I gotta to have faith, faith, faith

You tell em' George!
I once won 4 contests in one month! This was a few years ago, but I'll always remember that lucky month right before Christmas, good timing. I know, I was flabbergasted as well. It was not life-changing things, but it thrilled me nonetheless to be winning so often. It was definitely a streak and I wonder if it was a sheer bunch of coincidences or was something else going on. In case you're wondering, and I know you all are, what the heck did that girl win? I won a mountain bike from a Health Food Store, I won an Ipod from the school I was working at, $100. from IGA, and a beautiful chocolate truffle snowman from my hairdressers. It had three boxes filled with truffles. Suffice it to say I was one happy camper that December. I still do win things...I went to the Christmas concert at my nieces school last year, and won the wine basket, which if anyone knows me is right up my alley :D Why didn't I win the games basket, or the Sens basket, or the candle one...no I won the basket that was suited for me best. Pretty cool eh?
Do you think people are born lucky? Can we draw luck to ourselves. If you have read the Secret, you're a true believer in this. I am not a fervent Secret follower, but I have always had a similiar philosophy that your state, your constitution, your (whatever you want to call it) has a direction and mine has always brought me down the sunny side of the road. Even when it was monsoon weather, I was always holding on to a thread of hope that the monsoon would pass, and I'd get another opportunity that would change my life around yet again. Sometimes I believe it 100 %, I remember years ago writing down three things I wished for, but the key was I didn't need them, they were things I imagined would make my life better, I would be happy to have them in my life. Then, I spent a lot of time being grateful for what I had, and even when my life wasn't going according to plan, maybe to an  outsider it could have looked a little dire, I still knew it would get better.  (Maybe I'm just daft in the head, and can't accept bad luck  :D ) Then three things that changed my life did happen. I used to think these things were random and we didn't have a say in all that good stuff, like whether good luck came our way,  meeting the person of our dreams, or having a job that made us get up every day and feel really good about it. I never gave it much thought actually, but the older I get, the more I think we definitely have a hand in not just where we choose to go, but what comes our way, and it's up to us if we accept or not. We can make it happen through faith. I don't know how to explain it exactly, but I know it's the truth for me. I feel it. It gives me great faith to know in my heart that things will always turn around and this has helped me accept change. God, I used to hate when things changed and I didn't see it and didn't want it. Now I know that change is good, it shakes things up, it gets all the dust off that's accumulated in your life and gives you a new way of looking at your life. It just makes life better. That's what I truly believe.
Con ♥

Who me, run??

Okay, I've been reading so many lists lately, one I did like was in the The Ottawa Citizen. The reason I liked it was because I started running 2 weeks ago and although it's hard, I'm keepin on' keepin on' Why? I want to kick start my body. I've never been a runner. I have went to the gym over the years and worked the machines, weights, stair master, bike, but never was drawn to running. Lately I've been feeling the extra pounds and wonder is it my energy, my age, why in god's name am I gaining weight? Okay I do partly know why.  I am Canadian and enjoy a cold one or a glass of red(see blog on red red wine :D), on occasion but I got away with these indulgences my whole life (and fully appreciated this fact and loved this about my metabolism). Is it turning 50? Is that it? Well that's annoying, but I won't take it lying down. I'm going to fight it and I'm going to run. So back to the article, I believe it was called 99 reasons to start running and here are a few of my favourites. Five to be exact...


1.The red New Balance 890s have little Canadian flags just to the left of the heel
Okay, the girl and the patriotic side of me loves this one, if you love your shoes, you'll be a better runner, right? Because you'll be happier, right?? I've got to try a pair of these on ♥ May be love at first sight,. God I linked my first reason to shopping, kind of pathetic, but they get better, deeper. Read on.

2. Another of the reasons was that running increases your sex drive, enough said on that. I'm a huge proponent of this reason. I'm 50 but I ain't dead .

3. It's also a great way to stoke creativity. I thought of the Citizen list while running, and then thought I'd pick my favourites on their list and add some of my own...creative eh! And deeper than shopping....

4. The more you run, the easier it is. In my case the more you run, walk, run, walk, you get the picture, the easier it is. They claim this and I am starting to believe. Why you ask? My first week was extremely hard, I kept thinking two things, Is it supposed to feel like my heart is coming out of my chest, and If I collapse, could I have picked a more non-traffic area, and who will freakin' find me? Okay that's three things but who's counting,
After the second week, my heart rate is better, and those fears are not as strong. Starting to run in the hottest summer I can remember maybe isn't my brightest move, so I get out there before 9:00 am. After that, forget about it, you'll melt like the Wicked Witch and it won't be pretty.

5. And Flea from the Chili Peppers was mentioned in this list, and I say if he can run then so can I. I will never play guitar licks like Mr. Flea, but I can run.

And the look on Flea's face, nope, it's not pure delirium and near collapse, no sir, it's pure happiness at finishing the race. I'm inspired by a Flea! Who knew!


Con ♥

Summer is here and the livin' is easy....especially in Wakefield ♥

I love my job and I love being off for the summer. Working with kids is both a blessing and a challenge and one that benefits from having a two month recharge every year...this is a time for writing, which is my favourite pastime. I have a great tip for all you people out there who need to take a breather, a break from the rat race, a chance to get off the wheel for a moment....Here it is. Just get in your car and drive to Wakefield, Quebec. I went there for Canada Day Weekend and I love, love, love it there ♥  Why you ask? Well grab yourself a cup of hot cocoa and sit down in one of my easy chairs and..hey, wait a minute I'm ripping off The Friendly Giant....did you recognize that, no too young eh? Thought so, let's carry on....

My mom grew up past Wakefield so we drove past it countless times on our way to visit grandma. It wasn't until I was older that I discovered what a gem it was! The cafes, the restaurants, the B&B's.....the Black Sheep Inn where I saw The Skydiggers on Canada Day, the bungee jumping, zip lining and yes, even scuba diving. One cafe is owned by a couple of guys from the band Fiftymen, who served us our cold ones and is also the home of bacon jam (yum). Come on, admit it,  you want to try it! Hey, you only live once...

                          
We stayed at a B&B called Les Trois Erables and it was in a perfect spot, smack dab in the middle of the village. We could walk to the cafes, the Black Sheep, the shops. The only thing on the agenda was relaxation, and we have two teenagers so I know what you're thinking? You're thinking those two were ripe for the picking in needing a little mood-free environment for a day or two...you betcha your rooster Rusty we did !! Yup back to The Friendly Giant, don't even ask. It was nice to not have anything ridiculous come out of my mouth for two whole days (see blog When to talk to your teenage girls to understand :D ) , well my husband seemed to think I made sense for  the whole weekend, or so he let on. It could have been the beer and wine plus the excellent cuisine that was served at the fine Wakefield establishments we visited. Or it could have been the zen like zone we entered upon arriving. Whatever it was, just get in your car and go. You will thank me, or send flowers, whichever is easiest.
Con ♥

Nora Ephron, movies, music, love and heartache

I've got to mention Nora Ephron. I was saddened to hear about her passing. I have always looked up to her for blazing such a white hot trail in a male dominated world of screenwriting and directing. Here we are in the year 2012 and women are all over the entertainment world, look at Kathryn Bigelow who won best picture for The Hurt Locker in 2008, for God's sakes. I cannot believe it already been 4 years...Is that right? The truth of the matter is that the movie world is more populated with the ladies, thanks to Ms. Ephron. She didn't just turn out some huge movies like Sleepless in Seattle, and You've got Mail...she also wrote books that were heartbreaking and funny and based on her life like Heartburn. The movie based on this book had the biggest guns in Hollywood in it, Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson but I don't remember it doing very well even with those two stars in it. I believe it was because it didn't have a happy Hollywood ending. It was quite the depressing ending with Nicholson leaving Streep for another woman when she was pregnant with their child. Whoa, how low can you go eh. I guess it's human nature to want to be entertained and feel good when you leave a theatre. I don't really care, I just want to see a good movie. Sometimes though it's all about the timing. I watched The Curious Case Benjamin Button and cried for days after because my sister was sick at the time and I kept thinking about her legacy and what her time on earth meant. Deep stuff. I think it would have just been an entertaining quirky kind of movie for me had my life circumstances not been so sad at the time. It's like falling in love and relating every freakin lyric in every freakin' love song to my life. How did they capture my big goofy love so accurately! Then when the break-up occurs it seems like you hear and can relate to every dire 'you've done me wrong' song on the radio and it breaks your heart all over again. I remember hearing Somebody's Cryin by Chris Isaak (hello!!), and one that gets me every freakin' time was Tracy Chapman (remember her) and her song The Promise. OMG, it would literally make me bawl like a baby. I just did a trial run and played it on Youtube and there they were, tears in my eyes yet again, geez. Okay it's not making me hysterical as it did in my past, because my life is pretty darn good these days, but it still has some power. The power of music is amazing, just think about it...if the song has a strong connection to a particularly bad time (or good), all those emotions are balled up together and you go back to those feelings when you hear those first few bars. When your life is pretty happy albeit uneventful, all those killer songs about love and heartache go back to their rightful place, in the background of your life where they are just songs on the radio not causing your emotions to spike. Thank God.
Back to Ms. Ephron, you inspired me for two reasons, for your honesty and humour. The big two in my books.
Con ♥

                          
                

All coffee is not created equal

So you may think this is a coffee plug blog....OMG, say that one three times! Coffee, plug blog, coffee plug blog, coffee plug blog, doesn't exactly roll off the tongue eh. It's also hard not to laugh or at least smile trying to say those three words.You end up saying blah, blah, blah, try it now! See.
I get distracted easily eh, but that was one tongue twister. Speaking of tongues, I cannot roll mine and half my family can. Do you know that it is genetic, I remember reading this in a science book. I also have a friend , actually two friends who can tie a cherry stem in their mouth into a bow.Whoa! I thought the only time I would see that was an actress doing it on that old show "Twin Peaks", but I thought it was fake back then, no way anyone could actually do that. In my books, that is one impressive stunt. I don't even know how to start to try and do that one, my tongue just isn't that dexterous, it just moves the stem back and forth, no bows even by accident.. Darn.
Back to coffee, I used to buy big company coffee by the pound, but found that it was getting mighty expensive. I still go there for my Americano after work or on the weekends because it is good stuff, but there is a coffee company close to me that I am starting to like a lot for a couple of reasons.
It's Equator and it's in the little town of Almonte which I live close to.
I'm tired of paying the big company prices, so I drive over to Almonte and check out Equator cafe. I'm a bold girl myself (ahem, check blog name), so I am looking at their various flavours and see one called West Coast Blend on sale for $9. Say what!! A pound at my other coffee place is $17. per pound. I'm thinking that even if it's not great, come on, at that price I got the best deal of my life, and felt that even more when I put it into my bodum and had my first cup.

                                                        It was tres delicious!!

I went back again wanting to back my car up, open my trunk, and buy a few pounds of this West Coast blend, but alas, was told that they were just trying it out that week. I was a tad distressed because this was seriously one of the best coffees I have enjoyed in me life.
So after sulking for awhile, no that's a lie, I was a big girl and just looked around at what else they had to offer. I bought some organic espresso on sale for $9. and OMG it was quite good. West coast was still my all-time favourite, but this espresso and the Sumatran I recently bought was smooth but bold and I definitely needed more than one cup. All of these coffees were on sale for $9. and I'm starting to believe that this is a little jewel of a place where Lanark county people should be checking out.
Check it our for one of two reason...to save a little on your pocketbook and to imbibe a heavenly cup of joe.
That's my plug, check them out.
You'll thank me.
Also if Equator wants to thank me by giving me any free samples for this most awesome product plug, I wouldn't say no.
Con ♥

When to talk to your teenage girls

I've noticed something lately. It seems that every darn thing that comes out of my mouth is unbelievably ridiculous or ignorant. Has any other moms noticed this about themselves? No one else in my life has noticed this strange phenomenon, nope not my husband, nor my friends, family or co-workers. No one except my daughter and step-daughter. Weird eh! Example: "Hey girls how about an omelet for supper?" Cue the first face down there. There are varied responses that go with that face, here's a sample....

"Omelets for supper, gross, don't feel like that!!!!"
                                                      "Yuch, I only eat fried eggs!!"

That face also says "And you're talking to me because???" Inevitably, I keep saying those 'disgusted face' inducing pronouncements, EVERY SINGLE DAY. I keep talking to them because I do remember way back to those hazy lazy preteen years...those lovely days where the girls giggled at things I said and sometimes after eating they would say things like, "That was soooo good, could you make it again tomorrow??" Just brings a tear to my eye. It's getting kind of tricky to make exactly what they want when they want it. There are a couple of tips I can pass along that I've learned. Don't talk to them in the morning, that's just foolhardy. You may get a sneer if you're lucky but usually the door closes, I wouldn't say it's a slam but it's getting close to that. It's better to bring things up at supper time, just a tip to all moms out there who find themselves saying ridiculous things like me and getting either look A or Look B. Morning just ain't a good time. Period.
For some reason you make much more sense in the evening....maybe hormones are on stand-by at this time....or I  just make more sense as the day goes on. Keeping this reasoning in mind, by midnight I should be waxing poetic don't you think. When the girls tell me they're going for a walk in the evening, I could say something back like:

The moon has a face like the clock in the hall;
She shines on thieves on the garden wall,

Not bad eh, okay I have to own up,  that was borrowed from Mr. Robert Louis Stevenson.

One more tip, talking in the car works really well, important stuff does get discussed. So, go for a long drive and chat away...you'll be amazed at what you'll learn. Something about sitting in close proximity, no eye contact, the wind in your hair and Hot 89.9 (you won't hear one personal iota if you fight over the radio stations, or worse say something like it's my car and I'm listening to CBC). Conversation killer and you're back to square one with those faces from below, so just for the sake of communication suffer through one more Katy Perry song and you never know what bridge you will gap, literally and figuratively.

Con ♥

                                          

 

 

Pledge to my girls

I have three sisters and we gave our mom a run for her money and probably had mood swings to rival my girls, that's putting it mildly, we were probably certifiable some days. Okay men don't read the next sentence if women's periods just freak you out, but ladies consider the following. Imagine if you will four girls (teenagers) having their periods at the same time in the same house!! Just think of Sybil times four...whoa!!.. I can hear the collective gasps..I read somewhere that women living together eventually all have their periods at the same time, something about the moon and tides and okay, I'm losing you so will save that subject matter for another time...okey dokey? There is nothing to say about that except I wouldn't have been terribly surprised to see my dad with one of those sticks and personal items hanging off the end walking away from our house on those special days. Wow dad, no wonder you built your own washroom downstairs, home way from home eh....
We were four against one and my mom never had a chance against us. We once tried to get her to admit to doing ANYTHING like having a smoke, a drink, staying out late etc., all the normal activities in Quebec, well there was other stuff but we were focused on the stuff you get into trouble for.... But no, she said she didn't do anything like that, and you know what? I believed her, and why? Mainly because I remember grandma and she scared the bejeesus out of me and that's probably the reason mom told us she nearly became a nun.When we visited for example and it was getting close to dinner time, grandma would come into the living room and flippantly tell us the TV was going off, supper was ready! Then she would turn it off and walk out.  Excuse me, but have you ever been in the middle of a Brady Bunch or Bewitched and someone just turns it off. "Geez, what's going to happen with Jan and her braces!!", or "Why does Samantha's cousin look exactly like her, but in a dark wig? and (same show) "Why does Darrin look so different :D?" What's up with that?? Joking aside, how could the woman just turn it off. Unbelievable!!  It was one frustrating experience because back then it was a huge source of entertainment for us....grandma in no way shared our love for 70's TV.
My sister had a Camaro at 17 and I was her sidekick and we grew up in Quebec! As I said in a previous blog we all smoked (I know BAD!!) but I think it was the law. I have been a non-smoker most of my life and if my girls smoked I would kill them, but my excuse is that we all did it until we moved away and got some sense. Okay I smoked a bit in Ontario as well and some in British Columbia but that's another story, another province. You don't need to know, doesn't pertain to this blog.
Once Grace was born, those odd (only at the cottage) smokes went by the wayside. If my sisters are reading this blog, just go with me on this fact and remember I know stuff about you as well...
I had to be a healthy mom, and it's the best thing I ever did. But it's not about me, stopped being about me approximately 16 years ago when Gracie Rose was born. Maggie didn't come into my life until much later...I'm doubly blessed now ♥
So to sum up this blog, my mom never had a chance with us and our silly behaviour. We outnumbered her and were bigger than her to boot. That's not to say we didn't come around and start acting responsibly later, just not in those teenage years.
I have one daughter and one step-daughter and I have pretty good stamina and can't see them wearing me down to give permission to do anything that could harm their health. I simply won't allow it, I'm a stubborn redhead and I go to the gym and they don't.
Basically they can die their hair red, white or blue (that wasn't a go USA PLUG) and one has died her hair a fiery red, but that's okay. I'm a ginger myself but more of an sitting in an Irish pub kind of ginger. But no piercings or tattoos while your living with me and your dad. You can write on your arm with a marker the odd time(and they do??), or suck in a helium balloon the odd time (which they both have done??), but I have to agree that how else can you sing a Chipmunk's song properly??
So there you have it, I will stand strong and firm because I know firsthand about the mischief you can get into, but I think if I stay loose about the odd marker tattoo and the helium that they'll behave.
Eternally optimistic,
Con ♥

My Russian friends / Мои российские друзья

When I started writing this blog I just wanted to write about what made me chuckle, and didn't think of the people other than my friends/family reading my ideas on life, love and the way I see it. I can see that there has been a few Russian friends reading my blog (THIRTY of you in all, Holy Smokes!!). I wonder now if you have a saying in Russian like Holy Smokes?? Give me your top five sayings? What do you say when you stub your toe? Or when you see something beautiful? Or when you have an amazing meal? Or when someone gives you the perfect kiss ♥ ? Or when you are sitting around with your friends after a long work week and are sharing a cold one? We're kind of boring, we say Cheers!! Or if we're really fancy, Cheers Eh! .
It makes me think, and you can tell me if I'm wrong, no really tell me, that I may have hit on a subject or two that you can relate to, and that's kind of cool. You're around the world from me but we connected through my Canadian Blend, and that makes happy.
BUT, it ain't all about me. I want to share my limited knowledge of your wondrous country, and wish to hear back from you. I have the utmost respect for you all, but you have to understand that I have learned about you from many different situations in my life, some stereotypes along the way for sure, and some were experiences by a ten year so give me a break eh!
I would LOVE to know what you think of our fine country of Canada? What do you know about us? What do you think about us?
Okay here's some of the things I have learned (true or not) about your fine country...since I was a young girl, many years ago :D Warning: Go easy on me, some of these Russian connections are pretty cheesy, don't judge me too harshly, it's just an honest view of my history. It's not everything I know now, but the Russian connections I have made along the way....

1. Dr. Zhivago. This made a huge impression on my mom, it was a little before my time (1965), but I do remember Omar Sharif (he's the one who did all the movies with Barbara Streisand right?) and Julie Christie. It was an epic love story with a war torn backdrop and I remember seeing clips and thinking that Russia had such cold landscapes that were both vast and breath-taking and yes, it reminded me of Canada in the winter. Just to let you know, we have some steamy hot summers here in the north as well, today being a good example

2. Russian/Canada series 1972. This is HUGE is my past. In school they wheeled in these TV's on big stands for us to watch in class. There was nothing else that ever interrupted our learning EVER, but this series. Do you guys remember when Henderson scored the winning goal?? Hmm, maybe not as clearly as us Canadians eh??  Canadians will never forget that moment where he scored..it united all of the country. It was amazing? I think you guys were amazing too, you nearly had us...how would we all feel if you would have beat us, how would our sports history be so different?

3. My sister was always enamoured by your country, your language. She even went to the University of Victoria to learn how to speak Russian. We all teased her that the real reason she wanted to learn Russian was to be a translator for Russian hockey players. I still believe this would have been her dream job, yup, no doubt. She loves hockey and Russian (lots of those guys in the NHL). Put those two together, dream job!!

4 I have never been there (yet) but St. Petersburg is the such a beautiful city and the culture and history makes it a dream destination for many people. I remember when Paul McCartney went to St. Petersburg, I think it was was in 2004, and it made quite the impression around the world, and it looked to me that many of you were serious Beatle fans. Am I right?

5. I HAVE TO INCLUDE THIS ONE! I do believe one of my sisters (and she will go un-named) had the following guy on her bedroom wall. Okay this is my cheesy connection, but there was a Russian character in the Rocky series that captured all the imagination (okay mainly the women's imagination) at one time way back in 1985, and his name was Ivan Drago and was played by Dolph Ludgren (OMG)
Now, I know what you are thinking....how pathetic it is that she has a Rocky character in her knowledge of Russia, but it made a huge impression (he had to of been at least 6 foot 5 inches :D ) I'm just saying he was an impressive looking man, and he had a deep voice (and we all know how I feel about deep voices). Did I mention I'm a huge movie buff and although action is not my forte, I have a sentimental soft spot for the Rocky movies....and the Ivan Drago was very popular with us Canadians. I bet there was a few groups of women taking some flights over to your fine country looking for their own Mr. Drago. Too bad he was Swedish (yikes) in real life eh, they were flying to the wrong country to find their dream man.  :D We all thought he was Russian, had the accent, had the wife with the fur hat (cue Dr. Zhivago), and he was so TALL. And all those vast barren cold landscapes, so familiar to me, felt like I was stepping outside in the winter bringing my Lucy (beagle) for a walk. But no, he was Dolph Ludgren, what ever happened to that guy, didn't he date Grace Jones, but I digress??
So there you have it, not much but it is a starting point for conversation between me and my Russian friends...I would love to hear about your impressions of our fair country and be honest eh.
Con ♥

Fans With Benefits/Dave Matthews/Toronto/June/2012

Okay here goes..BEST weekend so far 2012, second only to my week visiting my sista in Victoria in the freezing month of January. Have to admit that my birthday in Victoria was pretty sweet, but I digress. ♥
I was a lucky recipient of a concert ticket from my friend Nancy that she had won through Amex and Facebook contest "Fans with Benefits".
OMG, what an awesome contest!! Don't judge me for saying OMG and awesome in the same sentence. It was the most exciting thing to happen to me so far this year okay!! I'm sure there is more in store for me, and when it happens will let you know....
Here is what happened:
1. We arrived at the concert..in this particular case it was at the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre in Toronto June 2nd, 2012 at around 6:00 pm.
2. We got out of our cab and no word of a lie, the rain stopped and the sun came out (Dave apparently has power).
3. We walked over to the Amex entry, they noticed our 'Fans With Benefits" winner badge and checked Nancy's name and the magic began :D  Did I mention we were winners?
4. We were whisked through the grounds to the Amex lounge. Our picture was taken (say what sista!!), and we went to the bar for our free drinks...so we ordered Canadian beer :D (because that was free and we were happy)
5. Then we decided on eating so had a fabulous buffet (if there is salmon, I am a happy girl), and lots of goodies and desserts. There was even a candy table...my girls would have been so jealous...and more drinks.
6. Oh yes they also interviewed us and that was hilarious...they spotted us posing for pictures with our 'winners' badge saying "Oh yah who's a winner??"and came over and asked to interview us about our experience. We talked to them, posed again, told them my favourite Dave Matthews songs, was given another drink and sent on our ways...
7. The magic continues throughout the concert..Mr. Matthews continues to be the most amazing performer and pretty darn sexy to boot. (sure loves his plaid eh)
8. The only sour note was the drunken stoned woman behind us who spilled her beer on Nancy's head....who the f%^k dances with a full beer?? We avoided getting hit for most of the concert with one eye on the stage and one eye on her, but she finally got us! We both said in unison, "You can freakin dance, just put your beer down!! We've been dodging you for over an hour with the dancing and holding your beer in the air!!", and she actually said, "Why would you not say anything for an hour??" Is there an answer to this question??
OMG, are you fu*&ing kidding me!! I'm a lover not a fighter but this drunken woman wore me down...
Back to our wonderful experience ♥  Dave played "You & Me" so I was a happy camper, great tune.
Dave Matthews is Mr. Peace and Love..don't want to get into a brawl so we left our seats and watched the encore with security..in the aisles.
9. BUT, this didn't dampen our spirits..we went to the after party and watched "Blind Pilot", it was apparently the lead singer's birthday, "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you!"
10. We found an after hours cab driver to drive us back to our hotel and called it a night..
And what a night it was....pictures should follow :D
Thank you Amex....count me in next time, and what a fabulous idea for your fans....
I'm a huge fan of one of your fans, but seriously thinking of becoming one of your #1 fans. You really know how to treat a lady....
♥ Con

How to survive a garage sale with your husband.

Okay, this is kind of misleading and you're probably thinking that I have all sorts of examples of why you shouldn't go to the 'mother of all garage sales" with your husband, but no I strongly advise you take him...There are many reason like the conversation along the way, the small knowing jokes you both share....okay, who am I kidding, he's really great at carrying all the heavy stuff and doesn't seem to mind, AND, when the bags get too heavy he treks back to your car to drop it off and gets new empty bags to start over again. I know, it brings a tear to your eye. Garage sale 101, made easy. Also I discovered a gem smack-dab in the middle of the sale. I cannot divulge the name of the school because well I'm not giving it up, but let's just say that's it's been a pain in the arse (yes, I'm Canadian) looking for a bathroom each and every year when I go to the sale. You have to go into a restaurant and hope they'll let you use their washroom, and this can be inconvenient when you are not around one...so in the past, I usually went into one of the churches, but by the time you get in there, there is a line-up and NO toilet paper. So the genius of the school I discovered is they have a donation jar and I believe this alone keeps out the delinquent scallywags that use up all the toilet paper and throw garbage on the ground, and let's face it sometimes have difficulty getting their bodily fluids into the toilet! So this donation loo has volunterers stocking it all day and it's a beautiful thing, I gave them three donations to be honest, kept going back. Six hours into it and this bathroom is still stocked and clean!! If you're a girl you know the importance of a clean available washroom....I'll be back next year, don't you worry. It's my new loo away from loo ♥ If you're really nice to me, I may tell you where it is. The garage sale I'm talking about is the annual Glebe neighbourhood sale where all of Ottawa descends on the Glebe. We're talking all of Ottawa, their dogs, babies, puppies, birds(I took a picture of a beautiful parrot )although I can't see the reason to bring strollers and young toddlers, when those Glebe streets get so congested it would be one stressful day just keeping track of the little ones.
My husband enjoyed it, , and he was a great Glebe garage sale virgin(geez, someone has to break him in), but I think he's a convert now. We got down there at 7:15 am, found my favourite parking spot,  and were going, going, going for 6 to 7 hrs (two energizer bunnies). Well, we had to have one beer break (twist my arm) and then got our asses back out there on the street. We were hard-core, it was the best. This is one of my favourite days of the year, why you ask? Well how many time can you go shopping and spend $2, $3. and $4. for each purchase and the negotiation is the fun part. Come on, everyone know that most items are overpriced to compensate for the haggling that's going to happen. We all try to get a better price!! The most we spent was $30 (yikes) for hubby's golf clubs...it was a good deal.
My garage sale pet peeve are those people who won't haggle(a rarity), or the ones who have things that are over-priced. I don't care lady that you spent $400. on your boots, and think $175. seems a fair price. You don't get the philosophy of the garge sale. It's someone else's used items or garbage(so to speak), so I'm not spending over $10 for a clothes item, it's USED for crying out loud!!
My favourite quote and this is not a lie was two fellows walking by a seller of duvets and there was a sign, "Touch me, I'm super soft". One guy didn't miss a beat, he looked at his friend (or hmmm, maybe more than friend) and said "I have that Tattooed on my behind" His friend laughed and said " Better than having it tattooed lower than your belly button. A hardy laugh was had by all. What did he mean though??  :D
I'll be there on the mean streets of the Glebe next year. Hope to see you there...we'll high five in our loo, okay?

Con ♥
* Here's a friend I met at the garage sale.

Losing a sister is bittersweet.

I lost my sister a few years ago and I still miss her so very much....I miss everything, I even have her e-mail on my contact list still, and her phone number on my cell that I will never erase. I don't have them in case I forget (I won't). I have them there so I can include her when anyone sends me stuff and asks me to send to 5 or 10 friends. I include Sheila because even though she isn't here, she can still be part of what's going on....I know, I know, it's not exactly normal, but it helps me feel close to her still, and I like that. I include her because she will always be part of my close 5 to 10 friends that I am advised to send this e-mail to so we can all partake in some good luck...
Sheila and I were only 15 months apart, and opposites in personality, but we had each other's backs and knew things about each other that no one else did or ever will. We had a bond because of our growing up together in the same room so close and our differences didn't really matter.. Maybe that's how she drove me so crazy at times, she knew all my strengths and weaknesses..she was afraid of nothing and I was afraid of everything...she could sleep through everything, but me, I needed a night light and even with the light, I was sure there was something under my bed, or worse, in the closet. Sheila would tease me about that, and at the time I would get mad at her, but when I think back now, I think maybe she just wondered why I was scared when she never felt that. EVER. Maybe she was trying to snap me out of it with her goofy teasing. I used to tease her back and say, "Are you human?" I did really wonder how she could possibly be afraid of nothing. How could she possibly fall asleep in 5-10 minutes after seeing the movie "Halloween", did we not see the same movie?? She could totally let go of it while I relived every scene ad nauseum as I tried to go to bed, and even the music did me in, couldn't get that out of my head either. I was jealous of her that she could just let go of it after seeing it and I would relive it for many nights....God, maybe I had OCD, is that it?? Who knows it was the 70's we didn't talk about why we couldn't sleep, nope we just sweated, put the night light on and put up with the teasing...I don't have that problem now, well that's not the total truth, I just don't watch certain movies okay for example (horror, devil themes, evil kids, zomby movies, evil kids in the corn, weird paranormal themes, weird dolls,  people walking like a spider, should I go on). Strangely enough I'm okay with really creepy movies if they have a rational explanation at the end. So if the movie is plausible and all the weird happenings can be explained and further if I can live with their explanations, if it makes sense to me, hey, it could happen, presto, I can sleep. Maybe it's being Catholic and growing up hearing all about good and evil, this made those devilish movies have a hint of truth to them and then having a friend say to me, "Don't invite the devil into your home", didn't help in my cause. Don't get me started on" the Exorcist". Okay time to change the subject because really, why go down this road and start thinking about this right before bed okay? Let that devil go bother someone else who's less vigilant.

Here's the funny thing...when we hit our twenties we sort of switched and Sheila did become afraid of things, where I finally, okay I compare myself to a chrysalis (can you tell I'm working in a kindergarten class), when I finally let go of things I was afraid of, the same things that held me back, and took off on my own, finally confident in myself and what I could accomplish.

Here's the rub, with Sheila gone it's just not the same when I accomplish something, anything, because she would always say something, not much (she wasn't big on complimenting) but she would say something funny or simple like "Way to go Con!" and I knew she was impressed. She didn't make a big show, although big shows are good with me as well, but that just wasn't her style.
So going through my life without my slightly older sister has made me appreciate all that is good, made all my daily grievances not matter, made me hold on to my family a little tighter (but not quite the choke-hold, so that's okay). It makes me know that when I get out of bed and put my feet down in the morning, I am grateful to be here another day. You gave me that gift. I sure do love you for that.
Here's to you Sheila. Know that every time someone passes me by wearing Patchouli, I'm giving you a great big hug (even though you weren't a hugger, that's just too bad)
Love yah
Con ♥

Ruby Tuesday....love that Kristen Wiig ♥

Did anyone see SNL with Mick Jagger on Saturday? I didn't realize that it was Kristen Wiig's last night, and what a touching send-off they gave her. Mick Jagger singing Ruby Tuesday for her and dancing with her, and then one-by-one all the cast members dancing with her...the best!
She always killed me with her "I'm so freakin' excited" lady who loved surprises to the "Target lady" . I wondered when she was going to part with the show with her movie hits coming, man Bridesmaids was the funniest movie I've seen in a long time, we laughed all the way through... All the ladies in that movie were hilarious, saw it with my co-workers, we were in one long row in an early showing right after work. We laughed so hard, and then relived the scenes throughout our dinner, well, except the bodily functions scene, okay I'm lying, we relived those too. "God, it's like molten lava coming out of me!!" Another favourite was when Wiig was on meds/alcohol combo on the plane and was giving the steward a hard time, calling him "Stove" :) .
Well she's off for bigger and better things...and just when I fianlly got a PVR and could tape all the shows...geez!
One more thing, Jagger was amazing..God he's 68 years old! He killed it with Arcade Fire, Foo Fighters, Jeff Beck and finally everyone at the end for "Ruby Tuesday". He still had the moves and the voice...he must have made a deal with the devil, eh?
At least SNL did it right this time and sent someone amazing off with one classy ending...she so deserved it. Hope you all saw it.
Con ♥

Celebrity rant..all those beautiful people

Okay, before you start getting the wrong idea about me, I don't usually(there are circumstances) care about celebrities, what they wear, what they think etc... I'm above all that, I have way more important things to think about, like for instance, why did they have to change the packaging of my favourite ginger snaps, it was fine the way it was! Nothing better with my cup of Stash(product placement) green tea and honey, but I digress...
 Anyways,  I was at the gym today, no didn't spot a celebrity...ha!, in my small town maybe I'd run into the first cousin of the guy who was a room-mate of the new Goalie of the Sens, yup big-time celebs!
So back to the gym, I'm reading the new magazine issue of (okay, it's the opposite of Goodbye), stay with me now. I'm just not sure if I could be sued for writing about magazines and celebrities, so let's play it this way..I'll supply really easy hints and you fill in the blanks. Okey dokey??
So I'm reading about all these beautiful people....I do believe that's the title of the article, "50 Beautiful Stars", and there were many good quotes, but two honourable mentions, OMG, they are gems.
I was chuckling to myself, well chuckling and sweating on the exercise bike, and thinking back I probably looked a little demented...
The first quote was to do with cashmere sweaters, and if this guy wants to attract the babes, he's better either get a different publicist, or think man before you open your mouth...Oh, and before I give you a hint about who I'm talking about, his dad plays a mean, mean guy in the Hunger Games movie, and his brother was in a show with the title that had all the hours in a day, or if you're Canadian, "Hey it's the long weekend, grab a ____ eh, and let's head to the cottage. Living in Canada, we live for the cottage...I don't actually have one at the moment, but there is always one I can visit, rent, dream about, enough of that, back to the story.
Okay so this up and comer actually says he love the feel of cashmere, can't get enough of it, he even called it his policy concerning clothes having to be as soft as his skin!! I am not making this up. Okay if John...oops, I mean Pokey (reference to a past Gumby and Pokey blog, not a weird reference to any kind of Boudoir happenings so get your mind out of that dumpster). So if John(back to actual name, Pokey sounds too weird) said that to me, my first thought would be "I didn't know John was getting a lobotomy?", or maybe the Bodysnatchers come through town last night and seriously messed him up!! Speaking of the movie "The Bodysnatchers, that guy's dad(Hunger Games) was in an old version of the Bodysnatchers...I remember it well, the last scene kind of freaked me out..that bulldog with the weird human face hissing like a cat. Am I remembering that right?? My mind wanders, have you noticed that about me?? If this guy is not wanting the babes, then this quote would be a-okay, I have no problem with any side of the fence you're on...live and let live I say. But seriously, it seemed way too PR to me, and I'm thinking he's into the ladies. So, Come On!! His friends should seriously be ribbing him over that one, I know Kiefer is!
Okay the second quote was from a starlet, model/actress, starring in a show called Rookie _____(substitiute the colour of the sky or my eyes) and she  apparently eats in the bathtub and loves it!!   The quote kind of goes like this, "I can eat cream and macaroni in my bath and I love it!! No you don't, your PR person made that up, and it's crazy town talk....hmm do you take your hot cup of espresso into your shower as well?? Yup, thought so, you're adorable. Crazytown!
Is it just me?
Con ♥

Matthew McConaughey challenge to all the ladies

Okay this is very short blog, but I want to challenge all of the ladies. Let's see if this strange phenomenon happens to you. I tried it out on my sister Cynthia and it worked for her too.
Just watch the trailer for "Magic Mike". That's it. Okay before you start saying anything, I know, I know it's not going to win any awards....we all know this going in, and that's okay. I will watch it someday (the Lord is my witness), maybe on Netflix (hello, product placement, hello!!) probably with my sister Cynthia who kind of appreciates Matthew (second to her husband Harry). "Hi Harry!! Oh that brings me to my husband who also make me happy in every way, but John, there's something about this trailer, it's just a weird phenomenon, believe you me!!
Okay, so wait until the end of the trailer. The part where Mr. McConaughey says, "But I think I see a lot of lawbreakers in the house tonight". You'll get this big goofy grin on your face. I'm telling you, I don't know if it's that sexy drawl/combo abs, but whatever!!
Every freakin' time I watch it, this happens. The big goofy grin. Weird eh! This should be studied...it reminds me of that petting the dog thing where your heart rate drops when you pet a dog,  and all your stress leaves your body. Same thing. So you could say that this trailer is good for your health. Just watch it. Just see this as my personal public service announcement. From my house to yours. You're welcome!
One more thing..the other guy in the movie looks pretty darn good as well, and flexible!
Con ♥

Gumby and Pokey...aka blended family

  Okay, when I get brave I will post pictures of my actual family (they look quite different from Gumby and Pokey), but I want to connect with real people first. Yes, by that I mean nada to the fake ones, example if you are from tinsel town and your handle happens to be Kardashian or Hilton, just stay away, you kind is not wanted in these here parts....by these parts I mean my small Ontario town (cue the banjos) . Yah, we're so hip :)  
I would love some feedback comments on any of my blogs....I'm a blog virgin, so be kind! Do any of you people out there have fond feelings towards Gumby and Pokey, like I do, and if so why?? In my blended family scenario, let's just say Gumby is definitely (c'est moi), and my faithful sidekick Pokey (yup that can be my husband John), and my two girls could be the Blockheads (I'm not making this up), they are a pair of humanoid, red-colored figures with block-shaped heads, who wreak mischief and havoc at all times. Okay is that not the most accurate description of 15 year olds, I don't know what is. Kind of eerie, eh?
If you go back and watch, it can be painful with the stop-action. Whatever, I just really believe that whoever put together this Gumby, Pokey stop-action scenerio had a little ganja in their life....come on, how else could someone dream the  character Goo (say what??), who is a a flying blue mermaid that spits blue goo balls and can change shape at will. Take that spiderman!! Goo beats the hell out of the Teletubbies, but don't go downplaying those guys..I think back of those guys fondly, albeit they were odd to say the least, but kept my 3 year old toddler transfixed!! This was back in the year 1999! She's now fifteen years old, but back when she was a little curly headed imp, that show could stop her in her tracks in our living room and she would stand still staring at the tv with wonder. I watched and wondered if the reason my daughter loved Tinky Winky was because he/she?? was the only one with a purse?? I also thought maybe they were sending waves from England to my house that could mess with toddlers heads, but hey, that's another blog!
This Teletubbie time frame was pre-blend, when my family consisted of two. Now we're four, and I have somehow put us into the Gumby-Pokey family...hmm, simpler time don't you think, but I'm off course now.
Talk to me people, particularly if you have sisters, are in a blended family, love Gumby and Pokey, are a ginger, or you're bored and could relate this blog...
Just talk to me!
Con ♥

Donna Summer :'(

I loved Donna Summer.
'The Last Dance', 'I feel love', 'love to love you baby, I remember them too well. I also loved Dan Hill so wonder if there was something in that Quebec water, or if I just had really bad taste in music. I did love Kiss at one point, but my excuse for loving those four chord wonders was the sheer spectacle. Now, who could you see in the seventies over and over that would spit blood, blow fire, and prance around in stilettos, it was awesome, and the wineskins probably helped a little bit in the enjoyment of the show....well, that and the show was $7.00(whoa!!)  I was around in the 70's and for the most part I kind of agreed with my older sister about disco sucking, but sorry, couldn't say that about DS. She was cool to me, in her own category, maybe having that awesome voice and even saving a real cheesy movie called, "Thank God it's Friday". Classic cheese movie, kind of like a Love Boat episode, but Donna Summer sang her hit right at the end(good marketing) and she made the $2.50 worthwhile just to see her sing 'The Last Dance' in the big finale. I know what you're thinking, man two dollars and fifty cents, Now, I'm just guessing, maybe someone out there actually remembers the price of a movie ticket and could enlighten me, I have an enquiring mind, don't you know, and it was the 70's, and you know what they say about the 70's??  I feel much more melancholy with DS passing than say Whitney Huston, who I'm comparing to because she also sang mostly dance hits but she was a superstar, well not a superstar like Mary Katherine Gallagher, but who, tell me who, could top Mary Katherine??
So here's the 70's in a nutshell, Donna Summer, clubs in Hull, camping, my sisters' Camaro, dragging in her Camaro(don't ask, it was allowed then), smoking(I think it was a law in Quebec), school dances with bands, Roughrider football games(North side sucks!!), taking the train(Expo games), and before I continue, here's my little aside comment on beer, where in some establishments you were served by the quart, what class!!There was  Bud, Canadian, and who could forget 50. These were the only beers I remember in the 70's, it was a dark age for beer unless you had a Brador, with the whopping alcohol content of, whoa, 5%. People drove over the border for those babies. No, I'm just making that up. I would have to devote a column just to all those wonderful wines we are still trying to forget, duck(as in baby), Piador(spelling?), Lonesome Charlie(now, am I making that one up, or was it a real wine??) Okay what else was great in the 70's, hmmm, gay bars had the best music, and then there was the shoes. Which side to you belong to, North Stars or Adidas??(your choice said a lot about you). My dress shoes were my Earth Shoes, loved them, and if you were really killing it, wear your Doc Martens with your short dress, and put a pair of bike shorts on to boot. It just worked. it was a simpler time. I feel love.
Con ♥

Red red wine

I am trying to switch from white wine to red and so far it's pretty successful. I've heard it's much healthier, less sugar, blah, blah, blah. Sounds good to me, I'm enjoying the switch so far. There is one problem though. Sometimes after a glass or two I start to look like I should be starring in a Twilight movie, maybe as the older aunt of Bella who is much more interesting than her(wow, is that possible??) and lives in an area of New Orleans where all the men with deep voices and good legs are disappearing slowly, but surely. I think I definitely have a type but never knew it up until a few years ago...That's an ode to my husband John. I never really knew how much I loved a deep voice until I met him. Sure I always loved actors like Javier Bardem and Casey Brown, not really realizing that their voices was the killer attraction....sometimes it takes me awhile. I always wondered what anyone saw in David Beckham..sure if you just saw his print ads, I could understand the mass appeal, yes I can :D. The problem is that I saw him in interview and it  totally ruined any kind of fantasy...I think my voice is deeper than his, sad but true.  He's up there with Pee Wee Herman(who I like for other reasons), but I digress.....
 What I was getting at with the Twilight reference was my teeth turning red as I imbibe the red wine(Australian red seems to be the worst offender). Pinot noir doesn't seem to be as bad as a merlot....I should become the first sommelier who rates wine for teeth colour. Wouldn't that be interesting, and helpful especially for those first dates, #1 being okay for first dates with minimal discolouration and #5 being better steer clear, what looked like sparkling pearly whites are now turning into "God, I guess she doesn't have a dental plan, how did I NOT notice her rotting teeth!!"
It could definitely be a deal breaker, but thankfully my husband knows all about my affliction and how a good brushing makes it all better in the morning.
Should just stick to my Kilkenney, my favourite winter brew, and new favourite for the summer Tennent's lager. This is my carefully thought out product placement that if I would be rewarded in any way for, well let's just say, that would be okay by me.
I'll talk about something more serious next time, like why should I break down and get the Brazilian, I always thought my good old Canadian bikini sugaring was okay by me, and downright Canadian.
Anyone out there want to convince me otherwise, be my guest.
Con ♥

Got the book....

Okay seriously, you'd think I had contraband or something. Here I sit with my "50 Shades of Grey" at my eye doctors' office. I have my Kobo, so no worries on anyone seeing my smutty book, except when my step-daughter comes out of her appointment and says, "What are you doing?" I quickly closed my Kobo(and turned a mild shade of pink) while saying, "Oh reading  'Catching Fire', the second book of the 'Hunger Games' trilogy". There's a lie. Okay, technically I am reading that one, just wasn't at that moment. Speaking of "Catching Fire", this is a pretty darn respectable choice right?? All the kids are reading this trilogy, well all of them except my girls. Also, the movie was decent, beat the hell out of "Twilight", don't get me started. I'm still trying to turn my girls into readers, but no success as of yet. Any ideas out there on how to light the fire within that will turn them into readers...I think their cells have replaced reading...the time that goes into texts and replying, well let's just say they could have read 'War and Peace' a few times over, or at least the' Shopaholic' series..that may be more up their alley.
Did I say I was kind of nerdy?? My mom never pushed reading with me or any of my sisters, yet we all LOVE reading. I have read with my daughter all of her life and she only reads magazines, and books she has to read for school. It kills me. Maybe I should have used reverse psychology, hey, maybe that's what my mom did, maybe she was diabolical that way!! I could have totally underestimated her...
I continue to buy my girls books at Christmas, books I inevitably read like, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Harry Potter, Twilight, Hunger Games to name a few because I refuse to believe they won't become readers. Is it too much of an exaggeration to say that their lives will just not be as full, rich or amazing as they could be, but I digress, that's anothe rday and another blog. I'll never stop holding on to the hope that I'll convert them, just have to find the right vampire/best friends book, I know it's out there. I can be stubborn. Did I mention that??
One of my friends went to Costco to pick up 'the" book (yes, I can't stay away from that shade of grey topic) and when they went back again to Costco , there was a much smaller pile of books. In the same day..
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?? It's not like we never had anything smutty to read?? What is it about this book...I only got to page 4 myself, not an ounce of smut to be seen as of yet, so I have to suspend my comments until I'm up to my waist in mud. If you are wondering how I never got to the good parts, well to be honest, I had an eye appointment after my daughter and my doctor put drops in my eyes to dilate them and everything is kind of blurry right now. I'm sure they'll be back to normal tomorrow and I'll take another gander... I have had a couple of people tell me they feel weird reading it, so I wonder weird how? Weird-guilty, weird-dirty, or just plain weird-turned on?? I want to know, I've always had an enquiring mind....
Stay tuned.
Con ♥

50 shades of "count me in!!"

Okay, am I the only one who really wants to read that new book because,
#1. it's really dirty
#2. everyone, and I mean everyone is reading it
#3. I don't want to be left out, geez!!
Up until two days ago, I never heard of it and now every radio station, every hockey mom(really!!), every teacher I work with is talking about it. I have even already made a deal with a teacher and good friend that when she buys it(and she will), I'm next in line. What is this world coming from?? My God, I grew up in Quebec where every teenager was glued in from of their tv on Friday nights watching "Bleu Nuit". If you grew up in Hull, Quebec, you know exactly what I'm talking about. It's not like I never saw this stuff before. Also I has an older sister who had all of the Linda Lovelace books, "Deep Throat" etc.. She wasn't weird okay, this was the 70's. I can't even begin to explain it. If you weren't there, you wouldn't understand, There was a movie but this was the 70's and we read everything first. We were weird that way. So, it's not like this stuff hasn't been around, Why is this new trilogy such a runaway hit??
I guess I'll have to wait and find out..who the hell am I kidding, I just download it to my Kobo Vox. It's the age of instant gratification. I'll let you know
Con ♥

Numero uno

Hi,
This is my first blog and I am very excited... I have always loved to write about my life, record what's happening (so I don't forget), because I realize that my life is slowly erasing, and I want to write it down in BOLD before it all erases. No, I don't mean I suffer from memory loss and I'm losing all my data, although there are some days....it's just that I have lived through an experience that has made me think time and time again that there are others out there experiencing what I am experiencing and this is what I would like to connect to..that and my writing side. There is a side to me that wants to record it,(I'll be honest) because things come to me some days, and then I'm tapping my finger saying, "What the heck was that amazing thing I was thinking again?? "This love of writing is a side I have ignored, but from time to time I either take a course online or have to write out an essay, and this writing thing starts to burn again and I feel time fly and am one with my laptop. Yup it's a pretty good feeling.
So this is what I want to talk about..in no particular order...

1. blended family
2. living with teenage girls (yikes!!)
3. having and holding onto a happy marriage

4. Selling stuff online

5. being a ginger and all the persecution that goes with i t(just kidding, kind of)

6. loving pedicures, mud and all things messy (weird eh??)

Okay, I will add more on as time goes on, but for now, this is what I (and a glass of red) is dictating.
Hope to hear from you (all hair colours), but if there is some serious persecution gingers, let me know!!

Con ♥