Beautiful Dawn



Today is the day our beloved friend turns 32. I know it must be a bittersweet time, for as we celebrate her life, she and her family are also celebrating the life of someone very treasured on her journey home to God - her Nanny.

Sending you all our love, hugs and support across the miles on this momentus day. We all can't wait to be with you in the summer.

xoxoxo

Have You Seen the Muffin Man?

This was only one of the more common phrases used by the girls and I during their stay with us as Drury Lane has to be one of the most popular street names in the villages and towns we visited. There happens to be one just around the corner.

The past 3 1/2 weeks have passed in a whirlwind of activity. I quite frankly have no idea where to start and know that I am going to overlook a lot of detail in my quest to give an update of one the greatest times in my life.



From Paris to the Lake District, Robin Hood's Bay to Conway, Wales, we have been and seen so much in such a short amount of time. A few places, like Paris were an adventure in itself as I was seeing it myself for the first time, but what I took great pleasure from was seeing places that I had been before, like Lake Windemere and Llandudno through the eyes of Dawn and Stacy. They too fell in love with the places I had so desperately wanted them to love, and now understand just what it is that makes these areas so special.



Running around snapping photos from the towers of the Welsh castle, and climbing the Great Orme of Llandudno with Stacy while watching Andy and Dawn pass by on the tram are some of my fondest memories from Wales... however the most amusing moment from the Welsh trip was the Old West photo op. I was going to post the photo, but as this blog has been in draft form for a few days, Dawn beat me to it. You can however, check it out over on her site. The three of us girls all piling into a small closet to get changed, as the photographer directed us to 'go in there and take your tops off' was priceless. We felt as if we were preparing for a photoshoot more akin to Playboy. There was a lot of amusing banter floating around the studio prior to being presented with the final picture. Everytime I look at that shot, I will remember all the laughter.

I've spent many a time on a lake, or ocean kayaking and canoeing with Stacy and Dawn, and never realized we'd be doing it again in one of the most beautiful places in England. The weather was absolutely perfect both days we spent in the Lake District and I was so proud of the way we found our way around. The B&B we called home for the night was fantastic and we couldn't have enjoyed our evening more down at the local pub, eating amazing food and enjoying a few drinks.



We walked to the local Co-op for a few more alcoholic beverages and snacks which we shared in the garden while the sun set and we listened to the countryside noises around us. A more tranquil evening I cannot envisage. We woke up energized and ready to canoe and hike through some of the most gorgeous scenery imaginable.



Throughout the trip the girls got to spend a lot of time getting to know our boys better and I believe there is now a bond forged between them that can never be broken. Now, even more so, the boys cannot wait for their vacation home to spend time with my family. It is going to be so good.



On Friday the 12th we spent the day in Lincoln with Tawny and Taylor, visiting the cathedral and Castle Ruins... It was yet another entertaining day out, not from just the amazing scenery, but from the company I was keeping.



(Read more about our antics and accompanying photoshoot over on Locobellatuna). Later that evening we had a family meal out at an Indian Restaurant and headed back to Wendy's to continue the party in her garden. Sitting around the garden having a few drinks, laughing at the antics of Andy's brother Adrian, but especially, watching the boys interact with both mine and Andy's family will be a memory I treasure forever. I was so relieved that Tawny and Taylor got to come visit us on the last leg of their trip as there had been some uncertainty surrounding their agenda. I hope they know just how much it meant to have them see a little bit of my home and I look forward to a visit in the future where they get to spend a little more time with us!



On the Friday before they left, the girls and I drove to Halifax, a picturesque town just outside of Leeds to visit with Dawn's mates she met while teaching in Korea, Jonny and his wife, Heeae. If Halifax, NS was given its namesake from this town, it should be honoured. Like I said to Heeae, I should be so lucky as to have my husband come from such a beautiful town (not meaning to knock Cleethorpes yet again, as my little grunge town does have a few perks i.e Legends, eh girls?). We were greeted with open arms by Jonny and his wife and treated to a cozy night out at the Shipton Inn, a gorgeous Inn at the bottom of a beautiful valley, and a home cooked breakfast the next morning. When you meet the two of them, you instantly feel as if you've known them longer than a few hours - they are so laid back and amusing. I look forward to seeing them both in the near future if at all possible.

For months my mate Helen has been planning to take us to the world renowned Bags Ball for Stacy's 21st.



I'd heard lots of rumours about this popular Wednesday night venue, as it draws both men and women in droves - both looking for love in all its variants. In other words, a bona-fide meat market. Dawn and I approached the evening with an air of caution, while Stacy was just keen to get there. We ate out at a local pizzeria before heading to a couple of bars. By the time we reached the Ball we were all happily tipsy, some of us (me included) more so than others, with all air of caution flushed down the drain. We walked in to the Bags Ball liked we owned the place and pretty much acted that way all night long. The drinks were cheap, the dancing great and if you can manage the Palace on a Sunday night, the Bags is a treat. I will however say that I can understand why the single girl would attend these nights out - the men were there in abundance and they weren't hard on the eyes. Dawn and I rounded out the evening by chatting to this adorable young thing who was thick as a tree. Bless him. It took a few takes to get Stacy off the dance floor and out of the joint and I've since come to realize over this past year, as we've been spending time in pubs/clubs, that Stacy is much more like me than I originally thought! (Kissy Kissy Staceface should be her name!) She certainly was the Dancing Queen that night. Imagine, spending your 21st birthday dirty dancing up a storm to 'Don't cha' with your aged sister! In all fairness to me though, my legs weren't the only ones aching for days after.

You will find more photos from Stacy's Party here

So, from all the alias' we developed over the past weeks - Fern C.W. Whimply, Stinkyhead, Poppy O'Shea, Sage Miller Longbottom, and Cowboy (given to Andy before that infamous picture) to all the funny comments, especially those 'Shanks Schtacy' Sean Connery references in the Peak District, and with all the music,laughter, tears, little tantrums, and even one down and out huge row over a skanky top, I have this to say:

'Don't Cha wish... it could always be this way?'

I will be posting as many photos as possible from our various outings over on my Yahoo site, as time permits. There are just sooo many!

Not much of a recap, but something is better than nothing.



What with a whirlwind trip through London and Paris and and a long drive to Robin Hood's Bay followed by a hard night of drinking, (and this is only the half of it) I'm not even sure where to start to try and begin to catch everyone up with what's been happening. So I don't think I will even attempt to do so at this moment, only to say that I'm estatic that the children got to see there Aunty Stacy again, and of course to finally meet their Aunty Dawn. Our boys have been proving absolutely engaging and hilarious and if you can sit in a car for three hours and listen to Connor's constant stream of inquisitive chatter, than you definitely have a friend for life.



Tonight we are all set to head across to our local where we are meeting friends for Quiz Night, where we plan to totally decimate all other competitors. It is the belief that us Canucks (Les Castors), with a lot of help from our English Consorts, can do just that. Our trial run on Thursday night saw us take fourth place, tonight we want first.

The girls have found a little time to tell our tale from their warped perspective over on their sites, which you can find here on Stacy's Blog and here on Dawn's Blog

Stacy has also managed to upload a few pictures from London and Paris which you will find here. I will try and upload more photos when I get a little down time. At the moment I have to run again as we are off to take in a few more local sites and make our plans for this week.

Running around in circles

This week has found all my best laid plans blown to bits. I had carefully planned out my schedule so that I would not find myself in the last few hours prior to our departure to London running around trying to sort everything out at the last minute. As usual my plans have a way of running straight out the door, with me chasing after them.

Last night I took the boys to see a film as life in their other home hasn't been going so smoothly these last few days. The rest of the evening was spent repairing Alex's school clothes. I'm definitely not the type of mother who can sew something from scratch, or even hem a pair of pants, but I can put needle to thread and work it so that there is no longer a hole(s) where there shouldn't be, nevermind how uneven the result. I do however know that I am the kind of mother who won't let her kid go to school with the crotch out of his trousers, so alas, last night was spent trying to fix a problem that definitely needed fixing.

I thought I had most of today and half of tomorrow to get the house ready before driving down to London but Andy's schedule has changed and now, after three weeks of working local he has to drive all the way to Liverpool for one meeting on the Friday we go away. So to save him having to come all the way back here for me, I'll get up and leave the house with him at 6:00 a.m.

A small sacrifice, considering what the end result will be!

I did manage to get most tasks done this morning and there are just a few things left to get through before I can pack my bag and make a few calls/emails to finalize our plans!

And then there was one.

Last night I went out for to dinner with the girls from work in honour of a lady who has left our organization. I personally didn't work with her, but had met her a few times, and of course never one to miss a party, especially where good food is involved, I went along.

The food, drink and conversation were fantastic and as the evening was wrapping up the gal whose party it was came down to our end of the table for a chat. It is well known that she has lost loads of weight and everyone is always telling her how great she looks now. I didn't know her before and when she proudly pulled out a magazine article to show us a picture of before, some of us were stunned. She had lost 12 stone 5 in weight! 172 POUNDS... Without surgery. At one point she made the comment that she must be a pretty boring person, as conversation often seems to center around her weight loss. Of course she's not boring. It's not every day that you meet someone who has lost the equivalent of a whole other person in body weight.

Dog coming up on you fast...

Today I spent over two hours with the hair stylist, having my hair cut and coloured in preparation for the big trip next weekend down to London to meet up with the gang from Canada (nine more sleeps!!!) I held out for as long as I could on the cut/colour as I didn't want to be between styles whilst trekking around London/Paris, but I doubt I could have gone even three more days without the little wiry guys taking complete control of my head.

The kids came down at teatime and noticed my new 'do' straightaway, God luv em. Despite the fact that my hands were sporting a french mani, and my hair was looking refreshingly good, Andy and I headed out for a walk with the boys and Molly, ultimately ending up on the back field. We had the tennis racket and ball with us (we use it to play fetch with Molly) and before long we were all playing a game of 'rounders', made all the more fun with Molly trying to outrun us for the ball.

Listening to your boys shouting with glee for you to outrun the dog in order to catch a ball, while at the same time not falling on your ass isn't a bad way at all to pass away an evening.

Honky Tonk Woman

Our Easter weekend was more reminiscent of days gone by, when nights were spent getting inebriated in pubs than spent in with the kids. Every now and then Andy and I have a good night out but it is seldom when we both live it up together, and even rarer when we both end up feeling no pain by the end of the night. To think that we managed to get into such a state twice in one weekend is what made it such a success because we sure needed it.

We spent Friday night in Nottingham with Alison and Scott eating fine food and drinking in a chic bar. It seemed that no time had passed before it was midnight and I somehow got the idea in my head that it would be fun for us all to do a few shots. A few turned into a few more and by the time we got back to the apartment I had moved into an new dimension altogether. By the time we went to sleep Andy had seen more than a glimpse of that 'handful' he had foreseen over four years ago at a bar in Halifax. I was semi-apologetic the next morning, but did point out that he knew what he was getting himself into when we got together. What you see is what you get with me! We spent the rest of Saturday lethargically making our way back home, and what should normally be an hour and 45 minute drive took much longer. For the first time in a long time I battled nausea, something I don't wish to experience again any time soon. Andy himself wasn't feeling in top shape, but luckily Sunday found us feeling better if not still a little tired.

Andy was fighting sleep early on Sunday evening when it was time to get dressed to go out with our friends Helen and Trev. We were heading to a bar called Bootleggers to hear a local band. We both said it probably wouldn't be a late night as we were still feeling the effects of Friday night. As it turns out, Trev was feeling pretty raw from the night before so I think we all thought the night might end earlier than expected.

Wrong.

As we made our way into the teeming bar I wondered exactly how long I would last as the bar was 6-8 people deep, you could barely move and when the band started they were extremely loud. Once we got our drinks and found a spot that didn't have you right on top of the room-sized speakers, we began to enjoy the music. When the band took a break we headed next door to Silk for a change of atmosphere and a few more drinks before heading back to Bootlegger. This time when the band came on we were all on the dance floor shaking it up. I couldn't believe I was actually in a bar in England dancing to Honky Tonk Woman by the Stones... When the band ended we went looking for yet another pub as none of us were ready for the night to be over. At one point I ran into someone I know, which was great, as Helen knows everyone when we go out, so I felt more connected than I have in the past. We had a great time chatting to people and as Helen and I have no trouble talking to people we don't know, we ended up having an amusing time, especially when they start asking me where I'm from. I think Helen likes how people are drawn over because of this and its like I said to her 'If we think its fun with just me having the accent, wait till Dawn and Stacy hit the clubs with us!' Cleethorpes ain't gonna know what hit it!

We finally called it a night and headed up to the taxi stand to call for a cab. Thankfully we could wait inside, as no one was sure exactly how long it would take. There were a few guys there ahead of us, and of course we all got to chatting and I was hit with the inevitable where are you from, which is always followed by what are you doing here. I coyly pointed my husband out to the young fellow questioning me, but was slightly surprised when he followed up with 'What's so special about him?' (You ask this kind of question, your gonna get a Jody-style answer). Which happened to put the biggest smile on my drunken husband's face, when I loudly proclaimed 'Well he just happens to be the BEST SEX I'VE EVER HAD...' I'm sure the taxi drivers must have heard me over the radio.

This was a picture of Andy and Trev, taken with my phone while we were waiting for the cab. Andy doesn't remember this, therefore I am publishing it in honour of the fact that I had never, up until now, seen my husband so pissed his memories are hazy...

What a difference a year can make...



Our Birthday Girl...

Happy First Birthday Molly!

I'll eat my humble pie with an audience...

When I began posting a few years back I made it a rule to never blog about the aspects of my personal life with Andy. In most of my past relationships I never hesitated to ring my one of my friends and have a right go at the latest thing HE had done to piss me off, upset me, or just leave me feeling drained. My relationship with Andy is very different from all others that I have experienced and especially now that we are married, I refuse to ring up a pal and have a proper moan after every little dispute. I don't even feel the urge most times.

I'm still sticking to my rule, but I'm bending it just slightly. This post won't go into much personal detail, but I do have to get something off my chest, more of how I'm feeling rather what traspired exactly between my husband and I.

Last night I went to bed just after nine to read and wind down as I wasn't feeling so well. I read until nearly 10:30 and thought I was ready to go to sleep. But last night turned into one of those nights where I toss and turn restlessly, fading in and out of bizarre dreams. Once again, I was awake more then I was asleep. I was up around 3 a.m. to let Molly out and as our back door tends to slam very loudly if you don't shut it with care, I took extra care to make sure I shut it gently as sound seems to magnify x10 in a dark house. Only trouble is, our handle sticks from time to time and unfortunately I had to jar it quite hard to get the key to lock. When I went back upstairs I will only say it was quite evident that Andy wasn't impressed. In my defense it wasn't as if I'd slammed the door, or made the noise on purpose. I wasn't going to get into it with him though at that hour of the night.

This morning, just after seven, when Andy came in to say good-bye, we chatted for a few minutes about the night gone by and how he had found me a bit tetchy, likely from not feeling the best. I agreed and stated that I was still feeling touchy and irritable and before I knew it I had waged a full-scale row with him. To say I feel like shit about it is an understatement.

I absolutely abhor falling out with him before he goes to work, hell I don't really like arguing with him much at all. All week though, I have felt a sort of disquiet that has been welling up in me and it was only a matter of time before it erupted. Andy unfortunately was the one who ended up being at the receiving end. I'm not saying he's completely blameless, we are still trying to sort out a few issues he's carried over from his 15 years with the Ex, but there was still no reason for me to rage at him in such a way at the beginning of his work day.

When it comes to husbands I honestly think I was right in waiting for Andy. He is the most considerate, loving and generous man I have ever come across in the long list of men I have dated. I never doubt that I made the wrong decision in choosing him to be my life partner and its times when I'm feeling the way I am that I like to stop and remember our first summer together in Nova Scotia where it was just the two of us, discovering who the other person was. Its an understatement to say that since we've made a life together here in England that we have had our share of stresses and naturally, as with any marriage, it won't ever be the same as it was in the beginning. I can say in all honesty that what we have now is even more special than what we had four years ago. It is, however, nice sometimes to reflect on those magical summer evenings and why I fell in love with this man, and continue to love him still.

It shouldn't happen like this...

Throughout the years I have always admired Dana Reeve for her remarkable strength as a wife and mother. I can't imagine the pain she must have suffered through in the early days after her husband's terrible accident and in the subsequent days when it was known that Christopher Reeve was to become permanently bound to a wheelchair, without the use of his arms or legs, having to breath with the assistance of a ventilator. Through the years that ensued neither gave up hope that he would move again, until tragically he died in October 2004, less than ten years after his accident.

I'm sure this hope is what carried her through all the hospital visits and physical therapy, hope, and her strong love for her husband. However I'm also sure that even without it she would have remained beside her husband until the end of his (or her own) days, how could she not? Marriage is to be honored both in sickness and in health, and although I know there are those out there who would not honour such vows, Dana was not one of these people. Her love for her husband was strong enough and by his side they not only continued to watch their son grow, but raised an enormous amount of awareness and money for others with spinal cord injuries. They fought the good fight, and it was a fight she continued even after his death.

Today as I was perusing People.com I read that Dana had died on the 6th of March. To say that I was absolutely taken aback by this is an understatement. I hadn't even realized that for the past year she has been waging her own battle against Lung Cancer. A battle that is now over for her due to a cruel twist of fate. To think that her child has lost both his parents at the age of 13 breaks my heart. It just reaffirms that nothing in life is certain and that at times it can be just damn unfair.

Across the haawwl and through the door

Work has been fairly busy for me as one colleague is off on annual leave and the other is on sick leave. So that leaves me to run the clinic. I'll be working a couple of full days but I'm not complaining, it just gives me time to take back when the girls are here. Today was a busy clinic day and I found myself repeatedly saying 'Go across the hall and into the Clinic Room'. Well I might have repeated that exact sentence twice, before changing my phrasing to 'Go across the corridor and into the Clinic Room'.

My friends/family back home have often called me up on the fact that my wording has changed and I tend to use more English words then previously. This is bound to happen, especially from a professional viewpoint. If you keep opposing it you just look like a, well... stuck up wanker. As they say: 'When in Rome'. I have never fought to keep my own Canadian speak, and picked up a lot of words rather quickly, especially since I'd been talking to Andy for two years prior to moving here. As time has marched on I think I've been using even more English words. I do however like to use a lot of Canadian phrases, especially as my colleague loves to hear the different versions of how we say things, and she especially laughs when we exchange swear words. She does a great mock of me saying 'Do you want anything at the store?' (The English say shop.) But there is no fear of me adopting the accent, I can't fake it so there is no worries of me being completely assimilated. If I lived London way, or further North where the accents are stronger than mine, it might be so, but not here in N.E. Lincolnshire.



Time to push on...

My legs feel like jello and my arms are a little sore, but other than that I feel gggreeat. Over the weekend I have surpassed 4000 steps on my Thigh Trainer, in two separate segments. Over the past few weeks I have made a concerted effort to use it at least five times a week. I was shooting for twenty minute intervals, however if I'm in front of a good show, I find that 40-45 minutes have passed rather quickly. I set myself some really good challenges and between the stepper and the armbands, I feel like I'm doing something to take me in the right direction. Andy has been having a go on it as well, and together we have agreed to shuck a few pounds (although our ideas of healthy eating are very different).

I had to put a stop to Ben & Jerry's being brought into the house because when its here, it gets eaten. A few weeks ago I had bought some as a treat only to eat after we had both lost 2-3 pounds but that failed when Andy couldn't resist. It just went too well with American Idol, and once he cracked his tub open, I had to eat mine. So last week while we were in Tesco and had picked up two tubs on the condition we lose 5 lbs before we could eat it, they had to be put back as Andy couldn't promise me he wouldn't eat it until then. I would love to have a committed partner in my weight loss program because when two people are following the same diet it makes things so much easier, however so long as I can point Andy in the right direction and stay away from the meals I cook for the kids, then I should be alright.

At the end of the month I will give a progress report on our weight loss challenge. Here's hoping we can shuck at least five pounds before the party begins on April 28th.

The Cost of International Marriage

It's hard to believe that June 12th marks the anniversary of my Leave To Remain Visa and I will have to apply for the time limit to be removed, thus allowing me to remain in the UK indefinitely.

The cost to apply will be £335 if I apply by post, and £500 if I apply in person to the Liverpool office (not counting the expense of travelling across the country). The only reason I believe anyone would chose to apply in person would be that you don't have the 4-14 week processing time. Now when I applied for my Limited Leave To Remain Visa I was told that the wait would be the same, but fortunately I was returned my approved visa within 3 weeks. I thought we could do it the same way this time around, saving ourselves £165, however with the trip home to Nova Scotia in July, added to the fact that the IND Office has been experiencing some difficulty, it would probably be safer if we applied in person.

Now we need to come up with yet another £500 to add to the big pile o'money that we have already spent in getting me into, and keeping me, in this country. When compared to all the great experiences that come with being an international couple, this is only small potatoes. And although we were expecting a fee of some sort, we weren't really expecting it to be so high. It doesn't alter the fact that we find it daunting, especially when we have so many other monetary issues at present: Legal fees for getting a court order to take the kids home in July as well as to adjust the contact order allowing them to stay overnight on Wednesdays, saving for a house, saving for our weekend getaways this spring, and paying for our trip to Canada (and these on top of all the regular payments).

However we are both gainfully employed and of course we could have passed on the few trips we have planned this year but you've gotta get some rewards out of life and you just have to prioritize in order of importance. Often our priorities tie in with the International factor: This year it is a priority to bring the children to Canada to meet my family, as well as enjoy our first family holiday together.

I know that Andy and I aren't the only ones who have faced these issues, and of course I have a few close friends who have experienced the same on varying levels.

Of course we only have to turn around and face this again when we return to Canada to live. Owell at least we have the knowledge that the cost of living in Nova Scotia isn't as high as it is in England. Not yet anyway!



Only if you have a moment...

Here's your chance to do a little something that would put a smile on this bloggers face. I have a very good idea of who visits my blog via comments left on my blog, or sent to me via email, however if you are taking the time to visit my site on a semi-regular basis, could you do me the honour of putting your mark in my Guest Book or Map located on the sidebar? I realize I get a lot of hits by the site tracker, however it would be a nice thing to find out just who comes to visit.

Thanks to those of you who find my (often daft) ramblings to be of some interest and keep coming back for more. Your support makes blogging worthwhile.

Crying to Sleep...

Last night was the first night that I've had more than two hours sleep this week. Granted they were broken hours, but after five nights of barely catching any shut eye, I'll take it rather than leave it.

I've been feeling rather stressed lately for various reasons and I think its all finally catching up with me. The past few days have been good though as I've seen two movies with my husband and have enjoyed a few good meals along the way. Not great for the diet, but at times like these, the diet has to take a back seat while I battle with this sleep deprivation. I have to win this battle as loss of sanity could likely be the end result. Last night during dinner with Andy and my mother-in-law I feared I was losing the war for my sanity as I began to break down and cry during a baby-talk discussion, however I did manage to pull myself together and go on to enjoy a big fat burger washed down by two glasses of wine. Needless to say, I slept like the ambivalent baby I'm in distress over. Granted, this sleep came at 6:30 p.m. and by 10:00 I was once again wide awake. However as mentioned previously, I will take the sleep where I can.

This morning found me wide awake and in the bath by 7:00 a.m. Not how I imagined I would spend my Saturday morning, but there you have it. Andy and I did however go on to enjoy our day. I was the recipient of a gorgeous pair of earrings that Andy spoiled me with from my favourite shop, In The Pink. We also enjoyed a long refreshing walk with Molls on the beach. This combined with yet another good meal and a beer should hopefully lead the way to at least a four hour sleep tonight. I might help myself to one more drink, just to help me along. Some of you might be wondering why I don't just help myself to a sleeping pill or two, but those of you who know me well know that I hate to have to resort to a drug for my monthly, never mind to sleep. Also, at this point I will be honest and say that on Thursday night after shedding a tear or 100 over my frustration, I gave in and let Andy convince me to take not one, but two of his sleeping pills (he has been taking them as his sleep has been disturbed due to a neck problem brought on by our accident last summer). I took the pills and waited for the hour to pass when Andy said they should kick in... I watched him slowly drift off to sleep after his pill kicked in, but those little bastards weren't doing a thing for me. I remember the same thing happening when I took his superduper pain killers for a toothache a few years back... Normally those pills make him as loopey as hell, but they did nada for me.

I'm glad that April is finally here and the flowers are pushing through. I'm looking forward to a drive out in the country side as I love watching all the new born lambs frolic in the fields. Also with April brings the arrival of my family and Andy and I are both looking forward to the time we will spend with them. The break will do us both a world of good. In the meantime we are going to try and spend our weekends on long hikes, the first lengthy one being next weekend when the kids come down.

I'm also very grateful for Andy, for the patience he has with me during my more difficult moments and for walking along side me when I need him most. I know he feels for me during my struggle to sleep and I'm sure he is as eager as I am to get me back into a normal sleep pattern as this problem of mine isn't doing much for his sleeping pattern either.

The Clock is A-Tickin

All throughout my twenties I indulged myself in having a good time - whether it be out eating and drinking with friends, travelling to hot spots or just enjoying a good old lazy day in bed till 3:00 if I so chose.

Naturally I always wondered about settling down and having children, but I never gave it too much thought as that was something I figured I'd get around to in my 30's. My 20's were going to be for me. And they were - to the fullest. I did however spend just over two years in a relationship in the latter part of my 20's where I thought marriage might possibly be a result, and if so, children. I had a friend who was in her 30's and her obessesive quest to find and hold a man and possibly have children used to drive me insane at times. I tried to tell her to relax, that her attitude was only scaring potential men away as her need was so obviously and desperately written all over her countenance. She used to tell me that I'd understand someday (she'd been saying this since I was 23) and I have to say, I've never reached that point. Maybe because I've never really had an issue with being on my own. Not having trouble meeting men probably helped as well. WHen I did decide to date a certain guy though, I always had one rule: Never date a man with children. I didn't want to involve myself in this for two reasons: 1) What if I grew attached to these kids and the relationship flopped, and 2) A man with kids might not want any of his own. The guy I was with in my latter 20's didn't have children and it was just a given that if we did marry, we would have children. So although I always said I was on the fence about kids, I knew it was something that I probably wanted - someday.

I remember going to a fortune teller who was very astute and she told me things about my past she couldn't possibly know, but did. She told me things about my future that I didn't really believe, but always kept in a distant area of my memory. She informed me that I would marry a man from overseas, a man who possibly wore a uniform (hrrrmmm I bet she wasn't the only one thinking those thoughts) was very tall with a greyish, receding hairline. She also told me that she saw three children, one which she believed wasn't my own, but possibly this man's from a former relationship.

I got to thinking about this the other day due to a conversation I was having with a colleague, but also because it was British Mother's Day here on Sunday.

On Sunday morning I was woken up with very cheery Happy Mother's Day wishes and gifts from the boys and breakfast in bed from Andy.

The card from the kids this year wasn't 'To someone who is like a mother to me' as it was last year, it was a cutesy card that said 'To the one who makes this house a home' and on the inside: 'from the ones who make it a mess'. (On the cover was a cartoon of a boy sticking his head in the door calling 'hiya mum'). I had never in my life envisaged myself in this particular position and I honestly can say that on Sunday I honestly couldn't have felt less a mother than if the kids were my own natural children. After all, I spend my time running around picking up after them, tucking them into bed at night, getting them ready for school, getting loads of cuddles from both boys and etc. etc.

Which brings me back to the psychic. Here I am at 33 with a ready made family. My husband is from another country, he is tall and greying, and I have three children in my life. None of whom are mine naturally, but I am very very close to the youngest two, so maybe this is what was 'seen' in my future... who knows? What I do know is that because I have these children in my life, and a great husband who makes life that much more special do I really need anything more?

There is so much Andy and I want to do as a couple - so many places we want to see. Life is good for us and I'm enjoying the way it is at the moment, with the only major downfall being so far away from my loved ones back home. But on a regular basis I am being asked by other women when I am going to have a child of my own with Andy, or being told that I would make such a great mom. I think about these things myself on a regular basis. One week I want children of my own so desperately its not funny, but the other three weeks of the month I don't want it. There are so many pros to having children, but there are so many cons as well. But this is only something for Andy and I to decide and I don't know what the bottom line will be. I was going to do a list of why we should versus why we shouldn't, but what is the point really? I try not to think of the reasons why I don't really want to consider a child of my own, such as being so far away from home and the constant supply of friends and family. If I'm honest - that reason could be a reason to have a child as well. But part of me has to acknowledge that I had I stayed in Nova Scotia and married someone without kids, I don't think this would be as mind boggling a decision as it is now.

Life... it really has a way of throwing a curve ball at you.

The Importance of Brushing Our Teeth

This morning Alex stuck his head in my bedroom and asked if I could hear anything coming from the bathroom (which is right next door to my room). I listened for a moment and heard a soft whirring sound. Alex smiled and said 'I bet he's using your electric toothbrush!' (He being Connor) And so he was. I hated to have to call him in and tell him about not using other people's toothbrushes, except for in the rare case of an emergency - Oh to spoil the fun of an nine year old.

(I suppose I can have the assurance of knowing that since they have come to stay with us on a regular basis, they are at least trying to remember what we are teaching them about the importance of good dental hygiene!)

Some Spring In My Step...

The weather here this winter has been more comparable to home. By now the flowers have usually sprung and there is no more need for heavy coats. This year however there has been a chill in the air that is more reminiscent of the back end of April in Nova Scotia, and its hung around much longer then I had expected. The temperature has hardly gone above 6 degrees. Today, however the sun is shining and although its brisk, its not as cold as it has been. Its days like today when I want to get out of the house and do some exercise, which benefits not only me, but Molly. So we went for a jog down to the back field, threw the ball around for 10 minutes and jogged back. Not much I know, but its a start and in 20 minutes I have to go pick up the boys and we are going to go to the park and mess around over there before supper. I figure another week and the rains will begin, which is good, because by the time the girls get here, things will have warmed up and the flowers will be out in full bloom.

How I'm looking forward to evenings on the patio with a glass of wine, strolls along the beachfront, and of course nights spent over at the Harvest Moon, our very cosy local. These relaxing moments will naturally take place amidst all the exploring we will be doing.

Andy and I are debating the idea of taking the girls to see Caernarfon Castle (pictured below) however its in Wales and I just don't know if they would be up for the trip, despite its being only about a 3-4 hour drive, as it IS another country after all ;) and they are already getting to go to Paris.

Crufts Through My Skewed View

Despite having an early start and very little sleep the previous night, Crufts turned out to be much more of an adventure than I had thought it might.
You could feel the energy surging through the halls upon arrival into the main building and Wendy and I decided to have a look around at a few stalls before finding her area and setting up. As we were passing a stall of edible treats for dogs, I commented to Wendy that I needed something that would last Molly more than five minutes to chew through, as tripe was no longer managing to do the trick. The stallholder, overhearing our conversation, said something to me that sounded like 'Bullstick'. 'What was that?' I asked. 'Bulls Dick' he repeated more clearly. 'Excuse me?' was my raised eyebrows reply. He led me over to a bagged bunch of supposed edibles and repeated 'Bulls Dick - you know - Penis'. 'My God' was my reply 'I don't think I could give my little girl that!' 'Well,' he said, 'It'll take her more than five minutes to chew through it'. As uncomfortable as the thought was of giving my baby girl Bulls Dick to chew on, I figured why not? It's worth a try, and like I said to Wendy, it's the only dick my girl is ever gonna get.

After we had found Wendy's area, set her up, let the dogs out for a wee and found her various dog friends, I left her to go have a look around the massive halls to see what the vendors had to offer and hopefully to catch a few of the agility events before it got too crazy busy. I ended up purchasing a few things before my final purchase, It's Me or The Dog, a book by the author of the same television show. This was my last ditch attempt to try and train both my dog and my husband. Molly's training is progressing steadily each day and I'm very proud to show off her ability, as is Andy. The book has only confirmed that what I have been doing all along is correct. However her chewing of household items tends to still occur sporadically. On Saturday morning Andy realized she'd chewed through yet another pair of his shoes. I have told him numerous times, as have other people, that his shoes wouldn't get chewed if they were put away. The book outlines this very clearly, as well as the reasons why dog chew shoes. Hopefully, after this last set of shoes (at least the 5th) and with the help of this book, Andy can be trained to PUT HIS SHOES AWAY.

As I was walking around looking at all wares on offer, I kept seeing these big, beautifully stuffed dogs that people were carrying around under their arms. Seen from the corner of an eye, they looked real. It turns out there was a stall that you could play a game at and win one. I knew by the end of the day I would be roped into playing, as I was coveting one for myself for Molly to play with. After Wendy had finally got in the ring with her dogs (and did very well btw), and things had quieted down significantly, I went to the games stall to try my luck. After losing £10 and still not having any luck, I gave up and made my way dejectedly back to our section. After chatting with friends who had won three, but informed us they could be purchased, Wendy went off to the games stall and came back sporting a light brown lab which she happily placed in my arms. I couldn't have been more excited if I was given cold hard cash! Now Molly now has company in the form of Chelsea. Molly however, is not allowed to play with Chelsea. I have a suspicion that Wendy just took the easy route and paid for the dog, and since she did this for me, I won't be letting this dog get pulled to pieces!

I would suppose this is more Stacy's thing, but...

I'm going to Crufts tomorrow anyway. Every year my mother-in-law Wendy looks forward to this event like no other. God forbid that anyone should get in her way. When she was recuperating from hip surgery, it was the one thing that kept her focused: 'Gotta get to Crufts, Gotta get to Crufts'... Unfortunately she is not yet well enough to drive herself the the three hours to Birmingham, and as her sister-in-law's husband refuses to drive them this year, the task falls to yours truly.

I accompanied Wendy to a couple of dog shows when I first arrived here, but the thrill was short-lived. It's definitely a dog-eat-dog world and I'm not that hard-nosed. However they were interesting to see, and as I'm told that this is the mother of all dog shows, I'm actually looking forward to our day out tomorrow despite the fact that I'm in for a long day. (Our departure time being 5:15 a.m.) I'm looking forward to seeing the craze of people and dogs all stressed out and the fantastic displays, but more importantly to bring my baby home a whole stash of treats. After all, she is Best In Show, no matter what any judge might have to say about it.

The Way Things Turn Out

31 years ago today my parents tied the Knot. Did they really know what they were getting themselves into? Probably not, but with one little 2 year old running around and another on the way, I suppose they figured they'd better go for it and hope for the best.

Like most marriages, I can't say that the whole of their married life was an easy one, Lord knows they had enough problems, even without disagreeing about how us lot should be raised, but theirs is a marriage that is of the old school, one of the ones where a couple decides to try and get through the bad times, rather than just ducking out when the going got tough. (Although on a few occasions I sadly thought I would have preferred if they gave up.) Again, I'm sure both of them had their own reasons for the decisions they made, but today on their 31st Anniversary, I'm glad they made it this far and I'm glad they are content. During the past five years I think my parents have been stronger together than they have been for years. I know that makes me happy!

After being married for just over a year, Andy and I are still at the point where we are truly happy with the decision we made and I'd like to think ours is going to be a pretty solid union as we have both been through more stress in our short time together than some couples experience in 10. Because of our decision to marry the other, we have taken on a whole different way of living, especially since we are an international couple. I thank my lucky stars every day for the wonderful opportunities open to me because of my choice to marry a Brit, and I believe Andy feels the same:

Points in fact: He now as the opportunity to take his children on a three week vacation to Canada, for a lot less, as we will be staying with family; and they will be introduced to a different way of living. It will certainly open more doors for his children in the future via school/job choices.

As for me, well let me just say this: I doubt very much that my husband and I would have the opportunity to be living it up with four of our treasured family members (Stacy, Dawn, Tawny and Taylor) in LONDON & PARIS in the spring if it were not for the fact that I was living in Britain!

I only have two words for how I'm feeling about these latest developments: Rock On

Who's Holding Who?



Triple The Love

I've Been Tagged...

Four Jobs I've Had: Burger King Drive-thru; Shirt Presser at a Dry Cleaner's; Mail Room/Photocopy Clerk, Day Care Worker

Four Movies I Could Watch Over and Over: Stand By Me; The Princess Bride; Gladiator; About a Boy

Four Places I Have Lived: Argentia NF; Halifax NS; Beaverbank NS; New Waltham, England

Four Albums I Can't Hear Too Often: James Blunt - Back To Bedlam; Jimmy Rankin - Song Dog; Alanis - Under Rug Swept; Tim McGraw GH2;

Four Places I Have Vacationed: Dominican Republic; Greece; Venice; Mexico.

Four TV Shows I Love: Lost; Prison Break; Everybody Loves Raymond; ER.

Four Of My Favorite Foods: BBQ Pizza; Stir-fry; Chips (fries)and Gravy; B&J Choco Chip Cookie Dough Ice-cream.

Four Websites I Visit Daily: My blog list, hotmail.com; The Halifax Chronicle Herald; Various Job Sites

Four Places I'd Rather Be Right Now: Swimming in the ocean under a hot sun; Drinking in a pub with friends; At the movies; With Andy - he's away again.

Now I'm tagging Dawn, Stacy, Jeff and Jaime

Just another day... In the Ghetto that is

Today I was notified by a member of staff working in a portacabin just outside the main doors of the building that there was a fellow in a white ball cap lurking behind the fence with a rifle style gun. He was not only lurking, he had the gun pointed through the slats of the fence towards the car park and main entrance to the building.

Naturally there was no sight of him by the time security made their tortoise like way to our clinic, and the police also saw no sign of him. However past occurrences would prove that there is indeed a trigger happy idiot who creeps around our clinic as the windows of an office have had shots fired through it. Hrrmmm. Time to seriously start looking for other employment I would think.

Ever wish you could just turn back time, if only by 30 seconds?

Bleach is a very bad word when it comes to my vocabulary. I usually prefer to do all my own laundry because if something goes wrong, I only have myself to blame. My mother used to do all my laundry, as well as my four siblings, my father's and her own. That is a lot of laundry to get through and she was a good woman to do it all, without complaint. In later years, I noticed from time to time that the odd piece of clothing would come back with a bleach mark on it. Normally something I adored. I know that Stacy has had this problem from time to time as well. Sometimes when my husband, who always seems to have the washer on, kindly washes my clothes, the delicate white laundry has come back grey. Thus, I prefer to do at least my delicates myself.

When someone is good enough to do your laundry for you, and you are lazy enough to let them, damaged clothing is a risk you have to be willing to take. More times then not with mom (and Andy), the clothes would be fine, but for about the past 10 years or so, I'd just gotten into the habit of doing my own. And I never use bleach - at least in my laundry. I do own a bottle, as sometimes general cleaning agents just don't do the job in the kitchen/bathroom that bleach will do, however if I make the mistake of using bleach, I always wreck whatever I happen to be wearing. You'd think I'd learn by now to change into something old. (Normally I do.) However the other day I took on a task that Andy normally does, and decided to wash down the back patio area where Molly makes her mess. Andy uses a cleaning agent with bleach and I stupidly poured (splashed) it onto the patio, thus splashing it all over my new pants. G-R-E-A-T. If there was ever a moment in time where I wished I could press the rewind button, this was it. Unfortunately there isn't a rewind button for stupid behaviour.

Weekend Update:

I had taken Friday off in order for my friend Helen and I to go shopping to Meadowhall, a huge shopping complex in Sheffield. For £13 we were able to purchase a return day ticket. Much better than driving I think.

We arrived at the mall around 11 a.m. and hit the shops with much gutso. There were plenty of sales on and we both came out with at least two shopping bags. I was over excited to hit H&M and came out with one full outfit, however was bitterly disappointed as a) the selection wasn't great and b) a top that I loved didn't fit me. Of course they didn't have the next size up. I don't know if it's me, but I do find some of the clothes there made very small, although I never have a problem with skirt sizing.

We had a light lunch and then headed to the pub for a half-pint before moving on. Around 5 we'd decided we'd had enough and went to M&S to buy a picnic lunch avec wine for the train journey home. We enjoyed our sandwiches and wine and of course I ordered another small bottle of wine from the trolley. When we got off the train we headed into the pub next door for one more drink while we waited for Helen's husband to pick us up. They both came in for a drink with Andy and I before we all called it a night.

Family Time

On Saturday we took the three kids to visit Andy's sister Claire, who had fallen and broken her ankle last week. She was in great spirits and we had a very relaxing and enjoyable time sitting at the table with Claire and two of the other ladies in the group home putting puzzles together. It's times like these when I think I'm in the wrong career - I love spending time with Claire and her friends. However I do know just how hard carers work and its not all fun and games. However I can go see Claire whenever I want - she really is a joy to be around (when she's in a good mood that is, lol)and I think having a family member who isn't healthy certainly puts a different perspective on life.

We decided to go to Hull for lunch and ended up pigging out at Frankie and Benny's. Surprisingly, I could still fit into a size 14 (size 10 in Canada) jeans when we went shopping at a designer outlet in Hornsea. All the kids came away happy as Tasha got a pair of jeans as well and we bought the boys gorgeous winter jackets that were marked down from £50 to £12.99.

One Naked Stravos, 40 Girls, One Tighty Whitey and a Dance Pole

We had to rush to get home as I was going out with Helen on a Hen Night for one of the District Nurses out of her clinic. We met at the local pub where a bus was taking us on to Louth, a town about 25 minutes away. What a scene we all made, approximately 40 women, walking into the Italian restaurant, one sporting a naked blow up doll with a full-blown woody. We took up two long tables at the back of the restaurant, while the third was occupied with a group of children celebrating a birthday. They were all laughing gleefully upon our arrival and were very excited to find out which of us was getting married. When the little boy was brought his cake, he was sung happy birthday by the whole group of us, which in turn silenced the whole restaurant. He turned a bright shade of red when one of our ladies ran over and gave him a kiss.

We left the pizzeria completely stuffed and made our way along the streets to the first pub. On the way we passed a very posh restaurant full of people enjoying fine dining. Someone shouted out for Tina (the Hen) to show them her Stravos (the naked doll) and she cheekily held him up to the window as we walked along. The faces on some of the diners were absolutely priceless. The first pub we arrived at was playing good dance music so everyone grabbed a drink and made their way to the dance floor. I knew by this point that with the amount of food we had eaten, there was no way in hell I was gonna be able to drink much. I was just too full. I was enjoying the antics of an obviously gay fellow gyrating with all the ladies, some of who very clearly weren't picking up on the fact that he was sooo gay, which I rather enjoyed. I often miss all the gay boys from Halifax - they are tons of fun and always up for a good laugh, something you rarely see in my local area. There was also a gal on the dance floor with the tightest, whitest jeans I have ever seen. More than painted on. What made it even funnier was when Helen pointed out she had a camel's toe. Now I wasn't sure if that expression meant what I thought it did, as it's been so long since I heard it, and I didn't want to look, but through my laughter I couldn't help myself. And she was right! It did mean what I thought it did! Nasty!!! God I don't think I've seen one of those since the 80's.

About 45 minutes after we were moved on to the next club, which was to be the last visit on our night out as we had been told we needed to get to this particular place early as we would be in line ups all night if not. Along the way to this club, we passed a group of men and I was floored when I heard my friend Helen yell out "Come on boys, get your cocks out!" Now this is a phrase I had once heard my fiery little sister-in-law holler unexpectedly, and that surprised me, however hearing Helen yell it out completely stopped me in my tracks. I turned and asked her if she'd really said what I thought she did. She laughed. Wonders will never cease to amaze me! Here is the girl who told me she thought the photos Andy took of me on my birthday were 'rude' yet she’s yelling this to a bunch of lads. Go figure! What a laugh.

The club itself was trendy and modern and played good enough music, they even had a pole in the middle of the dance floor that the more adventurous would shimmy around, however this I'm afraid was the most exciting aspect of this particular club. (Other than the very nice and good-looking bartender). I believe that by 10:30/11:00 most of the ladies were a little tired as we had been expecting more than two venues and of course when you have a big meal, it doesn't bode well for a night of drinking. Helen and I made small talk with a few nurses, amused ourselves chatting to a few of the younger crowd and of course danced a few songs to try and pass the time away more quickly. When we got on the bus to take us back to town at 12:55 we were all ready for it. Partying in another town was fun, and it was good to see what the pubs/clubs were like, however I think I'll stick to going out closer to home as I can always jump in a cab or ring Andy to take me home after I've had enough.

Always remember to read the small print

This afternoon around 3:30, after lazing around for the better part of the afternoon, I decided to take Molly off to the beach for a long refreshing walk. We parked up in the mobile home summer caravan park where Andy always used to take me in the summer and off we went. We left the car at approximately 3:50. Although it was slightly overcast, there wasn't a breeze, and the water was very calm, which made for a gorgeous stroll on the beach. After romping in the water, losing our ball (and thrower),and clumsily playing with two extraordinary huge dogs whose only threat of hurting Molly was the fact they might slobber her to death, we made our way back to the car. I was feeling refreshed and looking forward to a nice relaxing evening but as I pulled off the grass parking area and made my way around the bend in the road I was stunned to see the park gates had been shut with a small notice stuck to it saying that in January and February the park gates are closed and locked at 4:00 p.m. and wouldn't open until 9:30 a.m. the next morning. For the second time in this country, I had the pleasure of finding myself behind locked gates.

Luckily, I had my phone with me so that I could call the number on the sign to have a warden come and release me for the extortionate fee of £30. I also rang Andy to see if there might be another way out of the park but unfortunately there wasn't as far as he was aware. I took a drive around just to make sure and along the way encountered a lovely retired couple who were out walking and tried to help me find an alternative route out of the park. (They had known to park there car on the other side of the gates.) Leaving the car behind and walking home was not an option as a) I live too far away and both Moll and I were wet and it was fastly becoming dark, and b) the car might not be in the same condition when I got back to retrieve it the next day as vandalism is high in the area.

The phone call to the council was a bit ridiculous as the guy on the other end, although slightly sympathetic, kept insisting I'd have to pay the fine and did I have the cash to do so. Of course I didn't, I was walking the dog, not shopping. He then moved on to ask if I had a credit card. Let me see, I don't carry more than a fiver on me while out for a stroll, but yup, I keep my credit card in the back pocket just in case I need to make a transaction from a tree. He then moved on to ask if I could give him a number of a relative to verify who I was. At this point I got pretty incensed and said 'look, I know I have to pay the fine, I should have read the puny signs, but I didn't so here I am, alone in the dark in a deserted caravan park and your worried about the fine. Send someone to get me out and you can send me the bill, you have my registration number in case you don't believe the address I will supply is legit.' He asked me to wait while he called a truck and then informed me it could be 30-40 minutes. Naturally, I would wait, where exactly could I go?

fter half an hour, 3 vehicles pulled up on the other side of the barrier. An official looking man in plain clothes walked over and asked me what happened and if I was waiting for the warden to let me out. I conceded. He walked over to the gate, undid it to let other cars gain entry, then waved me through without another word. Will I receive a bill in the mail? Or will it prove lucky that someone other than the warden let me out? Probably not, the council still has my info, but we shall see in a few days time.

When you have absolutely nothing to say...

Subway opened in town on February 3rd. Over two-and-a-half years of agonizing waiting are finally over. Andy and I naturally lunched there both Saturday and Sunday. The kids and I will be taking another trip there this weekend I'm sure. They are well versed by now that Jojo might say no to McDonald's but the likelihood of her saying no to a much more healthy option such as Subway is practically non-existent.

Andy and I haven't been up to too much this past week besides trying to stay on a healthier eating plan and going for long walks with the dog. The boys now stay with us on Wednesday nights and enjoyed taking Molly for a walk this morning before school.

In other news, IT have stopped access to personal web pages at work, and it now looks as if they are trying to keep staff off the internet all around, however that makes no sense as they have links to the net for things that might be of interest to staff via the staff website (which we are able to access) so tell me if that makes any sense. All it ever takes are a few idiots surfing sites that are totally inappropriate to ruin it for everyone else. Don't these losers realize they are always being watched?

As a result, when I'm finished any work I have absolutely nothing to do to amuse myself or to assist in the quest to make one look busier than one actually is. Now if I held an intensely busy position that required hours of my attention, I could care less about the internet. Luckily for me, my audio clinic has been busier than usual. However I'm still searching for another position as I feel like my brain cells are on stand-by during the down time. I just need more stimulation through work and I'm not getting it. I need to do it now, before I get too comfortable doing not much of anything after the majority of my work is done - which doesn't take very long. Thank God I only work part-time. 40 hours of this routine would drive me insane.

Not too bad for an old girl...



My birthday came and went on a rather pleasant note. I received many birthday wishes and greetings via email and cards from friends and family, the girls at work gave me a beautiful boquet of flowers and naturally the phone kept ringing into the early hours of the night. I also received the much anticipated annual birthday blog from Dawn, Tawn and Stacy - all fantastic in the unique style of each publisher. Of course it wouldn't have been my birthday if I didn't stuff my face for not only one afternoon, but three consecutive days. We all know how I positively have to make use of any little excuse to keep the party and food fest going, especially when in honour of myself. What better reason? Of course now I will have to listen to my digital scale say 'get off fatty' tomorrow morning!

Andy took me for a wickedly romantic and luscious meal on Friday night (we chose Friday so that we could enjoy a few drinks and celebrate in proper style). My mother-in-law was good enough to have the boys overnight enabling my husband and I to have our own private party here at the house. My husband, who got a little camera happy with my new digital camera, insisted on taking a few shots of me, and in the style of a true McDonald girl, I readily succumbed to having my picture taken. Again and again. I'm pretty sure most of you realize we don't have an aversion to being photographed at all.



I do have some news to convey that some of you might be interested to know:

1. We have booked our holiday home this summer. My boys and I will be hitting the shores of Nova Scotia in full force on July 27th and won't be departing until August 17th...

2. The notorious twosome of Dawn and Stacy will be hitting the Isle of England on the morning of April 29th and will be keeping us all amused until May 21st! I can't tell you how excited I am for that - the Strongbow is already a-chillin. (Dawn, I've told Scott you are coming and he is looking forward to reminiscing with you over your cozy time spent together during the wedding!)

With this I bid you all good-night.

Finally...

For years I have been ahead of most of my friends/family when it comes to wine, white wine anyway. My Scottish friend Val and I have been inhaling bottles of it for over three years now, but I remember drinking my first full bottle of wine at the ripe old age of 16. Most of my friends wouldn't drink it unless it was overly sweet i.e. Boones, which we all know isn't real wine anyway. In recent years a few of my closer friends and family i.e. Tawny and Dawn, have taken up drinking wine and are actually becoming quite knowledgeable about it. Dawn even has a Rabbit, the most fantastic invention since the invention of wine itself, and I'm really coveting one for myself (hint to Dawn - if you see one mate, could you possibly pick it up for me and I will reimburse you upon your arrival in this great land).

Anyway, what I initially began this post for, was to say that I have finally, finally come across a red wine that I not only LOVE, but one that doesn't give me a migraine. At Christmas, Tawny had a lovely bottle of red that we opened on Christmas Eve. After one glass I had a throbbing headache and could sadly drink no more unless I wanted to hibernate in the bedroom all night in complete darkness with a bag of ice held to my forehead. This Kumala that I have discovered through my good friend Beryl, is the best tasting red I've ever given my taste buds the pleasure of experiencing. I now finally feel I can be part of the red wino group, even if only part time.

Note to self: Begin building up my immunity to wine once again so that I'm not completely pissed after only one bottle.

Hopefully she has some comfort in knowing she is not the only freakish sleeper in our family.

'You scared the shit out of me last night'

This phrase was uttered to me in the early recesses of the morning as I was either a) making my way from the bed down to the couch wrapped in my new (huge) fleece blanket that I brought back from Canada, or b)making my way back up to bed wrapped in my fleece blanket as Andy came downstairs to get ready for work. I was having difficulty getting to sleep last night due to a dry throat and sore ear, something that was only compounded further by Andy's snoring. He's still getting over his cold which makes his breathing at night worse than normal. After a very broken sleep I finally gave up and when to spend the last few hours of the night on the couch curled up with Molly.

This morning as I was driving to work, I recalled him saying this but also remembered I didn't pay any attention to what he might be talking about. At 8:15 a.m. it suddenly came back to me. In the earlier hours of the night I had been on my side under the covers and opened my eyes to see this HUGE spider dangling from the ceiling in front of my face. Now spiders generally don't bug me, but this baby was the size of my fist. I opened my mouth, screamed and proceeded to hide under the covers, shaking like mad. Andy had much difficulty in convincing me that there was nothing there. Fuck me.

This isn't the first time something like this has happened. There have been times in the past when I've seen things that aren't there, and I certainly can't go to sleep at night until all the closet doors are closed - firmly. While I was at home over the holidays Tawny and I had chatted about her sleep patterns and how she has a clinically proven sleep disorder. (Something she has talked about over on locobellatuna.) She has even reached the point where medication has been necessary. I myself do not yet feel ready for this, as it's something I think I'm able to manage on my own especially while it's occurring infrequently. Every now and then I experience times when I suffer bad bouts of insomnia and cannot sleep at all, thus spending the night downstairs reading or watching tv. Thankfully these times are few and far between as it is very difficult to make it through a full day on little or no sleep. Luckily this morning I'm only suffering from my physical ailments and not feeling overly cranky or irritable. I do however have the satisfaction of knowing that I can lay down for a nap this afternoon before the kids come down.

Some positive Points to start 2006 on:

1. We've been granted a court order to take the kids to Halifax this summer.

2. I've gotten through today on only two diet cokes... a very large feat in itself.

3. We are in the process of sorting out tickets for Stacy and Dawn to fly to the UK in late April/early May.

4. I've begun my healthy eating kick-start and again, have made it through one day - and as in times past I know I can stick to it, this is not just a New Year's resolution for me.

5. The children's mother and I have reached an agreement to try and sort out any contact issues surrounding the children between ourselves. Granted, Andy and I wanted something similar to this 2 years ago, however better late than never.

I won't go into details over the very unexpected phone call I received, or what brought the call about, (however it did involve seeing the children - unexpectedly, at their request, for an hour yesterday at the displeasure of their mother.) I will say this: I agreed to speak with her on a need-be basis provided she not mention my husband (she has a tendency to speak untruthfully and abusively about him) and that we keep it civil at all times. She agreed to this. I don't care what her reasons are for agreeing to this, I only care about the children and what is best for them. As I said to her, we are both two women who love the same children - I'm looking out for what is good for them. At the moment Alex is yet again having a very difficult time with his mother and it would appear as if he is once again headed back to stay with us.

Anyway, point is, I believe that we are beginning 2006 on a more positive note than 2005. I don't have to like or respect the woman to have polite contact with her for the sake of the kids. Let's just see how everything goes.

Some of my favourite moments of my trip home:

1. Seeing snow at Christmas time.
2. Laughing complete belly laughs over old pictures with my sisters, some that were completely unflattering!
3. Drinking martinis (again with my sisters - Dawn included naturally)
4. Spending lots of time with my mom doing the things we always used to do - i.e. just chatting, working out.
5. Eating mom's chocolate chip cookies, especially hot from the oven while watching movies.
6. Eating lots of May Garden and other Chinese foods.
7. Playing with some awfully cute babies:





8. Napping with Stacy and Tawny on Stacy's comfy bed (my old one,lol).
9. Pulling Christmas Crackers and playing the games tucked inside with my family during Christmas dinner.
10. Bowling and pizza with the Bezanson's and Rudolf's.
11. Watching my dad's joy at preparing to head back on the road again.
12. Seeing some great movies and eating WAY to much popcorn avec butter, white cheddar and dill pickle toppings.
13. Hearing Connor ask 'Jojo, how many more days NOW till you come home?'

14. Messing around at the Airport with John, Stacy, Aunt Marg and mom, getting some great photos - like these:







15. Speaking of pictures, all the fun times I had taking so many great shots of my family and friends! I will post more photos to my yahoo site when I get a bit more time later this week.

Farewell to Nova Scotia...

Well tonight I begin my journey back to England and my family there. It's been a fantastic visit and I will be sad to go. I've done so much and gotten to spend great quality time with loved ones while here at home. Some of you - not enough , some of you - more than others, but still not enough. However, I have this summer to look forward to because I will be back, this time avec my family. I cannot wait for that. But before then its back to living my life in England and sticking to my New Year's Resolutions. (Which are not so unrealistic as to become impossible to uphold). I'm a bit fearful that my husband may not recognize the much plumper woman who walks through arrivals in her haste to greet him. Here's crossing my chubby fingers! Not stressing though, I enjoyed the numerous calorie filled sessions that brought me to this point and by the summer I will again be back to my normal size and as it will be a vacation full of fun packed activities I will hopefully not have the same problem upon my return to England.

Anyway, I am straying off point as usual. I have a few last visits to make this morning before coming back to finish my prep for tonight's flight. I will be posting pictures from this trip once I get settled in again. It has been an absolute treat.

Happy New Year!



Last night Stacy, Christina and I headed downtown for some East Side's and whatever would follow next. We headed to the casino, which was crazy busy and the highlight of the night were the girls walking around dressed up like Vegas Show Girls, which was something new to witness. We couldn't find Dawn and left around 11:10 to find somewhere to ring in the new year. Pogue's was only taking ticket holders so at approximately 11:50 we made it to the Grand Parade to partake in the festivities there. Stace's friend Catherine and her boyfriend were there and we found them easily enough via cell phone contact. It was the first time I was in the Parade Square for New Year's and it was actually quite fun - I thought the music was great and was very disappointed to find out I had missed JP Cormier. We didn't have the proper clothing on but we didn't feel the cold as 2006 was rang in to a chorus of music, dancing and fire works.



After the fireworks ended we headed out to find a pub for a New Year's drink and ended up in Maxwell's Plum, which was very nostalgic for me as it was the pub that Andy and I spent hours chatting in, getting to know each other, way back in 2002! I was with my sister and good friends enjoying a laugh in person, however because we were in Maxwell's, I had my husband there with me in spirit and heart!

The drive home was funny (I was sober) as Tawny kept ringing (she wasn't!). It made us miss her even more and wish she could have been with us, but it was great knowing that we were all enjoying ourselves, and hey, here's to a great New Year for us all!

Dawn, sorry we didn't get to hook up buddy, but I know you probably had a smashing time and I'll get to see you a few more times this week before heading out on Friday!

The only disappointing factor of this weekend is that Wayne was supposed to have been with us and has had to undergo more surgery. My heart goes out to him and his family and I'm hoping with all of it that this is a much better year for him, for all of us!

My love to all of you. Thanks for being such supportive readers in 2005 - here's to another great year of posting!

A McDonald Christmas



I haven't blogged since I've reached home over a week ago. Time is passing quickly and I'm absolutely loving every minute of it - I've still not had a chance to see everyone and am hoping to do so this week. The only drawback is that I'm missing my husband and our family back home, but I know that I will be with them soon so I must embrace every moment I have with my loved ones here in Nova Scotia.

Christmas here has not been uneventful. Tawny and I turned up on Christmas Eve after a few visits and some shopping to see a car with Ontario plates parked in the drive. It was Sandra and Brad on a very unexpected surprise return home, after 3 and 1/2 years. After a few deep breaths we went inside and so began our Christmas as a complete family for the first time in many years.

I won't go into any detail except to say its been a bit stressful and difficult at moments for reasons I won't really eloborate on, but aside from the shock of my sister coming home unnanounced after so long and so much, it has been a good Christmas and we were satisfied to see Sandra make the effort, especially for the sake of our parents, even though I wish I had known she was going to be coming home, for a number of reasons. Everyone has handled themselves in a brilliant way and for this I am grateful. I know how very difficult this has been for Tawny and I'm just so thankful to have had my family with me at this time of year.

Last night we had relatives visiting until after midnight and we watched Elf, our chosen Christmas movie this year. Both Pam (John's girlfriend) and Taylor have spent Christmas Day feeling quite ill, but I'm hoping they have a better time of it over the next few days of celebration.


I brought a little bit of England to the dinner table and we did have fun playing the games in the Christmas crackers. Why everyone doesn't do this during Christmas dinner is beyond me - what a good way to amuse and keep everyone focused on the festivities.

I will post more photos later in the week, after I have mixed and matched with some of Tawn's shots. I'm sure we will have a few good ones, and I'm hoping to get more tonight before Tawny and Taylor leave early tomorrow morning.

Oh and I have to post this great picture from last Thursday night, taken just after exchanging gifts with Dawn - a fantastically funny and amusing evening. I hope to report more from that evening this week! But I do love this shot:



Thank you to all of you who have done so much to make this Christmas so wonderful for me (especially my husband, for loving me enough to give me up to my family for the holidays.) I love you all. And for those of you I haven't seen yet, we still have 12 or so more days...

PS - notice the much improved quality of these pictures - compliments of the new camera given to me as an early Christmas gift by my generous and loving man.

Christmas Parties x 3

Friday Night
Friday night found me out at the local pub with four fantastic girls I've met through work.

The night began with a few glasses of wine that led quickly to more than a few bottles. We had a great laugh and it was a terrific way to begin the Christmas festivities.

It's a warm feeling to know that this time, while I'm back at home, I'll have these great mates back in England.



It wouldn't be me I suppose if I didn't have a cry at some point while, well let's face it - shit canned. I told the girls a story about sitting in the same pub over a year ago with my husband, enviously watching a group of girls on a night out at the very same table we were sitting at Friday night, and informing him that if back in Canada, that would have been me with my friends. And a year later, although not in Canada, I was at that table with four of the best women I have had the pleasure of knowing. And then I started to bawl. Nothing new there really.


Helen G and Sharon


At some point in the evening, we decided to take the party into town (this would have been downtown in NS speak) and Janice (who wasn't drinking) patiently drove our drunken asses to a pub called O'Neils. We danced, we drank some more, and had a great laugh. Unfortunately Helen E. had her handbag nicked. She luckily found it in the gents, but sadly minus phone and money. :(

Around 12:55 I made a drunken call to my angel of a husband. For a little insight as to how absolutely wrecked I was, this is a snippet of the conversation with him:

ME: Hi Sweetie can you come pick us up?

ANDY: Yeah, where are you?

ME: I don't know - HELEN WHERE AM I????

10 Minutes later I phoned him again:

ME: Where are you?

ANDY: Almost there - you still at O'Neils?

ME: I don't know - HELEN - WHERE ARE WE?

I can say though that my not knowing where we were the first time was due in part to the fact we went out the back door of O'Neils into the car park, which I didn't know even existed. Remember, I have only been out in Cleethorpes on three previous occasions.

Saturday Night
Needles to say, Saturday morning didn't find me feeling so swell, however my slight headache was nothing in comparison to poor Helen G - she had been sick. I don't understand how I can drink SO much and not ever be sick.

Anyway, I'm digressing as usual. Helen and her husband Trev met us at our place for a drink before going to our other local. We had a nice dinner by the fireside then made our way back here to have billinis in my Venetian glasses. We sat and chatted, neither Helen nor I drinking very much, we still had enough flowing in our veins from the previous evening.

Sunday
Today we got up and drove to Lincoln for a pre-Christmas/birthday luncheon with Andy's siblings, their partners and his mom. (Andy's brother and sister are twins and they'll share their birthday on Friday with Ali's partner Scott.)

The food and conversation was fantastic and I'm glad we all made the effort to get together before I fly home on Wednesday to spend the holidays with my other family.

My English Family

An 'Old Fashioned' Christmas

Last night the boys came down for their weekend stay and we decided to decorate the house for Christmas. Alex eagerly helped Andy get all the stuff down from the loft and within an hour the tree was up. While Andy was trimming the tree with white lights I was busy making silver bows for it, as I decided to go with a white and sliver theme this year, with a few black baubles to set it off. Usually my ideas don't always fly, especially when there is craft-making involved, but this actually turned out to be a very pretty tree. I took the idea from the lady we were staying with in Belgium, who had a beautiful tree. It didn't take Molly long to try and eat it, but the most amusing segment of the night was when Connor commenced with this discussion:

Connor: Dad - you know back in the olden days?

Andy: Yeah?

Connor: Yeah, back in the olden days when you were a kid....

LORD! I thought the Olden Days were back when our dads were kids! Both of us were expecting him to talk about those olden days! Neither one of us can remember what came after that as we were both a bit taken aback with laughter and the realization that Andy now hails from 'The Olden Days'.

I'll be home for Christmas,
you can count on me...
Please have snow, and mistletoe
and presents on the tree.

(Well out of those three, its the snow I want, at least for Christmas Eve.)

13 more sleeps!!!!