happy holidays

Merry Christmas.

Wow, Christmas has already come and gone. It hardly seems possible, but the new year will be upon us in only a few short days. The past two months have flown by like a whirlwind, between nearly impossible work deadlines, a badly sprained ankle that had me on crutches for weeks, and the impending holiday season, I've been happy to make it through the day.

Christmas was great, tiring, but wonderful. We managed to see all the family and keep everyone happy, and now today, we've done pretty much nothing all day. Wonderful.

time to snooze

Ahhhh...finally back to the hotel room - I feel the need to point out, I have the room to myself. YAY for not working non-profit anymore.

I've been at a conference all day - it was great, but now I'm tired. There was a reception with lovely wine and appy's post conference and of course we had to go for dinner before returning to the hotel. Suddenly its 9:30pm and I've only JUST made it back to the room.

Time for a hot bath (maybe) and a nice big snooze.

I ♥ my Katie dog

My Katie went to sleep today.

I looked her in the eyes,
I stroked her face,
I told her I loved her.

She was tired,
And She was ready,
But I'm still sad.

I will miss her,
I will love her.
I will never forget her.

Goodbye my Katie girl.

dim sum, enzymes and wakame!

And the Dim Sum verdict?

My enzymes, combined with wheat-free diligence allowed me to enjoy dim sum, without the post meal stomach troubles. YAY!!

Unfortunately, I did recently have a reminder about the importance of reading the ingredients with a fine toothed comb. On a recent trip to the Asian grocery, I was ecstatic to discover cup-o-rice noodles, I quickly read the ingredients and happily purchased a few to try...Upon emptying the veggie packet into the soup, I was distraught to discover what looked like seaweed floating in my bowl. A quick review of the ingredients yielded wakame.

Unfortunately, I was working late and had no other food options, so I ate the noodles. I tried to avoid the seaweed, and truthfully wasn't overly concerned as I do eat sushi. However, an hour later, I needed to be relieved to use the facilities - apparently wakame DEFINITLEY has soy sauce.

Dammit.

Dim Sum work lunch today...

Last time we did this, I felt quite sick afterwards, despite being dilligent and only eating rice based food with no sauce.

Problem is, I ♥ Dim Sum...

Time to truly test the Enzyme's from the naturopath I guess...they seem to be working so far.

GF Bagels...oh my!

I mentioned recently that my First Aid instructor's son had a problem with Gluten when we was young. Turns out, that for the most part he is now able to tolerate it and as a result, my instructor offered me the Gluten-Free cookbook that has been inhabiting her shelves for some time now. Never one to pass up on a free cookbook, I jumped at the offer and have been drooling over the recipes for days.

I passed my test yesterday and am officially a First Aid Attendant in my office. Since the test took the majority of the day, I opted not to go into the office and instead decided to treat myself. I should have been making my vitamin-B rich bread to sustain me for another week, but instead I took a chance.

Instead, I made bagels.

YES, you heard me right, I said bagels. I love to bake new things and the book informed me that "non-celiac tasters say this is delicious and very close to a wheat bagel" and with that, I was determined to try them out. Not only do they look like bagels, those testers were right - they taste like bagels - if you crave them like I do, this recipe is worth the effort.

This recipe is from The Gluten-Free Gourmet Cooks Fast and Healthy by Bette Hagman

Gluten-Free Bagels
(yield 12)

Mix the following in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer, using the dough hook attachment

• 2 cups white rice flour
• 2/3 cup potato flour
• 1/3 cup tapioca starch
• 1 tbsp xantham gum
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp fast acting yeast

In a small bowl, whisk together

• 1 egg
• 2 egg whites
• 3/4 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 cup + 1tbsp warm water

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat on High (using a dough hook attachment) for 4 minutes.

After 4 minutes, the dough should form a ball, if it doesn't add 1 tbsp of (sweet or white) rice flour (up to a max of 1/2 cup) and continue to beat until it does.

Spray two cookie sheets with non-stick spray and sprinkle with cornmeal.

Divide dough into 12 balls (larger than a golf ball, but smaller than a tennis ball) and flatten with the palm of your hand until they are approximately 1/2" thick. Spraying your hands with non-stick spray will make this MUCH easier!

Use your finger to make a hole in the middle of each bagel and evenly space them on your prepared cookie sheet.

Loosely cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise, until doubled in size. (The recipe calls for an hour, but my house is cold and it took about 3 hours)

Once the bagels have risen, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Bring 3" of water plus 1 tsp of sugar to a boil in a large pan and gently drop the bagels in, boiling them for 30 seconds per side. This gives them the characteristic bagel skin that we all know and love.

After draining on a cookie rack (I placed mine over the sink), bake for 20 minutes in a pre-heated oven. I had to tent mine with foil for the last 5 minutes as I was worried about burning, so be sure and keep a close eye on yours if you don't want them burnt.

Allow to cool and then consume to your hearts content.

DELICIOUS!

SUCCESS

After a lengthy and frustrating process, we recieved our new laptop a few weeks ago.

After an afternoon of fumbling with computers, routers, cords and cables, I am sitting on the laptop, merrily typing away...and J is content in a game of texas hold'em.

Ahhh...

transition

I've begun to notice that I want to write more often, and I want to write about food. I want to write about what I'm eating, discovering and learning about a gluten-free life. It's an interesting shift, but not surprising. I love to cook, I love to eat and I love to share my knowledge, so it seems only fitting that my on-again, off-again blog, should become the space for me to do so.

Like most people, I was overwhelmed at first. I felt sick from the residual gluten in my body, and I wanted to cry because it seemed impossible to feed myself. Four months later, and I'm no longer frustrated, instead I am inspired.

I have made friends with my local Galloways, have acquired some Gluten-Free cookbooks, and been inspired by Gluten-Free Bloggers immensely.

One of the first, GF bloggers I discovered was The Gluten-Free Girl, and inspiring she is. Her blog flows nicely and incorporates both life and food in an optimistic and realistic manner. Her recipes look delicious, I have some crustless quiche's in the oven, as we speak (I only hope mine are as delicious as hers look) AND the girl has managed to write a book and have it published.

Check out the sidebar, if your interested in GF blogs, I've only found a few I really like so far, but I bet the list will grow. I'm so happy to have found such a wonderful community.

the odds

As soon as I became sensitive to gluten, I discovered something amazing. Most people that I encounter know someone, or know of someone who has a problem with gluten. This whole world, this network of people has suddenly opened to me. I'm not sure exactly what it means, but it's amazing, there's always a brother's girlfriend, or an aunty's nephew, a sister, a neice, a friend...

When I made treats for the office, two other Gluten-Free individuals were discovered. In the past two months, I've discovered another two. That brings us up to 5 - granted we are a large office, but still. Now, if we start adding spouses, my supervisor's husband is a Celiac...

This week, I'm doing my First Aid. In a classroom with only 12 people total (including the instructor), I've had discussed the GF life with two of them. One classmate was diagnosed as Celiac as an infant, only to discover 30 years later, that he had been misdiagnosed. I knew it was true as I watched him eat a delicious looking lunch. The instructor? As a child her son was also diagnosed as allergic to Gluten: he has since grown out of it.

3/12 people have been directly affected by gluten.
And it's only day 2.

Seriously...Gluten is everywhere!

Dad-Love

With increased awareness of my gluten intolerance, eating out has become increasingly difficult. Eating at my friends' and families' homes is almost worse - I don't want to be a pain and would rather not eat than make difficulty for those I love, but of course, they want to feed me.

I was so impressed with my Dad yesterday; he prepared a gluten-free (for me) and a nut-free (for my sister) meal that was absolutley delicious and enjoyed by everyone at the table, regardless of their eating habits, allergies or intolerances. He scoured the cupboards for a delicious tortilla soup, made with 100% corn chips, he prepared Beef Chow Fun (Rice noodles with beef) despite the fact that I forgot to bring him gluten-free soya sauce AND he made a delicious steamed halibut dish, again without the aid of soya sauce.

I have promised to get him his own bottle of Tamari (the gluten-free soya sauce - it is richer, fuller flavour and uses corn alcohol rather than wheat during fermentation) this week, and I've already dropped off bags of rice flour (regular and glutinous) so that he can bread meats or thicken sauces to his hearts content, when he knows I'll be coming over.

I'm so proud of him and appreciate his efforts fully - it was definitley a challenge for him, but he persevered and I left the table well-fed and sans-stomach ache! I guess after watching me suffer through a vacation of unknown foods, he was happy to provide me with some delicious grub. THANKS DAD - your the BEST!

Cruisin' the Meditterranean

Curious where we went?

Here's the summary - it was BUSY and we barely had any time to enjoy the boat. We went to Port in the morning and cruised through the night...every night.


September 19 -21

Barcelona, Spain - We shopped, shopped and shopped some more. Las Ramblas the downtown shopping district was amazing and full of wonderful alleys and delicious shops. (pictures are on my parents camera - so they will have to wait!)


September 22

Transfer to the Voyager of the Seas - this was suprisingly and amazingly quick and easy. YAY Mom for pre-registering on line at home!





September 23

Arrived at the Port in Villefranche and explored Nice and Eze. This was the only port where we had to take a tender (a little boat) into the harbour.







September 24

Arrived in the Port of Livorno, visited the leaning tower of Pisa and the beachtown of Viareggio.









September 25

Arrived in Port of Civitavecchia and had a bus tour of Rome. We had an awful tour "leader" and only 35minutes to explore St.Peter's (25 of which, I spent in the washroom linup), but at least we got to see a lot of amazing stuff through the bus windows!!


September 26

Arrived in the Port of Naples and explored the oceanside town of Sorrento and the remains from the Excavation of Pompeii. The absolute best excusion of our trip.








September 27

Arrived in the Port of Palermo (Siciley) and had a bus tower around town. Another flop in the excusion deaprtment, although we did get to see this amazing church imbedded in the side of the mountain. The church was cool, but our tour guide was awful.






September 28

Our one day at sea. It was a little bit cold and rocky - not much of a day for sitting on the deck. J played in a poker tourney and came in 4/29 and I wasted the day away just toodling around, hanging out in the casino, visiting with people etc.

September 29

The begining of what would be a very long day...We would spend 17 hours on a plane, to make our way home.

Gluten-Free in the Mediterranean

I survived 10 days in Europe, without eating a single pastry. No flaky croissant, no baguette sandwich from the bakery on the corner, no delicious cookies or biscotti with my coffee. I did however, enjoy numerous cappuccinos and gelatos from various street corners. And although they don't quite equate with pastries, they were delicious and my stomach didn't suffer, so my diligence didn't go unrewarded.

I was hard though, to watch my Dad devour chocolate covered croissants, fresh from a bakery window. It was even harder to keep my hunger to myself when I hadn't packed myself a snack and everyone stopped to grab a sandwich. I refused to pay anywhere from $5-10 (CAD) for a few pieces of deli meat and a piece of cheese, as the sandwiches are definitely what we would consider stingy at home. Although from what I hear, they were delicious.

Our hotel in Barcelona had rice bread, so after the first day, I learned to make a salami sandwich at the buffet and smuggle it out so I could have some sustenance during our excursions (i.e. shopping). Once we started cruising on the Voyager of the Seas however, it took my another 3-4 days to realize that starving and getting cranky during 6+ hour port excursions really should not be considered an option. The next day I smuggled and apple off the boat. The day after that, an apple and a box of corn flakes.

In a small beach town, Viareggio, there was a fast food restaurant attached to the bakery where we were purchasing beer (for everyone else of course) and sandwiches and I was amazed with the girl working there. Somehow we managed to communicate and she made me a 100% beef burger with cheese, on lettuce. Hallelujah a hot lunch!!

Eating Gluten-Free was a struggle. And in truth, I was disappointed with the boat, I had expected a better selection of foods that I could eat and possibly even some sort of labelling - but I was likely being ambitious. There was enough food, meats, cheeses, vegetables, salad, all without gluten. With respect to desserts, I was very disappointed, it was ice cream pretty much all the way for me. I had a few treats, not eating crusts (eg. a panacotta).

And don't even get my started on the plane food...maybe next post.

Joe-ball

As a child, I remember driving down the road with my dad, on rainy fall afternoons and being flabbergasted by the number of people out on the soccer field. My dad would always make some comment about "Joe-ball" and then proceed to explain that he called it that, because ONLY stupid Joe's would want to play in such weather.

Combined with my general dislike of running, it's safe to say I never took a liking to soccer. I know it's great exercise and it's supposed to be great fun, but I've always remained adamant - soccer's not for me.

Over the past few years, my hubby has been trying to convince me to play with the girls from his group of friends - seems athleticism is enough to join the team. I've steadily ignored him over the past few years, but now I suddenly find myself at a desk job and in dire need of some regular (and fun) exercise. All of these factors combined with the fact that THE GIRLS actually asked me to play this year, and I think I may have convinced myself that yes in fact, I CAN do this and yes, I may just enjoy it.

I went to my first practice yesterday. There was only 5 of us and everyone was super helpful and supportive. As my husband promised, I seemed to pick things up at a reasonable speed and despite (or perhaps due to) the sweat I had a great time; granted it was only a 45 minute practice.

Now, I just have to register, buy some soccer socks and shin guards...oh yes and soccer cleats (apparently softball ones just won't do) all by Sunday. *blech* Fortunately, a girl on the team said she might be able to help me out with the cleats, at least for the first game.

Something new and something active - who would have ever thought that I might just look forward to soccer.

Mind-blowing.

learning to FLY

If you know me at all, then you know I'm a slob.

My family loves me anyays and both my mother and my husband have put forth countless efforts to break me of my messy ways. Although I've made progress, the truth is I am far from conquering my chaos.

Over 6 months ago, a friend introduced me to FLY LADY an online group, that lays out
a slow and steady set of instructions to help individuals such as myself, learn the skills and create a routine to manage the household without constantly feeling overwhelmed. The program is chock full of encouragement and if you miss a day, you are simply instructed to continue on without beating yourself up.

I have been, of course, skeptical about the effectivness and do-ability of this program, however since being introduced, I have watched my friends home transform from a level of chaos only slightly less than my own, to a primarily organized and tidy home.

I want that.
I want it for me, but almost more, I want it for J.

I'm only on day 5, but after months of procrastination I've made a comittment to do this. It is a one month plan and I know, without doubt, that it will take me longer than a month to complete this program, but so long as the lessons are learned, I'm happy.

Today's lesson is about overpowering the negative voices in my head regarding my ability to clean, conquer and maintain my household...I think I may have just taken the first step in the right direction.

I CAN do this.

Interested in trying this out? Start with FLY lady babysteps...

Home

We moved into our new (to us) townhome one month ago - in that time we have unpacked many boxes, moved furniture, put up a few sparce decorations and generally managed to settle into our new home. The cats have both managed to make a break for it a couple times, which has resulted in a strong need to keep windows and doors shut, as well as the purchase of a new cat harness and lead.

YES, we have inevitably tried putting the cats on the harness. Mr Poo, struggled immensley when we put it on her and then was too scared to set foot outside, instead opting to immediatley dart back inside. OP on the other hand, has had some prior experience with the harness and let me put it on him with little difficulty. He doesn't like it, but he will wear it. Of course he tests the strength and give in the lead, but eventually just lays in the grass and toddles around the yard.

In fact, OP will wear the harness once he goes back inside without pulling or biting at it. Seems his exposure to a harness as a kitten (when I tried to take him in the backyard) wasn't a complete exercise in patience, there was some purpose to it as well.

My various planters litter our little patch of green, and although the sun shines with grave intensity, the majority of the flowers are blooming, flowering and looking spectacular. There does seem to be a bit of a slug problem however, they are eating my marigolds before they even have a chance to flower completley, and thats not to mention the irridescent trails that litter the entire yard. Surely there is a non-chemical solution to the slugs...

It looks like BEER is a highly touted slug killer - apparently a bowl in the backyard will both draw the slugs to it, and kill them. In all truth I'm not super keen on killing the little guys, but I also don't want them eating my marigolds.

Perhaps more research is needed...

Gluten-Free Ponderosa Cake

In an effort to satisfy both my sweet tooth and my need to bake, I have been experimenting with making some of my favourite recipes Gluten-Free.

I have had AMAZING success with the following Ponderosa Cake recipe - this is actually a banana cake with chocolate and brown sugar that is apparently quite popular and well known at UBC. Having never attended UBC, I first experienced it at a BBQ and instantly felt the need to find the recipe and try it out.

I only had a chance to make it once before learning I had to try out the Gluten-Free Life. I made it (in addition to carrot cake) for my office this morning and already had requests for the recipe...and now that my substitutions are typed out I figured I might as well post it here.


Here's the original recipe I found at: http://members.shaw.ca/amyfong/recipes/ponderosa-cake.html

UBC Ponderosa Cake
This is a delicious moist, chocolate chip banana cake.
Makes one 8" square cake. Double the recipe for a larger cake (9"x13").

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar (recipe calls for 1 cup)
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup mashed bananas (approx. 2 bananas)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup chocolate chips
Cream butter and granulated sugar. Add egg, then vanilla and bananas. Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add to banana mixture alternately with sour cream. Pour half of batter into greased 8" square pan. Mix cinnamon and brown sugar together. Sprinkle half on top of batter, then half of chocolate chips. Repeat layers. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until cake tester in middle comes out clean.

To make it GLUTEN FREE I made the following substitutions:

• Substitute 1/2 cup of butter with 1/4 cup of butter and 1/4 cup of applesauce (you could do this to decrease your fat regardless whether you make it gluten free)
• Add a little bit of extra banana (I use 3 bananas and don't both measuring the amount)
• Substitute regular (wheat) flour for 1- 1/2 cups of a rice flour blend
  
  (I mix these in larger quantities so I can just substitute it for wheat flour - i.e. the quantities below are ratios - use 1-1/2 cup of one of the mixes below)
• 3/4 cup of rice flour & 1/4 cup of cornstarch (this is the minimum substitution - it worked pretty well)
  
  OR
• 3/4 cup of rice flour & 1/8 cup of cornstarch and 1/8 cup of tapioca starch/flour (this was very good)
  
  OR
• 3/4 cup of rice flour & 3/4 cup of sweet (glutinous) rice flour and 1/4 cup of cornstarch and 1/4 cup of tapioca starch/flour (This is my most recent and successful mix)
  
• Increase the baking soda to 1 & 1/2 tsp baking soda
  

Final hints:
When layering the chocolate and brown sugar mix - layer chocolate first then brown sugar to get that yummy crumbly topping!

I purchase the rice flour and tapioca starch at the Chinese Grocery (they have it at T & T in the mall) and they are under $1 for a small bag that will allow you to make 2-3 batches of gluten free treats. Much cheaper than purchasing it at a specialty or health food store!

Mmmmm Delicious!

DAMN contacts

My eyes fit into the category you could deem "sensitive".  What does this mean exactly?  Well, for me if means that I often have a consiousness for the entirety of the time that I wear my contacts, it means that my eyes get dry and uncomfortable when I wear my contacts, and wose, it means that I get a huge headache when I wear my contacts for prolonged periods of time (read over 4 horus).

It wasn't always this way however, as a teenager I wore my contacts from the moment I awoke, until I was ready to hit the hay.  Perhaps this contrubuted to the current state of my eyes...

Since I started wearing contacts I have tried a multitude of contacts and at least 10 different solutions.  Most recently my eye doctor recommended I try and get away from solutions altogether, and dispensed me some trial dailies to try.

The first time I wore them, the left contact refused to stay in my eye, popping out about 4x in the first 5 minutes.  I could feel an air pocket in the contact and it felt like it kept slipping every time I blinked, which resulted in temporary bluriness.  I had to play softball, so I put some extra drops in my eyes, blinked a few times and decided to make due.

Coincidently - THIS was the day that I caught a softball with my forehead.

 

I went for my contact lens check in on Friday and quickly recounted my discomforts to the optomotrist.  A quick peek at my eyes and the doctor was able to confirm that not only did the contact NOT fit my eye properly, they were defintley sliding around as I had suspected.  In a flash she came back with different dailies for me to try - I was amazed at the instand boost in clarity I recievd, once the contacts fit my eyes.

 

Perhaps I shouldn't have beat myself up, QUITE so badly when I missed that damn ball.

Triumph Dining Cards

Hmm...if this Gluten this is for real, then I'm going to want some of these cards.

http://www.triumphdining.com/details.html

Other cards stop at "no wheat, rye, barley, or oats." Our cards are different because we don't assume a chef can immediately intuit the things it took us Celiacs months to learn. We clearly list hidden sources of gluten, where they might be found, and other subtleties, like the dangers of cross-contamination.

We also understand that every cuisine is different. For example, the most common hidden source of gluten in Chinese food is soy sauce, in Thai food it's fish sauce, and in Indian food it's a spice called hing. We've created dining cards for six global cuisines, and each card is different, calling out the hidden sources of gluten unknown even to many native chefs!

Wow for the internet!

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

We moved yesterday.
Our new home is in total disarray, but it's still WONDERFUL.
We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but it's soooooo nice to be here -
In OUR townhome!

Yay us!

another monday

I'm feeling a little bit more bubbly and cheery today.
Perhaps the sign of a better week.

NOT my week

I started my softball career with t-ball and have easily been playing
first base for 15 years. In that time I have NEVER missed a ball that
was thrown at my face - in fact I often joke, "just throw it at my
face - instincts will kick in."

I swear I was focused yesterday, enjoying a softall game on a sunny
afternoon, and in all truth I was having a pretty good game.

Until third base threw me a ball, which I watched tip off the top of
my glove and up under my ball cap to hit me square in the noggin'
above my left eye.

I know have some lovely red speckles and a bit of a gooseegg...

DAMMIT!

Thank goodness it will be Friday tomorrow!

Tuesday sucks too...

My doctor instructed me to try a Gluten free diet today.

Gluten is in wheat.

Wheat is in nearly everything.

AWESOME! *sarcasm intended*

day discrimination

I try to be fair and do my best NOT to dislike Monday's any more than the rest of the week, despite the fact that it does of course mark the begining of the week...this week, however I am fearful it may be a long week and I am NOT enjoying my monday.

 

Here's my Monday PRE - 8:30am

• Get out of bed 1 snooze early in an attempt to catch the earlier bus and not get to work by the "skin of my teeth" ontime
• While walking out of my underground parking, I hear a car behind me and move to the side of the driveway.  My feet hit the pile of slippy mud (that is left behind by the puddles that continually puddle in our drive-way) abd  I slip and fall, slightly skinning my knee.
• Head out to the busstop, only to hear the bus as I approach the corner.  I RUN as fast as I can (which truly is not that fast) only to arrive at the bus stop as the bus pulls away.
• At this point I am left with two options. 1. I can wait 20 minutes for the next bus. 2. I can walk about 8 minutes to the actual depot where buses will leave 2 in that 20 minute period.  I walk to the other bus stop.
• I get off the skytrain with plenty of time to make it to work and as I run down the stairs, I slip ONCE again, sliding on my bum for 3-4 steps while everyone looks at me.

ARGH what a morning - fortunatley the rest of the day seems to be going ok. *knock on wood*

change

I started my contract on May 15, 2006.

I have had an amazing 12 months - my job afforded me familiarity and ease, professional development opportunities and a chance to be outdoors with amazing people and really have a positive impact on the people around me and the environment in which we live. I have essentially spent the past 12 months absorbed in all aspects of stewardship. Awesome.

Today, was my last day. I am leaving this amazing position to try my hand in the provincial government. This will be an opportunity to expand my skill set, try new things and look at things from a BRAND NEW perspective.

I'm little bit sad, I'm a little bit excited and I'm a little bit scared, but isn't that always the way?

back massager...

This past year, I bought J a back massager for Christmas. There was some debate about the usefullness of such a product, but in the end, we decided to keep it. Finally, today I decided that I would pop that bad boy open.

At first, it seemed so artificial, but as I logged into my email, I slowly forgot that I was sitting on this odd looking thing. Soon enough, and I'm feeling a wonderful warmth on my lower back and wiping the drool off my chin. No, I'm joking, there was no drool, but it sure feels good.

I hope J likes it too.

crochet crazy

A few months back I found this great crochet site, crochet me. It has lots of fun and funky patterns, which I can't always seem to get to work quite right, but they still provide me with inspiration. Remember the star pillow & blanket?(Which I forgot to take a finished picture of!) I love this site, since it is all crochet and most cool things seem to be made by knitting. Personally, I have NO SKILLS in that department.

Looking for something to buy me?? It won't be available until October but it looks like they are putting together a Crochet Me book...COOL!

I think I'm going to try and make this mesh bag...


I'm not super keen on the pocket...BUT the bag folds up and fits into it - I like that!

And this apron would be so cute and cool...



But I'd have to buy a bunch of wool and I'm definitley too cheap to buy 9 balls of hemp wool at $15 a pop...If I do make it, it will be made of cheap wool for sure.

We'll see where the inspiration takes me...

a big sigh of relief...

Working with a co-worker, I have been planning an all day youth event for the past few months. We had youth speakers, a career panel, a resource fair, discussion groups and a hands-on activity.

It happened yesterday, with great success.

We had positive feedback from the youth and managers alike, we had no conflicts and I feel like we really accomplished our goal - we empowered the youth to find their own path in conservation.

It was a long day yesterday, but it sure was satisfying.

Now I have 2 weeks left to finish up wrapping up my job and get it prepared for my yet-to-be-hired predecessor. Wow.

Scrabulous

And so I decided to proceed with my procastination fodder theme and went to look up online scrabble. This isn't where I've played before, but it seems to be fairly similar.

You don't need a login to play via email - you simply enter your name and email and that of a friend you would like to play. Then you make your first move and a message is sent to your friend asking them to make their move.

We'll see if my friend is down...I'm pretty sure she will be...and I'm even more certain that she is going to kick my ass - I have a big vocabulary, but I have a sneaky suspision hers is even bigger!

Check it out!

http://www.scrabulous.com/

sudoku

Have you been suckered into sudoku yet?

I bought a pocket sized book last summer, and for months it was my friend on the bus, as I learned to quell the queaziness I get from the constant stop and go of public transit.

There are people at work who photocopy puzzles from 24 and then compete to see who can finish them the fastest. This is serious business, they keep track of who has won so they can tease each other relentlessly.

A friend just gave me this link to play online. What's cool is that the program times you as you work on the puzzle and then allows you to "Challenge a friend". I haven't used this yet as I want to get a good time before sending it to my well practiced work mates, but I assume they send it to a friend and then tell you who finished it in less time.

Join the crowd - waste your day away - play Sudoku!

http://www.websudoku.com

...I used to play email scrabble with a friend too...I think I'll go look for that now.

Top 16 Reasons Why Gay Marriage is Wrong

16. Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven't adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life spans.

15. There are plenty of straight families looking to adopt, and every unwanted child already has a loving family. This is why foster care does not exist.

14. Conservatives know best how to create strong families. That is why it is not true that Texas and Mississippi have the highest teen birthrates, and Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire have the lowest. This is a myth spread by the liberal media.

13. Marriage is a religious institution, defined by churches. This is why atheists do not marry.

12. Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That's why our society has no single parents.

11. Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That's why we have only one religion in America.

10. Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.

9. Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn't be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren't full yet, and the world needs more children.

8. Gay marriage should be decided by the people and their elected representatives, not the courts. The framers checked the courts, which represent mainstream public opinion, with legislatures created to protect the rights of minorities from the tyranny of the majority. Interference by courts in this matter is inappropriate, just as it has been every time the courts have tried to hold back legislatures pushing for civil rights.

7. Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Britany Spears' 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.

6. Civil unions, providing most of the same benefits as marriage with a different name are better, because "separate but equal" institutions are a good way to satisfy the demands of uppity minority groups.

5. Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all; women are still property, blacks still can't marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.

4. Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.

3. Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.

2. Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning.

1. METEORS and VOLCANOES.

 

One can always count on FACEBOOK for the distribution of useless and yet entertaining information. 
YAY for sarcasm, YAY for laughter!

the guy on the bus

I think I wrote about him before...this guy who used to take the bus each morning and for some reason intrigued me.  He hasn't taken the bus for ages, but I saw him at the stop today.  He brought a girl with him - looked like a girlfriend.  I'd all but forgotten about him, but I'm intrigued again.  I still wonder what kind of work he does, what kind of person he is, what kind of things he likes...I'm a people watcher I guess. 

I'm sure people wonder about me too...I have a silver and pink shiny lunchbag, sometimes wear office clothes and sometimes wear dirty stinky clothes...I sneeze a lot and my nose runs.  Perhaps I'm intriguing to someone too...or maybe they just think I'm weird! 

ages in time

At age 10:I discovered the Kids For Saving Earth Club at my local Safeway.  I never joined, but I always picked up a copy of the newsletter and diligently read what other kids around the country were doing for the planet, and planned to one day make a difference myself.

At age 13: I met the teacher who would change my life.  The teacher who would inspire me and teach me one of the most important lessons of my life.  He taught me that we all have the power to make a difference and the choices we make and the actions we take, are the way that we can be a part of positive environmental change.

At age 17: I enrolled in college and spent the next two years fulfilling the requirements for an Environmental Studies Diploma at a local college.  In this time I participated in amazing field activities and developed both my skill set and frame of mind immeasurably.

At age 18: I got my first glimpse of non-profit stewardship work.  I would spend the next four summers coordinating and leading environmental activities for teenagers.  We removed invasive species, educated children, explored composting, waterwise gardening and played a key role in the maintenance of our local community garden.

At age 20: I met a fun-loving amazing man, who despite my best efforts, I seemed unable to stay away from.

At age 20: I enrolled in University and would spend the next 3 years studying Biology (ecology/botany) and Environmental Studies until I completed my Bachelor's of Science Degree.

At age 23: I began my career un-glamorously working in a toxicity lab, testing water samples.  This gave me experience in the science field, allowed me to utilize and develop my scientific lab skills and helped me realize that I am too social of a person to work in a lab.  A wonderful growth experience.

At age 24: I returned to stewardship work and spent a year coordinating a volunteer group that embarks on outdoor activities anywhere from one to four times a week.  I love the activities, I love the volunteers, I love inspiring people and I love getting dirty and doing something positive for my environment.  I encourage everyone to get involved in local community efforts.

At age 25: The previously mentioned man becomes my loving husband and we embark on the rest of our life together.

At age 25: I am about to embark on the next stage of my career.  I will be working as an assistant environmental coordinator for the government.  Another change, another step towards my future…time will tell what exactly that means.

T.S. Designs

Was reading Inhabitat again...and got sucked in by plain old t-shirts, again. This time they are organic t-shirts being printed by T.S. Designs using new technology known as REHANCE, which uses none of the harmful chemicals of traditional t-shirt printing, nor does it leave any chemical redidues on the febric...Cool.

Even cooler??

You can buy plain sample tees for $10 - it's only $5 if you're willing to take a shot in the dark with regard to colour. Said sample tees come in tons of styles, mens, ladies, slim fit, junior fit, cap sleeves, youth...

Seriously, I think I'm going to have to buy some...

Organic T-shirts

Here's a cool little article from inhabit...The Gap is now selling T-shirts made of organic cotton.

I usually truck out to Mountain Equipment Co-op to buy my organic tees and the ones there wash and wear like a dream!

Regardless, I'm excited that green is finally nudging its way into the mainstream. The easier they are to obtain, the more people will be inclined to buy organic. Chemicals in the soil can be detrimental to the environment just as they can be to us when we ingest them. Makes sense doesn't it?

Climate Change Mortgage for Canadians

We are finally nearing the end of the renovation period of improving our apartment for sale...

Which means that the time for purchasing a new home is also approaching...

Imagine my excitement to see that Vancity (no suprise here - I've been talking about making the change and banking with them due to their comminment to the environment and community) is offering what they are calling a "Climate Change Mortgage".

What that means is that they will take the money that would usually be spend acquiring a mortgage and invest it into a fund to fight climate change.

What does that mean exactly? Directly from their FAQ's, see below.

• How will this fund help find solutions to climate change?
  
  We're working on it. Right now we have our Vancity and Citizens Bank of Canada climate change experts exploring the best way to invest the funds. It also depends how big the fund gets, but at this point we expect our focus will be on ways to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.
  
  We will keep you posted as we continue to work with the brightest minds in the climate change field to determine how the fund can be used to have the highest impact.

http://climatechangemortgage.com/

Reduce YOUR junk Mail

- Do Not Contact Service -

The Canadian Marketing Association offers a service which allows you to minimize the marketing offers your home recieves via phone, fax or email. To register you simply fill in your information and wait approximatley 6 weeks, at which time your information will be active on the CMA "Do Not Contact list and will no longer be added to new marketing lists. I just did my household - it only took a moment. http://www.the-cma.org/?WCE=C=47K=224217 Think of all the trees and time you will save by not getting all that junk in your mailbox.

dried kelp roots

dried kelp roots, originally uploaded by granola girl :).

Sometimes I just like to share my pictures, and this a new favourite that I took back in October when J and I headed over to Saturna Island for what we deemed a "mini-moon" a weekend away and a mini-honeymoon all in one.

PRE 2010 questions

For all Canadians

Because Everyone In Canada Lives In An Igloo...

Now that Vancouver has won the chance to host the 2010 Winter Olympics, these are some questions people from all over the world are asking. Believe it or not these questions about Canada were posted on an International Tourism Website. Obviously the answers are a joke; but the questions were really asked!

Q: I have never seen it warm on Canadian TV, so how do the plants grow?(England)
A. We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around and watch them die.

Q:Will I be able to see Polar Bears in the street? (USA)
A: Depends on how much you've been drinking.

Q: I want to walk from Vancouver to Toronto-can I follow the Railroad tracks? (Sweden)
A: Sure, it's only Four thousand miles, take lots of water.

Q: Is it safe to run around in the bushes in Canada? (Sweden)
A: So it's true what they say about Swedes.

Q: Are there any ATM's (cash machines) in Canada? Can you send me a list of them in Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton and Halifax? (England)
A: What, did your last slave die?

Q: Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Canada? (USA)
A: A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe. Ca-na-da is that big country to your North...oh forget it.
Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Calgary. Come naked.

Q:Which direction is North in Canada? (USA)
A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees Contact us when you get here and we'll send the rest of the directions.

Q: Can I bring cutlery into Canada?(England)
A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do .

Q: Can you send me the Vienna Boys' Choir schedule? (USA)
A : Aus-t ri-a is that quaint little country bordering Ger-man-y, which is...oh forget it.Sure, the Vienna Boys Choir plays every Tuesday night in Vancouver and in Calgary, straight after the hippo races. Come naked.

Q: Do you have perfume in Canada? (Germany)
A: No, WE don't stink.

Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Where can I sell it in Canada?(USA)
A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.

Q: Can you tell me the regions in British Columbia where the female population is smaller than the male population? (Italy)
A: Yes, gay nightclubs .

Q: Do you celebrate Thanksgiving in Canada? (USA)
A: Only at Thanksgiving.

Q: Are there supermarkets in Toronto and is milk available all year round?(Germany)
A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of Vegan hunter/gathers. Milk is illegal.

Q: I have a question about a famous animal in Canada, but I forget its name. It's a kind of big horse with horns. (USA )
A: It's called a Moose. They are tall and very violent, eating the brains of anyone walking close to them. You can scare them off by spraying yourself with human urine before you go out walking.

Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go? (USA)
A: Yes, but you will have to learn it first.

I HATE snags...

And I don't mean the "dead tree" kind - those have great habitat value, particularly for birds.

But I digress, as I dressed for work this morning I thought it was a cute little dress and boots kind of day and decided to top the whole thing off with a pair of nylons...I don't always opt for them, but as the dress is pink and it is not quite Spring yet I thought it would do good to help winter-ize the outfit.

As I waited in line for my Starbucks coffee, my work mate had the unfortunate task of pointing out that I had somehow managed to snag the back of the knee of BOTH legs in a big way.  Low and behold, said stockings are now in the trash.  Fortunately, I had socks (thicker than I'd like) in my locker, so all is not completely lost.

But the point is...nylons suck enough as it is...like we need snags...ARGH.

CANCER The Cutie

I do hate email forwards that promise bad luck if you don't comply, so please know I don't believe all that hogwash...I did however enjoy reading my predictions - perhaps you will too!
_____________________________________________________

Below are true descriptions of zodiac signs, with traits from a book written 35 years ago by an astrologist predictionist. Read your sign, then resend this in a new email with your zodiac sign and label, or you'll get bad luck for the number of years stated in your sign escription. This is real, try ignoring it, and the first thing you'll notice is having a horrible day starting tomorrow morning - and it only gets worse from there.

:VIRGO:. The Virgin
Dominant in relationships. Sexy. someone loves them right now. Freak in bed. Always wants the last word. Caring. Smart. Intellectual.
Attractive. Loud. Loyal. Easy to talk to. Hard to forget. Love at first sight. Everything you ever wanted. Easy to please. The one and
only. Ultimate sexiness. 7 years of BAD luck if you do not resend.

:SCORPIO:. The sex addict
Can be mean. EXTREMELY sexy. Intelligent. Energetic. Predict future. Most erotic. (Freak in bed.) (GREAT kisser.) Always get what they want. Sexy. Attractive. Easy going. Loves being in long relationships. Talkative. The sexiest ever....Romantic. Caring. 4 years of bad luck if you do not resend.

:LIBRA:. The lame lover
Very pretty. Very romantic. Nice to everyone They meet. Their Love is one of a kind. Silly, fun and sweet. Have own unique sexiness. Most caring person you will ever meet! Amazing n Bed..!!! Did I say Amazing in Bed? not the kind of person you wanna #### with... u might end up crying... the most irresistible. 9 years of bad luck if you do not resend.

:ARIES:. The Liar
Outgoing. Lovable. Spontaneous. Not one to #### with. Erotic. Funny. Take you on trips to the moon in bed. Excellent kisser EXTREMELY sexy. Loves being in long relationships.=) Addictive. Loud. best in bed. 16 years of bad luck if you do not resend.

:AQUARIUS:. Does it in the water
Trustworthy. Sexy. Great kisser. One of a kind. Loves being in long-term relationships. Extremely energetic.Unpredictable. Will
exceed your expectations. Not a Fighter, But will Knock your lights out. Amazing in bed, THE BEST LOVERS BETTER THAN EVERYONE! 2 years of bad luck if you do not resend.

:GEMINI:. Does Twosomes
Nice. Love is one of a kind. Great listeners Very Good in bed. Lover not a fighter, but will still knock you the #### out. Trustworthy.
Always happy. Loud. Talkative. Outgoing VERY FORGIVING. Loves to make out. Has a beautiful smile. Generous. Strong. ULTRA SEXY. THE MOST IRRESISTIBLE. 9 years of bad luck if you do not resend.

:LEO:. The Lion in bed
Great talker. Sexy and passionate. Laid back. Knows how to have fun. Is really good at. Great kisser. Unpredictable. Outgoing. Down to earth. Addictive. Attractive. Loud. Loves being in long relationships. Talkative. Not one to mess with. Rare to find. Good when found. 7 years of bad luck if you do not resend.

:CANCER:. The Cutie
MOST AMAZING KISSER. Very high sex appeal. Great in bed!!! Love is one of a kind. Very romantic. Most caring person you will ever meet! Entirely creative. Extremely random and proud of it. Freak in bed. Spontaneous. Great telling stories. Not a Fighter, But will Knock your lights out if it comes down to it. Someone you should hold on to. 12 years of bad luck if you do not resend.

:PISCES:. The Piece of ass
Caring and kind. Smart. Center of attention. Too Sexy, DAMN IT. Very high ### appeal. Has the last word. The best to find, hardest to
keep. Fun to be around. Freak in the sheets. Extremely weird but in a good way. Super good in bed. Good Sense of Humor!!! Thoughtful. A partner for life. Always gets what he or she wants. Loves to joke. Very popular. Silly, fun and sweet. 5 years of bad luck if you do not resend.

:CAPRICORN The passionate Lover
Love to bust. Nice. Sassy. Intelligent. Sexy. Predict future. Irrestible, awesome kisser. Loves being in long relationships. Great
talker. Always gets what he or she wants. BY FAR the BEST in BED. Very sexy. Coolest. Loves to own Gemini's in sports.Extremely fun. Loves to joke. Loves to be your first. So you'll never forget. Smart. 24 years of bad luck if you do not resend.

:TAURUS The Tramp
Aggressive. Freak in bed. Rare to find! Loves being in long relationships.=] Likes to give a good fight for what they want.
Extremely outgoing. Sexy as ........ Loves to help people in times of need. Outstanding kisser. Very funny. Awesome personality. Stubborn. Sexual as ......... Most caring person you will ever meet! One of a kind. Not one to #### with. Are the most sexiest people on earth! 15 years of bad luck if you do not resend.

:SAGITTARIUS:. The Sexy one
Spontaneous. Horny. Freak in Bed. High appeal. Rare to find. Great when found. Loves being in long relationships. The one. So much love to give. Not one to mess with. Very pretty. Very romantic. Nice to everyone They meet. Their Love is one of a kind. Silly, fun and
sweet. Have own unique sexiness. Most caring person you will ever meet! Amazing in Bed..!!! Did I say Amazing in Bed? Not the kind of person you wanna with you might end up crying. 4 years of bad luck if you do not resend.

Another opportunity, another day...

I passed up on a job opportunity today - they hadn't actually offered the job, but rather were going to recommend me but wanted to make sure it was an opportunity I truly wanted.

It paid well, but was only temporary, ( i.e. Summer) and WAY too far from home.

 

It's such a bizarre feeling to pass up on a potential job, it surely doesn't happen every day.  Yet at the same time, it makes me feel confident about other opportunities that are coming my way - If I could get a job I wasn't even sure I wanted, surely I can get the ones that I do want...

Time will tell I guess.

Why Sustainability Education?

This is a callout to students of all ages - educate the educators!

Gung Hay Fat Choy

Wikipedia knows WAY more about Chinese New Year than me, and I've been half Chinese my entire existence. :D I perpetually forget that just like in North American Culture we celebrate on the eve of the new year, not the new year itself.

But the tradition that affected me for the first time this year is the one thing my siblings and I have always known.

The married people give the lucky money to the unmarried people. Period. End of story.

Now being married, this was the first time I went to the bank, requested new 5 dollar bills and stuffed the little red envelopes. I may have been a little begrudging - I did make my siblings and cousins come to me for their lucky envelopes - but we teased each other equally, we always do.

My parents, grandmother and aunt couldn't resist giving J and I envelopes, so in the end we still came out pretty well. It was a new Chinese New Year tradition, and I think it went just fine.

Gung Hay Fat Choy!
go eat some chinese food to celebrate...
...mMMMmMMmMmMMmMMMmm...

New Boots!

Aren't they kickin' rad?!

Thanks Mom!

NEW IPOD!

It was a huge hassle and I spent about 2 hours on the phone last Friday, but I got my ipod covered by warranty. I ended up paying $13 more than I would have to pay for shipping and that extended the warranty for another whole year.

They couriered the box on Monday.

J couriered it back on Tuesday.

And now it's Thursday and i have a brand new (or possibly refurbished - though it doesn't look like it) IPOD color (20GB) in my grubby little hands.

Now I'm finally loading up an ass load of Cd's onto the new computer - ROCKIN!

email meme

1. What time is it? 4:18pm

2. What's your full name? You don't get this one on the blog

3. What are you most afraid of? Nothing like starting with an easy
question - probably losing someone that I truly love...that and the
utter destruction of the planet earth.

4. What is the most recent movie that you have seen in theatre?
Think...think...think...oh I remember it was <b>BORAT!</b>

5. Place of birth? BC

6. Favourite food? Noodles, noodles, noodles - no questions

7. What's your natural hair colour? dark brown that most people call
black (grrrr)

8. Ever been to Alaska? Nope - hopefully I'll make it one day though

9. Ever been toilet paper rolling? I'm too nice for that...and clumsy

10. Yellow or White Gold? White - no contest

11. Been in a car accident? a few...

12. Croutons or bacon bits? Bacon, although truly my number one
salad accessory is CHEESE

13. Favourite day of the week? Probably saturday - day off with my honey

14. Favourite Restaurant? I don't like to pick favourites - the other
places I like might get jealous...I do like CRONOS however, if you
know where that is.

15. Favourite Flower? I appreciate all flowers - UNLESS they are
INVASIVE...then they are the devil, I hate them and will do my best to
kill them.

16. Favourite sport to watch? To watch? hockey i guess

17. Favourite drink? I do love a caramel macchiato as a treat

18. Favourite ice cream? I like good old french Vanilla

19. Disney or Warner Brothers? Disney

20. Ever been on a ship? Ferries lots of time, speed boats a few
times, canoes and kayaks lots...We will be going on a Mediterranean
cruise in September though

21. What colour is your bedroom carpet? NASTY AND OLD

22. How many times did you fail your driver's test? I never failed
my learners or drivers test...and I have both my class 5 and my class
4

23. Before this one, from whom did you get your last e-mail?
uh...I'm too lazy to look

24. What do you do when you are bored? Read, watch TV, surf the net, blog...

25. Bedtime? usually around 11:15 unless Jon Stewart has a kick
ass guest, then it's 11:30

26. Who will respond to this e-mail the quickest? Seriously - do
people ever really respond?

27. Who is the person you sent this to that is least likely to
respond? I'm posting this on my blog and therefore count this
question as N/A

28. Who is the person that you are most curious to see their
responses? see about...N/A

29. Last person you went to dinner with?
Dinner...dinner...dinner - my hubby for sure

30. What is your favourite colour? Still on the orange these days

31. How many tattoos do you have? 3 - I guess, although I kind of
consider them all the evolution of a single tattoo...

32. How many pets do you have? 2 cats, 1 hedgehog and a 65L fish tank

33. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Get over it.

34. What do you want to do before you die? Initiate positive change in
the environment, have kids, see the world...seriously, some of these
questions are just too big.

35. How many people are you sending this e-mail to? Do people really count?

back in action

After MONTHS of procrastination, I finally went and exercised this
week. My hips are aching, my shoulders and chest are tight and my
legs are not particularly enjoying all the trips up and down the
stairs at work...AND I LOVE IT.

I've been trying to get inspired all month, and this week I finally
found the motivation. Well, perhaps motivation isn't the right word.

For the third week in a row my-sister-in-law and I told each other
that THIS WEEK we were going to go back to Kick-Boxing. Monday rolls
around and as per usual, exercise is not on the top of the list. All
day I told myself I was going, but still there was uncertainty.

Then, I spoke to a friend who complained of being sore from working
out and surprisingly I had a tinge of jealousy. I wanted to have that
sore feeling that means you have been working out - I love that
feeling, I find it so satisfying. I really thought that might be the
kick in the ass I needed.

But when I arrived home, tired from standing on the bus the entire way
home with a broken ipod and a mp3 player with a dead battery in my
pocket, I immediately crawled into bed with the hopes of sleeping the
day away.

But I went.
I worked hard.
And Tuesday I hurt.

But on Tuesday, I went and played Wallyball with my friends anyways
(more on this in another post) for the third week in a row.

Wednesday I hurt more.
But the hurt inspired me.
I went to kickboxing anyways.

Today I feel proud.
I'm exercising again.
Yay me!

sad IPOD

Have you seen this icon before?

Apple support tells me it is BAD NEWS! Apparently "In most cases, the sad iPod icon indicates a hardware issue." Dammit, Dammit, Dammit!

I'm sad to report that after losing and subsequently finding my ipod this month, it has now kicked the bucket. It displayed the sad icon with the apple support URL for a while, and NOW it won't turn on at all.

I can't remember when exactly I got it, but it doesn't seem that long ago so once I figure that out I will defintely be looking into apple the warranty - I'm guessing it's good for a year, that seems fairly standard.

DAMN TECHNOLOGY - love it when it works, hate it when it doesn't!

Fortunately I have a kind brother, who just so happens to have a spare ipod (hard to believe I know) that he has lent me, so thank goodness I am not riding the bus with only my imagination for company - that could have been lame. :D

New Tattoo!

I got a new tattoo - a hippie blowing a kiss.
I knew that people would inevitably ask why and this is what I came up with.

---

Why?

She is compassionate
And has a heart filled with kindness.

She is pure and innocent,
Naive & sweet.

She is beautiful from the inside out,
And believes in the goodness that exists within.

She treasures honesty and respect,
Truth & loyalty.

She dreams of peace and sustainability,
And believes in a world that is larger than herself.

She has love to give,
And gives it unconditionally.

She is everything I want to be.
She is in me,
She is on me,
We are one.

Discover Scuba

I've wanted to learn SCUBA DIVING for almost as long as I've known what it was. I've always been a water baby - it never mattered if it was a pool, lake or ocean, I always wanted to be in the water. Unless of course it gave me a rash, and although that often happened, it rarely stopped me, rather it just slowed me down a bit.

I remember my Dad's dive gear hanging in our laundry room as a child. I don't actually remember him go diving all that much, but I remember touching his suit and imagining all the wonders of the world beneath the sea.

Despite this obvious desire to take up the sport of SCUBA, the truth is I've been avoiding it: 100% due to economics and funds. It's just over $300 to get certified, but of course you need your own mask and fins, and that's just the beginning. I've avoided doing my PADI Openwater purely because of all the money that it will cost the more I like it.

I even have a very close friend who teaches SCUBA and still, I haven't enrolled.

BUT...Enrollment MAY JUST be in my future.

Last night I had an opportunity to act as a female chaperone for the youth at my local community centre as they took the "Discover Scuba" course.

Discover Scuba is an introductory course that is meant to get you excited about SCUBA. You get a bit of classroom theory, followed by a little bit of time in the pool. I learned about clearing a regulator, clearing a mask, a few hand signals and the like. The cool part is that if you choose to get your PADI openwater you can use Discover Scuba as your first module and they will deduct the price off of your package price... Uh - Oh!

So here's the truth - I LOVED IT...Just like I knew I would. I found the breathing easy (although I constantly have allergies and a stuffed nose, so mouth breathing comes pretty naturally to me), cleared my respirator on the first try and loved swimming around and watching all the swimmers doing laps. I only wish my sinuses weren't clogged and I could have made it to the bottom of the deep end.

They call it DISCOVER SCUBA...and discover scuba I sure did.

getting crafty

I must be slowly recovering from my sickness as I am once again feeling CRAFTY!

I am currently working on making a star pillow (which I have completed) and star blankie for a very good friend of ours who is going to have her first baby, with the support of her mother this february.

I got the idea from Crochet Me Magazine - Here's the pattern.

I have never really made anything except washcloths, and still I have found this relativley easy to make. It does require counting, but it's crocheting, so what can you expect right?

The pillow turned out absolutley adorable, I made it white on one side and baby yellow on the other and I'm not a big fan of the banana/moon so I opted for using a bigger crochet hook to make a baby blue blanket. Depending how big it is when I'm finished, I MAY even add on one of those little baby hat corner things that baby towels sometimes have...we will see.

2007...already?

Wow - it's 2007 already, where has the year gone?

 

In truth, it's hard to remember, it feels like a blur.  I'm trying to remember the big things, but the truth is I remember getting a new job that I love, spending a week in the gulf islands getting engaged with my honey, a whirlwind of wedding planning, the wedding (of course), the honeymoon and shortly after that we were well into the 2006 holiday season.

 

And how were the holidays?  The families were great, but between the hubby & I we were sick the entire time.  Bleh, but we are recovering...slowly but surely.

 

On another note, we shared in the festivities of our good friends wedding and celebrated the new year in a small hall with friends, beer (not for sick me), music and connect 4.  Other people partook in karaoke, dance dance revolution and a whole host of drunken dancing - much entertainment for the sober girl. 

All in all a good holiday season.

Happy New Years and all the best for you and yours.