My Place In The World

moments

2012-03-01T00:02:00.002-05:00

As promised Peggy and I recently spent the day together working on her quilt. At this point it's not so much a quilt but rather 12 squares of embroidery. I wasn't quite sure how to embroidery when I got there but it didn't take long to pick it up.

We had such a nice time chatting and stitching our needlework. Yes, I realize this makes me sound like an old biddy ...but for an afternoon, I was! We stopped for lunch when my cousin Esther showed up with buns and sandwich fixings. Peggy had a little cat nap while Esther and I watched Whitney Houston's funeral. Well, I was watching and embroidering!

Little moments like these spent with people we love are the best moments in life. I hope you have many of these!

Who Is Paul McCartney?

2012-02-13T18:33:00.000-05:00

This question popped up on my Facebook feed this morning, linking here. (please excuse the ignorance and use of profanity) I'm assuming this transpired during or following last night's Grammy Awards.

It's a little shocking but also disappointing that (I'm assuming) young people today would not know who this legend is. I experienced something similar when using my Paul McCartney Starbucks card. I handed it to the teenager behind the counter and he looked at it and said "Oh, there's some guy on your card. Weird, I've never seen that one." I responded with "Some guy? That is Paul McCartney." He gave me a blank stare and proceeded with my order.

As you well know, I'm a big fan of McCartney so of course I'm appalled. But even so, I think there is something to be gained from knowing a little bit of pop history. I grew up in the 80s/90s but I still know a lot of music and TV shows from the 70's 60's and beyond. Without those pioneers, we wouldn't have our current pop culture. I think it's more than simply remembering the "good old days"...especially for me. I don't remember those days, but I certainly appreciate what happened in those days. I hope you do too :)

Cultivating Memories

2012-02-13T15:09:00.000-05:00

I've always known that I'm a sentimentalist. I tend to attach sentimental value to things that hold memories for me.

In the past few weeks, I've been feeling sentimental about, of all things, farm machinery! Yes, it's true. Melancholy for tractors, combines, ploughs and augers. Let me explain.

Last Father's Day my Dad announced to us (his children) that he was going to retire from farming. He had been contracting different jobs out over the past few years and decided now was the time to call it a day. Farming is definitely hard work and Dad wants to enjoy his golden years as a retired man. Not semi-retired. This announcement knocked the wind out of me. Farmer and Dad were always synonymous in my mind. I couldn't imagine him not working the land.

Winter is a pretty quiet time for farmers and the notion had left my mind for the most part. Until, that is, I was asked to help with some photos he wanted to post for selling his machinery. I really can't explain it, but I was so sad when I thought of the shed being emptied of its contents. It's not like I ever use this equipment myself but the fact that it was being sold for someone else to use... well, it bothered me. I asked Dad if he felt that way and he was very matter-of-fact about it. He wouldn't be needing the equipment so of course he would sell it.

Time moves on and things are constantly changing. The great thing about memories is that you will always have them. They can't be sold or shipped out. My Dad will always be a farmer in my mind, whether he's driving a combine or not.

Happy Birthday Peggy

2012-02-04T09:31:00.000-05:00

I am happy to be celebrating a day that I wondered would actually arrive. The past year has been particularly hard for my Aunt Peggy but today she is marking her 87th birthday!

The majority of this year was spent in and out of hospital, a colon cancer diagnosis, and surgery followed by 3 more months in hospital. During this time, I realized that attitude really is the most important aspect of recovery.

I can clearly remember sitting on the edge of Peggy's hospital bed in June. She was telling me about sorting through some things at her house and discovering how many projects she had to do. In fact, she would need to live until she's at least 90 to finish them all! I do not doubt that I will be celebrating her 90th birthday in three years.

After losing my Grandma Mills when I was 6, Peggy has played that role in my life. She lives about 10 minutes away from my parents and I was at her house several times a week when I was a kid. She was a part of our family and was at most birthday parties and celebrations. Her kind nature and giving personality makes her a real jewel.Every single member of my family thinks so!

The reality and seriousness of the many hospital visits hit me over the past year. During this time, I struggled with the thought of losing someone so incredibly close to me. The very idea terrified me. It is not something I wanted to think about but sometimes when I was driving home from the hospital, it inevitably filled my thoughts. I decided not to dwell on what could happen but rather enjoy the times we could spend together. I must say, I walked away from those visits feeling encouraged and amazed by this tiny little lady and her attitude.

Peggy got to go home just before Christmas and her health has been constantly improving since. One of the "projects" mentioned earlier is to make a "Bible Quilt". She made one once in her youth and decided she'd like to make another. Apparently it is made up of 12 blocks that are embroidered with a scene from the Bible and then pieced together in a quilt. We talked about this quilt a lot during her hospital stay - something to look forward to. I promised that I would come over and spend the day working on it. I guess she'll have to teach me what to do, because we've booked next Saturday as the day! I hope she still has something for me to do...she's been working on it every day.

So, today I'm celebrating one of my favouritest people! Happy birthday Peggy!

Chill Out

2012-02-02T22:11:00.000-05:00

I like my job because I don't work in a cubicle. I'm not stuck staring at the wall. I'm in a wide open space with lots of excitement happening all around me. Some days the adrenaline is pumping when there is a big news story going down. The open concept makes it easy for us to communicate with the rest of the team. It also means that when the excitement has died down and things are quiet, you have to listen to everything going on around you.

Sometimes I don't want to hear everything that someone else has going on. I have my own stuff going on.

Tonight I have my ear buds in and listening to my "chill" playlist.

Live From London, This is Q ...and I Won't Be There

2012-02-01T16:14:00.002-05:00

A few months ago, you may remember me blogging/tweeting/facebooking about the #JianInLdnOnt campaign. This was an effort to bring CBC Broadcaster Jian Ghomeshi and his show Q to London for a live show. Being a long time fan of the show and Jian, I was on board!

It was a lot of fun to be a part of the campaign, even getting Kermie involved! Of course, I was thrilled when he announced that London had won the contest and would be doing a show from London. Details would follow but it would be in February of the new year.

In the meantime...my sister Connie was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had surgery in December and will soon be starting treatment. So, when she invited me to join her and Steve and Madison in Florida for a week of relaxing in the sun, I thought it was the perfect opportunity. What a great idea for me to be able to spend some time with some of my favourite people. As much as I'd like to, I just don't see them as often as I'd like during regular life.

I booked a one way ticket and am flying from Detroit to Florida and taking a road trip back to Canada with the Berrys.

Wouldn't you know that when Jian announced the London date today...it's when I'm in Florida. I'm so disappointed and people have suggested changing my trip. That is not a realistic option, so I will miss Q and the gang in London. Looking forward to Florida and catching the podcast. Hopefully they will return to the Forest City.

Life's Yearbook

2012-01-27T21:47:00.000-05:00

I was recently chatting with my friend Jodi about scrapbooking...how both of us used to enjoy it, neither of us have done it in a long time and whether we ever would again. I'm trying to decide what to do with the boxes of "stuff" in my basement. I can't remember the last time I printed a photo and the last scrapbook I made was about 5 years ago for my Grammie.

So, Jodi and I discussed what to do with the memories of life. She said she's been printing a few photos from each month and putting them in a regular old photo album. That way she at least has something to remember the events of life.

Later that week, I was checking out one of my favourite blogs and discovered this post. I love the idea of making a yearbook with online book-making software! I have used this before when I created my blog book and a book for Karla Ann's wedding. The end product is a beautiful, professional looking book. Since it's January, this would be a snap to start doing NOW for the upcoming year. I might even get ambitious and do one for last year...but we'll see.

Janice: the blogger

2012-01-21T14:25:00.000-05:00

I found it interesting that this week I had three people ask me about blogging and if I could share some tips and asked about how I got started. I've never really thought of myself as an expert, but I guess I have been doing it for nearly 7 years. Holy crap on a cracker! (ref: Sheldon Cooper)

This got me to thinking about how I started blogging and just what the purpose of my blog is! The first time I heard the word "blog" was when my friend Becky was moving to Indonesia and said that she thought she'd start a blog to keep people up to date on the happenings in her far-away home. I asked what the heck a blog was and she explained that it's a web log. Oh. OK, cool.

After following along on a few friends' blogs that were early adopters, I decided I wanted to give this a try. I didn't really have a focus or a purpose to my blog, but I liked the idea of having a little "place in the world" (hence the name!) that was my corner of the internet and I could share my thoughts. I don't usually have anything important to say and for the most part I just write about regular life and share photos. It has been more of a creative outlet for me. A place where I can write and express myself and go back and review these thoughts.

I had heard of blog books and thought the idea was cool, but my blog was still alive and evolving. So, as I approached five years of blogging, I thought that would be an appropriate time to bind together the first five years. It was actually a really fun process as I got to re-read each entry as I assembled it.

If you're a regular reader, you'll notice I changed the layout recently. I resisted for a long time because it had always looked the same and that had become it's identity. However, I took the plunge and mixed it up a bit. I'm still playing with it so don't be surprised if it changes again :) It's always nice to know I have readers, so don't be a stranger. Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!

What a cutie!

2012-01-21T14:00:00.000-05:00

I recently spent the day with my niece Kaelyn to celebrate her 7th birthday. Celebrating birthdays this way is tradition with Auntie Janice and usually I post about it here. However, the month of December was a flurry of activity and it did not get done.

This pint-sized ray of sunshine is always fun to spend time with. Kaelyn has a happy-go-lucky nature and is easy to please on our outings. I've told her many times I'd like to carry her around in my pocket so I can pull her out when I'm having a bad day. As you can see in these photos, she is quite the cutie.

This year's celebration included a trip to The Grand Theatre to see Cinderella. How exciting! It was Kaelyn's first live performance. We got dressed in our very finest and attended an excellent production at the Grand. My little princess got lots of compliments on her outfit (including gloves) from everyone. We went for dinner at Prince Albert's diner and later in the evening made cookies and watched The Muppet's Christmas Carol (one of my faves)

What fun we had and I look forward to the next time Kaelyn :) Love you lots!

Take Off You(r) Hoser(y)

2012-01-18T21:12:00.000-05:00

I have always hated pantyhose. I hated the scritchy feeling of them on my legs and the feeling when those legs touched each other. They seem to always need adjusting and the top part is always too tight and constricting. I'm more of the free flowing bare legs philosophy.

I clearly remember being forced to wear pantyhose for my sister Connie's wedding. I was appalled that I would have to wear them on such a hot day. As luck would have it, I inadvertently purchased "control top". I was 17...I didn't need any control on the top and it just made them tighter and more irritating. As soon as the ceremony was over, so was my relationship with those pantyhose.

Well, sometimes when you're an adult you have to bite the bullet and, well, be an adult. Pantyhose have made their way back into my wardrobe. I don't mind the scritchy feeling as much as I used to and they are much more appropriate with a skirt than bare legs. Especially in January!

Yesterday I decided to wear a dress I discovered at the back of my closet. Things tend to migrate to the edges and I usually pull something from the centre - leaving the outer edges as "new" items in the wardrobe when you find them. So, I pulled out the dress and wiggled my way into a pair of "nightshade" pantyhose. By the time I got to the office, I hit a snag...literally. I had a snag just above my left knee. The longer it was there, the bigger it got. An afternoon meeting required me to go straight from job #1 to job #2 and I decided that rather than trying to strategically cross my right leg over left all evening, I would stop and purchase a new pair.

What a baffling ordeal. A dizzying array of colours, sizes and types. Control top (I'm familiar with those) sandal toe (what?), nude, neutral, medium neutral, dark neutral...seriously?!?! I just need a pair ASAP. I got to work, pitched the old ones, put on the new ones and was good to go. I made it almost to the end of the day without a hitch (or should I say snag). At about 10:30 pm, I crossed my right leg over left, the zipper of my boot caught the sheer material and wouldn't you know, I had a small hole/snag in the exact same spot as I did earlier that day.

Olga Murray AKA: Grammie

2012-01-11T20:10:00.001-05:00

Yesterday marked a special day. It was eighty-five years ago that my Grammie was born!

This adorable senior holds a very special place in my heart. From playing with barbie dolls when we were little to traveling to a warbride reunion with her, we have shared some very special memories (just search "Grammie" at the bottom of the blog!).

She always makes me laugh... without even trying. She takes life as it comes and adapts to whatever is thrown her way. She came to Canada when she was just 19 years old and pregnant with her first of 6 children. A whole new way of life - new country, new husband, new traditions.

I know she doesn't think so, but she has been an inspiration to me and so glad when I see an "Olga-ism" pop up in my own life :)

POST SCRIPT: Grammie's birthday was actually January 5 but by the time I got the photos uploaded to this post, it's posting on January 11.

Making A Splash!

2012-01-09T21:35:00.001-05:00

This weekend, my family ventured into waters never explored before. We did a family vacation...2 days in duration, but still...

At last year's Thanksgiving, my Dad said that he & Mom would like to take us all to Splash Universe, an indoor water park. The planning started and the excitement was building with the little ones. What a blast! The water park was fun, but the best part for me was our entire family going away together.

We all arrived at Splash Universe around noon on Saturday and hit the water park right away. What fun everyone had splashing away and slipping down the big water slide. The big question was "would Dad go down the water slide?". He had promised that he would but we are all aware of his intense fear of the water. Heck, it was shocking enough that he was wearing a bathing suit (as you'll see in the photos...his legs don't see the sun too often) We were not successful on day one in convincing him, but on day two he went down not once but TWICE!

I'm sure the employees and other visitors wondered what was drawing such a crowd at the bottom of the water slide as our entire party gathered to watch the historic event. In fact, it was reminiscent of Mom on a water slide about 25 years ago at Rainbow Valley in PEI. We all squealed with delight as we watched her scream all the way down. Dad was more subdued...no screams, just hanging on for dear life :)

We all met at Bob Evans for dinner and the rest of the evening was spent either back at the water park, watching a movie or playing a game. Good family time! After breakfast we headed back for some splashing and witnessed Dad's descent down the slide! A terrific idea by Mom & Dad and an awesome time was had by all!

Thanks Mom & Dad!!!

from the mouths of babes...

2012-01-04T22:37:00.000-05:00

My favourite moment from this year's Christmas was when Liam, who is four, exclaimed that he was just like an adult now because he got slippers for Christmas. When I asked him what that was all about, he explained that he could leave them beside his bed and in the morning they would be there for him to put on his feet.

Yes, of course. Why didn't I get that before? How cute...he wore the slippers incessantly all day long!

2012-01-04T00:16:00.000-05:00

Oh the joys of home ownership! Yesterday I insulated my attic! I donned a white suit that looked like the apocalypse was upon us (or I was part of a Bounty paper towel commercial) and ventured up the little hatch in the ceiling!

My brother John actually did all of the hard work, I just passed him the batts. I was actually getting pretty good at launching them across the room!

Special thanks to Mom & Dad and John for taking the time to help me with this project and brave the snow on the way home.

Turning A Page

2011-12-31T16:55:00.001-05:00

Hard to believe, but 2011 is over in just a few hours. As I look back on the past year, I'd say that overall it was a good one but I'm looking forward to what 2012 has to offer!

This year started off with my finishing off my program at Fanshawe. Well, more accurately I was about half finished. The candle was burning at both ends, but I did survive and even won an award for my efforts! I met some really great friends during my time at Fanshawe and glad I returned to the classroom!

In February, I headed to Florida with my friend Kim for spring break. It was a welcomed reprieve from my crazy schedule. Soon after it was my birthday and then I was finishing up school! In hindsight, it flew by. Thanks to my friend Duane for encouraging me to count down the days and telling me that if he could do it, I could do it!

Probably the biggest event for me this year was buying my first home! What an exciting (and sometimes stressful) ride. Most of the spring/summer was spent packing, moving, unpacking and settling in. It has felt like home since the moment I first entered. I love it! A special thanks to my parents who have helped me every step of the way, even with cleaning the eaves :)

With September comes the Toronto Film Festival. This year was particularly star-studded including Bono & The Edge as well as Brangelina, George Clooney, Ryan Gosling and Keiffer Sutherland. What fun Lisa and I had. A great annual tradition.

Well, that about ends my recap of 2011. If you're reading this, you probably know about all the bumps and highlights along the way anyway! Wishing you all the best in 2012. Happy New Year.

Good News

2011-12-31T00:16:00.000-05:00

Connie got a very encouraging phone call from her family doctor yesterday. He had just received her pathology report and wanted to call her right away. Her lymph nodes tested negative, which is terrific news. I'm still not sure what the next step is or what the future holds, but for now, this is welcomed news. (an excellent birthday present for Steve)

Happy Birthday Laurie Lane

2011-12-29T00:34:00.000-05:00

Today is my dear friend Laurie's birthday. Well, December 28th is her birthday. I fear it is after midnight and the date stamp will show December 29th.

Anyway, Laurie is a kindred spirit that I have shared both laughter and tears with. She is the perfect blend of hilarity and heart-to-heart confidante. We share many of the same hobbies and passions - music, CBC radio, photography, blogging, the list goes on.

So my friend, happiest of days. Much love.

Christmas Musings...

2011-12-28T21:39:00.000-05:00

Another Christmas has come and gone, and I must say this has been my favourite in recent memory.

It was spent with family and friends and filled with delicious food and memories alike.

After spending countless weeks in hospital, my Aunt Peggy was thrilled to be home for Christmas. And I was thrilled that my cousin Esther invited me for Christmas dinner. It was so nice to share that special family time with them and awesome to see Peggy doing so well. She made homemade buns for dinner (her legendary specialty) and I could tell she was just so pleased to be "home". After dinner, Esther played the piano while Mom and I sang along.

It was also special that Grammie was able to spend the day celebrating with our family. I picked her up in the morning and taxied her home in the evening, after the presents were opened and we were all stuffed! I know she loved being a part of all the excitement. My favourite moment of the day was when she tried Josh's raccoon hat on!

After just a week following her surgery, Connie had a couple of big days - attending family celebrations. I know she was not feeling quite up to her usual self, but she looked fabulous and pulled off the day in style. Connie Style. :)

Hope your Christmas was as good as mine!

My Favourite Day of the Year

2011-12-24T14:41:00.000-05:00

Christmas Eve is here again.

I can't believe another year has passed, but alas, here we are on December 24th. It is my most favourite day of the year. Christmas Eve is all about anticipation. Once the 25th arrives, it's so busy and before you know it, it's over. The 24th is a lovely day of leisurely making your way through the day, meeting up with friends and enjoying the culmination of the weeks of preparation. At least, that's what it should be. I'm sure there are many people running around in a mad dash on Christmas Eve but I like to try and keep it low key.

This year I felt like Christmas was here before I even realized. I was behind in my shopping, cards, baking...pretty much everything that goes with the season! With a couple of loved ones in hospital, etc. in recent days it compressed my time left to complete the list. At first I was finding this stressful, but then I realized that I really just needed to abandon a few things on the list and life would go on.

Fewer cards were sent, the folks at Autobahn didn't get their Volkswagen cookies and perhaps my gift-giving is not up to "Janice" standards this year. But, I'm ok with that. What's important to me is that I was able to spend time with my Aunt Peggy while she was in hospital and I spent last weekend at my sister Connie's.

Over the next few days I'm planning on spending time with those people that mean the most to me and I hope you are able to do the same.

Boobies Bracelets

2011-12-23T11:47:00.001-05:00

I had heard of these "I love boobies" bracelets before and really hadn't given them a second thought. Yesterday when I arrived at work, I discovered this was our top story. A local 13 year old boy was refusing to remove the bracelet which threatened expulsion and was making headlines.

I went about my business, making graphics and preparing for the news. However, when our producer asked me if I was offended by the bracelet, what came out of my mouth surprised me.

In fact, I was offended. The word "boobies" does not offend me at all. Whatever. What does offend me, however, is the fact that breast cancer is being trivialized and merchandised. It is bad enough that the colour pink has been hijacked by companies of all varieties. (how much of the "proceeds" really go to breast cancer research? Or more importantly, to breast cancer fighters/survivors?) But capitalizing on the word "boobies" with the guise of supporting breast cancer really lit a fire under me.

The kid in our story, as I said, is a 13 year old boy. Why do you think he's wearing a bracelet that says "I love boobies"? His parents claim that he is mature and wearing it to support a friend that had breast cancer. I am really doubtful of this. In addition, no one really seems to know who benefits from the sale of these bracelets. They "assume" money is donated to a charity. Our reporter checked the variety store that sells them and the owner really didn't know either. So, let's admit the bracelets are doing nothing to support either research or breast cancer patients.

Cancer is evil. But, breast cancer hits its victims with a one-two punch. Not only are they dealing with the disease but a very personal and visual part of their body. Let's not insult them by wearing bracelets (or anything else) that say "I love boobies"

Pink Powderpuff

2011-12-22T00:21:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to take a couple of minutes to update things with my sister Connie. Last week she had her surgery and she seems to be doing well. She has a strong and determined spirit and does not let much get her down. Impressive, really.

I spent Friday at the hospital in the waiting room, her room, the atrium, Tim Horton's... I was there for a while :) It's always amazing to see how much people care in times of crisis. Thanks so much for the support network that showed up.

I spent the rest of the weekend at Connie's house, helping her with stuff around the house as she was (supposed to be) resting. I'm rather impressed that she is keeping up with posting on her Caring Bridge blog. You can follow it here.

Keep up the great work Connie. You're doing amazing.

POSTSCRIPT: re: the title. When we were little, we had a CB in our motorhome. We never actually used it, but Connie and I liked to pretend sometimes. She decided her call name would be Pink Powderpuff. Being the little sister that thought everything her older sister did was super-cool, I decided on Purple Powderpuff.

Christmas Tunes

2011-12-15T22:10:00.002-05:00

Nothing says nostalgia like Christmas music. There is just one time of the year when those old favourites are pulled out and many carry with them cherished memories from years gone by.

It seems that anyone with a recording career has put out a holiday album with countless collections also available at your fingertips. But when it comes down to it...do you prefer tried and true? Or new pop sensation?

I was contemplating this today while listening to my "Christmas" playlist on my ipod. I have a collection of new and old in that list including James Taylor, Tony Bennett and Dave Matthews Band. But I must say that my favourite Christmas album is The Carpenters Christmas Portrait. It is heavy on the traditional but I just love Karen Carpenter's voice.

I anticipate picking up Michael Bublé's Christmas album this year and maybe Justin Bieber's Under The Mistletoe. LOL...just kidding.

So...what's your favourite Christmas album?

Worth Writing About

2011-12-11T14:17:00.001-05:00

I know I have posted before about my Aunt Peggy, but after a visit with her today, I felt she was worth writing about once again.

This nearly 87 year old woman has been through so much in the past year and yet she continues to have a smile on her face and the best outlook on life. She recovered from a broken hip, but then broke seven ribs. After a lengthy recovery from that, she was diagnosed with colon cancer. Always a fighter, she decided to have the surgery because in her words she was "not finished yet".

Peggy's recovery from that surgery has been slow and plagued with set backs. Yes, there have been times where she feels discouraged (who wouldn't?) but I think we could all learn a thing or two from this tiny frail woman that has unending determination.

She is currently in a London hospital, which has made it easier for me to visit regularly. I have treasured these moments and have discovered that the visits are as much for me as they are for her. It is so encouraging to walk in and see her sitting on the bed or in the chair embroidering and talking about how "it's a beautiful day".

I wonder how many of us would have this outlook after more than 3 months in hospital, hooked up to various machines and monitors, poked and prodded regularly and most of this time she has not been able to eat any food.

I truly hope that she gets her Christmas wish and is able to go home soon. Much love Peggy XOXO

From London, Ontario... this is Q

2011-12-08T22:03:00.001-05:00

We did it! The determination and creativity of a group of Londoners paid off this morning when Jian Ghomeshi announced he would bring his CBC Radio show Q to London in February.

What started off as a single tweet by a Londoner grew into a full-fledged campaign across Ontario! What fun it was to be involved...from tweets #JianInLdnOnt, Facebook "likes", blog entries, instagrams, youtube videos, heck...even our own website!

A great example of social media bringing people together. Can't wait for Mr. Ghomeshi to host from our fine city!

contemplating cancer

2011-12-06T21:55:00.001-05:00

They say that you don't know what you're capable of, until it happens. I suppose that is true in many areas of life and I am learning that with each day.

Last week, my sister Connie was diagnosed with breast cancer. Fortunately, it is a stage one or two cancer and she has surgery booked within 2 weeks with an optimistic prognosis. However, this does not negate the gut-wrenching feeling when you hear those words. They are words that I have heard too many times before, unfortunately.

The first time cancer hit close to home for me, was when my friend Bruce was diagnosed with bladder cancer. It was terribly upsetting to see him go through treatments and the toll it took on him physically. My sister Jo-Anne was next with colon cancer. The reality of that diagnosis was very close... my very own sister...with cancer. This summer my 86 year old aunt was also diagnosed with colon cancer. It has been an emotional rollercoaster seeing her go through recovery with many setbacks. And now, this disease has infiltrated my family once again.

Connie is so strong and brave, she is really amazing me with her attitude. I told her she must be related to Peggy (who has had nothing but spunk and determination throughout her ordeal). I know that she will come out an even stronger person.

Love you Pink Powderpuff :)

My Sweet George

2011-11-30T22:40:00.001-05:00

I can remember walking into the newsroom 10 years ago at 5:30am. At the time, I was working on our morning show and it was the beginning of my shift. As I signed on to my computer and started looking over the rundown, I saw a story called V-GEORGE. My heart sank as I read the script. George Harrison had lost his battle with cancer.

Having been a life-long Beatles fan, I was saddened that only half of the group was left. George had been my favourite for a long time. The quiet one. A musical genius in his own right that was overshadowed by the magic of Lennon/McCartney.

Hard to believe it's been 10 years already.

#JianInLdnont

2011-11-28T19:52:00.001-05:00

For the past several years, I have faithfully listened to Jian Ghomeshi host a show called Q on CBC Radio. If you know me at all, you know that I am a huge fan of CBC Radio. So, when the former Moxy Früvous-er hit the airwaves, I tuned in. The national show which focuses on the arts reminded me of Morningside, which I loved. Yes, I believe that over time, Jian has become the next generation's Peter Gzowski. Less rumpled and better looking but a silky voice that so easily asks the right questions with, what I might add, a bit of an endearing stutter sometimes that is reminiscent of my beloved PG.

When I saw a tweet last week that Jian should bring his Q show to London's Aeolian Hall, it sparked my interest. That would be fun! What ensued was a full-on competition amongst a handful of Ontario towns, all vying for the privilege of hosting the crew. That one little tweet from London, Ontario has sent thousands of Ontarians into a social media frenzy while bringing communities together.

For example, some of the offers made by Londoners include donations to charity of web design, film production, music and art lessons...the list goes on. Isn't that so cool?

To contribute to this campaign, I decided to play on the recent interview Jian did with Kermit The Frog. (Yes, I was elated to see my favourite radio host and my favourite Muppet come together) My idea was to have Kermit endorse London with a few photos around town. Take a look:

Kermit officially supports bringing @jianghomeshi to #ldnont #JianInLdnont


@jianghomeshi 's new friend Kermit the Frog gives London a thumbs up. He thinks Jian should bring @CBCRadioQ to town.

Hopefully London is successful in its bid to bring Q to town. The winner will be announced December 8th! If you want to get in on the campaign, use the hashtag JianInLdnont, check out (and like) the Facebook page, the YouTube video and use your creativity! My tech-genius friend Carmi and I have been nerdily enjoying this whole process. Check out his blog here.

CHANNEL 10 ACTION NEWS TEAM

2011-11-27T22:55:00.001-05:00

You might have noticed a surge in the popularity of the moustache in recent days. Is it making a come back? Or is it all part of what has become known as Movember?

Movember, the month formerly known as November, is dedicated to growing moustaches and raising awareness and funds for men’s health issues; specifically prostate cancer.

On average men live 4-5 years less than women
1 in 7 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime
25,500 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year in Canada

Everyone knows someone that has been effected by cancer and when it touches you personally, it increases your desire to participate in such campaigns. Although I'm not growing a moustache, I'm coordinating a team of men that are! I am proud to say our team has raised nearly $500!

I invite you to support our team by donating at http://mosista.co/actionteam10
You can even go old school and donate cash or write a cheque payable to “Movember Canada”. All donations are tax deductible. We only have three days left to support these Movember moustaches, so please come along for the ride.

Funds raised will help make a tangible difference to the lives of others. Through the Movember Foundation and their men’s health partner, Prostate Cancer Canada, Movember is funding world-class, research, awareness, educational and support programs which would otherwise not be possible.

For more details on how the funds raised from previous campaigns have been used and the impact Movember is having please click on the links below:
About Movember Prostate Cancer Canada Global Action Plan

Thank you in advance for helping us change the face of men's health. Go the Mo!

Moustache Season. Now Open.

I'm Game

2011-11-22T20:20:00.001-05:00

I have always loved board games. So, when I moved to London and discovered a group of my co-workers that also loved board games, we instantly connected and had many a "games nights". Over time this group morphed - gaining some members and losing some too but the games nights lived on in one form or another.

It had been quite some time since I had hosted such an event. My apartment in the nunnery had just been too tiny to have more than 4 people. So, I guess I had "mini games nights" but nothing full-blown.

After moving into my house, Duane and Lisa would remind me of this and ask when I was having a games night. I finally decided and put it on the calendar.

Some of my favourite people came and we had such a great time! Can't wait for the next one.

It's the best iPhone yet.

2011-11-21T22:08:00.001-05:00

I am smitten with apple products. The effort they put into their design is amazing... and they are beautiful to look at! So, when the iPhone 4s was unveiled, it started me thinking...it's time for an upgrade. My poor phone had been slowing down and I even had to revive it a few times.

A friend was upgrading to iOS5 the night it was released and updating me on how cool the new features were. I watched the video online and finalized my decision to upgrade.

After a lot of fanangling with Rogers/Bell/Rogers/Bell...I opted to switch to Bell. It's a fantastic plan that includes 10 numbers that I can call anytime for FREE ...anywhere in Canada! This facilitates cancelling my land line! Plus I get my 35% discount for being a Bell employee. Sweet.

The iPhone 4s really is the best iPhone yet. I can talk to it...and it talks back! It provides me with answers to questions, will read my texts to me, will type my texts as I say them aloud and has FACETIME! Video calls between me and other apple nerds...very cool.

So, yes...I am completely enamoured with my latest accessory. The only downside is that I wanted white. (apparently there have been issues with the white phones cracking. Boo to that.)

Silver Boots

2011-11-21T17:50:00.001-05:00

I spent Sunday afternoon with my niece Abby. Twelve years ago, she made me an auntie which has been a pretty cool experience. And now, I can hardly believe she is on the verge of teenagerism and taller than her mom!

We spent the afternoon shopping while I got a glimpse of who she is becoming through her selection of stores and items she liked to look at and the constant chit chat about school, friends and things she thinks are cool.

Our first stop was Winners and when we wandered through the shoe section, I spotted what I knew would be the purchase of the day... silver sequined boots! Abby loved them and immediately tried them on. A perfect fit! We decided to put them "on hold" until we did some more shopping, just to be sure.

So we completed her Christmas shopping (one gift for her brother, one for her sister) and also picked up a sweater and t-shirt for her. But, we ended up back at Winners for the silver boots. She was over the moon!

We stopped at Coffee Lodge on the way home for a hot chocolate/coffee and I discovered her favourite subjects at school are very similar to what mine were. Music, art, french and she's good at math but doesn't like it. I played the grown up card and told her it would be a wise move to take french as long as she could and keep it up as a language. We also talked about music and I tried to educate her about my faves - explaining who the Beatles were and also the genius of Paul Simon :) I found out she's making a claymation video at school and I can't wait to see it!

A great day spent with one of my favourite little people (who's not so little anymore) AND...I was pretty proud when someone said she looks just like me. That's pretty cool.

Thoughts about Parents

2011-11-06T23:32:00.003-05:00

I am convinced that something happens to you when you become a parent. Something inside you changes as you become less self-focused and suddenly you would do anything for this little being that is part of you. I really can't say for sure, since I am not a parent but I have observed this change in most parents.

Mine are no exception. Throughout the years there have been many times when they sacrificed their own time, desires or financially for the love of their kids.

Since I bought my house, I have particularly noticed this. My mom & dad have helped out so much with mundane tasks around the house that have helped me out so much. It's actually been a really great bonding experience for me & Dad as he shows me how to do things and trips to Home Depot.

Last week they came and helped me get ready for winter. While Dad & I worked outside - cleaning out the eaves and putting patio furniture, rain barrel and hoses away for winter, my mom worked away in the kitchen. She cleaned my oven, my toaster oven...even my coffee maker! When I came inside, everything was sparkling!

Thanks Mom & Dad...for all you do and all that you are to me.

2011-10-31T01:20:00.002-04:00

Tonight I took a bit of a sentimental journey. I went to see my Grammie for the last time at 447 Baird Street. A house that she has lived in for 57 years...and before that they lived in what is now the garage, while Grandad built the house.

I'm a sentimental at heart, so naturally leaving behind this structure stirs up melancholy. So many memories reside here, not only for me but for my mom and her brothers.

I am happy for Grammie that she is moving to an apartment where she will be surrounded by other seniors with plenty of activities to keep her busy. This is a great move for her, but I'm sure there is a part of her that also is sad to leave her home. Although I will admit, she is taking it all in stride.

I have lots of fond memories of/with Grammie (found here, here, here and here) and look forward to many more trips down memory lane over a cup of her famous tea.

Great Expectations

2011-10-27T00:22:00.001-04:00

The topic of managing expectations seems to have come up in one form or another with various people in the past little while. It is interesting to me that the same concept applies in so many different areas of life.

I tend to be a bit of a dreamer and therefore, my expectations can be unrealistic in many circumstances. This is innately who I am, so I have dealt with the rollercoaster ride of disappointment most of my life. It doesn't seem right to me to not be a dreamer... however, in determining that I can manage my expectations, I can have a more predictable/realistic result or reaction.

People are people and they are they way they are. I cannot change how any one person is or how they will react to things. The only thing I can change is me. I have discovered that until you pin your own expectation onto someone or a situation, things are ok. But, once you start to formulate your own plan, you leave behind the reality of the situation and that person or situation will never live up to what you are now expecting.

I hope I am explaining this concept sufficiently. I wanted to share this light bulb moment as it has occurred to me several times in the past few months in so many aspects of life.

The Barcelona

2011-10-18T18:08:00.001-04:00

Is there anything more appealing than the Barcelona chair? Really?

When I bought my house, I started thinking about the atmosphere I wanted to create in each room. I loved the idea of a light and airy, modern, sleek living room.

Purchasing new furniture is a daunting task: you need to consider size, style, colour... I'm glad that I took my time and lived in the house before making any decisions.

I knew that I did not want big, over-sized "bulbous" furniture. I prefer the clean lines of a modern home. The Barcelona chair had always been on my radar so when I found a set at a liquidator in Sarnia, I was very excited!

It has been a few weeks since the Barcelona has made my house its home and I must say, we are getting along well. It feels rather luxurious to sit on cream leather and it looks so sexy! Quite possibly the best aspect of my new furniture is when I walk in the door to the smell of leather. (sorry to all you animal-lovers, but it's true). Now...I just need to get that cow-hide throw for the floor.

Wisconsin

2011-10-16T16:57:00.001-04:00

Another weekend, another date with my nieces and nephews. This time it was Madison's turn. Her birthday is actually in February but she was in Florida for her birthday. Then she returned when I was busy finishing up school...and then I bought a house...and finally we celebrated in October!

Our first idea was to make a scrapbook. Madison really likes crafts and I thought that would be something fun to do together. However, once I saw the forecast for the weekend, I knew we had to be outside. We opted to go apple picking at Apple Land. We had a great time with perfectly sunny skies. We picked apples, rode the train, had a picnic lunch, saw the animals and finally headed home.

We decided to make apple crisp with some of our apples and Madison did all the reading, measuring and mixing. All Auntie Janice did was use the knife to peel and cut the apples. It turned out great and she was able to take it home to share with Mommy & Daddy.

We had such a fun day together, I can't wait to do it again. Happy belated birthday Madison. I'm so happy you decided to join our family eight years ago :)

Liam's Big Day Out

2011-10-08T23:01:00.000-04:00

As is tradition, I recently celebrated Liam's 4th birthday with a special day just for him. Jo-Anne brought both boys over for dinner on the Friday night. We had planned on having a fire in the back yard, but it was pouring rain, so we stayed inside instead. Having a wii makes Auntie Janice pretty popular with these boys and there was a lot of excitement while bowling, boxing and other wii games.

When it was time for bed, Jo-Anne & Jesse went home and Liam got to stay for a sleepover! In the morning, while we were having breakfast (and the day hadn't really started yet) Liam declared "this is the best day ever". LOL...cuteness. It turned out to be a beautiful sunny day and we hit the farmer's market before going to Green Lantern for lunch. You see, Jesse got to go to Green Lantern on his big day out (I think he just liked the name) and Liam had to do the same. He ordered a chocolate chip pancake...just like Jesse. It was cute.

After lunch we headed to Leaping Deer Legends Corn Maze. What a fun day! There is so much for kids to do here, we barely had time for the corn maze! Liam's favourite was the big slide, but other highlights were a wagon ride, feeding a baby goat, cheering on our favourite pig during the pig races, climbing on lots of straw, and of course a big (and I mean huge!) ice cream cone to end the day.

We had so much fun. Happy birthday Liam...can't believe you're four years old!! Love you so much. xo

2011-10-08T22:35:00.000-04:00

I spent most of the day cleaning up my yard. I have a walnut tree in the back and it creates quite the mess, but I have to admit I like doing yard work! It was a beautiful sunny day and I raked and weeded while listening to some of my favourite music. It made for a great day.

Anyway, this reminded me that I never posted about my housewarming party. This summer was a bit of a blur with lots of things on the go and somehow that post got missed. A big thanks to my mom and dad who helped enormously in making the day a success. My dad finished all my little projects for him without any complaints...just painted, cut, drilled, hung, etc. Mom worked her little pitootie off in the kitchen, making sure food and beverage were constantly available.

It was great to see so many friends and family and I hope everyone comes back to visit. But not all at once... :)

A Nova Neighbourhood Discovery

2011-10-03T11:15:00.001-04:00

I really like finding new little treasures in my neighbourhood and this weekend I discovered one more. On Saturday afternoon, I was meeting my friend Jodi for coffee and she suggested meeting at Nova Era Bakery. She had heard it had good food but had not been before. I had also heard it had good food, so we decided we should check it out.

It's in a very convenient location...just a 10 minute walk from my house and as luck would have it, Saturday afternoon was perfect weather for an afternoon stroll. Ironically, neither of us was hungry when we got there so we opted for drinks only but decided we would need to return to sample the food. The display case only contained a huge assortment of delicious goodies!

It was really nice to have a lazy afternoon of catching up over coffee with Jodi. This might just be my favourite thing thing to do...coffee with friends. So much, in fact, I spent yesterday afternoon doing that with my friend Kim and tonight I'm meeting up with Amanda and Sarah for coffee.

Do you have a favourite spot to meet up with friends?

National Coffee Day

2011-09-29T16:04:00.001-04:00

It's national coffee day. At least that's what I heard in the twitterverse. Who knows what each day will celebrate. Just this week, I heard it was National Dental Health Day (wished my sister well as she's an hygienist) Chocolate Milk Day and now we are celebrating the java.

Well, I like coffee so I'm going to celebrate. I've already had 2 cups today and I'm planning a trip to Starbucks tonight. Coffee can have such a comforting effect...holding a warm cup in your hands on a cold day, the smell of it brewing in the morning, a good excuse to catch up with an old friend...the list goes on. I can't imagine being an anti-coffee person. (yep they are out there)

I started drinking coffee at a pretty young age, during many trips to my Aunt Peggy's house with my parents. The adults would always finish the evening off with a cup of coffee and I soon joined in. Since then, I have eliminated the sugar from my cup but despite my attempts, I'm still creaming it up.

So, how do you take your coffee? Where's your favourite cofffee spot? I gotta say my order at Starbucks is an Americano with room and I'm really digging a local haunt in my new neighbourhood called East Village Cafe.

Happy Coffee Day!!

FINDING TIME FOR YOUR PASSIONS

2011-09-26T10:59:00.002-04:00

I recently attended an Elton John tribute show with a friend. Her husband played Elton, and did an amazing job! On the way to the show, Shelley was telling me about Ed's love of music and how after a bit of a hiatus he got back into it a few years ago. It's always been a passion and he decided to act on that. He has performed with various bands or on his own and is even teaching music lessons now.

What struck me when I saw the show was the effort that went into pulling it off. It wasn't just the 2 hour show that I saw that night. There were weekly rehearsals with the band, hours spent coming up with costume changes and hunting down just the right elements to create those costumes. A labour of love for sure.

And what did Ed and his friends get from this experience? Well, they certainly are not going to make it rich from the ticket sales. They will be lucky to break even after paying a sound guy, lighting guy and renting the theatre. What they will get from the experience is the satisfaction of doing something they love and fulfilling the passion that is within them.

I found this inspirational. Many times life gets to be so busy just keeping up with daily demands, you forget about the things that you once loved doing and that give you so much satisfaction. I know I have definitely felt this way.

So, when I got a phone call from a guy I used to do improv with, I accepted the invitation to join them on stage! Yes...it's true. I used to do improv, back in my high school/college days with a group called "No Laughing Matter". I never really considered myself to be the funniest in the group or the most outrageous, but it was something I really enjoyed doing. The group disbanded and 2 of the members reconnected a few years ago as "The Fidgets".

So, I agreed that I would be a part of the show. I was a little nervous before my first rehearsal as it had been 13 years since I had done improv in any form. (other than improvising my daily life) But after stepping on the stage with John and Dave I realized I was excited to be back at it.

I'm looking forward to the show on Friday night. It's at Victoria Playhouse in Petrolia at 8pm if you'd like to attend. Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door.

2011-09-15T21:15:00.002-04:00

Here I sit...hands poised over the keyboard, ready to post to my dormant blog and wondering where to start? This summer has been a whirlwind ...from buying a house and moving in, to working at a new job and all the extra excitement that summer brings! Now I'm carving out a few minutes to post and I'm at a loss!

I suppose I could remember my house warming party and post some of the projects I've worked on around the house. I could recap my star-studded weekend in Toronto at TIFF. Perhaps an update on the craziness that has been work the past few weeks while switching to CTV. All future posts, I'm sure. But tonight, just some reflections on September.

Yep, my favourite month of the year. The days get a little shorter and cooler but there is still plenty of sunshine. Something in the air changes after Labour Day...and I like it! Schedules go back to routine and things start to settle in for...no...I'm not going to say it, but you know what comes after Fall.

A walk through the mall or even flipping through a magazine gives me the urge to update my wardrobe to cozy sweaters in rich browns and oranges, tall boots of soft leather - maybe a buckle or two...hats, scarves (for fashion...not for warmth)...yep...all great aspects of September. Other things I love about it: apple picking, corn mazes, pumpkin flavoured everything, raking leaves....the list goes on.

For this reason, I have booked all Fridays off in September and will have a long weekend every weekend!

2011-09-15T00:26:00.001-04:00

I'm toying with the idea of a new "look" for my blog. But, after six years of the same...I kinda feel like it's an institution. What do you think? Time for a fresh new face? Or keep the "brand"? Hmmm. (yes, I know...need to post!!)

2011-09-01T20:34:00.001-04:00

PLEASE STAND BY...
OK faithful followers...don't ditch me now. Sorry for the delay in fresh posts at My Place In The World. I have a gazillion in my head, but finding the time to actually compose and post them has been tricky. We just launched a new station re-brand at work which has had me working long, stressful days. The dust is starting to settle now and perhaps this weekend I will find some time to sit on my porch with my laptop and share some of my thoughts! Until then...can you believe it's September 1st??? (shout out to Mr. Conway Twitty who would have been 78 today.)

2011-08-20T22:51:00.001-04:00

Road Trippin'

Hanging out with my friend Laurie is always a hoot. We love a lot of the same things (like Vinyl Cafe, pumpkin lattes, photography, blogging, country music, CBC, etc) so when we get together, we always have a good time. Those times, however, are few and far between. We live in cities about an hour away from each other and with the demands of daily life, it's hard to connect our schedules.

We dream of the fun we can have: road trip to Nashville, an afternoon of exploring with our cameras, concerts, etc. It's fun to dream. Well, this summer we decided to put our plans into action. A little too much action perhaps! We picked a day and cleared our calendars. We were hitting the road. To do what was a little unclear but we were determined! The list of ideas grew and soon we were creating a mosaic of all our plans into one day!

Laurie picked me up and after a quick tour of my new house, we hit the open road. Our route included St. Marys, Stratford, Shakespeare and possibly Elora...ummm, ya. We quickly narrowed that a bit! We landed in St. Marys and promptly got a coffee and started poking about in the quaint little shops. What fun! We discovered some real gems and picked up a few treasures as well. Soon enough we pulled our cameras out and took some "artsy" shots around town. Trying to combine our photo excursion with other adventures was spreading our focus too much (a little photog humour!) and soon we decided to leave the cameras in the car. That would be for another day.

Simply meandering through Stratford (my fave!) and lunching with Laurie made for a delicious day. We eventually ended up down by the Avon river, amongst the swans discussing the ups and downs of life. That is what I truly love about Laurie: I can open up to her and be real without feeling vulnerable. She understands.

Already looking forward to the next adventure Laur!

2011-08-11T17:48:00.001-04:00

I had the radio on, tapping my foot and singing along to an old-style country song. Sure it was Brad Paisley, but it had the styling of old-school country. For some reason, it got me to thinking about how we determine what is music to our ears and what sounds we'd rather avoid.

I love a variety of music and can often be found driving with the windows down listening to anything from Tony Bennett to Johnny Cash. Instrumental jazzy tunes or the melodic sounds of James Taylor, Jack Johnson or Reid Jamieson. Foot-stomping country or smooth crooning.

However, there is just something about country music that hits my sweet spot. This is what got me to pondering. Why does this twangy and sometimes sappy music make me happy? I started to wonder if this is perhaps because of the constant infusion of country music when I was a tyke. My dad firmly believes there is no other kind of music :) Do I associate it with happy times as a kid? Is it in my tight-fittin' genes? Or am I over-thinking this? Perhaps it's just good music.

I know most of my contemporaries would not consider cranking Conway Twitty when they're in the car but when he sings about those tight-fittin' jeans, my hand instinctively reaches for the volume. Yes, I may seem like an urban/modern woman but underneath it all, I'm just a country girl at heart!

2011-08-07T22:25:00.000-04:00

The Peanut.

My nephew Jesse recently turned 6 and as part of the celebration, he got to do something really special with Auntie Janice. Since Jesse has always been a huge fan of Lightning McQueen and the Cars movie in general I decided to take him to see real race cars. Actually, it was HIS idea and I thought it was a great one.

My friend Kim's brother races micro sprint cars, so I asked if we could go and see him race and get a "behind the scenes" look. Kim's dad was all over that and sent me free passes in the mail. Jesse was going to love it!

The day of "the big day out" as I like to call it, Jesse came over before lunch. First on the list was to play the wii. He LOVED it. Especially the boxing game. It was hilarious to watch him fling himself around like a wet noodle! When it was time for lunch, we consulted the Urban Spoon app on my iphone. Jesse thought The Green Lantern sounded cool so that's where we headed. He was quite thrilled to get a chocolate chip pancake for lunch...and he ate the whole thing!

The rest of the afternoon we spent making our way to Grand Bend Speedway, making stops along the way to meander through some interesting places. Of course, ice cream was on the agenda!

Once we got to the speedway, we walked around and found Mark. He was doing some maintenance to the car and explained a few things to Jesse. We decided to look around at the other cars and Jesse even got the chance to sit in one! Soon it was time for the races to begin. Exciting! They were loud, so we pulled out the earmuffs. The look on his face was priceless. We had a lot of fun.

Jesse had his first sleepover at Auntie Janice's that night and he did great! No tears or anything. In the morning I made chocolate chip pancakes as per his request and that was a big hit!

I had a blast hanging out with Jesse. Six year olds are such a great age....they are full of questions and everything is fascinating. During our drive to Grand Bend he didn't get bored once. He just looked out the window and gave me a running commentary of factoids he has picked up in his young years. He is quite hilarious. So, happy birthday Peanut! xo

2011-07-28T00:07:00.000-04:00

SHOUT OUTS.

I have awesome friends. I already know that. But, in the six weeks since I got possession of my house, I've had so many people offering to help in lots of ways, I thought I'd give a shout out.

Sue Leckie: Sue offered to help me clean before I even moved in. We worked all afternoon scrubbing from top to bottom. It was a good feeling to know that when I moved all my stuff in, the house was CLEAN! She also helped me discover that my windows tip out for easy cleaning. Oh ya!!

Connie Berry: My sister Connie came for a full day of organizing, moving furniture, shopping for furniture, hanging things and brainstorming ideas. Master of the ideas.

Marj MacGregor: What a sweet friend. Marj came over for coffee one morning on my patio and brought Cinnabons! (yes, the real deal) While she was there we decided to go furniture shopping the next week. What fun to toot around with coffees in tow, checking out options and getting inspiration.

Murray Barnett: Even before I got my house, Murray was helping me out. He actually went through it before I made an offer - to get another opinion. After it was official he helped me by picking up, storing and then installing my rain barrel for me (on the hottest day of the summer no less). Always dependable, Myrrh.

Jodi Wildschut: Jodi used to be my roomie and has done the house thing herself, so she has been able to share her experiences and lessons learned with me. She also came over to help me hang some stuff on the walls, come up with ideas and even toted away some boxes for Goodwill for me. Thanks Jod.

Josh Murray: My cousin Josh thought he was just coming for a visit. What he didn't know was that he'd be helping to move a couch and hang some curtains! But he never complained once. In fact, I think he had fun with it :)

Dean Bates: For some reason, Dean has the ability to make me laugh, no matter how crazy the control room gets. So, the evening I bought my couch and told him it's officially called a "click clack" we had uncontrollable laughter! He also offered to help me move it as he has a pick up truck. So nice of him since he was officially starting vacation that day. Thanks Dino.

Things are starting to come together and feeling like "home". Stay tuned for more updates!

2011-07-21T21:59:00.001-04:00

I have a friend and his name is Bruce. (ok...singing a Johnny Cash song in my head...) Bruce and I have been friends for a long time but I don't actually remember meeting Bruce, he's just always been around. We work together and just clicked as kindred spirits do. We have spent many breaks together either at the picnic table or in the lounge at our corner table with a view.

During these dinner-hour conversations I have learned a lot about Mr. Bates. I've heard stories of his childhood and how he met the lovely Mary Ann. We've discussed family - the good, the bad and the ugly. He has offered up fatherly advice and I have entertained him with tales of my frivolity. We have laughed together and cried together and I dare say, at thirty years my senior, he is one of my closest friends at /A\.

I was devastated when he told me about his cancer and relieved that he seems to have kicked it. He had a very understanding ear when I discovered my sister had cancer. He was the first person I showed my MLS listing to and the first to see my home the day I got the keys. He is also the office lottery coordinator, sending out updates when there's a big jackpot and collecting funds for the pot.

Bruce will soon be able to retire and spend lots of time at his beloved cottage, so Mary Ann hosted a party to celebrate. The party was on my moving day and if it was for anyone else, I wouldn't have gone. But, how could I miss? The setting was perfect! Their cottage overlooks Lake Huron and is gorgeous. The day was filled with outside games, fabulous food and great friends. Dinner was served at a long family-style table overlooking the lake and I got to sit beside the guest of honour!

The day will come when Bruce and I don't share our breaks at the picnic table, but I know that we will always be friends and look forward to the day he calls to tell me to do my "happy dance" :)

2011-07-18T11:33:00.000-04:00

Last week I experienced my first home repair project. Sure, I've done some things since moving in, but most of them consisted of making a list and having someone else complete the task. Not this time!

I was in the middle of my morning shower and I had just finished rinsing the shampoo from my hair (fortunately!). I had just squirted some facial cleanser into my hand and was lathering it up when all of a sudden the spout where the water comes out FELL OFF! At the same moment, the water which was being redirected up to the shower head started to gush at me at a 90 degree angle! I was able to finish my shower by using the force of water similar to that of a fire hydrant. As I dried off, I tried to gather my thoughts about what I was going to do about this problem.

I picked up the spout and examined it. The end was threaded and it appeared it would just screw back on to the tub. However, when I tried to do this, the taps were in the way. So, I went to my tool box and returned with the appropriate screwdriver. I removed the taps, screwed the spout back on and returned the taps to their rightful place. I was feeling pretty proud of myself....until the next morning during my shower.

Yes, it happened again. As soon as I pulled up on the knobby that makes the water go to the shower head, it fell off again. This time I took the piece with me in a ziploc baggie to Home Depot. I was a little surprised when the man working there suggested a roll of 75 cent teflon tape. Seemed like an easy enough fix...and it was! I repeated the same steps but this time I applied a few rounds of the tape before putting the spout back on. Five showers later, it is still holding up.

There is a certain sense of accomplishment in problem solving and fixing something all on my own. I'm sure this is the first of many experiences like this and I promise I won't blog about them all!!

2011-07-06T16:49:00.001-04:00

It might seem like a strange thing to say, but today I attended the best funeral. Jim Teskey was friends with my dad "back in the day". Years later, after Jim had married Lynda and Dave had married Ellen and they had 6 kids between them, the Teskey and the Mills clans would hang out.

There were games nights and camping excursions, campfires with smores and watching movies on a BETA player at the Teskeys!! Jason and John were older than me - more the age of my siblings. So as the "older kids" got older, I was left tagging along with the adults. I didn't mind. Lynda didn't have a daughter and is definitely a girly-girl so having me around was like a surrogate daughter for her. We had lots of good times.

Memories of the Teskeys:

hearing stories of the trouble Jim & Dad used to stir up
camping at United Church Camp
pop and chip parties
seeing "The Nations"
Jim's ever-present suspenders
going to London Dairy
JIMLYN licence plate
Jim's love of the song "Lynda...Do You Wanna Dance" (and inspiration for me singing it almost every time I see her)

Jim was an easy-going, laid-back kind of a guy and a big ole teddy bear. He had a permanent post outside the back door at church where he would greet everyone going in. After giving him a hug and opening the door, you'd find Lynda inside asking where her hug was! He was the first person I knew that had hearing aids and I remember his constant leaning in and saying "eh?". He loved to joke with people and had a constant smirk on his face and twinkle in his eye.

We were all sad to hear that Jim had developed leukemia and even more sad when we learned that his days with us on earth were numbered. I went to see Jim one week ago. Lynda and I had a little cry when I got there, but she informed me that Jim didn't want any of that. In his last days he wanted all laughter and good memories and true to his word, he was still joking around as he sat on the edge of the bed.

The comforting thing about today is that Jim planned every last detail. He didn't want any suits and ties at his funeral...dress comfortably, casually and wear suspenders if you can. (Jim's trademark) The sanctuary today was a sea of suspenders :) Jim was able to ask each pallbearer, personally, if they would do the honour. He picked the music and scripture. The service was the most uplifting and inspirational funerals I have seen. It has "Jim" written all over it. My favourite details:

the family entered to the sounds of The Grundy County Auction
Jim exited to Louisiana Saturday Night
singing "I'll Fly Away" and "When We All Get To Heaven"
the poignant words of his sons
the pastor in a golf shirt
playing his & Lynda's song "Lay Me Down" by Conway Twitty (who else would play this song at a funeral? I was a puddle)
the funeral procession passing their house and the purple truck parked out front
the squirt guns pulled out at the grave site!

During the service, they played a song called "Jesus Laughing". The pastor explained this is how Lynda saw Jim entering heaven. As I listened to the song, I could picture Jim walking up to Jesus and asking what took so long or something of the like. It was such a great mental image to think that he is in a better place with those that have gone before us. So many times at funerals we get caught up in how we are feeling and how we will miss our loved one but Jim made the most graceful exit of anyone I know.

2011-06-30T17:26:00.000-04:00

She Moves On
(some of you smarty pants will recognize this Paul Simon reference)

As I type this, I am soaking up the sunshine on my back patio! Yep, that's right...my patio. It's a gorgeous day filled with sunny skies, the birds are chirping, the neighbour's dog is barking (yikes, hope that is not a constant) and I am enjoying my new address.

Life has been a little crazy lately to actually post to my blog, but today I'm taking a time out from unpacking, organizing and cleaning to sit out on the patio and actually enjoy my new home! So far, I'm loving it!

I officially moved in on Saturday with my "crew" of family and friends arriving on the scene about 9am. (I might take a moment here to comment that when people help you move, they definitely love you. It's a lot of hard work and I so appreciate the people that helped out!) Anyway, things were pretty smooth sailing until we tried to get the couch into the basement. That was not going to happen. It's ok though...I want to get a new couch anyway, so this will push me to start looking (measuring tape in hand)

Despite the misty morning, we finished up around 2pm and I was left with mountains of boxes to sort through and decide where everything was going to go. Well, I'm still sorting but definitely making progress.

As my apartment at the nunnery emptied out, it looked so sad, bare and hollow. I know I'm a bit of a sentimental but I had a lot of good memories from my time there. As with every major change, as a new chapter begins, we must close the book on another. Today I made one final trip to get my mail and do a sweep through all the cupboards. As I closed the door for a final time I was definitely feeling a little nostalgic.

However, my mood has not been overly melancholy! My first night at my new house already felt like home. Things are starting to take shape and I even cooked in my kitchen last night! I now have a dishwasher which is a great addition to my life :) My neighbours are all super nice and I think it's going to be a great little spot for me.

I had my first guests on Tuesday night. My friends Sarah, Amanda and Mallory came over to hang out on the patio. Unfortunately it got a little chilly after about an hour so we headed to the basement but it was nice to play host. Already looking forward to my first par-tay in August. Not sure I want to call it a "house warming" as I don't want people to feel like they need to bring a gift. I will need to give this some thought.

OK...that is enough about my transition into my new house. I'm going to go and enjoy the sunshine.

PS no photos yet as things are still a mess!

2011-06-21T22:45:00.000-04:00

Celebrating the Man I Call Dad.

The month of June always brings my dad's birthday followed by Father's Day. So, naturally it's a time to reflect on one of the most important men in my life.

My dad is many things: a farmer, a butcher, a carpenter. He's a jack-of-all-trades, therefore he can do pretty much anything that needs to be done. (at least in my eyes!) He's quiet and shy but can speak his mind. He dropped out of school at a young age to help out his aging father on the farm...but can do mental math like no one I know.

As a kid I can remember riding in his pick-up listening to an orange 8 track cassette of Johnny Cash. (still a favourite) Helping on the farm was just part of the deal, so spending time with Dad usually meant picking up rocks (with thrilling rides in the front end loader), hoeing milk weed, handing him tools or just catching a ride to the mill when it was time to pick up or drop off. One of my most memorable chores was waxing the combine. Yes...I waxed a combine!!

As a farmer, Dad was an early-riser and expected you to be too. Many Saturday mornings I woke to the sound of the constant clink of his spoon in his coffee cup - not so much to stir his morning java but to ensure the household was rising from their slumber. Occasionally he'd really out-do himself and ring the doorbell, which would ring in every room in the house. (thanks to our 80's state-of-the-art intercom system!)

My dad has gone through a lot of personal challenges in his years. He had lost both parents by the time he was 40 and three siblings by his mid-fifties. He has endured the ups and downs of depending on the land to make a living and survived raising four kids. (including three girls!) Although we don't always agree on every issue, he is my dad and has made me who I am today.

Yesterday I had the great pleasure of walking the aisles of Home Depot with Dad as we shopped for things for my new house. I was a little surprised at the great nostalgic feeling I had as I pushed the cart and listened to him explain where we needed to go next. Perhaps part of me remembered those trips to the hardware store or "Websters" in Wyoming as a kid and perhaps part of me realized how much has changed in those years.

So, this June I wanted to pay tribute to my dad...John David Mills.
Love you dad.

2011-06-17T17:55:00.000-04:00

Lunching With The Bag Lady

For quite some time, I have heard people talking about a little place called The Bag Lady, here in London. It is a very small but funky restaurant that I often pass on morning walks. Urban Spoon recommends it and it's popped up on Twitter as well. I decided it was time to check out this Bag Lady.

However, I think I chose a rather humorous time to check out The Bag Lady. My friend Murray and I had plans for lunch and catching up. I thought TBL would be a good place to go...and it was. It was just hilarious to see the juxtuposition of Murray there.

Picture, if you will, a burly man with "beefy forearms" (as Nick Paparella likes to say) picking me up in a rather large pick-up truck. We had to park on the street as the parking lot was a little small for Murr's truck. We walked in and I had to chuckle. Besides being small, the place was stacked with retro chotchkies. Not being one to make a fuss, Murray took it all in stride and walked up to the counter to order his sandwich.

I must admit, the food was great and the atmosphere was fun however, Murray was the only testosterone in the room. We both had to laugh when 8 ladies wearing purple and red hats pulled up seats in the table next to us. No doubt they belonged to the Red Hat Society.

Later that day, I texted Murray to say thanks for being such a great sport. He wrote back to say that the food was great and it would be a good spot for the next Teamsters' meeting :)

2011-06-09T21:56:00.000-04:00

In a previous post, I wrote about winning an award from IABC and London Life. Well, last week my friend Amanda and I attended the Virtuoso Awards. What a fun night!

When I saw that the ticket said "cocktail attire" I had planned on wearing a new dress I had purchased on a recent excursion to Great Lakes Crossing with Kim. However, the day of the event, the temperature dropped and I was reluctant to wear a sleeveless number. I tried on a few other options but just wasn't happy with them. I texted Amanda to complain about this and she suggested using a scarf/shawl. Great idea! I was all set.

I picked Amanda up and we headed for Museum London. It was a very funky atmosphere with being at an art gallery, swanky hors d'oeuvres, chill music and lots of people! We made our way around the room and saw a few familiar faces from Fanshawe. When it was time for the awards presentation, I was one of the first ones on stage. One of the instructors from Fanshawe presented the award and she was very excited for me. I got some nice hardware as well as a cheque for $500 ...sweet!

Here are a few pics from the evening...

2011-05-28T22:55:00.000-04:00

Tonight I had an unexpected surprise. My sister Jo-Anne had suggested the two of us go out for dinner to celebrate my completion of the CCPR program at Fanshawe. To me, it was simply making it to the finish line. But Jo-Anne thought it was important to celebrate all my hard work, long days and determination. Sure, I thought...why not?

She emailed me yesterday to say Nick decided to join us as well. So, they arrived in the family mini-van to pick me up. Since I'm moving, they brought lots of boxes for me and as we were transferring them to the house, I noticed a balloon bouquet in the van. I didn't think it was a good idea to take it with us to the restaurant...that would be embarrassing. Jo-Anne seemed a bit disappointed, but brought it inside. Awww, had I known what she had planned, I would have just let her take it with us.

When we showed up at Foolini Koolini's, we were walking up to the door and I suddenly saw my mom & dad. I knew something was up because they would not be just hanging out downtown London on a Saturday night! So, Jo-Anne had coordinated the whole family to go for dinner in my honour.

Wow, I felt so special. After all my work over the past year it was so nice to feel like it mattered and that people were actually proud of what I had done. I really hadn't thought a lot about it, but tonight I certainly felt like I had accomplished something. And as a little reward for this, they got me a wireless magic mouse! It looks so fantastic in the box...in its own acrylic case. Sleek and stylish. I can't wait to get it set up and start using it!

Thanks to Jo-Anne & Nick, Mom & Dad, John & Karen and Connie & Steve. Love you all.

2011-05-24T15:37:00.000-04:00

Finally...some photos of my house.

2011-05-23T17:39:00.002-04:00

What A Week!

So, they say that things happen in threes. To follow up on my last post about my new house, in the same week I also started a new job AND won an award!

"A new job?" you may say? I thought she still worked at the TV station. Well...I do. This is a part time job that more or less landed in my lap around the same time the house stuff was all happening. It started when I attended a "thank you night" at Fanshawe for all people/businesses that were involved with our program this year. As I walked in the door, one of my teachers was standing there talking to someone and said "Oh, there's Janice now." It turns out that Jackie was speaking with Marc (my new boss) about a position he had available and she thought I'd be perfect for the role. I just happened to walk in at that moment.

So, I spoke with Marc for a few minutes and he gave me his card. I followed up with emailing him my resume and after a few emails back and forth, I had landed myself a part time job! This works out perfectly for me as I can keep the security of my job at /A\ while I gain experience in the communications industry. The Achievement Centre is very flexible with what days/hours I come in so it works well with my existing schedule.

My first day on the job was the day I bought my house, so it was rather surreal! Since then I have been learning the ropes and will be facilitating a weekly newsletter and managing web content. Last week I was already designing a new brochure for them! I know there will be other duties added to this, once I am familiar with the operations.

On my third day on the job, I got an email from Fanshawe College that I am the recipient of The London Life Fanshawe College IABC London Award of Excellence for 2011. I wasn't exactly sure what the award was or why I was receiving it, so I emailed one of my teachers. She replied back that indeed, I had won the award which is for the student with the top marks. Wahoo! All my early mornings and long days had paid off...literally! Jackie informed me that the award comes with $500 cash. Perfect timing for "found money" with lots of things on the list to buy for my house.

2011-05-13T17:36:00.000-04:00

This week I became a homeowner. What an exciting plunge I took, but it doesn't come without a great back story!

I had been casually looking for a house for the past year and a half. However, with returning to school, it was put on the back burner.With two weeks left in my program and lots of end-of-term projects looming, I discovered a house that looked absolutely perfect for me. My friend Kim went with me to check it out and it lived up to my expectations. So much so that I called my parents to see if they would come and look at it.

We wandered through the house with other possible buyers during its first open house. My dad (who tends to be a pessimist) could only say that it had squeaky hardwood floors. Indeed, it was the perfect little house for me. However, my head was spinning with the end of school looming and wondering if now was really the right time for me to jump into home ownership. I decided that perhaps it was best if I waited. There would, after all, be lots of other houses for sale.

Several weeks passed, I finished school, and I happened to notice online that the house was still for sale and the price had actually dropped! Hmmm, my interest was rekindled. I drove past it again and around the neighbourhood. I talked about it with my friend Duane, thought about it some more and went to look through it once again. This time I took my friend Murray with me, who has been my go-to guy about such matters since I have known him. We discussed over lunch and after going through the house, Myrrh gave it a solid thumbs up. I was on the verge...but actually making an offer was a big decision. I needed the weekend to think about it.

Over the Easter weekend, I thought about it some more and crunched the numbers. I considered the pros and cons and by Monday, I emailed Lisa to say I wanted to make an offer. I was so disappointed when she emailed me back to say someone had put an offer on it THAT DAY. I couldn't believe that it had sat on the market with no offers for four weeks, and as soon as I was ready, someone else was ready too. This was the beginning of a roller coaster ride of hopeful optimism and then disappointment.

As the rules go, I wasn't allowed to make an offer until the buyer decided to accept the counter-offer or sign it back to the seller. Lisa was convinced he would sign as he knew someone else was interested. (disappointment) However, she emailed me to let me know that he signed it back with another offer which opened it up to me. (optimism) So, as was Lisa's suggestion, I went in with my best offer. Later that afternoon I found out that a third offer had entered the mix. So, although my offer was beating the first one...the second one was competition. I increased my offer as high as I felt comfortable, but in the end it wasn't enough. The other offer won out. (disappointment)

Lisa reminded me that the offer could always fall through - you just never know. But, that doesn't happen very often. I was convinced that the house was gone, but was awaiting the final word. In the meantime, I was pretty disappointed to have missed out on the perfect property. Anything else I looked at just didn't compare.

Nearly two weeks passed before I got a call, text and email from Lisa while I was driving to see my mom on Mother's Day. The offer had fallen through and the house was available again! I couldn't believe it. I knew at that point it was meant to be. In fact, I had said that to my friend Bruce...if this deal falls apart, I was meant to live in that house!! So I texted Lisa back to say YES!

The next few days were again filled with ups and downs as I had a verbal agreement to my offer when another offer came in. Unfortunately, they had to bring it forward to the seller and it was higher than mine. But, since the house was meant to be mine....the seller decided to go with me. She just felt like that was the right decision.

So, after a week of appointments, paperwork, home inspection, more paperwork and even getting my very first lawyer...I am the proud owner of my first house. I will post more details about the property itself soon. Stay tuned! (but I will say... front porch and hardwood floors!)

2011-05-11T21:25:00.000-04:00

Somewhere, In A Burst Of Glory - Sound Becomes A Song (Paul Simon)

I first discovered Simon & Garfunkel after poring over the Columbia House magazine. I was searching for one of my required CD's...no wait, it was cassettes! (eek) ...when I saw the "greatest hits" collection. I read over the list of songs and thought most of them sounded familiar so I would go for it. When it came in the mail and I listened to the sweet sounds of their harmony, I was in love. This love affair has lasted most of my life. The light and airy voice of Art Garfunkel paired with the musical genius of Paul Simon - what is not to love?

It didn't take me long before I discovered Paul's solo career. I must say that I am continually impressed with his musical brilliance. I might even go as far as to say that Rhythm of the Saints is my favourite album and Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes could be my favourite song. (although it is tough to edge out The Beatles' In My Life)

So, when I heard Mr. Simon has a new album coming out, followed by a tour I naturally had to go. And, for an autograph seeker, like myself, Massey Hall is the perfect place to see Paul. Besides being an intimate venue with great acoustics...the opportunity to see the artist exit the side door and possibly score an autograph is pretty good. Armed with a black and white photo and a silver pen, I set out to meet the prodigy.

When you're serious about music, you include EIGHT musicians with you on stage, including two complete drum kits! In this set list, Paul opted for some of the non-hits but crowd-pleasers just the same. I was thrilled when he did Father/Daughter back to back with Diamonds. He even did a cover of George Harrison's Here Comes the Sun!

After the show, I joined the other faithful and waited for Paul to emerge. After a while he did and he was so great about signing. He didn't sign S&G stuff...which I had anticipated (thankfully). When he looked at my photo, he said "that's a terrible photo, why would you want that signed?" I told him that I loved that photo! Unfortunately, I had my silver pen uncapped for too long and when he tried to sign, it was all dried out!!! That is really the stuff nightmares are made of. I desperately called out for another marker and finally got one. So, I ended up with 2 autographs - one looking rather like a 3rd grader did it.

And that is the story of the day I met Paul Simon.

2011-05-08T22:35:00.000-04:00

I'm sure that most people think their mom is special, and I am no exception. With today being Mother's Day, it's a time to celebrate moms everywhere. I'm pretty sure that when you become a mom, you gain super-hero powers. Moms require less sleep, can fix anything, have a healing touch and seem to know all the answers...until you become a teenager anyway.

My mom fits this criteria and then some. Long after everyone had gone to bed, she was switching a load of laundry from washer to dryer, packing lunches and making sure all was set for morning. She seems to have the ability to fix/mend/alter/clean/create ANYTHING...sometimes making me wonder if she actually performed a micro miracle. (one Christmas comes to mind when I was creating a Peter Pan costume for my nephew and we were up late into the night on the 24th. Sweat was beading on her forehead when I asked what I could do to help. She told me to pray. lol. Well...she pulled it off!)

I'm not sure if it's because she's a nurse or just part of being a mom, but she could always make me feel better when I was sick - knowing when you needed an ice pack, a band aid or gingerale. She had endless patience in the early years with teaching the alphabet, numbers, reading, tying shoes, etc. She always had time to sing a song and listen to how my day was. She drove me to piano lessons and then waited while I fumbled my way through. She navigated through many family vacations, reading the map while finding a campground WITH A POOL. She stayed up countless times, helping to finish school projects or book reports. She sacrificed so much for her four kids. Thanks Mom!

Of course, there are other moms in my family too... My sister-in-law Karen was the first to have a baby and we were all so excited to welcome Abby into the family, followed by Josh and Kaelyn! Some moms have more obstacles to overcome than others. My sister Connie had lots of those, but we were all delighted when she was able to adopt Madison. And a few years later, Jo-Anne added two adorable boys to the mix. I hope that some day I will have the privilege of being called Mom as well.

2011-04-27T20:32:00.004-04:00

When my friend and co-worker, Scott Lightfoot, told me he had a job offer in Toronto and was considering accepting...I was totally excited for him. For as long as Scott has been on-air with us, I have said he is our best reporter. He just has a sense for news and always portrayed a professional image on-air, yet was lots of fun behind the scenes.

There is just something about Lightfoot that make people immediately feel comfortable and open up to him. I've always told him this as he always knows the gossip in the newsroom first! People confide in him. Yet, he never betrays that confidence. He is a great listener and always has great perspective on life (despite his sarcastic and jaded persona) Scott is a talented photographer, creative gift-giver and keen on gadgets - he's taught me a thing or two about wii games and iphone apps. :)

So, I was happy for him that he was embarking on a new adventure. I remained happy for him until the night before his last night in the newsroom. We were sitting around talking and the reality hit me that he was MOVING to TORONTO! I know I will still see him occasionally, but friendships just aren't the same when you no longer work together. In fact, in that moment, I got a little verklempt.

I met Scott during my first year working at the station. I was filling in as Associate Producer on the morning show "New Day" while they searched for a new co-host. Part of my duties was to co-ordinate guests hosts that were either auditioning or making a cameo appearance. I clearly remember Scott remote-hosting from the front of Museum London to promote the "Flicks at the Forks". He's come a long way... :)

So...we made it through Lightfoot's last day - complete with a giant microphone cake. The newsroom was pretty quiet as he made his way out that night, carrying his box of desk contents. But, we haven't seen the last of Scott. As soon as we figure out his new schedule we will have a proper send-off and I'm sure it will be quite the party!

2011-04-17T18:51:00.000-04:00

I can finally say I have a few minutes to sit down and update my blog. Yes, my classes are finished and with the exception of one online exam, I am finished the Corporate Communication & Public Relations course at Fanshawe!

It doesn't really seem that long ago that I decided to take the plunge and head back to school. It was a year and a half ago that I started this journey - first with online courses, then part-time status in September and full-time status in January. The past four months have, by far, been the most challenging simply because of the schedule I've been keeping. Each day I was out of the house early in the morning (some days by 7:30am others by 9:30am) and returned after work at midnight. As you can imagine this was exhausting.

The last few weeks were filled with final projects and presentations and although the end was in sight, they were tough. I'm happy to say that I did survive and complete the course with honours.

Returning to student life after so long of being in the working world was a bit daunting. However, by easing my way back into it, I actually enjoyed the whole process. Along the way I met some great new friends and had some fantastic instructors as well.

I'm not sure the reality has hit me that I won't be waking up at the crack of dawn and driving to Fanshawe anymore. Perhaps in a week or so it will seem more real.

2011-04-07T20:37:00.001-04:00

please click on photo for animation

OK...I know I've been missing for a long time, but I have been SOOOO busy. School is almost done - one more week. I have so many blog posts composed in my mind but haven't had time to write them. Soon.

In the meantime, enjoy this animated bobblehead I made for one of my classes! He he he.

2011-03-08T08:04:00.000-05:00

Welcome Madilyn!

On February 7th, my oldest and most cherished friend embarked on an amazing adventure. Karla Ann became a mom!

Even before giving birth, Karla had the most mom-instinct of anyone I know. She is naturally maternal and already has the domestic thing down with cooking, sewing, canning, knitting, etc.

It was fun to watch her progress through her pregnancy and prepare for the arrival of her little girl. Yep, they found out ahead of time that it was a girl. This provided ample time for name selection and preparing for the little bundle. As the due date grew near I could tell she was becoming a little more anxious. It is, afterall, a big responsibility to come home from the hospital with.

Unfortunately, baby Reycraft did not arrive by her due date and each day that passed was one day closer to an induction. KA was really hoping to go into labour naturally, but was induced on the morning of February 7th.

By 2pm I got the call from Mark. They had a healthy, yet unnamed baby girl that weighed in at 8lbs 2oz and has RED HAIR!! Everyone was doing great. Later that day I learned that her name is Madilyn Marie. Isn't that adorable?

Mark & Karla are thrilled with their new addition and they are all getting to know each other. I have to admit, she is a little sweetie.

2011-03-04T09:29:00.000-05:00

Yes. I have been slacking in my blog posts as of late. Projects for school, projects for United Way as well as connecting with people in the "real" world, rather than virtually, have all played a role.

There is lots to blog about and will be forthcoming in the next few days. Stay tuned for a brand new baby, published books, a trip to Florida and so much more!

2011-02-09T15:51:00.000-05:00

Are you a faithful follower of "My Place In The World"? I will soon be publishing a book of my first five years of blogging. If you would like to order a copy, please let me know ASAP.

2011-02-04T16:52:00.006-05:00

CELEBRATING AN AMAZING WOMAN

On this day, 86 years ago, a tiny little baby was born. My grandparents' first daughter. She entered the world prematurely and although I don't know exactly how much she weighed, I've often heard her say they used a man's handkerchief for her diaper. They named her Cathleen Irene Mills, but when one of the Irish neighbours came by for a visit, he told my grandparents that name was too big for a little thing like her and she needed a good Irish name like Peggy. Believe it or not, that name has stuck with her for 86 years! Some folks call her Cathleen, others call her Kay but to me she will never be anything but Peggy!

Peggy grew up on a farm and worked just as hard as any of her brothers, helping her dad with work in the field and her mom with work in the house. Her self-sacrificing spirit meant she was always there for anyone that needed her. When she was a bit older, she became somewhat of a midwife. There was no training involved, but she would go and help deliver neighbourhood babies and then stay for a few weeks after to help out the mom. I thought it was really cool when I discovered that she actually lived at the Petrolia Hospital for a time. We were driving by the older part of the hospital one day (which used to be a house) and she pointed at the turret and said "oh, I used to live up there". Awesome.

Since I can remember, Peggy has been an important part of my family and I am so proud to call her my aunt. (although she is more like my grandma) She is a strong woman of faith and the most giving person I know. Her determination and courage has been an inspiration to me, as I think I've blogged about before. So, I'd just like to take this space to wish her a happy birthday! Love you lots Peggy!

2011-01-29T23:48:00.000-05:00

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This evening, I was in the mood for a good game of Scrabble. I play Scrabble online quite a bit, but there is a big difference between the Facebook version and the real-life version. The non-virtual kind requires you to play in real time which puts some pressure on!

My opponent tonight was my sister Jo-Anne. To begin, I said we could either draw a tile to decide who would play the first word, or we could just decide who has the bigger word. Since I play a lot and she does not I opted to let her play the first word. I immediately regretted my decision. She played ALL of her letters - a bonus of 50 points! That means she started with an 80 point lead. Yowzers.

After a few moves, Nick came over and asked if I was actually going to let her play the word STINGEY. When I asked why, Nick explained that stingy is actually spelled without an E. Jo-Anne and I were both in disbelief...although more-so me as I could've saved her from getting those 80 points off the top!!

The game progressed at a rather slow pace with Jo-Anne frequently commenting that she should play more often as she was just not seeing the words. For some frustrating reason, the board just did not progress in a good way. I had both the Q and the Z and could have played the word QUIZ (hello? points!) but could not find a place to play it. Augh.

As the time passed, I had to laugh when Jo-Anne commented "when did this board get so obnoxious and ignorant?" I had to laugh! It was just not working for either of us and we were both really just hoping to end it. However, the letters in the bag were multiplying like the loaves and fishes! For this reason, when Jo-Anne asked if re-exit is a word...I agreed that it probably was :) Nick overheard this conversation and asked her to use it in a sentence. (that is always the test!) After a moment, Jo-Anne came up with "well, you know...like with an actress...'can you please re-exit the scene, we need to get that again' ...so, you know...re-exit." Ha ha ha...favourite moment of the night.

We nearly made it to the end of the game, but I'm sad to say we did not actually play all of the tiles. But, a good time was had by all!

2011-01-22T16:24:00.000-05:00

What do Janice Mills and Oprah Winfrey have in common? A lot, it seems. I have picked up on some interesting facts about Oprah that I have in common with her. Interesting. Included in that list:

we both LOVE Paul Simon
we both have a phobia of chewing gum
we both drive VW bugs
we both love scrabble
we both love The Sound of Music

2011-01-13T16:53:00.000-05:00

where is the pause button?

So I'm almost done week two of my last term at schoool. I'm exhausted. This schedule is getting the best of me. Mondays and Tuesdays are spent at United Way before heading in to work. Wednesdays and Thursdays I have class from 8am until I go to work. Fridays are a bit of a reprieve as I just have class from noon - 3pm. However, I think Friday mornings will be spent working on group projects as that is the only time slot available for such things. Augh!

I haven't even taken my Christmas decorations down yet. I have not yet sent a birthday card to my Grammie and her birthday was one week ago. If you know me, you know it is not like me to miss a birthday! So...I will probably disappear for the next few months and see you all in April. Seriously.

2011-01-10T16:26:00.000-05:00

2010 Retrospective

I can't quite believe that we are already 10 days into 2011. How did that happen? Life has been busy and I have not posted much on my blog. But, today I thought I would take a few minutes to reflect on the past year.

2010 was a transitional year for me. Lots of life changes, but all things that I'm happy to have done. I started the year off by taking 2 online classes at Fanshawe College. I had decided to head back to school in the 2010/2011 school year for Corporate Communications/Public Relations. By taking the online classes, I would free up some time in my fall schedule. I'm so glad I made that choice! So from January - August, I completed a total of four online classes. It kept me busy and got me back in the mindset of reading text books and writing papers.

My sister Connie opened a tearoom appropriately called "Connie's" in January. I am very proud of what she has accomplished in the past year. It is a fantastic little place on Petrolia's main street and she's doing great things there! I've been able to help her out with some design stuff including business cards, etc. so it's been a fun learning experience for me too!

Sometime in the spring, I decided to make some changes in the food I eat. There was a series of events that prompted this change including but not exclusively an episode of Oprah, watching Food Inc., seeing Paul McCartney in concert (he's a veggie) and seeing the changes my sister made in her diet after surviving colon cancer. At first it was a conscious effort but over time, it has just become a natural decision and I feel great!

In May I made the trek to New York City with some friends. It has always been on my "to do" list and it was such a fun trip! It has now made it's way on to my "places to return" list! June saw the annual Moore Reunion, which my family was hosting this year. We planned an Olympic theme and it turned out AWESOME! I spearheaded this venture but was proud of how my family came together and pulled off the best reunion yet. You can check out details here.

As I mentioned earlier, I saw my very favouritest celebrity again in 2010. In August I headed to the big city to see Sir Paul McCartney rockin' out on stage. What can I say? I love Paul. He makes me happy. And speaking of celebrities...it was soon time for the Toronto International Film Festival. Lots of good times spent star gazing this year! Highlights for me included some of my fave TV stars: Dwight Shrute, David Silver, Ross Geller and Kirk from Gilmore Girls!

September was also time to head back to school. Wow, what a transition! It was a little bit scary but mostly fun to sling on my backpack and slip into the classroom. I'm loving my program so the classes are actually cool and don't feel too much like work. I've met some great new friends and been a part of some pretty cool projects. Just fourteen more weeks and I'll be officially finished.

Oh ya...also in 2010 my bestest friend since forever ago found out she's going to be a mom! What an exciting adventure she is embarking on. I know she will be a terrific mom and I can't wait to meet the little bambino.

So another year is officially in the books and another one just opening up before us. Can't wait to see what lies ahead in 2011.

2010-12-26T23:57:00.000-05:00

The Big 4-oh.

I can't believe it, but today my favourite (and only!) brother John turns forty. It doesn't seem that long ago that we were planning a surprise fortieth birthday party for my DAD! Time does fly, doesn't it?

John is pretty special to me. He is one of the sweetest and kindest people I know. He has a truly gentle spirit and would never intentionally hurt anyone. I have always felt honoured to call him my brother.

When I was born, John was really disappointed that I was a girl because he really wanted a brother. Who could blame him? He already had TWO sisters. However, with some time, he grew to love me and we became pretty good pals.

Many hours were spent exploring outside and learning from my all-knowing older brother. John is an outdoorsman, so he always had interesting tidbits to share while we wandered through the bush or were fishing in the ditch across the road.

To celebrate this monumental birthday, I knew I wanted to do something special. Not only is John an outdoorsman, but he is also pretty sentimental. Combining these traits I believe I created the perfect birthday present for him. I documented 40 memories on strips of paper, rolled them up and stuffed them into empty shotgun shells! The shells were contained in a little box specifically for such a thing. I knew he would love reminiscing when he unrolled each one. He did :)

Happy birthday Johnny Boy.

2010-12-18T01:13:00.000-05:00

THE MANY FACES OF JANICE MILLS

Apparently I have hyper-expressive facial expressions. I guess I have always been aware of this fact, but over time, it kind of faded from my memory. After all, I don't actually see my face a whole lot.

Several months ago, my friend Duane started commenting on my extreme facial distortions. In fact, he started numbering them... as in "oh, that was a number 9 with a bit of 7 thrown in" He also started to mock my expressions which, without fail, makes me laugh out loud. I'm pretty sure I don't look like Duane on a regular basis but it is pretty funny.

This has become a standard and ongoing joke between the two of us and has been the source of some hilarious statements from Mr. Duane. Last week he declared I have "a smorgasbord of events on my face" and yesterday told me to "get my face off my face". I love Duane...he's hilarious.

All of this talk of my face and its contortions has caused me to be a little self-conscious about what exactly I'm doing as I talk to people. I have to admit, I'm a little more cautious as I'm listening to a story or reacting to news. I have, on more than one occasion, been told that I remind people of a muppet. Some might take offence to that, but since I LOVE the muppets...I'll take it as a compliment! In fact, there is already a muppet named Janice. Ironic? Maybe not. And, I do recall something in my college video yearbook about my crazy faces and how they can never be repeated. Oy. All this time I've been a freak show. Thanks for pointing this out Duane.

This might be a good time to re-post my photo of the day project from 2009. Although I didn't pull any crazy faces, it is kind of fun to watch. Perhaps 2011 should see a photo of the day - each with a different expression?

2010-12-15T17:35:00.000-05:00

Janice Mills loves being a Canadian, but this snow is a tough trade-off. Good thing I look cute in a touque.

This is my current Facebook status and it's so true! Yesterday, London got even more snow...so much that as I was driving out my lane today, the snow on either side of my car was level with the bottom of the window of my car! Wow. Fanshawe College was closed today which meant I could write my one and only exam online at home. Sweet!

I am so glad I didn't drive to Sarnia on Sunday as I had planned! I had purchased tickets to take Grammie to see a Celtic Christmas with the Barra MacNeils on Sunday at the Imperial Theatre in Sarnia. Last year we went for dinner and went to see The Nutcracker. It was such a nice evening, we decided to make it a tradition. However, our resident weatherman Ross kept warning me last week that the weather was going to be "hellish" on Sunday and Monday and I shouldn't go. After waffling back and forth about whether to go (I didn't want to stand my Grammie up!) I decided it was pretty nasty on Sunday and I would not make the trip. It worked out that Karla & Mark could use the tickets and I could stay inside. Best decision. Ever.

Monday morning I woke up to find out the 402 was closed and Lambton County was declared a state of emergency! Over 200 people were stranded on the highway...it even made it on CNN! Yesterday some of that snow made its way to London and made life miserable. Although, I gotta say...my beetle is really standing up in all this snow. I haven't really been stuck once. I had help to get in my drive-way once but that is all. Now, let's just hope that is all the snow before Christmas!

2010-12-09T17:54:00.000-05:00

LET IT SNOW...

For the first time since the year I was born, London has had it's biggest one day snowfall. The snow fell....and it just kept falling!

Sunday afternoon was our kids' Christmas party for /A\ employees. I set out around noon to set up for the party and although it was snowing, it wasn't treacherous. As 1pm passed to 1:30pm we started to wonder where the party participants were. People started showing up and telling us it took an HOUR to get across town. The snow was coming down fast and furious and the roads were a mess. Surprisingly, there were only 4 kids that were registered and didn't show up. Perhaps a comment on how awesome our party was!

On Monday, the first day of my internship was cancelled and a test at Fanshawe turned into an online submission. It was officially a "snow day". Unfortunately, working in the newsroom means there never is really a snow day for us. I had to venture outside mid-afternoon, find my car and make my way through the streets of London to get the news on the air. As is typical, we took the story and ran with it. Our entire first half hour was coverage of the snow and every angle we could think of. My friend Lisa offered to drive me home in her 4 wheel drive Escape and I accepted the offer. I left the poor beetle buried in snow.

The snow just kept coming and Tuesday was also declared a snow day. Even city buses were pulled off the roads! I stayed inside and baked cookies while listening to Tony Bennett and Karen Carpenter croon the holiday classics. It was a great day until it was time to go to work :) Lisa picked me up and we headed in for day 2 of groundhog day. More of the same snow stories. It was getting really ridiculous...the snow was really piling up!

Tuesday evening, Fanshawe confirmed that classes would be cancelled on Wednesday. So, another day at home. It was great. I took advantage of this one to complete my InDesign/Writing assignment of a 6 page newsletter. I also took the beetle in to Autobahn to get my brakes serviced and ask about snow tires. I think I'm going to take the plunge and get a set.

Anyway...the snow has now subsided...for now. Ross says there is another storm coming on Sunday. Great!

2010-11-30T22:28:00.000-05:00

I survived my first Black Friday shopping experience!

I have always been a little curious about the whole idea, so when my friend Kim asked me if I wanted to go this year, I said "sure!" Every year, Kim and her friend Karen head over to the river to do some all-night shopping at Birch Run. This year we mixed things up a bit and went to Great Lakes Crossing in Auburn Hills.

My day started with an 8am class on Thursday. I must admit, I tried to have a little nap in the afternoon, but it was not a successful mission. I was wide awake so I just decided to give up on the dream of some extra mid-afternoon sleep. We left Kim's place at 11:30pm and after stopping for our coffee, crossed the border into Michigan. Along the way, we saw some poor suckers set up in tents outside of Best Buy and Walmart stores. I cannot imagine going that hard core.

When we hit the mall, we circled like sharks to find a parking spot and the closest entrance was "The Children's Place". I couldn't believe my eyes when we walked in to see a huge line-up, but more importantly, people had KIDS IN STROLLERS. People...it's 2am...these children need to be in bed! Craziness! Actually the craziest thing I saw was perhaps not the kids in strollers, but rather a woman that barfed right in the middle of the mall at exactly the same moment that I happened to be walking by. What are the odds? Augh...gross!

The shopping was pretty fun, with a few deals to be had, but nothing earth-shattering. It really was more about the experience than the deals for me. I was trying stuff on at Banana Republic at 4am and commented to Kim "I'm not even tired, this is wild!" We stopped for breakfast around 7am and headed back to Port Huron to hit Birchwood Mall. I think we had run out of steam by then, but we carried on nonetheless.

By the time we reached Kim's house at 1pm I was ready for some sleep and had a 2 hour nap before heading back to London. And so, my very first Black Friday shopping experience. Success.

2010-11-21T16:11:00.000-05:00

THE SISTERHOOD

Happy birthday to my sister Connie. Today is her birthday...which falls exactly 7 days after my sister Jo-Anne's birthday.

Sisters are such a unique and awesome relationship, I always feel a twinge of sadness for girls/women that don't have a sister. Sisters can drive you crazy or be your biggest support. You can tell your sister things that you would never dream of telling anyone else and expect the same in return.

My sisters couldn't be more opposite. It really is an interesting spectrum that I am right in the middle of!

Jo-Anne is the oldest and 8 years my senior. When we were kids, this age gap seemed huge and as a result I was the annoying little sister! I didn't know I was so annoying until years later when she broke the news to me. Devastating!

As we got older, she moved out to go to school and I moved into her bedroom. Finally, my own room! Jo-Anne has always been an excellent encouragement, always knowing the right words to say and giving perspective when you're in the middle of a situation and can't see things from the other side.

Now that we are adults, Jo-Anne & Nick and their boys have become a big part of my life. We both live in London and are able to connect more often because of the close proximity. She is always very thoughtful in including me in their family and I love being a part of it.

Connie is next up from me in the line. We shared a room until we were teens and had a pretty tight bond because of it. We would stay up late talking...mostly me asking about her exciting life and listening to her stories...because she was older. Lots of time was spent playing with Barbies, baking and tons of craziness. She could make me laugh with the simplest things.

Even after she moved out, I would hang out at her apartment (and later her house) and often stay over. When I think of Connie I think of spontaneous adventures...like putting up the Christmas tree at 2 in the morning... just because we could! With Steve and Madison in the picture now, we still have the same fun...just with more people. I'm so lucky to be part of their family too!

So, I'd like to wish both of my sisters an awesome birthday and say thanks for the memories, moments and hope there's lots more to come! Love you lots.

2010-11-17T22:13:00.000-05:00

Etiquette. Is it dying?

I have recently come back from an "etiquette lunch" at Fanshawe. It was offered to all students in my program as an optional experience. The lunch was at Saffrons - a fine dining room at Fanshawe . Throughout the lunch, we got tips on what is acceptable and expected during a business lunch as well as more formal parties.

For the most part, I think I have behaved acceptable in the past...however, did you know you are supposed to tear a small piece of bread and put it in your mouth rather than biting it off? Hmm. I did not! It was pretty informative and the food was really good!

The thing I thought was ironic, however, was that during the tutorial people were talking to those next to them with total disregard for what the host was saying. There is nothing that bugs me more. I have noticed this a lot lately, whether it is in a meeting, at church, or the biggest offender - in class. I think it is so rude, not only for the person that is supposed to be speaking, but also for those that want to listen.

OK...I'm stepping off my soap box now. Thanks for listening.

2010-11-14T00:26:00.000-05:00

Wiggling with Liam

My nephew Liam turned three this summer and as is the Auntie Janice tradition, we got to spend a special day together. There was a bit of a delay from the time of his birthday to the big day, but there was good reason. We were going to see the Wiggles at the JLC.

Liam is an adorable and rambunctious three year old that loves music and dancing. So, I thought The Wiggles performance would be perfect for him. I, in fact, am a long-time fan of the group from down under. Well...ok maybe not, but I took my niece Abby to see them 8 years ago. Jo-Anne had Liam practicing his dance moves and by the time the big day arrived he was primed and ready to go!

I picked him up at daycare and we headed downtown. After a walk around the Covent Garden Market, we stopped for a special treat - a cupcake. We checked out all of our options, and Liam picked a nice chocolate one with a pumpkin candy on top. He was very careful while eating the cupcake. I'm not sure if this was to avoid getting messy, or more likely, to ensure every bit went into his mouth. It was hilarious to watch this whole procedure!

The Wiggles performance was apparently either under or overwhelming as he wasn't interested in singing nor dancing, but rather going to my house to make "scary pumpkins". We had made the mistake of telling him that we would be making jack-o-lanterns after the show. So, we ended up leaving the Wiggles behind and digging our hands into cold slimy pumpkin guck! What fun.

2010-11-11T07:08:00.000-05:00

Today is November 11, which to most of us means Remembrance Day. Leading up to today, there are many special features, commercials and vignettes played on TV to help us remember the sacrifices of those that fought for our country. They usually bring a tear to my eye.

Today I am remembering my Grandad. He was a paratrooper in the second world war - where he met and married my Grammie. I don't remember Grandad talking about the war very much and I wish I had more time to get to know him and ask him questions.

I'm also remembering a dear old friend, Gord. Gord was a war veteran that lived in Petrolia and could frequently be seen riding his bike around town and stopping for coffee with anyone that would take the time. Over time, we developed a friendship and I think I learned a lot from Gord.

So, I hope you take a few moments to remember today.

2010-10-31T13:15:00.000-04:00

FAMILY TREE
Trees, for some inexplicable reason, tend to carry an emotional attachment. There is something about seeing the same towering branches, season after season that is somewhat comforting.

When a tree is part of your history, it has even more meaning. This large maple tree has been the property where my parents live for many years. It was there when I was growing up, and it was there when my dad was growing up. Its roots are entwined with our roots.

I can remember sitting under it with a book, waiting for the bus and collecting beautiful coloured leaves from under it in the fall.

When my family gathered at Thanksgiving this year, we were told the tree had to be cut down. It was dead for the most part and this year while other trees flaunted their fall colours, this tree looked rather barren. My brother John suggested we get some photos with the tree as the next time we gather as a family, it will be gone.

I was a little sad to hear this news, but it provided a great impromptu photo shoot for the family. It will be strange to drive down that country road an see an empty spot where it once stood.

2010-10-30T16:25:00.001-04:00

THE BABY BUMP
In the words of Anne of Green Gables, Karla Ann is my kindred spirit. We met as teenagers and instantly were inseparable. As time passes and we live our lives in different cities with different paths, we don't see each other often anymore. However, true friends are always together in spirit.

Karla called me in the summer to let me in on a very special secret. She had just found out they are having a baby! This weekend was the first time I witnessed the baby bump for myself. I was caught off guard when I was overcome with emotion. I couldn't believe it...my bestest friend is going to have a baby! How exciting!

I know Karla will make an amazing mom. It's just part of her make-up. She is the perfect blend of nurturing, loving, patience, understanding and domestic diva.

2010-10-18T21:31:00.000-04:00

Strange Days Indeed.

Sometimes you see some pretty strange things just by keeping your eyes open. Just last week, while driving home at midnight, I saw someone rollerskating up a hill. Yes...I said rollerSKATING...not blading. That was a bit bizarre.

Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw coming towards me yesterday though. It was a humungous bike! I'm talking a really TALL bike. Like someone on stilts...but on a bike. I've never seen anything like it before. And then I googled it and there it was. Crazy times. How do you keep your balance on such a thing?

2010-10-17T23:45:00.000-04:00

As is tradition, my niece Kaelyn had her special day with Auntie Janice for her birthday last weekend. We decided this year it would be fun to go to the corn maze. I had no idea what fun we would have! The weather was absolutely perfect with the sun shining, blue skies and we had to take our jackets off as it was so warm!

We went to Leaping Deere Legends near Ingersoll and I would definitely recommend it for anyone with kids. There was so much to do and so much fun to be had! The corn maze played a minor role in our day that also included pumpkins being shot from a cannon, pig races, a hay ride, petting zoo, mini golf and lots of things to climb on! Kaelyn had a blast...and so did I.

Every time I pulled the camera out, Kaelyn would flash me her adorable smile. She is just so sweet. We had spaghetti for dinner and watched Horton Hears a Who. Can't go wrong with Dr. Suess! The next day we headed home for an awesome Thanksgiving dinner with the family. I wish every weekend could be so great!

2010-10-14T17:48:00.000-04:00

My apologies for my un-presence on the web these days. School and work are keeping me busy. I will attempt to post something this weekend.

I also apologize for being out of touch with all my peeps. There is a light at the end of the tunnel when life will return to normal. Thanks for hanging in there!

~J.

2010-10-01T17:54:00.000-04:00

IT'S ALL IN THE AESTHETICS

Yesterday, while stopped at a red light, I looked over to see a Harley rumbling beside me. The man on the bike was decked out in full Harley leather and I thought... I wish that was me. Is it really about the Harley for me? Do I know anything about bikes? No. It's all about the aesthetics. The Harley just looks good.

Earlier that afternoon, I had driven past a certain house that always catches my eye. As I drove past it, I thought to myself how important the outside "look" of the house is for me and when I it comes down to it, that will play a big part in my purchase.

These thoughts collided as I was sitting at the lights, beside the Harley...it's all in the aesthetics for me. I am naturally drawn to thing (products) that have clean, defined lines, a nice use of space and generally look cool.

The car that I was sitting in...a beetle. Most recognizable lines/shape in automotive designs, I think. Do I love it because it is German engineered, has excellent safety ratings and is good on gas? No! While these things are great perks, let's face it...I bought it because it looks good. (better in yellow, but I digress...)

My laptop...same deal. Did I buy it because I love the operating system and all the technical capabilities? Heck no! That sleek and sexy design is what sold me.

When I look at a magazine, brochure or even an email, large blocks of text turn me off. There has to be lots of white space or it is a chore for me to read. What's worse is emails without paragraph breaks or even punctuation or CAPITAL LETTERS!!! Come on people. Not only is it proper grammar, it just makes it look nice!

So...that is my musing for the day. What can I say? I'm a sucker for the design.

2010-09-30T17:10:00.000-04:00

LIVING UP TO MY LEGEND...

Part of working at A channel is acquiring a "nick" name. Most of you are familiar with nick names, but I mean literally a Nick name. Nick Paparella assigns names to people and uses them relentlessly until they become a part of who you are.

My Nick name has been around almost as long as I have. It has a few variations, all stemming from "One-time Queen of the Furrow" ...Queen, One Time or sometimes the full-out version. For people new to the newsroom, they may think I'm a little arrogant when Nick calls "Queen" and I respond. Ha ha. Little do they know the constant harassment I live with.

It all started when Nick discovered I was once the Dresden Fair Princess. I'm not even sure how this topic came up, but he grabbed it and ran with it. To be honest, I was never trying to be royalty and it certainly was no pageant. I simply won a lot of ribbons at the Dresden Fair and the boy & girl with the most points were declared Prince & Princess. I was totally embarrassed when my parents made me ride in the parade through town. However, over time the story has evolved and I think most people I work with really believe that I was the Queen of the Furrow, a title bestowed upon a lucky lady at the International Plowing Match.

Last week the IPM came to Elgin County, just south of London. After a year of planning and buzz, Nick was in his element when he was able to do a story about the history of the "Queen of the Furrow". Of course, I was noticeably absent. He did, however clip a photo out of the London Free Press and paste my face on to one of the contestants. (yes, he's technically challenged...his version of photoshop) He could barely contain his laughter as he walked up to my desk and posted the photocopy on my computer. Classic. The best part was that one of my coworkers saw the picture and actually thought it was REAL!

So, while at the IPM on the weekend, I couldn't resist getting this photo. It just felt like I should :)

2010-09-16T14:29:00.000-04:00

So much to blog about, so little time.

Wow, the past week and a half has been so busy I've hardly had time to think. My first day of school happened last Wednesday. Monday was Labour Day and I don't have any classes on Tuesday, so Wednesday was the big day. I strapped on my backpack and set out at 7:30am. (a little early for someone that normally goes to bed at 1am and gets up about 8:30) I found my class, a Mac Lab in the "M" building for InDesign. I'm really looking forward to learning this software and everything that goes with it.

The next two days were two more classes and meeting my classmates. Overall, I'm excited about my classes, what I'll be learning and the projects we'll complete. But, it's taking some time to get used to the busy schedule and early mornings.

After class on Friday afternoon, Lisa picked me up and we were off to Toronto for our annual trip to TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) It was an exhausting weekend of standing around star gazing (sounds easy, but it's tough stuff) but so worth it. It actually turned out to be more of a TV star weekend than movie stars. At the first premiere we went to, I saw "David Silver" from the original 90210. He's married to Megan Fox, who caused quite a stir...but I was more interested in getting my photo with Brian Austin Green!

Following that premiere, we waited around for the "Super" premiere. This was the one I was most anticipating as Rainn Wilson (AKA Dwight Shrute) was going to be there. The Office is my current favourite show and Dwight steals the show every time. I was pumped to see him up close and personal. As I was waiting for him to make his way down the press line, I noticed someone that looked familiar that was kinda standing around...not talking to the press and no one was asking for his autograph. It was KIRK from Gilmore Girls!! I didn't know his actual name, but I called Kirk and he came over. I was thrilled to get his autograph and a photo with him!

My other TV moment came when we saw David Schwimmer! Wow, after 10 years of watching him on Friends as Ross Geller, it was a little surreal to see him...and get a photo! Other highlights included Ben Stiller, Minnie Driver, Martin Sheen, Anthony Hopkins, John Legend, Emilio Estevez, Jennifer Garner, Liv Tyler, Mickey Rourke...the list goes on.

Now it's back to reality. Back to school, back to work. I've taken a few minutes out of the day to catch up blogging while watching the first episode of Survivor. When am I ever going to fit in all my TV shows? Yikes. I'll keep you posted about how I'm keeping up on life.

2010-09-06T19:08:00.001-04:00

ME & THE PEANUT

My nephew Jesse recently turned five. And with a birthday comes a special day with Auntie Janice. I had the idea that he would enjoy a trip on the train and everything just fell into place for that to happen. It was so much fun!

We boarded the train in London with Daddy & Liam sending us off. Liam was a little upset that he wasn't going and a few tears were shed. Poor guy. Jesse wasn't too worried about that. He was busy climbing on board and finding a seat. After being on the train about 2 minutes, he discovered the flip out tray that resides inside the arm rest. Wow...what fun! In...Out....In...Out... then he informed me that you could use it as a sunblock if needed! (it covered about 2% of the surface area of the window) We made use of the table for a few minutes to have a snack and then it was back in it's spot. And then out again. Ha ha. There was lots to see out the window and he chattered the whole way.

Our stop was Glencoe...about a half hour ride. So, it was perfect - no time to get bored! When we arrived, my mom and Aunt Peggy were waiting for us. I should clarify, before I share this story, that my Aunt Peggy is 85 years old and has had a nagging cough for most of her life. So, picture this: Mom & Peggy in the front, me & Jesse in the back. Jesse says to me: "Pop is not healthy." I thought he said "Papa is not healthy"...made sense to me. They call Nick's dad Papa and he recently passed away. I thought Jesse was just pondering this information. But, no. Then he says "You should only have it once in a while, for a treat. It's not healthy for your body." Oh. Ok... the penny drops and I realize he's talking about POP. I respond "Yes, that's right. Pop is not healthy for you." Then he looks at me, jams his thumb in Peggy's direction and says "I think she drank too much pop." What a kid. When we got to Mom's we explained that Peggy was not sick because of pop. :)

After lunch we headed in to Steve & Connie's for a swim. It was so adorable, when we got there, Madison had made a sign on the fence that said "Welcome to Our House Jesse". Awww. They had a blast together all afternoon splashing and jumping and snacking (of course). We picked up pizza for dinner and headed back to the farm.

As I said, it all worked out perfectly as I had read in the Petrolia paper the week before that they were showing the movie Wall-E at Petrolia Discovery and UWO astronomers would be on site with their telescopes. Wow...cool! We arrived and got our popcorn and watched Wall-E. I must admit...I didn't enjoy the movie. I thought it was kinda weird...but Jesse loved it. After the movie, we ventured out with our flashlight and glow stick to find the telescopes. It was pretty cool even though we had no idea what we were looking at! He was thrilled to get to look through. It was a late night for the little peanut as he didn't get to bed until 10pm!

The next day we went to church with Mom & Dad, went to McDonalds with them and the Berrys and then headed home. That one is going to be tough to beat!

2010-08-26T21:04:00.000-04:00

I'm just a small town girl. Born and raised in ....south Petrolia (kinda)

This song kept running through my head on a recent trip to Toronto. I went to visit my friend Sarah who lives in Etobicoke, which for me equals Toronto. Visiting the big city is always a fun adventure but each time I am reminded that I wouldn't actually want to live there.

Take, for example, public transit. Wow, that is a crazy world! We took the bus to the subway to the streetcar, all the while cramming ourselves amongst the regulars. You see all kinds on public transit. And all smells too. Wow. I can't imagine herding myself onto those cars each day to be squeezed in between stinky bodies. Eww.

And the smells are not limited to the transit system. It's so strange walking down the street and out of nowhere, a stench will rise up to meet you. That is Toronto.

Awww, but it's not all bad! Sarah and I had a great day exploring the city. We started out in the Kensington Market area where we wandered around some cute shops and inadvertently joined a Chinese dragon parade ...??? We stopped for lunch at "I Feel Like Crepe". Ha ha...great name for a crepe place. We decided that we could not pass the opportunity to sample something from "Pie In The Sky" as well. This was a good idea at the time... best...pecan pie... ever... But, after finishing and running to catch the street car...not a good idea. Wow, my tummy was not happy with that decision!

The Harbourfront area, Sugar Beach and the Distillery District rounded out the day. We were exhausted but we sure packed it in! And what was that I said about Toronto not being all bad? Check out the TTC sign... ya, it's not that bad after all! (for a gum-phobic like myself)

2010-08-18T00:36:00.000-04:00

COFFEE UPDATE

Some time ago, I wrote about my desire to drink my coffee black. I started as most Canadians - double double. I agree, it has a nice ring to it, but I was determined to work towards my goal. Black.

I moved to double cream, no sugar. This went well. And then I decided I was ready... I made the move to single cream. Success. In fact, on occasion I have used milk and even gone black several times!

In fact, John Tesh offers up this intelligence for your life: Black coffee has been shown to help prevent Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Type II Diabetes, and certain cancers. Wow.

2010-08-17T17:25:00.000-04:00

I am officially a student at Fanshawe College now.

2010-08-13T11:01:00.000-04:00

KINDRED SPIRITS

This is my cousin Wendy. I recently discovered that we are kindred spirits :)

Wendy and her family used to live just down the road from me. When I was about 4 they moved to the Bruce Peninsula. There were infrequent visits, but more importantly there were LETTERS! Getting "real" mail from the mailbox when you're young (heck, at any age) is so exciting. Wendy was really good at sending me mail, including fun things like stickers.

However, over time, communication dropped off and we more or less lost touch. Family get-togethers were less frequent and our letter-writing dwindled. And then along came Facebook. Wendy & I became "friends" on Facebook and started a obsessive Scrabble-playing relationship! I love that she is always up for an online game!

As we have re-connected, I have discovered just how much we have in common. That is really cool. Inspired by my blog, Wendy recently started her own blog. She also loves baking, board games and fonts. Hmmm, sounds like someone I know! She also introduced me to "letter boxing" which I would like to explore a bit more when life slows down a bit.

We recently planned a family get-together where we were finally able to play a game of Scrabble face-to-face! I would like to take a moment to brag and say that I won by ONE point!!

Love ya Wendy!

2010-08-12T09:43:00.001-04:00

Sir Paul McCartney

Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na. Hey Jude.

Singing this song with about 18,000 like-minded people is a pretty cool experience.

Since I can remember, I have loved the Beatles. I memorized songs, read books, did high school projects about them, and of course checked out Liverpool while in the UK. So, seeing Paul McCartney (the cute one) is a somewhat surreal experience for me.

McCartney is somewhat of a mythical creature. Over 50 years in show business as the most successful musician/song writer ever, thirty two number one singles, he was (and forever will be) a Beatle, and is responsible for some of the most beloved songs ever written.That is a tough resume to top! And, it makes seeing him in concert a magical experience.

The opening chords of every song that was played solicited such an overwhelming response. It's just hard to imagine a better show. And the amazing thing is...he is 68 years old and seems to have stopped the hands of time. He played for 3 hours without ever stopping for a break. He still sounds great and was jumping around the stage like a mop-topped lad from Liverpool :)

I am lucky enough to say this is the third time I have seen Sir Paul McCartney and I hope it is not my last. As my shirt says: I <3 Paul.

2010-07-31T09:50:00.000-04:00

Perfect way to kick off the long weekend? A potluck BBQ!

Potlucks are always a hit with my coworkers and this was no exception. Our focus was on salads but we also had the BBQs fired up for some burgers and dogs. And of course cupcakes and smores for dessert.

Yes...smores. I came up with the idea of BBQing them, while wrapped in tin foil. The idea is good but needed some perfecting. Some of them had disintegrated marshmallow, but some turned out perfect.

Wayne provided the entertainment for the evening while eating his smore :)

2010-07-31T00:43:00.004-04:00

WRAPPING UP JULY

July is a big birthday month for my family. Today my nephew Jesse's turned five. On the 14th Liam turned three and the next day Abby turned eleven! I've been slacking in my blogging lately so I'm combining all three into one post :)

Abby was the first one to make me an aunt. I anticipated her arrival with great excitement. I even learned how to quilt with my Aunt Peggy in order to create my very first (and last) quilt for her. When I talked to my brother the night she was born, he was exhausted after not sleeping for a long time. But when he said her name "Abigail Elizabeth" ...I remember thinking it was the most beautiful name I'd ever heard. I still think it is a wonderful name. Abby has been such a joy to watch grow into the little person that she is.

I distinctly remember when I found out about Jesse. It was Christmas Eve and a friend and I were out for breakfast with Jo-Anne and Nick. Jo-Anne was showing me some photos of various family events and the last one was a picture of her and Nick with a pregnancy test! (actually 3...wanted to make sure!) I was thrilled! But...I wasn't allowed to tell anyone that night when I went "home" for Christmas. I had to wait until the announcement the next day! When Jo-Anne told us...she said the baby was about the size of a peanut. So...that has pretty much been his nickname since. He is a curious and precocious little tyke and usually makes me laugh!

Two years later, Liam came along. I stayed with the Peanut while Jo-Anne & Nick went to the hospital. I knew the short list of names and was thrilled when I got the phone call and the decision for Liam. So cute. Liam was born with a shock of dark hair and was so adorable! He has turned into a little sweetie pie that loves hugs and snuggles. (I'm sure he'll grow out of that!!)

2010-07-24T22:27:00.001-04:00

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Five years ago, I had just returned from some graphics training in Toronto. While I was there I discussed starting a blog with my friend Simon. I came back to work and was in the middle of a major project of switching from "The New PL" to A Channel. Everything about the station was changing in appearance from trucks to on-air presentation. In addition, we were launching a brand new graphics system. Wow, a major undertaking! At the same time, my sister Jo-Anne was getting ready to have her first baby. She ended up going 2 weeks early...the precise weekend of our big project at work. Why am I telling you this? Because it was during all of this that I started THIS BLOG! SEE MY FIRST MONTH HERE

It's been five years of writing about anything and everything. From threading my sewing machine to my phobia of gum. From bragging about my nieces and nephews to concerts I've attended. For the past five years...this is my life. It's kind of neat to reflect and see what I was up to and what I was thinking. It's like a journal. A rather public journal.

At times, I wonder who actually reads my musings, but I do have seven followers, and probably more that I'm not even aware of. I have inspired many of my friends to start their own blogs. Some have continued faithfully, others have lost momentum.

To commemorate this occasion, I have decided to print the last five years of blogging into a book. I heard about this idea on CBC's "Spark" and thought it was cool. You can check it out here.

So, to all my readers, thanks for stopping by. See ya next time!

2010-07-22T10:51:00.000-04:00

MICRO VACATION

This weekend, I took a micro vacation. To Petrolia. Ha ha...it was great!!

On Sunday afternoon I met Connie, Steve and Madison in Sarnia to see Toy Story 3. I thought it was great, but I was a little surprised how "non kid" it was. Madison, who is seven, was a little scared throughout. But, as an adult, I thought it was fantastic. Lots of great humour and the use of all the retro toys...love it. Madison and I shared a big bag of popcorn - who wouldn't love that?

After the movie, I went to visit my Grammie. Our original plan was to sort through old photographs, but Grammie didn't feel like doing that "in the heat" so we procrastinated until another time. I did succeed in teaching her how to run her DVD player though :) However, I forgot to show her how to turn the movie OFF and return to watching regular TV. So, I should have expected the phone call I got later! Not to worry, we got it all sorted out.

In the evening, I played some board games at the kitchen table with the Berrys. Originally we were going to hang out at the pool this weekend, but the weather just didn't cooperate. On Monday Connie and I "did Petrolia". This took about an hour. I didn't realize that most of the town shuts down on Monday. There were a few places that were open, so we wandered about and had lunch at Coffee Lodge. Being the techno wizard that I am (umm, ya...) I helped Connie with some computer stuff for her tea room in the afternoon.

I think my favourite part of my micro vacation was visiting my Aunt Peggy. Somehow we started talking about when she was a girl and was growing up and the next 2 and a half hours were spent listening to her stories. She has the biggest heart of anyone I know and she is pretty special to me.

Who knew you could pack so much into 2 days in Lambton County? :)

2010-07-11T00:11:00.002-04:00

ANNIVERSARIES

It's interesting that we usually mark the "anniversaries" of certain events in our life. These can be things we celebrate like birthdays and wedding anniversaries or remembering first dates. Or they may be more somber. Perhaps remembering the day that someone close to you passed away or when you got bad news.

For some reason, I tend to always remember anniversaries. It might be my penchant for reflecting on the past, I'm not sure. I always remember on February 25 that I met my best friend Karla Ann. On June 6th, I remember that as the day my grandma passed away when I was six. June 23 marks my company anniversary. And of course we always think of where we were on September 11.

This reflection came as a result of today being the "anniversary" of my car accident one year ago. Of course I am not comparing it to any of the previous examples in regards to impact or severity. Just observing.

I'm still sad whenever I see a yellow beetle drive past. I know to most, a car is just a car. And when your car, which is 11 years old, is considered useless by the insurance company, most people would jump at the chance to get a new one. I did not want a new one. I had such an emotional attachment to that car. As you probably know if you're reading this blog, my dream car since I was small was a yellow beetle.

Anyway, those are my reflections as I pass this "anniversary" which were stirred up this afternoon when I drove through the intersection.