Running around with earache

This week at work has been exceptionally busy, and Alex has had various appointments that I've had to attend with him. Add to the fact that I'm watching Six Feet Under on DVD at almost every opportunity (I'm hooked!) plus trying to squeeze in a few other favourites not on DVD such as Prison Break and Lost, not to mention walking the dog, I've got very little time for much else, well other than cooking and housework.

This evening though, I finally managed to get my ample ass out for a short jog with Molly. It was only meant to be a walk, but I figured the exercise could only benefit us both. Try telling that to my chest. Not jogging outside (or on a treadmill for that matter) for awhile + being asthmatic does not make for a good combination, but I'll get over it, if for nothing else than the fact that exercise feels good, at least once you get back into the swing of things which is something both Andy and I have promised each other, as well as ourselves. I miss exercising and come this weekend I believe I will once again be the owner of a gym membership. Andy has beat me to it, but he only has himself to worry about while he's away all week ;)

I am however feeling rather vindicated in the fact that I am busy with work, its giving me more focus and drive and less time to laze around. Laziness really does beget laziness. Not that I was ever particularly lazy, but I had a lot of extra time on my hands that I thought I enjoyed. Now that I'm working more, I have less time to spend on housework, laundry, etc. and am having to do it in the evenings and for some reason I seem to find more energy to do these things. I'll have even less time when I go back to the gym. I just have to make a concerted effort to ensure my little Molly doesn't suffer as a result. Things should be changing again work wise in approximately a month, whereas I believe I will only be working 3 full days and off for two. At the moment I'm working 3 full days plus two 1/2 days.

At the moment it is 10:30 and the girl from two doors down just knocked on my door asking me to join her, her mom, and sister (et others) over at the Harvest Moon. They all looked great and were feeling good but as I'm in my old sweats and Alex is 'recovering' from having a mole surgically removed yesterday (and being a bit difficult) I figured I best give it a miss this time. As its the second offer in recent months I'll make sure to go next time around.

Tomorrow night I'm off out with the the gang from the new office and after the week I've had (dropping my gorgeous, leather turquoise bag in a puddle this morning is just one example), I must say I'm looking forward to it. Add to the fact that its mine and Andy's child-free weekend, I'd say its time to break out the party hats, or at least the massage lotion and handcuffs.

Movie Date

He said "I really think your gonna enjoy this film"

She said "Oh yeah? Even though I don't really know much about football?"

He said "Yup, even though, cause there are gonna be lots of men with fit bodies in it"

She said "You know, you might just be right".

Tonight I had the pleasure of hanging out with Connor, just the two of us. Alex is away spending the week in Chester with his dad due to half term.

Connor still wanted to come spend the night with me despite this and because of it, I wanted to ensure he had a good time. Its not often I get to spend time alone with him and as he is such a great kid with a lot of interesting things to say, I was looking forward to it.

I offered him the rare treat of McDonald's for supper, and to my delight was pleasantly surprised when he said he'd prefer to stay in. His exact words were 'I'd rather stay in, I like your cooking'. So when I told him I'd grill him a hamburger he smiled and informed me that I make great hamburgers. (Which I do, if I say so myself.)

He then picked out the late movie we would go see (Goal II: Living the Dream)and even if it wasn't the most gripping storyline I've seen, it was enjoyable, especially when I listened to his running commentary throughout. (Hey, this night was about him, and the theatre was practically empty).

Tomorrow morning, before I take him back at lunchtime, and weather pending, we will take Molly out for a long walk. Maybe on the beach. I honestly can't tell you who would enjoy that more, him, me or the dog.

Don't turn your back on me...

In the past I have sometimes blogged about children and my feelings toward having them. Sometimes, although not lately, the desire to grow and nurture a baby of my own are so strong that I get very melancholy over the fact that I am likely to never have a child of my own. Thankfully I haven't experienced these feelings in the extreme for over a year now. Babies are fantastic, with their sweet little smiles, and gorgeous baby smell, toddlers and young children special too. Hell, even teenagers can be pretty decent. And when they are grown? If everything goes according to plan, and you do your best to instill good morals, and teach your child right from wrong you just might end up having a friend for the remainder of your life. So many of my friends, myself included, are lucky enough to have had good parents who did the best they could by us, and as a result we try to be good adult children in return. But it doesn't always go according to plan. There are so many things that can go wrong, so many nights spent awake until dawn wondering where they are, or if they will ever recover from a serious illness, or God forbid, is someone out there waiting to hurt them. What if they never come back? And no one can tell me that the chances of these things happening are rare, and unlikely to happen, because they do happen, have happened, even to people I know and love. How does a parent survive and recover from these horrifying occurrences? Love would be the answer I suppose. But anyway, I'm digressing.

I've often wondered how children in the same family can be raised by the same parents, with the same values and turn out to be so different. I'm not referring to differences such as talents, hobbies or even sexual preferences. Today I am thinking along the lines of selfishness. People chose to have children for a multitude of reasons, and I often respect and appreciate every one of them. But for those few people who think that having children will ensure they always have someone in their life who will look up to them, love them and perhaps be company when the loneliness of old age comes creeping in, I suggest they think again. (I myself sometimes wonder who I will have to pass mementos on to, or who will mourn me after I'm gone but with three stepchildren and a large extended family I'm sure it won't be an issue - besides once I'm gone, will I actually really be that bothered? :)

I'm just mortified by the fact that those of us who are blessed with good, I mean really good, parents can turn around and be so self-centered that we can't pick up the phone to just say hi, or take a moment to spend an hour a week in the nursing home visiting a parent who proudly boasts of our accomplishments and flashes our own children's photo to anyone who shows the slightest interest. Or even worse, those children who can turn their back on their own parent because of something so trivial as money.

Someone whom I know and love dearly told me a story not so long ago of a son who chose not to speak to her for over a year due to the fact that she dared only send him a card for a milestone Wedding Anniversary with a small amount of money enclosed so he and his wife could have a drink on her while they were on their anniversary cruise. Nevermind the fact that she had a bottle of wine, cake and a gorgeous gift awaiting them upon their return, when she could celebrate with them in person. Her son didn't take the the time to find this out though as he sarcastically commented upon the little 'gift' enclosed in the card and hung up on her. He didn't speak to her again until she hurt herself badly a year later.

She never did tell him of her plan, or gave him the gifts that she has hidden safely away since long ago anniversary. But when she is gone, he will surely come across these gifts, with card enclosed, that was intended for he and his wife. I wonder what thoughts will cross his mind then. Even though he eventually found his way back to his mother, it will be obvious that he broke her heart at that time. In a sick way I hope he feels the pain that he caused his mother over a silly bit of money. I'm sure he will, I'm sure he will feel it a hundred fold, and realize how horribly he behaved, but for him it will be too late.

And I don't blame her for handling it in this manner. Not one bit.

I'm often told by my older friends that although children are a blessing, they are also the bearers of heartache and grief, be it intended or not. I am aware of this, but it would not be a basis for my deciding to bear children or not (provided Andy and I even could that is, chances are slight of it ever happening even if we decide to try). There are many things in life that can bring us trouble and pain. Life is a gamble and we never know what is around the corner. But I know what my mom sacrificed to bring her children up the best way she knew how. She tried so hard and for that I will always love her and give her the respect that she so deserves. Never, ever could I imagine turning a cold shoulder on the woman who gave me life, and a very good one at that.

Something I have thus far neglected to tell you

The past couple of weeks have been a bit more hectic for me than usual. The reason behind this is primarily due to the fact that I have started a new job. A new job that I love for so many varying reasons. My boss is great and I have a load of perks i.e. choosing my own hours, great co-workers, freedom to organize the office as I see fit, and one of my favourites: the use of a personal laptop, which I am happily typing on at this moment.

I'm still holding on to my part-time job at the clinic but I'm not sure how long this will last, it will depend on how a few things pan out. This new position is definitely more my speed, and as its still working for the hospital trust I can manage to hold both for the time being. I'm just having a bit of difficulty at the moment as there just aren't enough hours in the day. The new position is much more involved and takes up more time than the one at the other clinic. If I could switch the hours around I'd be better off. I'm not quite working full-time, and I certainly don't want to, but I could easily see myself falling into it with this new position, as I actually enjoy everything about it. The team I'm working with are proving fun and easygoing so far and my boss is one of the most laid back and generous people I have come across in the field. The team provides a great service to the community via an outreach program for drug/alcohol users and their families, something I find beneficial as well as very interesting. It is the plan that I will eventually job shadow the support outreach workers to get a better scope and understanding of their role and I am very excited about this.

I've been holding out for a new job for quite a long time now and can't believe my good fortune in landing this position, especially since I didn't even go looking for it, they found me. Sometimes my good luck amazes me, but I feel grateful and don't take it for granted, because it balances out the not so great luck that occasionally sticks to my heels like dog shit on the bottom of my shoe.

I sort of lost my way there for a bit, and as a result my blogging has taken a downward slide, something I'm hoping to amend. I miss musing about the silly little bits in life and feel as if I lose contact with so many of you when I'm not around, even though I'm constantly visiting your pages to make sure everything is well. I honestly love this method of sneaking peeks into each others lives.

Flemenco's, Food and Sore Feet

Many of you might think that this was not a great time of year to be in a Mediterranean City, but let me tell you, I was perfectly ok with it. Although the temperature varied between 8-14 degrees, the fact that it was winter cut down on the crowd factor big time. And if anyone really knows me, they know how I feel about crowds. It was a shame we couldn't go down into the water as the beaches were fantastic (although it sure didn't stop a few idiots), however the walk along the promenade on Sunday was nevertheless, breathtaking. I had layered up with three sweaters as I wasn't sure how warm it would get in the early afternoon. It was a good decision as I needed to remove the top layer at varying times throughout the trek. It was a refreshing walk along the beach as my head was feeling rather sore from the intravenous I had hooked up to me the night before which was continually pumping sangria directly into my blood stream. By the time we got back to the hotel for a shower and change of clothes, we had covered over 12 km on foot.



This photo was taken on Saturday night. Andy had taken me to a traditional Flamenco show that was absolutely brilliant. The way these women and men move make my feet hurt and my head spin, as the move around in a blur of astonishing colour

One of the most memorable sights of the city for me, were all the street performers down the main street, El Ramble. Each were in an amazing, original costume, looking completely statuesque, and remained so until someone dropped some change into their pots. They all had something interesting to surprise you with. Naturally some were more unique and enlivening then others, but it was something I could have spent quite a while (and a lot of money) on. They were honestly the best I've ever seen.

I have finally managed to find some time to post our photos, which you will find here. I'm a little disappointed we didn't take more, or that some of my shots were mistakenly taken in the wrong colour, however I think they give a small indication of this beautiful city.

There is no point in regretting that I should have taken more photos from the mountain we hiked up, and later descended by cable car. The view of the whole city from the cable car was one of the most stunning views my eyes have been witness to, but unfortunately my camera never made its way out of my bag. You'll just have to take a trip yourself to see what I mean.

If the trip to Barcelona was good for only one thing (which it certainly wasn't) it would have been this:

Seafood Paella

On the Friday morning of my birthday we had a 4:30 a.m. start which gave me a slight indication that we would be catching a flight somewhere (remember, at this point I had absolutely no idea what Andy had been planning). When we turned off at the exit to the local airport, it was a given. With a smile on his face my husband breathed a sigh of relief: he could finally let me in on the secret. He then proceeded to tell me where he was taking me for my birthday surprise. To say I was, is an understatement: Barcelona, four star hotel, three nights, with just my husband. It really and truly doesn't get better than this people.

Well actually it does. When we reached the hotel he then proceeded to present me with not one, but three boxes from my favourite jewelry shop. Inside I found a matching necklace, bracelet and earrings, all silver with light pink stones that happened to perfectly offset a pink ring I have from the same shop. What a brilliant man I chose to spend the rest of my life with. Each year, he proves over and again that I made the right choice in him. And not just only for his generosity and kindness, but because of the man he is.

We spent our first evening in Barcelona mapping out the city, trying to familiarize ourselves with this very big, but clean city. We thought we would walk into the city center, not realizing quite how far we would have to walk. We were a bit thrown off by the lack of people, until we realized we had taken the longer route into the old part of the city. We stopped for a beer and some Tapas along the way as we were getting pretty tired after having been on the go for over 12 hours. When we finally found the Gothic part of town it was well past 8 p.m. We were ready for some good food and drink. We found a lovely restaurant for my birthday dinner and promptly ordered a pitcher of Sangria, my new favourite beverage. What followed was the most scrumptious meal I've had in a long time. It was so good in fact that I ate it for two nights in a row. The seafood in this city was amazing and I overindulged to the point that when I awoke on Monday morning my eyes were half swollen shut. Now I can usually eat shellfish, but I think my body was trying to tell me enough already. I had definitely gone into shellfish overdrive. Good thing this didn't happen until my last day, because I would have continued eating these delicious treats until my eyes were swollen completely shut.

The rest of the trip was fantastic and once Andy had his bearings, getting around was really quite easy. Needless to say, we chose to walk most places and are still waiting for our legs to stop feeling like they have been shoved through a slicer.

I will post about the other sights and the fantastic Flemenco show, as well as upload our photos as soon as I have more time.

I'd like to also say thank you to everyone who sent birthday cards, gifts and wishes - it means a lot to be remembered :)

Tingling with Anticipation...

Friday is my birthday and my loving husband has been planning something for weeks now. He has managed to keep it a secret thus far, although I know on Sunday he was fast approaching a point where he was going to erupt and tell me just exactly what he had planned. Of course this was when we were trying to sort out what I should be packing (he has told me that its an overnight excursion) and wanted me to trust him. I however don't think I'm the only woman that might have some reservations around a man picking out her outfit. I am, however a woman who loves a surprise and because he has worked so hard on this I will place my trust in him. Apparently he has had some assistance in planning this event, but hasn't told the children where he is taking me in fear that they spill the beans. Lord knows he's having a hard enough time keeping little 'hints' to himself as it is. If I was the kind of girl who persisted in being given some kind of idea as to what he was planning, I'm sure he would have broken by now. Call me crazy, but I'm happy to be kept in the dark.

There has also been an unexpected number of packages delivered to me. Mom and Dad's arrived just over a week ago, my friend gave me a gift bag last week, and today I received not one, but two! A package came from Tawny, wrapped in lovely lime green paper, and another had arrived earlier from Roisin. It's been hard not opening these packages, and I've even managed to hold off on Mom and Dad's (which is saying something since its been laying around for so long). But today I couldn't resist, I opened the one from Roisin, telling myself that I couldn't be 100% certain it was something to do with my birthday. Of course it was and inside I found a beautiful necklace and bracelet that will be just perfect for this weekend.

If I wasn't feeling a little bit celebrated before today, I sure am feeling it now.

I'm also looking forward to beginning this book. I think its going to be an absorbing piece, especially since I am so interested in psychiatry, and certainly the way it was perceived/practiced over 100 years ago. I'm trying to branch out in the type of literature I've been reading and just finished a non-fictional autobiography entitled 'A Piece of Cake' by an author called Cupcake Brown which tells a gripping, if appalling tale of how the US Legal/Foster system could so horribly fail a child in the 1970's and 80's. Thankfully this woman triumphed to become a lawyer in a top-ranking firm.

Wanting and Needing

Yesterday morning as I was getting ready for work I heard a knock upon the door. At 8:00 this usually only means one thing: my mate the friendly post man has a very welcome package for me, or mine.

Turns out this box was addressed to me and the Allenby Clan from a very special Canuck we call Sage Longbottom, better known as Dawn. It was full of mine and my family's favourite Canadian things: Reese's pieces, Lucky Charms, Trident Gum, tuna, Pad Thai sauce, and a big package of these:

Here is where I add that I am probably the most gluttonous person this side of the Atlantic. My greediness came out in full whack as I proceeded to stuff my mouth with these wonderfully scrumptious peanutbutter chocolate treats and did not stop until today, when I reached the bottom of the bag. In my very weak defense I did manage to stop on occasion, trying to convince myself to share, if not with my mother-in-law, then at least with the kids. But I fobbed myself off, letting the evil cow inside me win. The cow convinced me that the kids could have the bag of Reese's, and the gum, Andy could have the Twerpz (or at least half that bag) that they could all have the cereal and every other goody, so long as I got the bag of PB cups.

Nevermind the fact that there were numerous other gifts in there for me such as a beautiful handmade scarf and hat, and treats from Lush. I'm not even putting a dent in what was in that box of gold. To top it all off there was a lovely Chinese game that we can't wait to try on the weekend.

It is times like these when I hold my friends and family so dear, for remembering all the little things of home that add up into something very big. We are truly blessed to have such caring people love us from afar.

Starting Over

This year began very quietly for Andy and I, we ended up having dinner out and retiring home by 10:00 to have a drink and welcome the New Year by ourselves. The weeks leading up to Christmas were rather hectic and I found my self experiencing a multitude of emotions, the end result being my disinterest in blogging. I seem to have found my way back though and am looking forward to both blogging and exercising with zest, a few weeks away from both have taken their toll both physically and emotionally. Exercising will not only assist my body in getting rid of the 1/2 stone I put on over the holidays (and most likely am still adding to) but it helps keep my mind focused and clear. Writing will only help the cause I should think.

We were all spoiled to excess over the holidays and didn't stop at the personal gifts for each other. Andy and I proceeded to buy ourselves that big double door fridge, as well as a clothes dryer (we had a little unexpected 'income' just prior to Christmas). Both these appliances have gone a long way to save my sanity, especially the dryer as I think I would have preferred to wring my own neck with jeans than hang one more pair over the radiator or door.

Connor's New Year Resolution (I haven't made any) is to drink only ice-water until the end of January, at least while here in this house. He has a fascination with the fridge's ice-maker/water dispenser and loves using it. Surprisingly he has stuck to it thus far bless him. We'd only dared to hope that this would be one very positive effect of the new fridge and we didn't even have to 'push' the kids into it. Fingers crossed that it continues even after the novelty wears off.

Oh, and how could I forget to mention one of my other favourite toys, Sky+. This happens to be the UK's equivalent to TiVo. My only thought around this new addition is 'What on earth took us so long?'

Trying to find that Christmas feeling...:)


Trying to get two young dogs to do what you want them to, when they would rather just be duffing each other up is not the easiest, but with cookies in hand you can just manage it, just! We finally managed to get Maebh in there with her little antlers on although Molly is not coming across as very impressed by the whole ordeal.


Happy Holidays from our house to yours!

Lots of love,
The McAllenbys

Tis the party season after all...

Last Friday evening marked the beginning of a number of Christmas celebrations. I was looking forward to having a few of the girls from work over to the house prior to crossing the street for food and drink at the Harvest Moon, and went so far as to actually lay out a few 'starters' to go along with the wine. An old favourite that was always served at Saint Vincent's was something called a Cheese Ball, served with crackers. It might sound lame, but don't knock it till you try it. Most people love it and I was thrilled to bits that the girls really enjoyed it and asked for the recipe, some saying they want to serve it up over the Holidays to impress their families and friends. I have to admit I'm smiling over this. We all know that hosting is not my strongest point. That is probably more my sister Martha's (ummm, I mean Tawny's) forte!

I will however try to host more 'events' at my house though in the New Year if we manage to find a bigger place. At the moment my living room seats about four comfortably :)

So here I am digressing as usual. The girls and I met up with three more over at the pub and enjoyed ourselves eating, laughing and of course drinking. Naturally I drank way too much and should have called it a night at 11 and have come directly home, however I followed most of the group down to Cleethorpes where a night of drunken, crazy behaviour ensued. Of course I was the most inebriated as per usual. I was a little shameful of my behaviour but the girls have ensured me that if nothing I provided comic relief and I suppose I shouldn't worry too much, because most of them should know me by now and that 'Feeling No Pain Jody' isn't exactly the same as 'Sober Jody', or even 'Drunk Jody'. 'Feeling No Pain Jody' is just a mess. And nobody knows it better than her husband. He definitely hit the nail on the head the night he met me (at Cheers) when he commented to a pal of mine that he 'pitied the man that ends up with that handful'

Sharon, Janice, Me and Hels

But it was a laugh and I was happy to have a night out with my mates to kick off the season. This Friday night is Andy's work party and its a Dinner and Dance at the Wintergardens, which we thoroughly enjoyed the year before last (didn't go last year as I was in NS). I have a lovely new party dress that I will also get to wear again on Saturday as Beryl and I are heading out to another Dinner/Dance at the same venue, but it will be a completely different crowd.

Helen, Sharon, Hels and Julia

I am looking forward to pampering myself Friday afternoon with a trip to the salon as I just don't feel like fussing with my hair myself. Hopefully prior to that I will manage to wrap up the last of my Christmas shopping just in time. I will hopefully be able to post a few pictures of the upcoming parties after they happen. By which time it will be Christmas Eve.

Where does the time go?

Me, Sharon, Hels

Babies on the Bombing Range

Yesterday Andy and I decided to take a short drive up the coast to a spot near Horseshoe Point, Donna Nook, where we heard there were quite a few seals and their pups. We never imagined that there would be so many of them spread out all over the beach, and that they attract so many people - some come from two/three hours away to see this amazing sight of some 1500 seals and their pups.

Every year at this time the seals beach themselves on an area that is usually reserved as a Military Bombing Range. The beach is already cordoned off with a small fence to keep people off for obvious reasons, but at this time of year it comes in handy for the seals. There are also seal wardens out there to ensure that no one touches or disrupts the seals in this natural environment, which came as a great relief to me, as people can get carried away. The seals aren't shy though and many of the pups were laying right up next to the fence, much like these two babies:




I could just fall in love with their big black eyes alone.

We realized that this is an event the children shouldn't miss out on, so this coming weekend we are going to take them out there to witness this amazing sight for themselves.

We can be good girls, now can we have a cookie already?



Today our friends Sophia and Paul came with their 13 week old Dalmation Maebh (pronounced Mauve - her dad is Irish) to let Molly and us meet her as she will be coming to stay with us for 10 days over the Christmas Holidays.

I'm very excited for this, and despite the fact that Sophia and Paul were a little daunted by the puppy's behaviour (she is more feisty than Molly was, believe it or not), we assured her the dogs would be fine and that we honestly don't mind having Maebh. It will make life interesting for a few weeks. They were a little upset that Maebh was playing a little too rough with Molly, but we did point out that although Molly can be quite a wuss, she is the older dog and will sort the puppy out in her own gentle way. This was proven when we left the girls alone to go to the pub for lunch and returned to find that they were just fine with no blood having been shed. When we peeked in the window it was to find Maebh with her front paws on Molly's back, side-on. I'm also relieved that there is little fear that Molly will accidently hurt her by jumping on her, as that little pup can hold her own.

I think Christmas at the McAllenby's is going to be an adventure if nothing else!

Christmas Prep at the McAllenby's

I haven't been much in the mood for blogging lately, but I figure if my pal Val can manage to get in a few blogs with her hectic schedule, the least I could do was blog myself. Not to mention I'm feeling the heat from my dear husband.

Not much going on here except the regular hustle and bustle with the pre-Christmas planning. I've managed to get a few cards home in the mail, but still have the packages to send to the family, which I will do by tomorrow or Saturday as the deadline is Monday.

Last weekend Andy and I decided to put the tree up as we don't have the children this weekend and neither of us wants to leave it till the week before Christmas. For the first time we went out and picked out a real tree, something we thought the kids would enjoy (which they did). I had to put the brakes on though when I overheard Andy telling the tree guy that we were looking for a 6 or 7 footer. Getting the 6 footer would be pushing it. And so it was. Our tree is gloriously huge, and we had to do a lot of moving furniture around to make it work. I was only too pleased to take down the big office desk we had in our living room, in honour of replacing it with a much more reasonably sized home computer desk. (Hence the reason we have not yet purchased the big fridge). My only wish is that we had a nice set of curtains instead of the awful brown blinds!!!

Although Andy had to be out of town all day Sunday, we decided that I would go ahead and decorate with the boys because after all, the whole reason we put the tree up was to partake in the decorating with them. Unfortunately, they weren't that interested. Apparently (and according to them) their mother is a fussy tree decorator and prefers to do it herself. I can understand this of course, but Christmas is for the kids. I figure, let them have a go, and if something doesn't look right, fix it when they are in bed. So ultimately, I turned on the Family Stone to get me in the mood, and started decorating. Connor pulled himself away from the movie momentarily to add a bauble on the very lowest, inner branch, down by the stump. I still think its there, actually.

Unfortuntately, this picture doesn't do our tree justice, but the kids look cute under it!

So the tree is up. It looks great, but better yet, it smells great. It smells of Nova Scotia, which is a great comfort to me (even though we never had a real tree at home, I used to help a dear friend pick out and erect hers every year).

The Christmas Spirit

I've been doing a little shopping, and as mentioned previously, have been trying to get my packages home sorted. Next year, I swear I'm doing it in time to send the big package (to Mom's) home via surface mail as it is a ridiculous cost to send airmail. But hey, its only once a year and they are special to me. Maybe next year I can deliver my presents in person. Who knows?

I have however been feeling a little bit homesick over the past week. This is due mostly in part to the fact that we have been experiencing gale-storm wind and rain for nearly a week now, while Nova Scotia has experienced its first snowfall (to be witnessed over at Stacy's 'my pictures' and Tina's Blog. Although these pictures are terrific and I love seeing them, it does make me a little nostalgic for home and all those I love. Maybe, just maybe we will be blessed with a sprinkling for Christmas, which would be just perfect.

In other news, I'm heading out tomorrow evening with the Pink Lady Crew, which consists of my mother-in-law Wendy and our dear friends Beryl and Linda, to enjoy late evening shopping down SeaView Street, which happens to boast my favourite shop 'In The Pink'. The shops are also offering a glass of wine and mince pie to help the unconvinced get in the mood.

Tagged by Dawn, now its your turn please.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
I'm not really a lover of either although I suppose at Christmas, when I am in the spirit of things I'd prefer egg nog (provided it was spiked :).

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
He wraps them of course!

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
I love either or, but for my own house I choose white lights.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Second weekend in December.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Christmas Dinner of course - the whole lot.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: My sisters coming to wake me up to look at ALL the beautiful presents under the tree and then waiting for Dad to hand tell us which pile belonged to who. You know, the anticipation on everyone's faces :)

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I suppose after the age of 9/10 I really knew what was what, however I was always torn when mom started asking me to help her wrap the presents when I got to about 12/13 - even though I was pleased she thought I was grown up enough, I hated to admit to the truth of it all.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Yes

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
With a lot of indecision - same as I do most things :) (Last year it was eventually with a silver/white/and black theme :)

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
Love (and miss it) now that I don't have to shovel/drive in it :)

12. Can you ice skate?
Yes I can 'ice' skate - what other way is there?

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
From Childhood - my cabbage patch doll Rena Evangelene.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
The feeling of togetherness.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BALLS.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
From a long time ago? When we used to go to Mass on Christmas Eve and then on to Nanny's. I miss that.
From home - Dad's party plate of food.
Now - (this hasn't happened yet ;) going out to pick out my first real tree with my husband, and let me tell you - they cost a TON here comapared to NS.

17. What tops your tree?
An angel (I think).

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? I do love buying a gift for someone when I'm sure it will mean a lot to them, especially when I watch them open it. But I can't deny I love opening presents too :)

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
Oh Holy Night followed by Good King Wenceslas

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum?
I'm not particular about hard candy - but I love candy cane ice-cream.

21. Favorite Christmas movie?
Love Actually and Elf

22. What do you leave for Santa?
Growing up - cookies and milk.




Because I hate having a fridge that is only slightly bigger than the BOoZe Fridge back home...


Not to mention that at the moment we have the extra room in our tiny kitchen as Molly has completely eaten our kitchen table (and four chairs) so why not take the opportunity and buy a nice, big appliance that Molly cannot demolish? This particular fridge is on sale and as its only slightly more expensive than a fridge with an on top freezer, Andy and I are seriously considering it.

It mightn't seem a big deal to anyone else, but to me this is substantial.



A couple of weeks ago I was flipping through the satellite channels looking for something to watch over the dinner hour (even I can only watch so many re-runs of Everybody Loves Raymond) and was floored to see the title for this show. When I first moved here I grew excited when I saw the caption 'Ellen' on the ABC network while searching it out, but was disappointed to find it was old reruns of her sitcom. So I waited in the hope that eventually the network would broadcast her talk show. Finally, they have. I'm not sure how long it has been running, but I won't waste my time worrying about it. The point is, the best talk show on television has finally made it to mine. And from the looks of it, we are only a month or so behind.

Yay!

Torn Jeans, Sore Thighs and One Bloody Tongue - but man did we have FUN.

I'm sure our screams of joy, followed by shrieks of ambivalent 'fear', could be heard from at least half a mile away.

Today, after sitting around discussing what we as a family should do for the afternoon, we all agreed in quick succession to head out to Dixon's Woods for a walk in the crisp autumn air. Andy would be annoyed if I didn't give the credit to him for this idea, so it is thanks to my husband that we had more fun this afternoon than we've had in a long time. And it didn't cost a penny.

When we approached the area where we normally park in the woods, the kids were quick to hop out and head towards a rope with two loops hanging from the high, thick branch of a very large tree. It hadn't been there before so the boys were eager to try it out. Before long we were pushing each of the boys back and forth, spinning them around, until Connor started screeching not to be spun any more. (If only that was the going to be the most he had to worry about.)

I decided after watching the kids have a few swings, that I wanted to have a go, even though Tasha had declined to as the rope cut into her legs rather painfully. So with the assistance of Andy and the kids, I got up into that rope swing (realizing Tasha was right about the rope) and was happily shouting with glee to be swung so fast and high above the ground. What got me a little 'agitated' though was when Molly decided to try and 'get me'. I don't think she was happy with my situation and spurred on by Andy she held nothing back in her quest to catch me. Being swung between the trees is quite fun but it can turn a little alarming when your nutty dog is running at you, hurtling herself in the air hoping to catch you the only way she knows how - with her teeth (even though it did look rather funny). But goddamn it, my baby has some mighty big teeth. Of course she had to then take her turn after me and try to catch everyone else, including Andy when he decided to have a turn. He realized while he was up there that funny as it might look, it doesn't look half as funny when you are the one in the swing.

I came out of today's experience with torn jeans and a nipped ass, both thanks to Molly. Again, with compliments to Molly, Alex ended up with a 'nipped' hoody. Poor Molly was bleeding - either from biting her tongue or taking an accidental boot to the chops. And I think we all have very sore backsides/and or thighs.

If only we'd had the camera.

The smell of basil

Lately I have been testing my culinary skills, and to my amazement I've been turning out some edible dishes. The two I tried today were quite tasty if I say so myself. Originally, my trying new dishes stemmed from joining Weight Watchers (something I'm proving to be only partially devoted to). I didn't want to be tied down to only ready meals. I also wanted to try cooking things that Andy and the boys would eat as well. Today I made Keema - an Indian mince with vegetables, and it turned out to be something I liked the taste of, but more importantly, Alex did too. The next thing I tried was Lentil Casserole and I was very pleasantly surprised. I'm actually looking forward to making this dish for a few people I'm pretty sure will like it as well. I'm not sure Andy would be struck on it, but I'm sure he'll try it. This is the dish that I used the fresh basil for. Hrrmmm. Just to type out those words seems deviant of me, as I've never aspired to be one who spends much time in the kitchen, although I do cook, when the mood strikes . The amount of new food I've been attempting to cook though is a whole new experience and one that I don't dislike. Provided the recipe is easy to follow, I'm willing!

Because he hates it

My Nanny never left the house without donning a hat. She was a proper lady who looked good in almost any style of headdress and whenever I see hats of a certain style, or happen to see photos of the royal family, my thoughts often go right back to my Nanny and how lovely and elegant she looked whenever she was in public. What cheers me is that I think she passed the ability to wear hats on to me. There are few hats that I don't suit, but they are usually small styles that look bizarre on my rather large cranium. I was so excited last summer when I was to attend a proper English wedding (Andy's brother's) and knew that it would be at least one opportunity for me to don a large, gorgeous hat, of the variety you see at almost every English wedding. No one seems to do this back in Nova Scotia anymore. I remember advising my mother-in-law that she'd be more than welcome to wear a hat at my wedding, but she'd likely be the only one. If she didn't have a problem with that (and why should she?) nor did I. However she declined.

I am digressing.

My point is, that no one else in my family ever seems to wear a hat. I think my sister's don't because they don't think they look good in most hats, but I can't say, I never see them in one. When given the chance, I enjoy wearing a big, gorgeous hat and actually feel 'like a lady' for a short time (how very far from the truth you must be thinking), and people often tell me how great I look in hats. There is one style of hat though that has come into style, a hat that Andy says makes women look like 'American Train Engineers', or quite plainly 'a stupid mess'. My neighbour was wearing one the other day and I told her how great I thought she looked. Brittany Spears however was photographed in one and I did think she looked stupid - but in all fairness I think it was the angle she was wearing it at. The more Andy commented on this hat style though, the more determined I was that I was going to buy one. So the other day while shopping in Nottingham with Tasha I came across a hat stall selling all sorts of hats for only £5 each. One in particular stood out and I hesitantly tried it on, figuring there was no way it was going to fit my big head. It did. And it didn't look too bad (or at least Tasha and I didn't think it did). The more I looked at it the more I liked it and it matched my outfit that day so I figured for a fiver it would be worth it if I only wore it once. More importantly it would be worth the look on Andy's face when he saw me wearing the hat he absolutely abhors...

Bonfire Fright

This evening was the first night since last weekend that Molly would actually go out in the yard alone to relieve herself. Hell, on the weekend she wouldn't even come out from under the couch and was busting to wee come 6 a.m. Next year I'm going to the vet to get something to sedate her with as I can't take the constant fight to get her out the door, never mind the anxiety she stirs in us all by practically giving herself a hear attack from fear. Next year if we don't do something to calm her, we run the risk of watching our dog freak out to the point of exhaustion, or at the very least break a bone from hurtling herself at the door if she happens to be outside and a fire-work goes off.


Trading Places

I've been reading the papers from home a lot this past week, keeping tabs on the War Bride Train, sometimes getting misty eyed at the stories some women have to tell. Mom rang me Tuesday night and said she thought of me when one woman was quoted 'The hardest part for me was leaving my mum behind'. I can relate. However the difference between these women and myself was that unlike them I have easy (and inexpensive) access to the phone and knew that I would be seeing my mom and family in less than a year. Compared to these women I have had it easy. I knew where I was going and what I was letting myself in for (for the most part). These women left their families behind and travelled on such a long journey, many with small children, to a vast country, often to find themselves having to travel thousands of miles beyond their landing point, some into very remote places entirely different to the cities/towns they left behind. Pier 21 was only the beginning for many of them. I'm so proud that my homeland is honouring these women in such a way, they certainly deserve it. At the same time, I can't help but feel a small level of kinship with them.

The little things in life

Andy and I were comfortably settled in our hotel room, lazily talking about things to come, when he tentatively asked if I would ever consider moving to England to be with him. As most of you know, I said yes, without very much hesitation at all. This conversation took place over four years ago, back when both of us knew that he could never leave his children to be with me and that I would have to be the one to make the move. At that time we both weren't sure how things would work out. We figured that because Andy was so used to working overseas to make a living, that after I originally settled in England, he would start taking jobs in places such as Russia, or Dubai and I would travel to be with him. This however was not to be as the situation with his ex was very tumultuous and if he left so soon after their separation, he ran the risk of losing contact with his children. So it was our decision that we were to make a life here locally, at least till things calmed down and Andy could be assured of seeing his children regularly.

Again, things didn't quite go to plan. Over the Christmas holiday of 2004, Alex ended up moving in with us as things weren't going so smoothly with his mother. There really was no other alternative that he come to us. I knew when I took up with Andy that when you have children they must take first priority, no matter what the feeling of the adult involved. So although Andy was working away, and the responsibility would fall primarily to me, I agreed to Alex moving in with us. He ended up staying with us for just over seven months. During that time I experienced a multitude of emotions, one that took precedence was the feeling that I had lost my freedom. I often thought that if I was looking after somebody else's child I might as well have one of my own. Even after Alex left to go back to his mother, this feeling stayed with me. When he did decide to go back in June of 2005 I found myself to be a little dismayed. As much as I thought my life had been put on hold for him, I was still surprised to find myself missing him.

Somewhere around the beginning of 2006 I put all thought of having a child of my own with Andy on the back burner and we decided to just get on with life as it was and enjoy each other and Molly and the children when we saw them. However, by Spring it was apparent that life wasn't working out so well between Alex and his mom, ultimately resulting in negative behaviour at school. We figured that he would be coming back with us in the very near future, and this time to stay. On June 14th of this year, Alex made the very difficult decision to come back to us on a permanent basis. We welcomed him back with open arms. In July we made the trip back to Canada with his brother and had a fantastic time - I don't think any of my family could have been happier with the way things turned out, and I think it was obvious to all the very close relationship I had with both boys. There were only two disappointing factors of the whole trip: 1) that Andy's daughter didn't join us, and 2) that we had to return Connor to his mother when we arrived back in the UK.

However, life went on and Alex stayed on with us. He began school in September and just last week his school broke up for Autumn Term. I was so proud of Alex - he had gone from an average of 2 detentions a day last year, to not one since he has come to live with us. Alex and I have settled into such a natural routine its strange for me when he is not here. At our coaxing, he spent most of his week off down at his mother's. He is such a willing, intelligent and kind boy I can't imagine how someone cannot make it work with him. And I have completely changed since the first time he came to live with us. Life is better with him in it, our home much more interesting. My nights have more purpose when he is here, definitely more direction. Tonight we went to ASDA's to get a few things and as I was checking out the books he approached me to say he'd found something he really wanted but it was £9. Without much thought, I told him to go get it. In the middle of the aisle, he wrapped his arms around me with a big thank-you, before running off to get what he was so excited about. Something so small, yet this 14 year old boy had no qualm about hugging his stepmom in a very public place. Honestly, how could I possibly ask for more than this?

I must be doing right by Andy's kids to receive this kind of love. I will say this, they might not be born of my flesh, these boys, but they are certainly born of my heart. I really don't think I could want for more.

Worth getting IN bed for...

I took Alex to see The Guardian this afternoon. Even if it had been a complete and utter waste of time, I would have been happy to have drooled my way through it just to feast my eyes on this:



Never have I seen this guy look so good. Old Kevin didn't look so bad himself. To top it all off they were wearing uniforms. Sometimes it doesn't get much better. I'm actually looking forward to bed tonight in the hopes that I have something nice to dream about.

Oh, and to those of you who are partaking in the events. So far we've had no trick-or-treaters but I saw lots on the main road driving home, so maybe - the night is still young. Just crossing my fingers that my windows don't get egged, I still have enough egg to clean off from last night. It was 'Mischievous Night' here, and as there is a kid in the neighbourhood who has a 'problem' with Alex and now, Andy, I've little doubt as to who the culprit is.

Yay!!! As I was pressing publish I had my first ever (English) trick-or-treaters come to the door - five young ghouls!

Worth getting out of bed for

After spending all day in bed yesterday, (not to mention most of the week) I decided that I probably felt well enough to attend a dinner party at my friend Carol-Anne's. I knew that her house would be comfortably cozy, the meal would be a scrummy buffet and even if we stayed only an hour, it was better to go than not. Besides, my coughing had finally moved from its constant barking hack down to intermittent 15 minute segments.

The food did turn out to be fantastic as usual and I had a hearty helping of CA's homemade baked beans, using the excuse that I haven't felt much like eating during the past week as well as the fact that they are loaded with fibre. The food and company alone made going over there worth it, especially when CA and I got to reminiscing about things Canadian as she pulled out her Blue Rodeo and Gordon Lightfoot CD's. But what really made putting some clothes on and bothering to brush my hair worth it, was hearing CA's seven year old daughter Madeline, aka Madge, say to me in a quiet moment together 'You are my most favourite grown-up ever.'

More Canadian than she knows

CA has mentioned to me recently that although she has tried to instil strong, Canadian roots in Madge, she feared that Madeline considers herself more British than Canadian, and that she doesn't look at Canada as home, like CA still does. We talked about how this would only be natural. Madge was born here, all her friends are here and she has lot of her daddy's family around her on a regular basis, especially her beloved Granny. Canada is somewhere she goes to visit and she won't look at it as her home until they move there in a few years time. I can understand though how important it is to CA that her daughter have a special place in her heart for her 2nd country.

Still, it is very obvious that Madeline is the daughter of a Canadian, and has strong ties to it. Andy clarified this last night, during playful banter with her. He was asking Madeline to ring the police if she looked out the window and noticed our truck wasn't there. She piped up with 'Shall I ring 911?' In this country the emergency code is 999. Although she had to be corrected, it was still very cute to hear.

Thank God for the internet, and good friends

I'm sitting here in my sweats, awaiting the heat to finally kick in (something I have put off doing as its still only the end of October). I can only stand so much TV in one go, especially re-runs I've seen a million times, and I as I just can't get into the only book I have to read, I've decided to park myself in front of the PC, even though sitting for long periods of times makes me a bit woozy. Luckily Valentina has happened to save me from complete madness via Solitaire, by having a very lively and enlightening conversation with me on MSN.

How people who are off on long term leave i.e. my sister Tawny, and sister-in-law Ali, manage to stand all the monotony, I don't know. Maybe its even worse for them as they work full time, and have twice as much vacant hours to fill. I think initially they are happy for a break, but knowing them, I'd say at this point in time they are about ready to get back to work. At least at this point in their convalescence they are able to get out and do a little shopping or visit friends. But taking a day or two sick leave hardly warrants running around in public, even if you do feel up to it, which I don't. Poor Molly has been waiting for a walk, but must wait a few more hours until Alex comes home as I just can't face the rain feeling the way I do. Going to get him and Connor by car is going to be effort enough. I think a detour to Blockbuster for a PS2 game is in order for this evening's activities.

For lack of anything else to do:

You Have Low Self Esteem 8% of the Time

Which can be translated to mean, you have high self-esteem and a healthy sense of self worth. You believe in yourself, and you know how to be the real you. You love yourself, imperfections and all.

How is Your Self Esteem?

What IS it with this guy?



The Hoff. A slight craze (or joke) that has currently taken off in the UK since he apparently released some song that went bust in America but topped the charts (or something along those lines) in Germany. Since then he has popped up on radio and TV doing commercials on a regular basis, and a lot of jokes are being made about him, but I'm not sure if they are meant to be light hearted or not because sometimes, still, the English humour can stump me. I do believe that its all in the name of fun, because The Hoff himself is now doing a television commercial where he is basically taking the micky out of himself. All for the name of fame. I noticed he did have a supporting roll in Adam Sandler's 'Click' so maybe all this desperate self-humiliation in the UK is actually serving to have him resurface in America. Or am I totally missing something and has he never really gone away since his Baywatch days, hence there is no need for a 'comeback', however sad and pathetic?

The call I dreaded making

Today, I finally got around to calling the car dealership in regard to the end of the four lease on my Sunfire. I can't believe that its been nearly three years since I moved here to the UK, or that the car will no longer be there for my use when we travel back home. (We won't however, be sorry to be done with the payments!) I knew the lease was due to run out but wasn't sure exactly when it had to be brought back, as I normally used to just go trade it in for a brand new one. However it needed to be done, not only for official reasons, but because I needed to give my sister time to adjust to the fact that she was losing the car, sooner rather than later. So today I had to make the call to tell her she has just under two weeks to drive it - the choice is hers when she takes it over to Dartmouth, so long as its on or before the 6th November.

I know she understands all this and has been very grateful just to be allowed to drive the nicest car in the yard yet not have to make the payments on it. However, it still didn't make telling her very easy, especially when she seems to be at a major cross-roads in her life at the moment. Andy and I have been relieved (and grateful) though, that she is at least driving it sometimes as cars that are left to just sit stationary cease up.

Someone else is also owed a very, very big thank you. For a long time now, a kind friend, who happened to work for the lease company, has been a great help to us in terms of holding our cheques for us prior to their deposit date, saving me the hassle of mailing one cheque every month. Due to the fact that we are overseas, I didn't want to do direct debit, as international banking isn't always dependable, and he offered to help us out. He has been so accommodating to us and always stayed on top of things for me. For that I can't thank him enough. I hope you know how much we appreciate you and value your lifelong friendship.

The thought is practically inconceivable!

I stayed home from work today as I have developed my bronchial cough and was aching all over. I suppose I can admit to myself that I'm really not feeling top notch, especially when I don't feel like eating. That is really the defining factor for me, cause it is a very rare day when this girl loses her appetite. I'm gonna go have a long soak in the bath, then settle in for some Six Feet Under on DVD.

Can you see it?

A long time ago I remember telling Tawny that I often thought of her while watching Friends, in particular Monica. Now Tawny isn't exactly the same as Monica in behaviour, but she does have a lot of similarities i.e. her obsessivness (note Tawny would tell you herself that she can be obsessive at times). I would probably take a guess and say that part of the reason Monica reminds me of Tawny stems not from her 'personality' alone, but when teamed up with the dark hair and strong cheekbones, it just makes the similarity seem that much stronger. Connor had pointed out to me once recently while passing the TV during an episode that 'she looks like Tawny' whilst pointing at Monica. Just the other night while watching a another rerun during supper, Monica was telling someone to shut up and Alex said 'Boy does she sound like Tawny when she says that! She kind of looks like her too.'

Seems I'm not the only one that thinks it.




What made me really laugh just a few minutes ago was when Alex looked at this fellow on the TV and said 'He looks like your dad.' I don't see the resemblance as clearly as with the women above, but maybe this is why mom enjoys his show so much!

A little hoarse, but who's complaining?

Andy and I just got back from one of the best weekend trips to date. Surprisingly, I can still look back through the fog of a beer-ridden haze and recall every last minute of one of the most fantastic cities I have ever visited.

Within the first few hours of arriving in Dublin I realized that one of the reasons I was probably going to love it so much was due to the fact that it reminded me of Halifax. It wasn't the scenery, with the river LIffey cutting a path between the north and south, it wasn't the old-world type pubs, or the teaming crowds of people -it was the feel - that friendly, laid back, we're not in a hurry, and boy are you welcome here feel. Anyone who hails from Halifax and appreciates its constant, almost horizontal state of laid-backness will understand what I am talking about.

However for all the ways that it felt the same, it obviously looked different as it is a European city after all. But it was gorgeous and I couldn't wait to embrace it like an old friend. (I will however say at this point that it did remind of me of Halifax in one physical aspect: some of the locals were wearing Crocks - one even had them on with socks. Crocks with Socks! They are in the stores here, but I've not actually seen anyone wearing them.)

We couldn't wait to visit the pubs of Temple Bar and try out Irish Beer, so that was naturally where we headed first. My first drink was Kilkenny - a dark reddish beer on tap that I thought was absolutely delicious and certainly drank my fill of in two days. We moved on from Temple Bar up to Grafton Street for a look around and to get our bearings. We wandered down Stephen Street where Andy pointed out a pub called 'The Hairy Lemon'. I loved its name immediately and hoped it would be as cool as it sounded. It was, with all its little nooks and balconies. We spent a fair amount of time in this pub.

Later that night we made our way back to the North side of the Liffey and headed up O'Connell street to the area of town where we were staying. We wandered into a little hotel and bar that I insisted we must go in when I saw it was entitled 'O'Shea's', a name that didn't mean much to Andy, or would to anyone else, aside from Stacy and Dawn, aka and Fern and Sage, as my alias during their trip here was Poppy Rose O'Shea. How I ended up with the Irish surame can be accredited to Dawn. Of course by the time Andy and I were situated at an old booth, drinking and chuckling at a few of the locals, I was already in full Irish mode. Andy kept laughing at my 'accent'. There was an old local in the bar singing and playing Irish tunes and it was while I was trying to drink the Guinness Andy had sneakily put under my nose, that I heard the entertainer strum out the first few chords of Sunny's Dream. This song always makes me nostalgic, for it not only reminds me of home, but of being at my Nanny's house in Newfoundland - it was the first place I can ever remember hearing it.

The next day found us up early and out on the tour bus with our three day pass. It was an informative mode of transport where we could hop on and off at anytime. We mapped out the places we wanted to see: St. Stephen's Green, The Guinness Factory and St. Michan's Church. We managed St. Stephen's, a few cathedrals (viewed from the exterior) and the Guinness Factory that afternoon, before heading into 'The Brazen Head', Ireland's oldest pub, for yet another brew. We decided after that to walk alongside the Liffey back to O'Connell Street and up to our hotel for a shower and change before heading back out. The night before Andy and I had tried some Dublin grub and we were looking forward to some more. I highly recommend Irish Coddle and Irish Stew (chased down with Kilkenny naturally).

The Guinness Factory was an interesting experience and I was more than happy to drink my complimentary pint of Guinness after the tour. Its not every day that you get something thrown in for free and hey, I was in Ireland and thought it befitting I should drink at least one full pint of Guinness, especially after I failed to the previous evening. I was amazed and slightly disgusted at the amount of people who left full pints sitting on the tables. Some of them hadn't even been touched, proving that those who had received them knew beforehand that they didn't like it. Andy was one of these folk. I thought I might be able to manage his as well as mine, but its a strong tasting brew and I could only manage my own. It is definitely a beer to be slowly savoured. I'm told many pregnant women over here have the occasional half-pint as its very high in iron and supposedly very good for you when drunk in moderation.

Friday night we headed back out to Temple Bar, where we happily drank and danced the night away with another couple we met from Bristol, Anna and Steve. I ended up drinking yet another pint of Guinness (on top of all the Kilkenny) as Steve graciously bought me one during the evening. After the live Irish Music ended for the night, we decided to head over to the North side again, to The Arlington Hotel. The cool night air came as a blessed relief to my throat; although I had drank copious amounts of alcoholic beverage, I had sang myself raw to the Irish songs I so adore.

Saturday morning we woke up feeling tired and a little rough around the edges. We showered, checked out, and headed out for some breakfast to a lovely little Espresso Bar that we had visited and enjoyed the day before.

We had some time to kill before catching the bus and I was happy Andy suggested touring St. Michan's Crypts, something I wanted to do, but we didn't get to the day before.

At St. Michan's we were able to get face to face with four very impressive mummies. In a very real crypt. The walls in the church's vaults contain limestone, which has kept the air dry, creating ideal conditions for preservation. Among the mummies on display are a 400-year-old nun, an 8-foot-tall crusader and one very mysterious body with its hands and feet severed. Visitors to St. Michan's are invited to touch the leathery hand of the giant crusader, as it is said to bring good luck, which I was happy to partake in. One family made me laugh as they were so creeped out by the dark, dank-smelling crypt that they had to leave. I must say, after visiting the second crypt, full of a family whose coffins have all collapsed in on each other, and the other belonging to the Shears - two brothers, who had a very horrid death warrant on display (the original.) I too was a bit relieved to get back out into the fresh October air. There was definitely a smell of decay down there, and one I had a hard time dispelling from my clothes. Or at least that's how it felt. We weren't allowed to take photographs in the crypt, and I'm not sure I would have felt comfortable doing so. I had a feeling of unease over me as I took this photo of the entrance, which doesn't even begin to portray the real thing.

I have posted photos of our Dublin trip here

His back hasn't been the same since...

Two Years Ago Today

We aren't doing much today as we leave for Dublin on Thursday morning where we will definitely be celebrating so hard we hopefully won't be able to remember things clearly.

'Pegging'

Until I came to live here, I'd never heard the expression 'Pegging'. This weekend I experienced it firsthand. Andy and I took the three kids and Molly for a long walk on Saturday through the farm fields to Wheelsby woods. Tasha and the boys decided to take their bikes while Andy and I were happy to walk along in the crisp, autumn air. The walk there took us just over an hour and after happily munching on ice-cream cones the kids were ready for the journey back. As we passed back out of the woods onto the track that leads through the farm fields we got the crazy notion to 'double up'. Connor jumped on Alex's bike with him and I jumped on the handlebars of a bike with Andy and off we went. I don't think I've 'pegged' since I was a kid and let me tell you, it was fun and sweet to be leaning back into my husband as we cycled along laughing. I'm sure it looked at least halfway as romantic as it does in the movies, however it isn't as easy as it looks, its very hard on the backside!

following in my Drunken Footsteps

On the weekend Stacy and I were on the phone chatting about Tawny's jaw surgery, which brought us around to text messages, and how convenient it can be to send a quick hello. We sent each other a practice text during our conversation to see how long it would take, and turns out it takes less than a minute. We were well pleased with ourselves because it is a cheaper and instant way of communicating with each other. I was pleasantly surprised at work this morning, when at 9:45 I received a text from her stating that she was 'very drunk' and on her way home. It was 5:45 a.m. Nova Scotia time. I have to chuckle at the thought of her keeping the hours I used to, especially when in a further text she mentioned she probably had to work at 9:00 a.m. Talk about time repeating itself.

Getting over the hump

I've been pretty slack in relation to posting because I just haven't had a whole lot to write about. I've been covering shifts at work solo over the past three weeks which hasn't been bad, and has in fact opened my eyes to the fact that I'm not as lazy as I had feared I was becoming. My job is not the most exciting position and often I find myself with a lot of time to spare, ultimately ending up surfing the net just to make the hours go by. I tend to let my work build up and put it off because I know that when I'm finished, I will have another lull. As a result I've been feeling very uninspired and have often wondered if I could still manage to cope in a more demanding work environment. Due to a few unforeseen circumstances, I have had a fair bit of work coming my way that I have been turning over quite quickly, not only impressing myself, but those that are requiring my assistance. Its certainly given me my confidence back and proved to me that I don't want to stay at a job where I feel my brain is turning to mush - that I indeed would thrive in a challenging and thought-provoking occupation. (Which ultimately I happen to be doing something about.)

My recent idleness has affected my personal life as well as I haven't been very inclined to attend to certain tasks that need my attention. My sister's birthday present if finally getting posted (sorry Tawny, but as you said, a late gift can give you something to look forward to!), getting pictures developed to send home to various people, etc.

Being locked down to a very tight budget due to a huge tax bill has certainly put a halt to our socializing, but Andy and I are trying to be inventive when it comes to activities that don't cost a lot, especially with our impending two night trip to Dublin fast approaching. We've taken the kids swimming last weekend to the local pool, which is inexpensive, or for long walks. This weekend Andy and I enjoyed some quiet time to ourselves (the kids were at their mother's) and took advantage of it to drive out to the North Sea for a brisk long walk along the coast with Molly.

A Little Retail Therapy

Considering we have not been spending much money since our summer holiday, other than the school necessities for Alex, or the occasional swim with the kids, I decided to treat myself to a few luxuries from my own paycheck (after paying for our hotel in Dublin - my gift to Andy for his 40th). And I didn't forget my husband, I picked him up a trendy shirt for our short break.

Although it was a little expensive, I loved this at first sight and in all honestly, I was in need of a new fall jacket:



but the shoes...

well I just couldn't resist. I've never owned anything like these before. Andy commented on this fact too, and didn't know what to think, until I tried them on with my new jacket (and nothing else) and strutted around the house.
Now I don't know who likes them more!



I'm looking forward to a night in Dublin City wearing these babies. I just hope I don't break my ankles whilst staggering around the pubs!

A Lesson in Sex Education

Tonight, after taking Molly for a walk, Alex and I got in the car to do a small shop at Tesco's. On the way there he was chatting about various things, namely how well he has been doing so far this term. Last year his behaviour was questionable at best, but in some ways understandable when compared with all the duress he was under,for reasons I won't go into. Anyway, this year he is back living with us and so far seems to be doing exceedingly well.

So anyway, I'm deviating from my point: in the car he was chatting about his various teachers and classes and I was doing the obligatory ahha's, and nodding, when he comes out with 'Next week we have to spend a day doing Sex Education'. I responded with a lighthearted 'oh yeah?'. What he said next almost sent me into convulsions: 'Yeah, we are gonna have to put condoms on plastic dicks'. Call me irresponsible, or un-motherlike, but I laughed so hard I thought I would choke. I was totally blindsided - its not a word he's ever used before. He kept saying 'what?' while I was laughing. When I gained my composure I probably should have told him not to use language like that but I remember what its like to be 13 . So I went with something more along these lines: I remember being taught Sex Ed too, but never like that, our lessons were much more boring.

Holiday Pics

John, Alex & Connor at Lawrencetown Beach

I've managed to upload three photo albums to my yahoo site. The first can be found here, and are of Mercy River. The other two albums are titled Summer 2006, Family and Friends and Summer 2006 Downtown & Around.

I still have a few more to upload, but will hopefully complete this task by the first of next week.

I can't believe its already been nearly a month since we've returned.

Birthday Girl



She's thoughtful and serenely beautiful; she's a woman who is strong and doesn't give up on the challenges and goals she strives to meet on a daily basis; when it comes to being the best sister a girl could hope for she gives it her all, and succeeds; She also happens to be a truly loving and generous Aunt to our children, who now love her as much as she loves them.

We miss you Tawn and wish we could have been there to help you celebrate!

Do the TESCO Dance!

The video you are about to view is one of very disciplined dancing, acquired only after years of study in the studio. The featured dancer couldn't help but show off her ability whilst shopping at the local supermarket. Bless her.



(This was at the request of fellow blogger The Ramblings of Globose Thought)

Satisfaction

This evening as I called Alex into the kitchen to get his supper, he made a quirky comment to me. As I was streching up to get his TV tray down from on top of the cupboard, he made yet another quirky comment that started us both laughing. As he was carrying his tray into the living room (a task I often do for him) he smiled and said 'Your the best Stepmom I've ever had'. I laughed and responded with 'I'm the only stepmom you've ever had'. He looked up at me all serious and said 'Well, you know what I mean, but there are some things I can't say'. I don't suppose I could ever ask for anymore than that. As far as sons go, I couldn't get any better than what I've been blessed with, not even if they were my own :).

Drifting

I haven't had much to blog about lately, not much is happening and my thoughts haven't strayed anywhere that readers would be interested in going. I have however been having some pretty strange and vivid dreams lately that I naturally contemplate upon waking, but don't give much thought to throughout the day. However I did relay the strangest ones to my friend/colleague as she is interested in dream interpretation and can sometimes put an interesting spin on things.

Over the last week I have dreamt:

that I have been tied down in a boat by a fine looking, native policeman during a civilian boat ride down a strange canal, while my friend Cat remained free (the phone ringing woke me just as I had gotten one hand free);

that while visiting a mountain resort with Andy was attacked by a cougar only to be rescued by a girl (and her husband) who I was friends with whilst growing up but haven't seen in years (Andy was down at the resort);

that a life long friend left his wife suddenly to be with me, taking me completely by surprise when confronted by his wife during a strange weekend getaway with said friends;

that (and I hate this one) Andy has died suddenly while we were visiting a foreign city with the kids.

The Andy dream was the first in these odd nocturnal films, and the most awful by far. Last night was the cougar dream and after some discussion with Desley, her thought was that I might be feeling a little 'boxed in, or out of control' by the occurrences of daily life. Hmmmm. Food for thought I guess. If you ask me, I just have an over-active imagination which results in some very bizarre dreams.

Body Talk

I have posted a picture of one of my favourite Lost characters on the side bar as I just think it belongs there. I hate when I sit down to watch an episode of the show and Sawyer doesn't make an appearance, luckily, a rare event. I think he is male perfection and I don't really care what comes out of his mouth as looking at him is reward enough. Its just an added bonus that his character is a smart-mouthed bad ass, who just happens to be slightly 'soft' underneath.

My point though is to have a little poll of sorts. When looking at a man as fit as Josh Holloway, I'm naturally drawn to my most favourite part the male species (but only if he is fit)the area of hip that is exposed at the top of jeans - beside the groin area. I absolutely love this area of skin on a man, but usually he has to be in great shape for it to really take my fancy. Next to this, my most favourite parts of the male body are his a) hands and b) butt.

What I'd like to know though is this: What are your favourite physical attributes on the body of the opposite sex?

Bad Girls

Today, amid intermittent rain showers, Alex and I took Molly for a much needed walk. We stopped along the way to pick up her best friend Abby. The dogs were running around chasing each other and being well behaved when I made the mistake of lingering too long down at the back of the field. The urge to run and throw herself in the 'Beck', became too strong to resist. Without a backward glance, Mol was up over the hill and down into the smelly stream, most likely thinking 'I know this field and I know where the water is - and you trying to stop me going in is like you resisting a swim in your beloved lake back home! Can't stop me now!' and naturally Abby, being the devoted best friend that she is figured 'What's good for her is good for me!' and promptly ran in after her. Nice. Molly wasn't loving it so much when we arrived home and Alex hosed her down to get the manky water out of her fur. She's just recovered from an ear infection that was the likely result of another dip in the Beck a few days before we came back from Canada. Time to get out the ear drops and hope her ears stay clean.

Molly and Abby  




Finding Time...

During our visit home to Nova Scotia we saw and did so much. I'm working on getting pictures posted to my Yahoo site but as I'm not one to have a fire under my ass for such things, it could take a few more days. Or so. Photos are however not the point I'm trying to make with this post.

We saw so many friends and family while we were home and we so appreciate the efforts of every single person. What saddens me though is that I didn't manage to find the time to see a few friends that actually called (for a number of varying reasons) and also that I only managed to see some of you for a very short time - not nearly enough. A family holiday is so different to just coming home and hanging out on my own. This trip was fantastic for us as a family and I don't regret it for one moment, the boys were feeling the abundance of love from those of you back home. I only have a small regret that I didn't get to see everyone, but these things do happen. I have to accept that we couldn't be everywhere at once and the boys seeing the best that NS has to offer was our main priority. I know this happens during holidays like these and I'm sure most of you understand. I did send out an email informing people of where we were staying and supplied the number. Most took advantage of this and got in touch and we managed to sort something out, even if it was just a visit to my mother's to say hi. To those of you who I didn't manage to connect with, I will be in touch personally, if I haven't already.

Disoriented



The latter hours of Wednesday night found us all down by the Halifax waterfront getting Henna tattoos and watching the Buskers. Being down in the city on such a warm night, with so much going on in such a relaxed atmosphere was a great way to end the trip. We had a lot of laughs but as the night progressed and the nostalgia began hitting me, I found myself sometimes holding back tears. I managed to hold up until they boys were hugging Dawn goodbye outside her apartment building. I listened as Andy thanked her for everything and then managed to get out 'what Andy just said' as I knew I would be overcome with tears if I said more. I think she understood. Alex asked me why I sounded like I was going to cry as we were driving away and Andy replied 'Too late mate, she already is', where upon I felt a soft touch on my elbow.

Thursday came and although I was glad to have the majority of the day to spend with my family, it was an emotional one to get through. My mother and I both had moments where we both tried hard not to cry (to no avail) and as I sat at the dining room table watching members of our family laugh and smile, I couldn't help but tear up once again. Watching our boys play with Wayne's twins, (especially how Alex loved taking care of them), and seeing my smiling Aunts and cousins as we all ate cake and laughed at the antics of the boys, made me smile. However at the same time it made me wish that things could be different, that my two families didn't have to be so far apart. By the time we said goodbye, I wasn't the only one teared up - both Aunt Marg and Aunt Shirley were shedding a few as we said goodbye and loaded into the van for the ride to the airport.

I suppose there are some who would find me silly and over-emotional, say it's not like I'm not going back to see them all again, which is true, but at the same time I am very close to my family and although I have found a new life here, I miss them all every day. I'll miss the constant care my mother took of our boys, the way she loves to 'mother' us all, the long talks we had, the joy my father found in taking the boys out in his truck, or showing them new things. I'll miss seeing the boys tease Stacy and wind her up to no end, I'll miss the smell of Nova Scotia. But I won't forget it, never had. And there is always the phone and email/msn.

Our time in Nova Scotia was the best holiday we could have wished for as a family. There were some of you we did not get to see, or didn't see enough and I am sorry for that. There are those of you who made an extra special effort to get to us and for that we are eternally grateful. I will blog more about what we did and saw when I get a moment.

Although I am back, I still feel as if my heart is back in Nova Scotia. I will feel this for another day or two, but I know from experience that in a week or so I will be back into the full swing of life in England.

I do, however know that this ss all worth it, especially when on the plane ride home Alex looked up at me and said 'I want to go back to Canada' and Connor later looked up at me during a cuddle and said 'I love you Jojo'. Being here with them is the right thing. I am blessed to have two such loving families in both countries and I loved taking the boys home. I can't wait for next time.

Home


The boys are in bed early tonight as the past several nights have been a whirlwind of excitement for them and today it has finally caught up with them. Being home with the boys has been everything I would have ever imagined it to be, the only difficulty being in the fact that I still haven't seen a few people I was hoping to see and I'm not all that sure I'm going to get a chance to at this point.

We've been practically going non-stop since our arrival. We've been swimming up at the lake on numerous occasions;

Spent two nights down at Mercy River camping and kayaking;




Spent the day at Crystal Crescent and Lawrencetown Beach (tried to drop in on a friend near there but she wasn't home! S where are you?);



Have had lunch with friends and family, have had a bang up night out at Pogue Fado's, been on the Harbour Hopper. I could go on forever listing all that we have been up to and have yet to do. Today we went to The Oven's in Lunenburg and enjoyed exploring the caves by foot and zodiac.

I've tried to download a few more shots but for some reason blogger is refusing and as I'm a bit tired myself, I will try again at a later point - these are only a few!