My Life, My Experience

change

2008-03-23T13:41:00.005-07:00

When I started blogging here, it was about me, my life and a little bit about the environment - my passion.

But things have been changing - it seems to be more and more about food and living the Gluten-Free life. It's been an amazing experience, definitely rocky at points and I'm happy to have a place to record it all. But things are getting complicated - I want to be able to share my GF info with friends and co-workers, without the complications of life involved.

So I made a new blog - Gluten-Free Goodness
http://gfgoodness.wordpress.com/

I'm not sure what will happen here, I may post, or it may fizzle - but the point is, I wanted to try something new, somewhere I can be dedicated to food - I've uploaded my existing GF posts, so all is not lost. I also decided to try out wordpress.

Well, hopefully this makes things simpler, not more complicated.
We will see.

More Food Blogs

2008-03-22T15:07:00.008-07:00

When I found out I had to drastically alter my diet, I immediately looked to the Internet. I searched and clicked, reading and discovering everything I could, about Gluten-Free eating. I spend hours looking at recipes and reading articles, sometimes I feel like I've found so much wonderful information, there can't possibly be more. But there is more. There's always more. A new keyword to search, a link from a friend or a blog, or sometimes sheer luck. Regardless, I consistently find new GF discoveries hidden throughout the Internet.

You may notice, I updated my sidebar, with a couple of new food blogs - I'm not sure how I've managed to miss a few of them for so long.

Elana's Pantry is full of delicious recipes, in fact I've already made two of her recipes - in the last 3 days. I made her power bars only I used almonds AND cashews for my base, and melted unsweetened chocolate (with a handful of chocolate chips) to top my bars off. They were so delicious, I had to pack a few up and throw them in the freezer for fear I would eat them all before the weekends end.

My house is filled with the sweet aroma of vanilla, almonds and raisins, as I made my first batch of Elana's granola just this morning. I used 3/4 cashews and 1/4 pine nuts in place of the macadamia's, added a 1/4 cup of coconut and drizzled with brown rice syrup. Now cool, I tested the granola on some plain probiotic yogurt - delicious!! Next time I may add some fruit, or even try applesauce instead of raisins, but for now, I will just enjoy.

I will warn you now, if you are allergic to nuts, Elana's Pantry may be a disappointment. Elana and her family can obviously tolerate nuts - the majority of her recipes call for almonds or blanched almond flour. Personally, I can eat nuts, the recipes I've tried have been delicious and I'm eager to try many more of her recipes...

I also found Heidi Swanson's 101 Cookbooks, her site is well organized making it easy to find her very full listing of 101 Cookbooks: Gluten-Free - I can't wait to try the recently posted, amazing black bean brownies...

surfing for recipes

2008-03-17T23:15:00.013-07:00

I've been browsing recipes and reading blogs, wading my way through the gluten-free sea, and have come across the babycakes, more than one time. And of course, I wonder how delicious these treats must be, and I wonder what gluten-free secrets this little bakery must hold.

Imagine my excitement when I discovered that Co-founder Erin McKenna had shared some recipes with Martha Stewart - and they were available online.

I made her allergen-free brownies 0nly I cheated and used regular chocolate chips. My first try with Agave and they are delicious!

There was also a recipe for cinnamon toasties, which I intend to try.

I also found these useful substitution tips - particularly handy with the agave as I'm still trying to keep the sugar out.

- Cow's milk can be substituted part-for-part by rice milk or soy milk
- Instead of eggs, you can use 3 tablespoons of applesauce for each egg
- You can substitute sugar with agave nectar, which comes from a cactus and can be found in your organic supermarket
- Use 2/3 cup agave nectar per 1 cup of sugar

Even more searching and I discovered a few more recipes from Erin McKenna and Babycakes bakery...I'm ambitious and also decided to try the Cinnamon banana bread from this batch of recipes - I haven't tasted it yet, but I'm worried I didn't have enough banana. I also substitued the flour mix used in the brownie recipe above as the garbanzo/potato starch/arrowroot appeared to be a trend in her recipes. We'll see how it goes.

On a happy note, the camera and pictures are no longer MIA.

The pizza picture is now up...mmm delicious!

And just because sometimes I take pictures of food that looks good - this was a breakfast when I was still eating yeast bread.

Garlic sauteed spinach and mushroom with poached eggs with toasted "Choices brown rice multiseed bread"

**drool**

GF Thin Crust Pepperoni Pizza (also yeast and egg free)

2008-03-04T08:27:00.008-08:00

Since I have been eating anti-candida, I have been challenged to find foods, particularly bread products, that are both gluten and yeast free. I have since cut back on deli-meat and cheese, but this was a staple of my diet for at least a month, perhaps longer. This recipe is quick, easy and delicious -YOU can certainly make it. And as a gluten-eating friend of mine said, "it just tastes like pizza". That being said, my husband (who also eats gluten) has expressed his opinion that he only likes it fresh. Personally, so long as its not cold, (the texture gets a little funny, its better if it has been microwaved when eating leftovers) I'm happy.

This recipe has been adapted from Bette Hagman's
"The Gluten-Free Gourmet Cooks Fast and Healthy"

The crust can be made with a dairy-free milk substitute, however as it is pizza you will also then need a dairy-free cheese, which I know can be a bit difficult, however if you don't have a dairy problem, use cows milk and cheese.

I like to eat Pepperoni Pizza, so that is what I am listing here, but of course you can put whatever toppings you would like on your pizza - but remember not to put too many "wet" ingredients (vegetables/fruit) or you will have a soggy crust.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup bean flour*
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup tapioca starch
2 heaping tbsp brown rice flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup milk (or non-dairy liquid)
1/4 cup vegetable oil

~175 grams of GF Pepperoni, sliced thick**
Grated cheese***

*I like to use garbanzo bean flour here - you can use whatever you have on hand or whatever you prefer. I have used a 50:50 mixture of garbanzo and whole bean flour in the past, but found the end result a little too heavy.

** I like the Freybe's Pepperoni the best (I get it at the IGA Marketplace Deli), but Overlander (from Safeway Deli's) is also good, just a little spicier.

***I have gotten the best flavour from an approximately 70:30 mix of mozzarella and cheddar, again adapt to your own taste, or use lactose-free cheese if necessary.

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400F.

In a medium bowl mix together all of the dry ingredients.

In a second bowl, or using your mixer, mix the milk and oil.

Mix the liquid and dry ingredients. (If using a mixer add the dry to the wet, if mixing by hand add the wet to the dry)

You will have a goopy mixture.
Pour mixture onto a greased pizza pan (or a cookie sheet) and use a spatula to carefully spread the batter as evenly as possible on the pan. If you are using a cookie sheet, you don't need to fill the pan, just spread out a 10" circle.

Bake for 12-13 minutes, until slightly browned and puffed. The top may have some small cracks - this is OK.

Working quickly, spread your sauce and toppings on the pizza. Remember for pepperoni pizza, the pepperoni goes on top of the cheese. 175g is enough to put a scant layer under the cheese and then still do a full layer on top. If you like less, use less.

Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10-12 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly before cutting and enjoy!!

Take extra enjoyment in the fact that this indulgence is made with beans and thus provides a little bit of extra protein to your meal - but also remember if beans make you prone to gas, you may not want to eat the entire pizza in one sitting!!

GF - affected people everywhere!

2008-03-04T08:00:00.004-08:00

Wow, February is a short month, but despite that, I didn't anticipate letting the entire month slip by without a post. I do so well for a while...and then always seem to slide.

Last month was difficult for me - I have been fighting an infection that expresses itself as much worse than chapped lips. If you see me on a regular basis, you know what I'm talking about. If you don't see me on a regular basis, this is likely why I haven't called, emailed or returned any of your calls. Sorry about that.

I finally managed to get to my doctor in the middle of a flare-up and am now medicated to take care of the infection - it has been a week, and I am definitely feeling improved. Unfortunately, I ended up throwing up and feeling flu-ish yesterday and ended up coming home. I'll be staying home/working from home (a little bit) today and will hopefully will be back at work tomorrow.

It's been a long run and I've been tired and cranky for quite some time...I'm looking forward to feeling like myself again.

On another note, I have been amazed at the number of people around me who are discovering they too may have a problem with wheat/gluten. Perhaps it is just because I don't eat it anymore that I am so much more aware, or perhaps that's why people ask me about it, but since 2008 began, I have spoken to three individuals with completely different medical symptoms, all of whom suspected wheat.

The first was a family friend who is constantly sick and always misdiagnosed. She has had oodles of medical tests, been told at various times that she had IBS, diverticulitis and more...all to no avail. They told her to try not eating gluten, so I sent her a bunch of recipes and links. I haven't heard if it has helped her, but I'm happy to be an information source in case wheat is her problem.

The second is a friend of my sisters who has been off work with pain, bloating and a variety of other symptoms for months. She too has been tested for a variety of diseases, including biggies such as Crohn's, and after coming back negative for test after test, they have told her not to eat gluten and sent her for a Celiac's test. I hope she finds out something definitive soon.

Finally, a friend of mine who never remembers feeling "healthy" ate only MY FOOD(read Gluten-Free) for about 4 days (as I fed her and sent her home with fresh made goodies and that's all she ate) and when she came back to my house, I could instantaneously see a difference in her face, and her complexion. Never had I seen it look so bright, and her eyes so alert as they were that day. Even more exciting, she claimed to feel "healthy" despite some emotional family news. She told me then, that she normally suffers from bloating and stomach issues, but also hadn't felt those symptoms over the past few days. I promptly packed her up a bag of GF-goodness, full of cereal, rice crackers, baking etc and the next time I saw her, she still looked great. I loaded her up again and have my fingers crossed that perhaps all her years of suffering are simply a food intolerance/allergy.

For perspective regarding the change in her face/complexion, scroll down on this post over at glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com - I immediately thought of it when I saw my friend.

I'm going to try and post that pizza recipe I have been raving about sometime today, but we will see.

Testing recipes

2008-01-27T19:33:00.000-08:00

I wouldn't want you to think that in the midst of my hectic schedule, I had forgotten to feed myself. I continue eating the staples, rice, cereal, corn, chicken, vegetables and so on...

But I have been trying recipes too...especially Shuana's Recipes and boy does that girl know how to cook?! Her recipes continually turn out delicious!

I made her Gingersnaps and my gluten-eating friends raved about how delicious they were...

I made her Potato Pancakes and my husband and I fought over the leftovers...

I made her Pancakes and my husband enjoyed them so much he had seconds...

I made her Oooey Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies and heard no complaints, but found an empty cookie jar...

I also made her crustless quiche cups, but I burnt them and found them a little boring and bland. I may try again adding an egg yolk or two.

I do peruse elsewhere for recipes, they just rarely perk me up quite the way Shauna's do. I recently tried Pierogies from another GF bogger, but they didn't turn out quite as expected. The filling was delicious, but the dough was too sticky, but when I left it in the fridge overnight it got kind of hard. Boiled up and cooked, it just looked like a pile of mush. A tasty pile of mush, but mush nonetheless...

I also got a great new book, Sweet Alternative that is full of delicious recipes that are Gluten, Dairy and Soy free. Of course, I'm not eating sugar these days, but just this week I needed to bake so bad, I baked some cupcakes out of this book and gave them to everyone at work...They all loved them.

Finally, I have been eating PIZZA like its nobodies business, I found a great recipe in Bette Hagman's Gluten Free Gourmet Cooks Fast and Healthy for Gluten-Free and Yeast-Free Bean Flour Pizza Crust and boy is it delicious. I fed it to a friend for supper the other day and she said "it just tastes like pizza"...can you ask for a better compliment on GF food? I don't have time to post the recipe now, but I will...and if you want it, and I haven't...email me.

I can't call it anything other than what it is...an update

2008-01-22T22:02:00.000-08:00

If January is any indication, 2008 may just fly by with as much speed as 2007. Is it really already, almost February? Ack! If I've been supposed to call you or email you or hang out with you, I'm sorry.

Work is keeping me busy, deadlines, priorities, more deadlines, more priorities...the cycle continues.

My ankle's healing, but there's still tenderness and a couple visits a week to physio, that perpetually seem to go over on time. It drives me bonkers when I'm trying to catch a ride home, but I try and bring the car one day a week too, as I'm only cheating myself if he's willing to walk me through more exercises and I'm the one cutting it short.

Food-wise, I've been on anti-candida in addition to the gluten-free life. Turns out that all the yuckiness I had been experiencing around my mouth/lips was in fact a vitamin b deficiency turned candida infection.

In short, that means, i have NOT been eating:

Sugar or sugar replacements
Yeast
Alcohol
Vinegars
Dried fruits (acceptable amounts of mold)
Peanuts or pistachios (acceptable amounts of mold)
Gluten (I don't normally eat it anyways, but if you do, you shouldn't if you're trying to starve your yeast)

Now you also have to consider combined ingredients items such as ketchup, BBQ sauce and salad dressings - they're pretty much out too, of course this is where I found myself cheating. I was doing this on my own for about a month with mixed results, and I've spent the last month, taking the naturopath's yeast killer concoction dosage of acidophillus. NOW I'm starting the reintroductions - fruit a couple times this week, we'll see how it goes.

Happy New Year

2008-01-02T13:13:00.001-08:00

After a much needed 9 day holiday break, it's back to the office, and back to the grind today. Fortuantley, things are still a little sleepy and the bosses aren't back until tomorrow, which allows us all a little bit of time today to get our heads back out of the clouds. Thank Goodness, I seem to need it.

I'm happy to report that I have my first physio session today, I'm walking much better but I still have weakness and a sneaky feeling that I'm getting a bit dependent on the air cast, so I'm happy that I am finally going to get some help healing this bad-boy up.

Since I didn't mention it here...
I sprained my left ankle by rolling it right underneath my body while playing Stupid Soccer on a semi-muddy field. That was November 25. After x-rays at the hospital and a doctors visit, I was on crutches for about 2.5 weeks before the doctor told me I could start trying to put a bit of weight on it and get started on my physio. It was another 3 days after that before I became so fed up with the crutches that I started to "walk" (if you want to call it that). Unfortunatley, the combination of work, overtime, work and the holidays meant I couldn't seem to fit any physio into the crazy schedule I was calling LIFE. Next thing I know it's the holidays, things are closed and the debate about choosing a physio location ensues. In the end I chose somewhere near work and I will be heading off in a few hours.

happy holidays

2007-12-26T17:21:00.000-08:00

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

2007-11-07T21:12:00.000-08:00

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

2007-11-05T15:47:00.000-08:00

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!

2007-11-01T16:59:00.000-07:00

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.

2007-10-30T10:42:00.001-07:00

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!

2007-10-24T17:03:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-21T18:30:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-21T08:51:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-16T23:01:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-09T13:35:00.001-07:00

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

2007-10-08T09:52:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

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

2007-09-12T08:12:00.000-07:00

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

2007-09-10T09:06:00.001-07:00

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

2007-08-06T11:21:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-20T10:06:00.001-07:00

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

2007-07-09T09:03:00.001-07:00

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

2007-07-06T10:54:00.001-07:00

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!

2007-07-01T10:06:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-25T14:44:00.001-07:00

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

NOT my week

2007-06-21T13:29:00.001-07:00

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...

2007-06-19T22:12:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-18T12:29:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-17T23:38:00.000-07:00

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...

2007-05-11T16:48:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-06T10:33:00.000-07:00

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...

2007-05-06T10:16:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-04T14:35:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-02T10:08:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-01T09:30:00.001-07:00

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

2007-04-30T08:50:00.001-07:00

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

2007-04-25T13:55:00.001-07:00

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

2007-04-03T19:11:00.000-07:00

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

2007-03-27T18:52:00.000-07:00

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

2007-03-19T09:34:00.001-07:00

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

2007-03-19T09:06:00.001-07:00

- 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

2007-03-15T17:43:00.001-07:00

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

2007-03-15T16:59:00.000-07:00

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...

2007-03-08T10:07:00.001-08:00

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

2007-03-06T11:09:00.001-08:00

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...

2007-02-27T09:44:00.000-08:00

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?

2007-02-25T11:37:00.000-08:00

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

Gung Hay Fat Choy

2007-02-17T23:52:00.000-08:00

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!

2007-02-17T23:48:00.000-08:00

Aren't they kickin' rad?!

Thanks Mom!

NEW IPOD!

2007-02-02T00:52:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-27T16:55:00.001-08:00

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

2007-01-25T09:45:00.001-08:00

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

2007-01-24T08:45:00.000-08:00

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!

2007-01-23T20:49:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-12T11:22:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-10T21:58:00.000-08:00

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?

2007-01-05T15:53:00.000-08:00

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.

An Inconvenient Truth

2006-12-24T08:19:00.000-08:00

I recently had a chance to watch Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth and I think that everyone should watch it regardless whether you are a "science" person or not.

As a science person, the facts were good, and the explanations clear.

As a non-science person, I think that Al Gore does a great job of making the climate crisis tangible and understandable AND he still manages to be interesting.

I was browsing the site and found a cool pledge to see the video widget and thought I'd throw one on my blog. Do you see it in the sidebar on the left? Click the widget and see the movie - it's good stuff, regardless whether it is a review or completley new for you.

kudo's to my brother

2006-12-23T09:53:00.000-08:00

I keep forgetting to send the proper recognition my little brother's way. He recently spent some serious time re-modelling our fireplace, which used to be an atrocious pile of nasty painted tiles.

NOW, as you can see, due to my brother's brick-laying skills, the fireplace looks AWESOME!

Our kittie's are always cute too.
Thanks - you kick ass!

ps. if you are wondering, he is also going to do the mantle, as soon as we buy some brick without the texture so it can lay flat. He did such a great job, the old crappy mantle fit right back over the top - it looks infinitely better than it used to.

wine = more garbage?

2006-12-23T09:38:00.000-08:00

Ok the truth is, I don't have more time to browse, but I did get a new computer complete with Google Desktop. My old computer would have laughed at me if I tried to run something like google desktop at the same as anything else, but this new dell can handle it.

I particularly like the "web clips" which allows me to get a brief synopsis of a multitude of articles, thus allowing me to read the ones of interest, like the one below.

It seems that Australian's have come up with an innovative way to sell wine - with an acrylic glass attached to the bottle. This would of course be amazing if the point was to encourage people to re-use glasses at a party rather than use disposable
cups, but unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the message attached to this particular acrylic cup. Instead, there is hope that this will allow customers to be served with more expedience and efficiency.

Hmmm, I'm not entirely convinced and neither are the people at Treehugger which is where I found the original article.

new links - CLICK THEM!

2006-12-20T08:53:00.001-08:00

I had a friend send me some very cool enviro-links.

I really like this website, lots of pictures, little information blurbs and overall a very user friendly site. I particularly liked the green gift giving guide for the holiday season.
http://www.inhabitat.com/

This site has a lot more reading and lot less pictures, but since I don't mind reading so much I don't mind this site so much. :)
http://www.lazyenvironmentalist.com/

This site "Connecting Environmental Professionals" is for a local group (there are also groups in Toronto, Calgary & Edmonton) that has monthly meetings/gatherings for networking purposes and also has an excellent job posting listserv.

http://www.yepcanada.ca/vancouver.htm

That's all for now. I've been sick and haven't had much time to think let alone write and blog...but C'est La Vie!

Did you click them? What did you think? I dream that one day people will leave me a comment...

bridge club skier?

2006-11-29T16:41:00.000-08:00

Are you a bridge club skier?

With all the snow and cold, it's not surprising that I overheard some gals on the bus chatting about heading up to the mountain to ski and ride. I found myself nodding along as one of them went on to say that she was perfectly happy on the blue runs and had no desire to head up to the blacks. You see, she explained, black runs have any or all of trees, narrow sections and moguls which do not interest me.

Yes, yes...I'm not interested in those things either.

She then went on to say she just wanted to have fun, not push and push and push to be better because the result of all that pushing is nearly always a very tired and sore body the next day.

As I listened, I knew we were in the same boat - when I snowboard I do it for enjoyment and pleasure, and although it is not true in all aspects of my life, when it comes to riding it's not about the pursuit of excitement or the challenge.

One of the other girls laughed and called her a bridge club skier to which she simply giggled and agreed.

The truth is, as much as I love to ride, I sure love that steaming cup of hot chocolate that comes at break time. In fact, I often look forward to it.

If that makes me a "bridge club snowboarder", I'll take the title with pride.

Bottom Trawling Moratorium

2006-11-24T08:40:00.000-08:00

Have a look at this video that Green Peace has made, simply titled "Blame Canada (and España)" which uses South Park as their means to discuss Canada's lack of participation in the recent Bottom Trawling Moratorium.

I honestly don't know as much as I should about this issue, but from what I understand, this moratorium is for international waters and is not actually talking about a full ban, but rather is looking for bottom trawling to cease while the actual process is re-evaluated.

Bottom trawling is fishing that involves dragging large, non-specific nets along the ocean floor. For more check out Wikipedia.

It seems that Canada doesn't feel that trawling is damaging in our country because we have sandy sea floors rather than corals or other sensitive sea life. Although the moratorium only applies to International waters, there is fear that agreement may eventually lead to exclusion of trawling in our own waters.

That's how I understand it at least - watch the video...it's entertaining at the least.

thoughts on Kyoto

2006-11-17T19:04:00.000-08:00

I just used the David Suzuki Website to send an email to the Prime Minister about how important I believe the Kyoto Protocol to be.

This is the first time I have ever felt inspired to use one of those "form email" things, but the truth is I think it is a crock that Canada is ignoring their commitment to the Kyoto Protocol.

Here's what the letter says:

Dear Prime Minister,

I’m writing to let you know I’m concerned about global warming and I want Canada to do something about it.

Climate change is a global issue and the Kyoto Protocol is the only global agreement we have to address this challenge. We made a promise to the world that we would reduce our heat-trapping emissions and to ignore this promise would be an international embarassment.
>
Kyoto was always designed to be the first step towards the long-term changes we need to make to protect our health, our environment and our economy. Like the vast majority of Canadians, I support Kyoto and expect Canada to take a lead role in this critical global issue.

Please don’t let us down.

Sincerely,
(your name and address automatically added here)

The form also allows you to add your own comments, so this is what I added:

As a Canadian I am embarrassed by the knowledge that Canada was the second country to sign the Kyoto Protocol and despite this excitement and eagerness we continue to look the other way with regard to Canada's contribution to Global Warming.

We all have to do what's right for ourselves - check out the website for more information.

moving desks

2006-11-15T08:44:00.001-08:00

I spent all day yesterday moving offices. Packing stuff up, hauling it to my brand new desk, in a brand new building and then attempting to organize--what can only be described as--my semi-organized clutter into a resemblance of a normal desk. When I arrived this morning, I was surprised to find that my desk did in fact look similar to the multitude of neat and tidy desks that make up our open office space.

Now, I simply have to keep it this way.

I have a feeling that's going to be the deal breaker for me.

Not that I don't want to keep it clean and tidy and beautiful. I appreciate neat - A LOT. I just have a hard time keeping things that way. I'm hoping that my husbands theory (that if everything actually has a home then it becomes a lot easier to put away) is going to ring true, be effective and possibly even help me to improve my cleanliness in our home.

Time will tell.

Bubble Tea

2006-11-13T14:40:00.000-08:00

Mmmm...I just had a HONEY MILK TEA with PEARLS.

Delicious!

If you've never had one, you should try. Although it's probably safer to try someone else's first. The tapioca pearls creep a LOT of people out!

(note: picture nicked off the internet - although mine was the same colour!)

siblings

2006-11-12T23:36:00.000-08:00

It's curious, I'm not sure where it came from, but I was driving along today and had a bizarre realization. My dad is a "because I said so" parent, and though many things have changed over the years, I know that his attitude was consistent throughout both my own and my siblings upbringing. And despite this, or perhaps more likely as a result of this attitude, all three of us have a problem with authority, especially being expected to blindly follow instructions without explanation, rhyme or reason.

My sister is the baby and the princess, and she knows how to work it. She pours on the charm, looks you straight in the eye and tells you how SHE wants things to be when confronted with unexplained authority.

My brother has the strength & resiliency of steel, which will forever amaze and inspire me. If you don't respect him, you can expect less than nothing from him and he will take your punishment without question.

Myself, I am the weakest in this respect. I am the oldest and I strive for a harmony that comes with taking care of others. If a request is reasonable, if it is spoken to me with respect, if I can understand the need I will agree. However, if I feel taken advantage of, or disrespected I WILL stand up for myself.

Perhaps the truth is that none of this has to do with the "because I told you so" parenting style we encountered but rather is just the natural trend of our family: strong willed and persistent. I really don't know what the answer is, but I certainly found the idea to be extremely ironic.

changeeverything.ca

2006-11-09T22:00:00.000-08:00

I heard about the http://www.changeeverything.ca website for the first time on the radio. I didn't really know what it was, but I was intrigued.

Then I heard about the changeeverything.ca website at work. I heard it was a vancity initiative that had their look and feel, but wasn't about banking. I was told it was a website designed to help real people make changes in their lives and connect with other people with same values, moral and/or goals.

Cool. I've been meaning to check it out for ages and I finally did.

It was easy to register, it's easy to post things you want to change in your life, your community or your world and it's easy to discuss a plethora of topics of interest to you. Of course for me, the environment is my primary interest for discussion, but that's certainly not the only topic people are discussing. I've already posted two changes I strive to make in my life and just finished commenting on a different discussion thread.

I think it's a great initiative, it feels proactive and I'm happy I've jumped on board.

bus-ly inspiration

2006-11-09T09:00:00.000-08:00

I ride the bus a lot now, nearly every day, and though it can occasionally be slow, annoying, sweaty and smelly there are also a few benefits. First, I don't have to drive in traffic, I can listen to my ipod, I can play sodoku puzzles (sometimes), I can sleep and best of all, I can people watch. During my approximately 1hr commute I see a lot of people get on and off the bus and I often find my mind wandering, thinking about what their lives must be like, where they are going, what kind of job they must have - you know, people watching.

I often find myself inspired and composing blog posts in my mind. Unfortunately, when I arrive at work, it turns out I actually need to work and those lovely thoughts often dissipate throughout the day. Why not write them on the bus you ask? I have two responses to that, first off I am prone to motion sickness and have been working my way up to reading. So far I can do sodoku on the way to work, most of the time. I tried writing one day and I had to stop because I felt sick and that lovely feeling stayed with me for the remainder of the bus ride - ick!

Just the other day however, someone or something on the bus must have reminded me of my brother, because I found myself envisioning something a little more substantial than a blog post. I was imagining a book, the lessons my brother has taught me. Please don't misconstrue, my brother is not older and wiser than me, he has not sat me down at the kitchen table and taught me much of anything, but he had a hard time growing up and I was his rock and THAT taught me everything.

I could easily cover a chapter each about love, compassion, strength, courage, morals, anger and of course pain simply by recalling the experiences of our childhood.

Maybe I should.
Maybe I will.

just a few honeymoon photos

2006-11-05T07:41:00.000-08:00

Downtown Playa del Carmen - Despite the heat, locals play soccer on the beach, and you can see the ferry to Cozumel in the background.

The Beach Club view of the ocean - the weather was changing and the waters were choppy, but it only added to the beauty.

Xcaret "ecological reserve" was full of brightly coloured and beautiful animals - here you can see the Macaws.

Invasive Plant Survey

2006-11-02T14:54:00.000-08:00

If you know me at all, you know that I spend OODLES of time out in nature removing invasive plants from our natural areas. These nasty plants have made their way into our habitats accidentally or occasionally on purpose and they are able to grow extremely rapidly and aggressively. As these plants are often very far from their natural range, they exist in our habitat without any natural controls such as predators or disease and thus are able to outcompete and often crowd out native species, dramatically reducing native populations and thus the biodiversity of the ecosystem...

Take a few moments and fill out this survey put out by Simon Fraser University (even if you don't know much about invasives) and contribute to the knowledge base that these researchers are trying to establish.

SFU Invasive Plant Survey

Seriously...click the link and check it out!

Grand (Flamenco) Occidental Xcaret

2006-10-30T13:11:00.000-08:00

We've been home from our honeymoon at the Grand (Flamenco) Occidental Xcaret; for about 36 hours and though we are glad to be home - DAMN was it cold out at the bus stop this morning. The resort is located
about 10 minutes from Playa Del Carmen which is about 50 minutes from Cancun. Playa Del Carmen was first known for the ferry to the snorkeling and diving haven of Cozumel but has become its own bustling town full of shops, tourists and time share opportunities.

IF you exclude the regular horrors of travelling for over 12 hours to arrive at a destination that would take less than half the time if you had been able to fly direct, our honeymoon was fantastic. The resort was beautiful, It lived up to our expectations as a 4.5 * resort, with friendly and helpful staff, well cared for (not to mention lush) grounds, numerous pools, a gorgeous and serene beach club, and of
course an abundance of food to eat, water to drink and of course you could find alcoholic beverages every step of the way.

During our 7 night stay we were permitted to eat out 4 times at our choice of 5 excellent a la carte restaurants; in the end we only made it out for dinner 3 times, but c'est la vie. In addition to all of these resources there was also a SPORTS BAR and DISCO on the premises. Although the disco seemed to have some potential, we only made it there one time and despite our large consumption of Mojito's (with new friends) and being the last to leave for the evening, we never did make it out to the dance floor to shake our booties.

Once we found the SPORTS BAR however, we seemed to continue migrating that way as our evening progressed. We watched baseball, played pool (surprisingly well) and enjoyed the beverages of the bar.

There's more to say and pictures to upload, but for now, I will say the resort was beautiful, we rarely left and we spent the majority of our time swimming, eating or sleeping...ahhh isn't that the life?

Granola Girl's RECIPES

2006-10-13T09:38:00.003-07:00

This is just the begining, but I intend to slowly amass my favourite recipes here. Please be patient and remember to check back.

GLUTEN-FREE Recipes
Gluten-Free Ponderosa Cake
Gluten-Free Bagels
Gluten-Free, Thin Crust Pepperoni Pizza (also Yeast-Free and Egg-Free)

NOT GLUTEN-FREE Recipes
Easy Quiche Lorraine

3:56am

2006-10-04T08:52:00.000-07:00

3:56am, I welcome the crisp ocean air against my sweaty, tacky skin. The hard plastic of the lawn chair presses coolness into my back like an ice pack. The only sound interrupting the pure silence of early morning is nature herself. The rhythmic lapping of the ocean waves along the rocky shore. Though the waves may vary in strength and sound, they will never stop - such beautiful white noise. Within moments I am ready to return to my toasty haven and drift back to sleep.

back to love

2006-09-29T08:36:00.000-07:00

People often say that marriage is about compromise and that much is true, but just yesterday we tackled yet another issue that I'm certain will come up time and time again.

I promised to care for J when he is sick, weary or simply in need and it is the last statement that I am referring to now. We have had 5 years to learn each other, to begin to understand the subtle nuances of each other, and yet it's obvious, marriage has affect one important factor - trust.

Not trust in each other from an honesty perspective, but rather trust in your partner that they will watch out for you and take care of you, always. That it's ok to give into your demons for a few moments if need be, because the love of your life is there to guide you and bring you back.

Back to life & back to love.

Married

2006-09-18T23:04:00.000-07:00

Nothing has changed and yet everything is different. We are just two weeks in and I still giggle when I say husband. It seems surreal sometimes - I HAVE A HUSBAND.

I feel like an adult, like a grown up, I feel like I've finally begun to loosen my grip on the life of a youth. Not that I ever acted overly stereotypically.

But I digress, being married is wonderful. Our friends and family embrace us as a whole. They see us as two parts of the same, just as we do and it's incredible. No longer are our commitments secondary to anyone else's. We are the beginning of our own family, and people respect that.

And yet within our little family, our little unit, we have maintained the status quo. We continue to take care of each other, watch over each other and provide for one another when we are in need. Truly, nothing has really changed between us, we just made our commitment official.

wed 140
Originally uploaded by granola girl :).

The wedding - simply perfect

2006-09-05T09:54:00.000-07:00

Well it's official - I am now a MRS and I couldn't be happier.

The sun was shining, the guests were smiling, and the love of my life was waiting for me, to claim me as his own. The day went fabulously and I wouldn't change a thing, there were no major crisis', no tears (except a few out of pure joy) and there was an overall glow of love and happiness over the entire day.

A special thank you to everyone who made the day possible and to everyone who was able to make it out to share in our special day.

There is so much to say, but for now...the lyrics of OUR song...

"Better Together" by Jack Johnson

There's no combination of words
I could put on the back of a postcard
No song I could sing
But I can try for your heart
Our dreams, and they are made out of real things
Like a, shoebox of photographs
With sepiatone loving
Love is the answer,
At least for most of the questions in my heart
Like why are we here? and where do we go?
And how come it's so hard?
It's not always easy and
Sometimes life can be deceiving
I'll tell you one thing its always better when we're together

MMM its always better when we're together
Yeah, look at the stars when we're together
Well, it's always better when we're together
Yeah, it's always better when we're together

And all of these moments
Just might find their way into my dreams tonight
But I know that theyll be gone
When the morning light sings
And brings new things
For tomorrow night you see
That theyll be gone too
Too many things I have to do
But if all of these dreams might find their way
Into my day to day scene
I'd be under the impression
I was somewhere in between
With only two
Just me and you
Not so many things we got to do
Or places we got to be
We'll Sit beneath the mango tree now

Its always better when we're together
Mmmm, we're somewhere in between together
Well, it's always better when we're together
Yeah, it's always better when we're together

MMmmmm MMMmmmm Mmmmmm
I believe in memories
They look so, so pretty when I sleep
Hey now, and when I wake up,
You look so pretty sleeping next to me
But there is not enough time,
And there is no song I could sing
And there is no, combination of words I could say
But I will still tell you one thing
We're Better together.

on being flexible and adventerous!

2006-08-28T10:39:00.000-07:00

Another good read I found in my email box...gg :)

Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.

How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word "refrigeration" mean nothing to you?

How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched 'Jeopardy' on television?

I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, "How about going to lunch in a half hour?" She would gas up and stammer, "I can't. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast, It looks like rain." And my personal favorite: "It's Monday." She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.

Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches.. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect!

We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Steve toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet. We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of "I'm going to," "I plan on," and "Someday, when things are settled down a bit."

When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she/he is open to adventure and available for trips. She/he keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her/his enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her/him for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.

Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to......not just something on your SHOULD DO list.. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask "How are you?" Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, "We'll do it tomorrow." And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say "Hi"?

When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift....Thrown away.... Life is not a race. Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over.

"Life may not be the party we hoped for... but while we are here we might as well dance!"

Food for thought

2006-08-24T15:35:00.000-07:00

There is a sufficiency in the world for man's need but not for man's
greed. ~Mohandas K. Gandhi

We cannot command Nature except by obeying her. ~Francis Bacon

The activist is not the man who says the river is dirty. The activist
is the man who cleans up the river. ~Ross Perot

When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the
rest of the world. ~John Muir

The universe is not required to be in perfect harmony with human
ambition. ~Carl Sagan

It appears to be a law that you cannot have a deep sympathy with both
man and nature. ~Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854

The human race will be the cancer of the planet. ~Julian Huxley, attributed

The word "wilderness" occurs approximately three hundred times in the
Bible, and all its meanings are derogatory. ~René Dubos, The Wooing
of Earth, 1980

In an underdeveloped country, don't drink the water; in a developed
country, don't breathe the air. ~Changing Times magazine

http://www.quotegarden.com/environment.html

bus stop etiquette

2006-08-23T10:34:00.000-07:00

I know that I am far from an expert on etiquette - nor do I generally
feel the need to follow such socially defined rules, and yet this
morning I found myself shaking my head as I boarded the bus.

When at a major bus stop that serves many routes, people generally
congregate near the bus stop and there is inevitably some budging,
pushing and shoving as people make their way onto the bus.

When however, you are at a single bus stop that only services a single
bus into town and people are peacefully lined up in the order they
arrived, it is common courtesy to stand at the end of the line and
happily wait for your turn to board the bus - even if that means you
have to stand.

It annoys me even more, when these said people make their way to the
front of the line with the guise of checking the bus schedule, after
which they just happen to be the front of the line to board the bus.
At this point, they avoid eye contact and continually check their
watch as they wait for the bus that they are about to board in front
of all the other passengers at the stop.

What makes these people think they are so special? I hate to be the
bearer of bad news, but people were already waiting patiently, and
though no one had the energy to tell off the bus stop etiquette
offender at my stop this morning (myself included) I know I wasn't the
only one frustrated by this behaviour. There were definitley some
shared smiles and eye rolls. <b>Wait your turn to board the bus, just
like everyone else!</b>

The engagement: T minus 2 weeks 1 day

2006-08-18T08:37:00.000-07:00

Wow, Wow, Wow!! The wedding is sneaking up fast. While not exactly sneaking up, more like barreling forward. Thoughts of the wedding constantly permeate my mind. Fortunately, most everything has been "sorted out" and/or "dealt with" meaning as far as I can tell there is nothing left that still needs to be "planned". There is still much to do, but at least there is a plan. :D

Work has been crazy busy to boot, so I feel like I have accomplished so little over the last few weeks, but I know it's not true. I'm going to spend the day doing errands, just as I did last Friday, and hopefully I will feel a sense of accomplishment when I lay down to sleep this evening.

Tonight is J's pseudo-stag: I call it that because a) he didn't want it and b) he's informed his friends he will be leaving if they try and embarrass him and make him do stupid stuff...Although time will tell.

Tomorrow is my make-up consultation and my second wedding shower, this time with some of my friends present.

Weddings sure take up a lot of energy - but I can't wait to be J's Mrs!

The engagement - we finally met our photographer yesterday...

2006-08-04T15:46:00.000-07:00

an attempt to kick laziness in the ass

2006-07-31T20:07:00.000-07:00

With softball officially finished for the season, I made an executive decision...

I will not become lazy.
I will not procrastinate working out because I need a break from life.
I will not procrastinate working out because I'm busy.
I will not let a lack of exercise make me cranky.
I will not feel sluggish and out-of-shape at my wedding.

In fact I decided that:

I will go back to Kick-Boxing immediately (I did - yay me!).
I will feel buff(ish) at my wedding (as long as I keep going, I will!).

And I am proud to announce that I went to kick-boxing on Monday and I will be going back this evening. My abs are killing me (a sure sign I haven't done any crunches in months) and it feels great. In that hurts but feels good exercise kind of way, my spirits are already lifted and I remember how happy I am when I work out regularly. Plus I didn't totally suck ass when I went back. J tells me that your muscles remember quickly, so we will see. If they come back quick I'll be super ecstatic, although exercising in general has that effect on me.

If I have told you about kick-boxing and tried to convince you to come - YOU SHOULD.

It's cheap $4/1.5 hours (you buy a ticket with 10 for $40 and there's no expiration, you use them when you can make it) and he will let you try it for free the first time.

If you like it you will need to buy your own gloves and wraps but that's only $40 and cheaper than any of the local sporting good stores - plus you get to pick your own glove colour.

It's a serious ass-kicking and incredibly fun - if you've got some aggression in you, kicking and punching the bag is so incredibly satisfying.
The class is small, rarely more than 10 people (over 90% women), and usually all at different levels, so you don't have to worry if you're new - it's unlikely you will be the only one.
The instructor is relaxed, funny & gives you enough instruction so that you feel comfortable and enough space that you don't get creeped out.
It starts at 7:10pm on mon/wed which gives more than enough time to get home and possibly eat something before working out and a little earlier (6:15pm?) on saturday's so there is still time to go out, and if you work, still time to get home.
Oh yeah, and you'll get to hang out with me...although hang out may not be quite the right term for it, perhaps I should say you get to sweat with me. But seriously, it's fun - you should try it!

The engagement - a wedding weekend

2006-07-31T09:26:00.000-07:00

My weekends seem to be getting busier and busier, although I guess that is to be expected, my wedding is approaching in just over 1 month.

Friday had me out with my mother in law for a wonderful afternoon; after about 15 minutes at the dress makers the "chores" for the afternoon were done. The outfit is going to be beautiful, stunning and of course it will fit me "just so"...I'm very excited. We spent another few hours perusing Army & Navy where I found some wonderful pink bebe pants and a couple of fabulous shirts.

On our way home we stopped at a local blueberry farm where I couldn't resist buying a LOT of blueberries - I want to freeze some and last time I bought a huge box, it wasn't huge enough. I think 10 pounds of blueberries ought to be enough. :D Mmm...blueberries, yogurt & granola for breakfast, I love it. But I digress, my mother-in-law then agreed to try "pho" and was delighted to find that she quite enjoyed the simple vietnemese noodle soup.

Then Saturday was MY Bridal Shower put on by my lovely aunts. It was the mom & her friends shower, but was fun nonetheless; lots of goodies to eat, sangria to drink and and an amazing mango custard cake. We played some shower games, including "clothespin" stealing when you cross your legs, making a brides dress out of tissue paper, ribbon and tape and "memory" with my outfit...and of course I had to wear the ribbon hat...

Tags:/wedding shower/dress fitting/engagement/

Introducing Fred

2006-07-23T08:13:00.000-07:00

J kept telling me I had to wait until Saturday for one of my birthday presensts, and I had no idea what he was talking about, but resoutley decided not to make a big deal of it.

When I arrive home however, I forget all about this promise. We chill out and relax, eventually finding our way to the spare room, where I instantly notice something different.

Lemmiwinks is gone*!
OMG...and there is a hedgie in there!

We spent some time getting acquainted yesterday, he ran around the metal pen on the living room floor (protected by a towel of course) and man is he smart...he pushed the cage around and ALMOST climbed out!

Thanks J for an amazing, sweet and heartfelt present...I still can't believe you got him for me!

*What a sweetie, J took Lemmmiwinks to the pet store with him and although they can't sell him, he was such an adorable gerbil that one of the girls was going to take him home.

Tags:/birthday/hedgehog/hedgie/

Happy Birthday to me...

2006-07-21T08:03:00.000-07:00

Well, I am a quarter of a century old today...

It really doesn't feel any different than yesterday, and the truth is,
I feel that way every birthday. Although it does sound more adult and
dignified - twenty-five, hmm maybe there is something special about
it.

I started off the day by a special treat. A caramel machiato from
Starbucks and a ham & cheese croissant from Cobs bread. Since it's my
birthday I also go a spinach and feta croissant which I have every
intention of enjoying this morning.

I'm working today so that I can take the weekend off. Fortunately, I
had some long days last week and I am flexing the hours today so that
I can have a half day. After which I plan on meeting Jason at his
work for lunch, then heading home for a nap. Then in the evening, it
looks like off to the local pub for cheap beer and good eats with good
friends. Sounds like a plan to me.

Oh yeah, and the sun is shining and my brother sent me a happy
birthday text message first thing this morning - made me smile. Looks
like it's shaping up to be a great birthday!

must sleep...

2006-07-17T08:06:00.000-07:00

Last week kicked my ass - hence the lack of posts.

Monday through Wednesday was spent getting up early, driving to work, driving back across town (and then some) to the beach where we trudged through the mudflats and removed Spartina for about 6 hours, before driving back to work, then back home to play softball playoffs each night. Wow, I'm tired again just thinking about it.

But seriously, it was both fun and satisfying. I love my job and I love softball, although I must admit to being at least mildly relieved that we didn't win our series in softball and the season is finished. With all the wedding planning going on, there's only so much time.

I spent all day thursday at a workshop for developing a Biodiversity action plan for the region - too cool! Did I mention I love my job? :D

My mom and I have been working on wedding favoursthis week - I promise they aren't almonds or mints or anything equally as lame. Well at least not to me - I was aiming for HIPPY COOL, and if that's your thing too, you'll like them.

That's all there's time for right now, but I'll try and come up with something of interest soon.
~gg

Lawn Ecology a divine perspective

2006-07-05T16:13:00.000-07:00

There have been a lot of essays written on the issue of urban/suburban landscape homogenization (aka the lawning of North America), here's looking at it from a "higher" perspective.

It's amazing what fun can be found in my email box these days! ~gg

Lawn Ecology

GOD: Frank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there on the planet? What happened to the dandelions, violets, thistle and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect, no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast
garden of colors by now. But all I see are these green rectangles.

ST. FRANCIS: It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers "weeds" and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.

GOD: Grass? But it's so boring. It's not colourful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees, only grubs and sodworms. It's sensitive to temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?

ST. FRANCIS: Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.

GOD: The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast That must make the Suburbanites happy.

ST. FRANCIS: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it - sometimes twice a week.

GOD: They cut it? Do they then bail it like hay?

ST. FRANCIS: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.

GOD: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?

ST. FRANCIS: No, Sir. Just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.

GOD: Now let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?

ST. FRANCIS: Yes, Sir.

GOD: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.

ST. FRANCIS: You aren't going to believe this Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.

GOD: What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn leaves fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. Plus, as they rot, the leaves form compost to enhance the soil. It's a natural circle of life.

ST. FRANCIS: You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.

GOD: No fooling? What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter and to keep the soil moist and loose?

ST. FRANCIS: After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.

GOD: And where do they get this mulch?

ST. FRANCIS: They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.

GOD: Enough. I don't want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine, you're in charge of the arts What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?

ST. CATHERINE: "Dumb and Dumber," Lord. It's a really stupid movie about....

GOD: Never mind. I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis.

The Engagement - The Ring (close up)

2006-07-03T10:47:00.000-07:00

Not that the picture even remotely does the ring justice...and you can see I've had some sun this weekend, but it's better than nothing!

Happy Canada Day

2006-07-01T10:06:00.000-07:00

As the beer commercials say, I'm Proud to be Canadian and not just because of the beer.

I'm proud to be part of a country that values ethnicity and culture.

I'm proud to be a part of a country that sends peace keepers and not soldiers.

I'm proud to live in a country where we have so few murders that they all make the news.

I'm proud to live in a country where I don't know anyone who owns a gun (I think).

I'm proud to live in a country that accepts marriage as a union between two people - regardless of their sexual orientation.

I'm proud to be a CHINESE-CANADIAN!

And I'm proud to live in a country that doesn't vote Bush in for two consecutive terms. I try not to bash other people or other countries, but there was something about this picture that totally entertained me, and I figured the web would already be flooded with Canadian flags, so today, something new.

Plus it's not like any of you ever comment, so I'm not overly concerned about nasty comments - plus I have the power to delete them!

Tags:/Canada/Canada Day/Canadian/Proud to be Canadian/

The engagement - resolution?

2006-06-30T15:39:00.000-07:00

And after all that drama...the Golf Course is completely booked anyways.
Go Figure.

The Engagement - Do whatever you want...

2006-06-29T21:56:00.000-07:00

I'm exasperated.

Everyone keeps telling me to "do whatever I want", yet when I tell them what I want they make me feel bad as if I am just the other parties puppet to do with what they will.

ARGH!

It's so frustrating. What do I want? I want everyone to be happy - or at least pretend to be happy so that I can relax.

I'm not good at being selfish, at ignoring everyone close to me's feelings, wants and desires. Those things play a huge roll in my decision-making process, and for some reason no one's willing to give in and make me feel better, only give in and make me feel f*k*n guilty.

"Guilt is primarily an emotion experienced by people who believe they have done something wrong."
-Wikipedia

Seriously, I don't think I've done anything wrong and yet I'm so concerned for all of your feelings that I'm the one crying, racked with guilt because there is no possible way for me to make you all happy.

Shame on you!

The Engagement - The Family Argument

2006-06-29T15:40:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine is getting married this weekend and as such she has been planning her wedding for the past few months. As I chatted away about my annoyances with wedding planning she told me that her experience and those of everyone she had talked to led to to one important piece of insight.

You will have at least one major fight with the family.
It will happen.

It is inevitable.

You will figure it out & it will pass.

As I mentioned previously, one could say that my dad is mildly disappointed that I will not be having a large "do" for my wedding. In fact I nixed the idea of having the wedding at his golf course before he had a chance to argue his point. We don't even golf and we just aren't interested.

About a week after the initial discussion my mom approached me about possibly having lunch out rather than having it catered to the house...Now I'm sure you can see where this is leading. They almost had me completely convinced that it would be no hassle to get everyone loaded up and to the golf course for pictures and food and that miraculously J and I would still have time for some serious mid-day relaxation.

After some chatting with J, friends and the like, I am not entirely convinced things will be so easy. Nor am I convinced that I want the hassle. The golf course is definitely beautiful & I want my dad to have his glory, pride and excitement and of course the opportunity to show-off for his friends - but he pretty much has free reign with the Open House.

What to do...What to do?!
I guess it's probably time to head back over to Mom's for another chat...Wish me Luck - I know Dad's been on her back.

The Engagement - dress shopping

2006-06-23T14:50:00.000-07:00

Now that we are officially getting married in just over 2 months, it is suddenly time to get a move on making it all happen. Of course one of the most important issues is the wedding dress. I wasn't particularly interested in getting a big poufy dress, but rather was hoping for something a little bit more hippy-casual. I was hoping for separates rather than a dress and just in general I just wanted to find something that suited my style.

So today, my mom, my sister-in-law and I headed out to wedding dress lane and proceeded to browse and peruse. We arrived at 10am, but it turns out that wedding dress shopping starts at 11am. No need to worry however, we didn't seem to have any trouble passing the time; we found some stationary to make the wedding invitations, and some great materials to make thank you cards. We found fabulous purses for my mom, and once she picks her outfit I'm fairly certain we will be back to buy her a matching purse.

We were back home by 1:30 and in that time, we accomplished A LOT. The first thing we found were the shoes (if you click the picture in the link you can see all different views) and as soon as I slipped them on my feet, I was an owner. They are beautiful, comfortable and will match anything.

We also found a dress, it's more traditional than I expected, but it suits my personality and style. Oh yes and did I mention it makes me look DAMN THIN!

I can't say too much more as J reads this too, and I don't want to spoil the surprise. Email me if you want more details, or maybe even a picture if your lucky.

Tags:/wedding dress shopping/

Spartina anglica

2006-06-20T20:01:00.000-07:00

Work is great. I love my job.

Last week I spent three days roaming the local mudflats in search of Spartina anglica (English Cordgrass) an invasive, perennial, salt grass. Spartina is a threat to the biodiversity and productivity of our local estuary, due to their aggressive and opportunistic characteristics. Without any natural predators or disease, these plants quickly out-compete native mudflat species and can convert and entire area into a monotypic stand. Unfortunately, once this occurs it becomes nearly impossible to eradicate from an area.

Spartina
Originally uploaded by Dovekie.

Fortunately, Spartina was first found locally in 2003 and since then local groups (including the one I work for) have been working together to "nip it in the bud" so to speak.

Last week we walked the flats with handheld GPS units and mapped the location of Spartina clones, and in the coming months we will take to the flats and manually remove these weeds. The clumps larger than 3m will be removed using an excavator and buried far beneath the surface.

It's satisfying to know that the areas where these efforts were concentrated last year, showed very little re-growth.

It is possible - we CAN beat Spartina and I'm proud to be a part of it.

Tags: /Spartina/Spartina Busters/Invasive Species/Invasive/Stewardship/work/

The Engagement - admire my ring

2006-06-20T17:40:00.000-07:00

Doesn't it just look perfect on my hand?!

This was less than half an hour after he put it there!

Lazy Food

2006-06-19T20:22:00.000-07:00

Although close to comfort food, LAZY FOOD is not exactly the same thing in my books. You know when you get home and you are sooo tired that you consider not eating as a perfectly valid alternative to cooking? If you choose cooking, you probably pick lazy food.

Today was one of those days - I just couldn't get my ass in gear. Generally in these situations I will eat one of the following meals. I can't really say that any of them are my favourite, although I do tend to binge on one for a while and then switch to another and eat that on consecutive lazy days until it no longer feels like the enjoyment I get from the food outweighs the efforts of making it. At which point, there are always other alternatives.

Ramen noodles with an egg-If you have never eaten this, I know it sounds a little gross, but MMMmmm it is DAMN good. Boil your water, throw in your noodles and sauce packet and when the water starts to boil again, crack an egg into the pot and stir it all up. Cook for a couple more minutes - throw in any leftover meat or veggies you may have on hand and enjoy. Delicious!

Perogies and Cheese-Even if you don't have sour cream (although it is preferable) the enjoyment of the meal far outweighs the effort of boiling water and grating cheese. Once boiled, I always put a little butter atop those yummy potato morsels before smothering them with grated cheddar and sprinkling a bit of salt and pepper on top. Mmmm, perogies...*drool*

Mac & Cheese-Seriously is it really possible not to love mac & cheese? Especially KD! I like it straight up plain with a bit of salt and pepper.

I bring this up because today I couldn't resist having a meal of mac & cheese at work (since fridge was grocery free I couldn't make a lunch) and then I returned home to a meal of ramen with an egg.

Two lazy foods in one day, I'm not sure whether to celebrate or hang my head...Nah, seriously it was a good day for food!

Tags:/lazy food/