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.

Stay Tuned

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!

Blook

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.

My Dear Aunt Peggy

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!

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!

Me & Oprah

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

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.

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.

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.

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?

Winter is Here!

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!

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!

Black Friday

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.

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.

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.

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.  

Remembering

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.

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.

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.

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?