymes". It contained a collection of classics with a slight twist. I loved that book and nearly wore it out! I still have that tattered and taped little treasure.

When Cliff & Mary moved up north, it was the beginning of a long standing pen pal relationship. What a thrill to check the mailbox and find an envelope addressed to me in that familiar scrawl. Without fail, it was written on the same multi-coloured paper and following the numbers at the top was a must as they were never in order.

Each letter contained the same information: a weather report, a description of her animal friends and an assurance that she was thinking of me, talking to me and praying for me. I will truly miss her.

My Special Aunt

This is my aunt Peggy. She is one special lady. 

When I was growing up she lived just a few minutes away, so I saw her all the time. In fact, I clearly remember her babysitting the day Charles & Diana got married. Through the years, I've spent a lot of time with Peggy and discovered she is an amazing person.

She was born prematurely, and as she likes to say...they used a man's handkerchief for a diaper! Her given name is Cathleen Irene, but when an Irish neighbour came to visit, he said that was too big of a name for such a small little baby. He determined that she needed a good Irish name like "Peggy".  Well, the name stuck and 85 years later that is how she is known in family circles.

Peggy has such a kind heart and giving spirit. She would do anything for just about anyone. For many years she has put others before herself and never complained once. She has a strong determination that has kept her living at home, by herself and driving her own car...and she just turned 85!

In January, she fell through the night and broke her hip. I was really upset when I heard the news. I could not believe my eyes when I stopped by the hospital the next day. She was sitting up in a chair and telling me how good she felt! The nurses all agreed that she was a feisty one! In fact, over the past few years, whenever a trip to the hospital was required, I was always amazed at her attitude and how well she recovered!

After suffering a heart attack, she was flown to London in a helicopter. When I popped into her room to see how she was doing, she told me it was pretty exciting to be in the helicopter, but more importantly her attendant was a "very good looking fellow". Ha ha...so cute.

She has made great improvements since her hip surgery and is now back home. She is not letting this slow her down and I'm glad. I am proud to call such a lady my aunt. Can't wait to visit for some salmon sandwiches Peggy!