Finally...

Andy and I arrived at Heathrow on Saturday morning in good time to enjoy breakfast before anxiously awaiting Stacy's arrival. To be truthful, I was the anxious one, Andy was quite relaxed, however either way we were both looking forward to the moment when she walked through the arrivals door. It felt so good to wrap my arms around my young sister and hug her tightly. Despite not having slept the night before, she looked great and was ready to take on the city of London. The overcast day was doing nothing to deter her. As she happily stated 'isn't it supposed to be foggy in London?'


Might that be BIG BEN?

We happily spent the day sightseeing and although the skies were often threatening us with the possibility of heavy rain, it was only rarely that I had to pop open the umbrella due to drizzle. I spent a lot of the day just clicking the button on the handle that popped the closed brelly into Andy's backside. (Until he had the gumption to actually 'click' it at me and hit my funny bone - abruptly putting an end to my game. (Well, after a few attempts on my behalf to get him back)).

It was pretty great to watch Stacy's wonder and share in her excitement as she saw all the sights I had first seen myself two years ago upon my first visit to the wonderful city of London.



I think one of Stacy's favorite aspects of the day was utilizing London's Underground. Andy kept correcting our term 'subway', as it is referred to the 'tube' here in the UK... Either way Stacy loved the automated voice informing us to 'Mind The Gap' prior to exiting the tube. We saw many a t-shirt with the London Underground emblazoned across the front and even discovered one with the tube's design, but the words "Fuck the Gap" written across the front. Stacy absolutely loved that one (I admit I did too, as we all know I think Fuck is a very good word when used appropriately), however my demure little sister couldn't buy it as it's not a word she could wear! Imagine!

A nap and a pint...

We held out until just after three when we retired to our hotel rooms for a nap. We had made plans to meet up with a friend of ours who used to work out in Halifax at the same time as Andy. Neither of had seen Mo since he left Canada in March of 2002. Honestly, although Mo and I had become fairly close friends, both of us probably figured it very unlikely we would ever see each other again, especially in England. A few months ago Mo had gotten in touch with me via a mutual friend, and to make a long story short, I was thrilled to meet up with him in the city for a pint. He brought a friend along that we used to know as well, Grant, who left an old friend of mine in a bit of mess, but like I told him, what's past is past and all the girls who got left 'disappointed' in Halifax were grown up and could look after themselves, what's past is past. I know how the majority of contractors are and I'm not going to blame any of them for their behaviour, what counts is that my contractor is a stand-up guy. As is our friend Mo. I just think it amusing at times that I ended up with one when I wasn't even looking to.

It was great to see Mo and we all had an enjoyable time downing a few pints. Even Stacy had a drink. I think she is actually looking forward to having a few more while in England... after all it is part of the lifestyle and she will be here for a whole month!


Reunited...

We woke up Sunday morning to sunny skies and made our plan for the morning. Stacy would be introduced to an English breakfast prior to our visiting the Tower of London. It was a bit surreal for me to walk around the 'Jewel House' inside the Tower, explaining to Stacy how the Monarchy works. Believe it or not, this is something I actually knew prior to living in London, thanks to my lovely Nanny. She was a great follower of the Royal Family and both times that I have visited the Tower and viewed the Crown Jewels I ended up misty eyed at the though of my Nan. She would have loved to have seen the beautiful history on display.


Happy in the Tower of London

We didn't have much time to spend in London on Sunday, but Stacy was fine to leave just past lunch time as we had to pick up a puppy to bring back to Andy's mom. Of course my dog-loving sister had no problem being in charge of the little cutie for the drive back to New Waltham. It was so cute at one point to look back and see them both konked out and happily snoozing on the back seat.

We will be touring around London again for a day or two before Stacy leaves, but of course I don't even want to think about that yet, as we still have a full three weeks to share before heading back down South.

New Beginnings

Andy and I attended the final hearing yesterday for the financial section of his divorce from the Ex. We didn't end up having to go into the Judge's chambers as the two of them managed to come to a settlement that only needed to be signed and witnessed in front of the judge.

The sad thing is that after two long years she finally agreed on a lesser deal than Andy had put forward in the beginning - a bit annoying as it could have been settled more in her favour a long time ago without the outrageous solicitors fees (especially as hers are likely much higher). All this so that Andy would walk away with only a quarter of what the house is worth. Either way, we are moving on, something we have been trying to do for over a year now. We no longer have to deal with her and her behavior in regard to financial and can begin saving money for a down payment on our own house.

If your up to a challenge, or May be just a bit bored, you might want to try this link. See if you can achieve what couldn't quite manage. Something tells me I will go back to it until I do succeed.

The Joy of Reading

Lately I have been polishilng off 1-2 books a week. I have always been mad about reading, ever since my mother first read to me as a baby. I'm not overly fussy about what I read, so long as the plot is captivating enough to hold my attention and its well written. Both Connor and Alex ask me on a regular basis why I read so much. Unfortunately they are not children who like to read. However because they are so used to seeing me read, they will from time to time ask me if I have something they might like to read, especially Connor. Just last night he asked me if I have always read and when I answered yes, he replied with 'why do you like to read so much?' My response was to ask him why he likes TV so much. His answer was because he can see the pictures... I told him with a smile that I too can see pictures when I read, only I get to make them up myself.

After this discussion I got to contemplating the thought of how much I actually do read, and why. Reading accomplishes a number of things for me: it takes me away from my troubles, somewhere where I can focus on the occurrences in someone else's life; reading helps me to relax just before going to sleep at night; reading takes the place of just sitting in boredom while in waiting areas or on long car journeys. But the plain truth of the matter is, I just love to read. Sometimes it is a bit worrying that I prefer to stay in and read than socialize or converse with someone, however this is a rare event, basically only when I'm engrossed in a fantastic book. I suppose I have never found my reading to be unusual or something to think about until now, as most of the people in my life were advid readers: Mom, Dad, Tawny, Dawn, my former boss Kristin, etc. Here's to all the readers out there who share in the love of a good book! Long may you continue to find solace in your books, as well as expand the grey matter!

Our Much Anticipated Honeymoon!







On Thursday morning I finalized the details of our delayed honeymoon to Greece. We have decided on one of the Ionian Islands - Kefalonia and leave on June 12th. I booked the Villa and the flights separately as we didn't want to go to an all inclusive. Now it seems that each night Andy and I go to bed dreaming about exploring the island by foot, car and boat. It is rumoured to have some of the most beautiful beaches in Greece and we are determined to find them. And how nice it will be after a fun-filled day of exploring to return to the local taverna for a drink before making our way up the mountainside back to our studio apartment in the Garbis Villas!

But before that....

STACY COMES IN FIVE DAYS!!!!! How I have been waiting for this! I don't know who is more excited - Stacy, me, or quite frankly, Alex!

She has been born!

And if Greece and Stacy coming weren't exciting enough, I got the call last Wednesday informing us that my baby had been born and would I still be interested! Would I still be interested? Of course, I have only been waiting for this for a very long time! I hadn't got my expectations too high as the breeder informed me that it was very unlikely that the mother would produce a yellow female (as the mom is black and the father is chocolate) however out of 10 pups, one was a yellow female and she is all ours if we want her, and we do! She will be ready to come live with us the week before our honeymoon, so of course I will make plans to pick her up the weekend after we get back. We will be going to see her while Stacy is here though. I want someone from the family back home to see my little 'baby' Molly!

I'm Cravin it Baby

Hrmmm... if only there was a way for Stacy to bring a small freezer/cooler with her! I've been thinking of DQ all day, so to make up for not having a local DQ I think I might go bake some choco chip/oatmeal cookies to satisfy my urge to indulge. So much for lighter eating. Owell there is always tomorrow!

Tonight we took Connor home via a bike ride. The sun was shining and it wasn't overly windy so it was set to be a very enjoyable trip. And it was - despite the fact that Alex took a header twice and wiped out due to the chain on his bike falling off. God love him, the first wipe out was hard - he ended up scraping his neck on his handle-bars and ended up with something akin to a bloody hickey, but he picked himself up and after a few deep breaths we set off again. Its amazing to watch the boys biking, they have so much energy. Connor's little legs were just pumping to keep up and he only asked to stop once for a break. He was so impressed that we took the scenic route back to his house and ended up doing over just 6 kilometers... (Andy has a speedometer on his bike). I'm really looking forward to getting a lot more riding it this spring/summer.

yesterday we took a trip to IKEA to get a few odds and ends. We ended up getting a nice little shelving piece that sits on the wall just above our PC/Desk and it looks so much nicer than the usual old junk we had hanging there (a phone list, a few unframed pics). We are debating painting next weekend but will play it completely by ear.



This weekend was a momentous weekend in world history - Pope JP II was buried and Prince Charles was re-married. I don't have much to say about either really. However I can't let the wedding go by and not add my two-cents worth:

I'm happy for Charles. He seems happy enough and his boys seem content and well adjusted with the issue so I can't really see the problem a lot of people are having. Yes Diana was lovely, and rightly should have been Queen, but she is not here in this world anymore (and wouldn't have been Queen anyway, even if she had lived). I won't go into the ins and outs about my feelings on Di, as this blog is about Charles and his new bride.

No, Camilla might not be as lovely to look at as Di, or be as young and interesting but she is the love of Charles' life. Perhaps they should have gotten their act together 30 years ago and married then, but they didn't. Sometimes life has a cruel way of denying us the things in life we really want. I don't envy the royals at all - I would never want to be held down by the laws they are meant to live by (I suppose that is why I admired Fergie so much). Charles, for many reasons did not marry the woman of his heart while he was young and I'm sure the years in between then and now have been difficult. However had he not gone down the path he felt he had to, he would not have the two beautiful sons he has today. So, although I'm not really concerned about the Prince of Wales, or his life, I am an advocate of true love and I'm glad to see that it prevailed on Friday (barf now if you choose).

And although I abhor the head-piece she wore for the blessing, I loved the outfit (hat included) that she wore for the actual marriage service. (FYI - I did not sit glued to the TV for the actual event - I was right there in the streets of Windsor... yeah NOT. I caught the highlights on the news that evening and read about it the paper.)

Some Time Alone

This weekend Alex was successfully returned to his mother for a weekend. He went from Friday at 6 and we picked him up on Sunday at 6. He spent most of the weekend playing out with his friends, however the most important issue is that he and his mom did alright and he will be returning again in a fortnight for his bi-weekly visit. This will accomplish two things: 1) Alex and his Mom and siblings seeing each other on a regular basis and 2)Andy and I getting some much needed alone time.

So, on Saturday morning after not hearing anything from Alex, Andy and I packed our bags and headed down to the South-East Cost of Norfolk. We drove quite far and landed in a place called Holkam for a hike throughout gorgeous woodland and beach area. After a few hours of hiking we continued on by car and passed through some gorgeous stone and brick villages, most of which had names such as Wells Next-the-Sea and ended up in a town down past Great Yarmouth on the South-East Coast. To get there we even passed a place called California. I realized at this point how unoriginal the folks from the 'old country' were when naming the new settlements of North America - or maybe they were just homesick??? Anyway, after travelling down to these places, we decided to have a quick tea-time snack of sandwiches before heading back up the coast to the particularly pretty villages we'd passed earlier, and settled for the night in a coastal town called Sheringham.

We picked a bed-and-breakfast at the top of a mountainous road and happily booked ourselves in for the evening. We happily got ready to go out for some fine dining, based on the suggestion of the Guest House hostess. As we were leaving our room we noticed loud voices coming from the room two doors down and I quickly mumbled 'I hope they are not so loud late tonight!

I Don't Much Like Fish, But This Sole is Good!

We made our way to one of the most beautiful restaurants I have ever been in. It was an old converted stable, aptly named - The Stables. It had a gorgeous selection of fish, amongst other things and I happily ordered the pan-fried Sole, it was served on a bed of salad, and accompanied by creamed almond spinach, new potatoes and veg... yummy. Andy ordered the pheasant, which was really gorgeous.

Prior to the meal, we were shown up a set of stairs into the 'loft' of the restaurant and were the first ones to be seated. Another couple arrived shortly after us, and almost immediately after, the quietly romantic atmosphere was broken by a very loud voice coming up the stairs. Two very flamboyant men were seated at the table directly across from ours. I was reminded instantly of Jack from Will and Grace, only this Jack was about 10-15 years older, with a deeper, English accented voice! I quickly leaned over to Andy after and whispered 'I believe those are our fellow housemates!' His answer was a surprised, 'I think you might be right, but I hope not!'

The lady diagonally across from me meet my gaze a couple of times and cringed at 'Jack's' loudness. The other fellow, although much quieter was very eccentric. They happily began by ordering a bottle of wine (very probably not their first of the night) and quite vocally discussed their food choice for the evening (they finally both settled on the sole). As Andy and I were eating our appetizer, 'Jack' somehow noticed me and added me to their conversation. Of course as soon as I began to talk he became very smitten with my accent and proceeded to ask me a number of questions, thus sharing information about himself and his partner. Me being myself, I was nothing but polite and gracious ;) I was practically kicking Andy under the table to assist him in refraining from making a sarcastic comment.

Once the gentlmen's food had arrived they quickly delved into conversation about how divine the food was. I consciously tried to concentrate on Andy, and managed to tune out most of the conversation. I wanted to focus on my husband and was amazed at how easy it was proving. Andy on the other hand, as were many of the other patrons, having a bit of a hard time. However I must admit, during our conversation we heard Jack exclaim profusely, at least four times 'I don't much like fish, but this sole is GOOD.' After the third time Andy couldn't help himself and made the comment 'I don't much like fish, but this pheasant is GOOD' under his breath to me and I couldn't help but giggle. It was all becoming very amusing.

After they had polished off their dinners and two bottles of wine, Jack's partner Andrew (yes that was his name) got up to leave. He had decided he'd had enough and informed Jack that he would meet him back at the Guest House... As he stood up he nearly crashed head-long into our table. He made it the few steps to the top of the stairs and almost toppled straight down. How he ever managed to get down those steps without falling is beyond me. After about 10 minutes Jack finally got up and announced to the room that he'd better go find his friend and make sure he was alright. He stood, fell and knocked over a nearly full glass of wine. That didn't surprise me as much as the loud 'fuck' that came out of his mouth. He bent to wipe up his mess, stumbled and gave up, the whole time muttering (well what he probably figured was a mutter) 'fucking hell, I don't believe this!' It was all becoming a bit tortuous to tell the truth! He finally straightened up and made his way, rather precariously, down the stairs leaving us all in utter silence, only broken by the soft classical music in the background...

After we had paid our bill we stopped in at the local pub for a pint before heading back to our room. We wanted to make sure the 'boys' had been settled in before returning 'home' for the night. The next morning we discovered from the owners that 'Jack' had made it back around 9:30 the previous night, however Andrew hadn't made it back until 3 a.m. - he showed up ringing the doorbell loudly. The owner let him in and warned him about noise, to no avail - most everyone heard him coming in and then arguing with Jack afterwards. Turns out Andrew had fallen over on his way home and had lain down on the waterfront promenade until this hour. He tried telling the owners the next morning that he had been mugged (his face was bruised) however it was very obviously not true, especially the next morning when he pleaded they would not be able to pay due to his 'mugging'. Even if he had been mugged, there was nothing from stopping 'Jack' from using the credit card he'd paid for their meal with in The Stables the night before. They also tried to leave a false address, however the owner intelligently saw through that act. Up until the morning, Andy and I had found the situation more amusing than anything, however upon hearing that this couple had ruined their sheets with cigarette burns, and left without paying the nice couple running the B&B,(the first time this had ever happened to them in 30 years) we just found it to be gross. We had originally just thought they were a flamboyantly drunk, issue-ridden couple but it turns out they were just a couple of assholes.

The Journey Home

That morning we took a train ride through three villages and back on an old steam engine train. On the way back, we got off at the 2nd station and walked the mile into the village for a look around. We made it back to the station in time to catch the next train back to Sheringham where we hopped in the car and headed to Burnham Market where we lunched at the coolest pub/hotel I have been to in England. We sat in a sunny solarium with the most comfortable leather couches, ate our sandwiches and drank a pint (Andy had a shandy), while reading the papers. It was fantastic and I hated to leave. I do think we will be taking a trip back to 'The Hoste Arms' to stay the night in the near future!


Jody @ 'The Hoste Arms' 

Our Weekend Getaway

Last weekend we decided to get ourselves away for the weekend. We decided upon Stratford Upon Avon, a beautiful town with so much history and also happens to be where Shakespeare hails from. Although I am not an advid enthusiast of WS, it was pretty cool to visit this place that has so much history, and involves an actual person I know something about.

The Bedroom On the Left is Where Shakespeare was born... That's me looking out the other window...


Although the weather forecasters got it wrong (as usual) and it wasn't the predicted sunny and 20 degrees, it was nonetheless a fairly warm day, if overcast. That evening after walking the streets of SUA, visiting local shops and the WS attractions, we retired to our lovely 4 star old English Inn to have a swim. Although the sun was just beginning to shine, our weary bones needed the relaxing atmosphere of pool and sauna!

Anne Hathaway's Cottage (WS's Wife)


The next morning we were up early in anticipation of the walk I had mapped out that would take us to Anne Hathaway's Cottage. It could easily have been accessed by car, however I thought the stroll through the villages of Stratford would be much more rewarding, and I was right. It was an invigorating start to the day and the cottage was well worth the walk.

Upon arrival back at the hotel (we were already checked out), we jumped in the car in eager anticipation of the journey to Warwick Castle.

River Surrounding Warwick Castle...


The Castle and grounds were absolutely amazing and gigantic in size. Our legs were well worn out from climbing countless narrow stairwells to get to the top of every single tower! We took a full 3 hours to investigate nearly every inch of the castle. Although I had been pretty gung-ho to check out the dungeon, I was pretty spooked out while investigating it and the torture chambers - a few of the 'implements' used in the dark ages were quite creepy looking and I could only cringe at the types of torture people could actually inflict on another human being! The feelings of unease didn't evaporate until I'd been outside for at least 10 minutes. I was only too happy to leave the 'depths of despair'.

Only a small portion (the living quarters) of the castle...


We definitely enjoyed walking throughout the living quarters of the castle as the decor was absolutely fantastic and was replicated to look much the way it did in the 1800's. Such grandeur! Alex of course wasn't as thrilled as much as Andy and I and was eager to get back outside and move on to the next tower!

My 'Knights' in not so shining armour!


It was a great weekend and I look forward to having more like it in future, especially when Stacy comes and I get to experience even more of the wonders the UK has to offer with her!

I Believe I've Finally Got It!

When I moved away from home in 2003 I was given some very special 'gifts'. One was a beautiful journal style book with lovely handwritten notes and drawings, plus pictures of special times placed sporadically throughout the pages. She thoughtful left many pages free for me to fill in myself, or have others write something for me... It was from my dear friend Dawn. She'd also placed in it a few recipes, one the Chipolte Sauce Reipe from Subway (an inside joke) and another a gorgeous salad with dressing. I have made the salad a few times and am grateful for the recipe as its lovely in the spring/summer.

My mother also included a recipe - a full page and a half's worth, for 'Jody's favourite chocolate chip/oatmeal cookies'. These were the cookies my mom often made at about 10 at night when the mood took her and Stacy and I would ultimately end up eating four or five while watching Survivor. Of course she'd made them for me when I moved away, and always makes them for me when I go home. Early last year, when I'd only been here about 2 months I decided that I would try and attempt to make them myself, however daunting the recipe seemed. Naturally, they did not turn out to be anything like mom's. I tried about 2 more times after that and again met with failure. I figured that it must just be that ingredients differ a bit over here (but really it must be that I'm no baker) and gave up.

Recently I have been trying to make these cookies again. I went out and bought a different kind of margarine (specifically for baking) and carefully measured out the ingredients. By my second attempt I'd finally gotten it right! I've just baked some this morning and helped myself to two. The boys really enjoy them and I figured it would be a nice treat for them this weekend (and well, I was craving them myself to be perfectly honest).

Where I had been going wrong? Well I do believe the margarine was a big part of it, however on my first attempt this year I realized that I was using my fancy 'Pampered Chef' measuring cup incorrectly. It was designed to measure both dry and liquid material and you have to do remove the inner tube to the right direction depending on what you are making... me not being an advid cook, I stupidly measured wrong prior to now. It took me long enough to recognize my mistake but at least I've sorted that out :)

However, let me say this: As scrumptious as these cookies taste, they aren't quite the same as the one's my mother lovingly makes!!!

TGIF

1. Do you believe in love at first sight? I suppose I do but its very rare. More often than not I believe its probably more of a 'lust' at first sight.

2. Do you believe in soulmates? I think that sounds a bit tacky at times, but I suppose I do. However I don't think the term 'soulmates' should only be used in reference to lovers. I feel that your soulmate could be your best friend, or someone that you have a very special connection to.

3. Do you believe in second chances? I believe that someone should always be given a second chance, but that is it.

4. What are your non-negotiables in a relationship? Dishonesty, deceit, cruelty.

5. Would you rather be single or be married to the wrong person for the rest of your life? Single - I'm not one of those people who attach a 'stigma' to the singles in this world. Most people who remain single have a pretty good reason for doing so. I've sometimes said, when chatting with friends who are sad and lonely about not having a boyfriend/girlfriend (particularly when not all people in relationships are happy) 'I'd rather be alone and lonely, than with someone and alone...'

It IS a Diet Coke Thing...

On Monday morning at work while I was enjoying my first diet coke of the day one of my colleagues from another department stopped in to say hello. To my amazement, she was drinking a tin of diet coke. I was a bit envious to see she was drinking the real thing, while I myself was drinking the caffeine-free version (I recently discovered caffeine can cause cellulitis !), but I digress... the point is, I've finally found someone with as strong an addiction to this fizzy and refreshing, but gut-destroying drink! After a lengthy conversation about the merits of can versus bottle, (of course we both agreed cans are the best as they pop the most fizz), I was much relieved to realize that my addiction isn't quite as strong as hers. As most of you know, the only drinks I consume are water and diet coke. Occasionally I will have a glass of skim milk, but for the most part I don't stray to liquids such as juices or other flavored drinks as they take up too many points on the WW chart. I try to keep my maximum intake of DC to three tins a day, and sometimes (but rarely) can manage to only have one. On stressful days I can consume up to 4 or five, but this is rare. This colleague of mine drinks about five or six tins a day and nothing else. I thought going thru a case a week was bad, nevermind a case every two days. Either way, I'm sure both of us will meet up in hospital in 10/20 years with severe stomach problems, but then again, maybe not. At the moment neither one of us experiences stomach pain or have dark, stained teeth. Our addiction is hurting nobody but ourvelves and until the day I'm told by a GP to stop consuming DC, I will happily continue to enjoy it.

It's Catching

I have taken to playing my cd 'Memories of the Maritimes' one that I burned myself just before leaving home last year. On it are tracks from Jimmy Rankin, Stan Rogers, Great Big Sea, The Fables, + many more. Songs such as Heave Away, The Jolly Butcher, etc. What's funny is that I played this CD once before and both Andy and the kids weren't too crazy about it (although Andy liked Jimmy Rankin ever since the night we saw him in concert at Apple Blossom). However things have changed over time and they have grown to actually like most of the tunes. Alex now is going so far as to request Followed Her Around and The Orange & The Green. Its a nice feeling to hear him singing along to these songs when we are in the car. My mother would be pleased to know that my old newfie/nova scotia roots are beginning to rub off on the boys and that's not too bad is it? A little bit of Canadian maritime culture never hurt anyone!

It is coming on to that time of year though when I begin to miss home the most. Apple Blossom time is drawing near, and of course shortly after that comes Stan Rogers Festival. Then of course I know that come July/August its going to be the hottest time of the year and I will be missing out on the beautiful sunny days out at Queensland or up at the lake. However if I was at home I would be missing out on a family wedding held at a Scottish Castle in August where we will get to spend the night (or two if we choose). I can't say I've ever spent the night, nor had the opportunity to, in a centuries old castle in Nova Scotia. So I have to look at it this way: At least I've been given the opportunity to have the best of both worlds.

Cowardly Behaviour (Edited As What I Meant to Say Originally Came out WrOnG

I find it funny that someone chose to make an unpleasant comment on my last post... I wasn't going to respond, as it hardly warrants a response, however I did feel compelled to say this: Most people who have something unpleasant to say usually choose to omit who they are, so naturally aren't worth getting worked up over as they are probably nobody of significance in my life and/or are just out to get a rise out of me. Perhaps it might seem as this has worked due to my mentioning it on this post, but really and truly, what unpleasant anonymous lurkers have to say is of little relevance, especially if they are just meant to be disruptive. But alas, this is an online journal and I must be open to any kinds of comments at any time. Personally, I find it very rewarding when someone has chosen to comment on my words, be they known or not.

Its Not A Tradition Most Englishfolk Seem To Celebrate...

Although I've not seen anyone happily walking around dressed in green giving out greetings such as 'top o' the mornin to ya', I myself will be fondly remembering those at home who throw themselves into the spirt of St. Paddy's Day. I may just raise a pint myself tonite to toast all the party-goers back home who will be drinking green beer in the local pubs (and of course those in Ireland too)!

If I have ever received one compliment that was worth something, it is this one: 'You are a lot like your mother'. Today is my mother's birthday and I want the world to know how much she means to me. She is the woman I admire most above all others. I miss her every single day, but I carry her with me in my heart everywhere I go. I am so truly lucky to have been blessed with this precious woman as my mom. I believe there just might be four others out there who feel the same way too.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

My Beautiful Mama 


30 Years Later

Yesterday was my parents 30th Wedding Anniversary. I'm so proud that they have made it this far. There were many times when I was very uncertain that they would persevere, but they did. They stuck to it, and they have made it work. Although at times life was more rocky than smooth, they have managed to come through it as friends. Although my dad couldn't make it home from the road yesterday due to the weather conditions, he is at the moment burning the blacktop to get home to her by dinner tonight...

This is the first book that Katie Long has written and it was a fantastic read. For those of you who enjoyed such books as the Shopaholic Series, I think you'd really enjoy this novel. Its a light read that touches on serious issues, but more importantly, its a touchingly funny read.



Kathy Kelly is a new author that I have discovered since moving to the UK and I haven't read a book of hers that I have not become completely immensed in. She usually touches on the lives of three to four woman, either sisters or friends and the trials and tribulations of their lives. And better yet, they are not romantic sagas.


No Entiendo

Spanish Classes. Hrmmmm. The problem is, I entered the program at Level One, Section Two and as a result I feel a little thrown into the deep end. We have had a substitute teacher last week and will have her again this Thursday. She is really good and works at a speed much more managable to Wendy and myself, plus the fact that her accent is a little bit easier to understand than our Anna's. Melana informed Wendy and I that she will be taking the beginners class, but also teaches private Spanish classes in her home and offered to teach Wendy and I for the price of one. Naturally we are very interested. I have wanted to learn Spanish my whole life and just because this first class isn't as successful as I'd hoped, I want to persevere. Besides I think Melana is someone I could become friends with...

Isn't It Ironic?

Andy took me out for a romantic dinner on Saturday night and I have to say, it was something we both needed desperately. The food was fantastic, the wine was cool and refreshing and our conversation flowed. We stoped into our 'local' on the way home for a drink and ran into our neighbour, Simon. Simon is single and happened to be with a friend of his, Marc, who is single too. Ultimately, the conversation moved to my friends and if any of them might be single. Being me in my usual, chatty way, I naturally informed them of the 30 something single, female friends I had back home, but of course that was totally useless to them. Figures. Back home its the single girls I know looking for a man, over here there's the single men. Of course Julie next door is hopeful of meeting someone, so I believe a BBQ mixer with the neighbours might be in order this spring - I know she's not overly interessted in Simon but maybe his friend???? hmmmm...

Tickled Pink

Last Friday I was out for lunch with Wendy and our friend Beryl. As I was sitting there laughing and enjoying my chicken and sun-dried tomato pannini, I happened to glance out the window to see a shop across the street with a pretty pink awning... The title of the store was In The Pink (Fine Silver jewelry). Naturally I had to go investigate once lunch was finished and the ladies were only too happy to join me. After a quick glance at the gorgeous window display I walked into this gloriously silver and pink shop and instantaneously fell in love. Not one of us walked out empty handed. My first (but not my last you can be sure) purchase from In The Pink was a fantastic pink, square cut stone for my finger. Its a bit bigger than I usually wear and boy does it have bling, but it was calling my name. I can see most of my wish lists are going to be devised of this shop's inventory!

Yummy Scrummy Tomato Soup

My friend CA gave me this delicious recipe for tomato soup. I was a little apprehensive to make it at first as me and home-made cuisine don't always go hand in hand, but I figured it sounded quite simple so why not try it out. It was rocking... I will share it with you all just in case you would like to try it for yourself.

2 x cans of crushed tomatoes
1 small onion
1 Tsp. Basil (the squeezy kind)
2 Tsp. Vegetable Stock (the powdered kind)
Olive Oil

Finely chop the onions and sautee in the pot with olive oil. Add the tins of soup, stir and then add the rest of the ingredients. You can modify to taste... I also added a dash of mixed herbs and Italian seasoning. Simmer for 45 minutes. Trust me, its scrumptious. (Ooh I also threw in some low-fat grated cheese once it was in my bowl - its good either way.)

My Last 2 Days of Unemployment

So, Monday I start work. On Tuesday I went and bought myself a new pair of high-heeled, long black boots to wear with my skirts. Today I have just had my hair redone by a gal called Katie who comes to your house and she does a brilliant job for much cheaper than the salons. I wasn't nervous to have her do my hair as she worked for the top salon in the area and is my sister-in-law's cousin and I'm very happy with the result. Now I just have to wait for Monday. I'm not nervous or excited. I think I'm just finally happy to be getting back out into the world.

Tonight CA's five year old Madeline is coming to spend the night - she's been packed since Wednesday she's that excited. It'll be good to have a sweet little girl here for the night with me and the boys. Tomorrow morning we will be dropping her off at her dad's restaurant and will likely have brunch there at the same time. Andy is on his way home at this moment and I think I might just have to cook him some tomato soup .

Its not enough to sled on, but its still snow...

This morning as I was in my room watching TV listening to the sounds of Alex getting ready for school, I heard him call out for me to look out the window. As I pulled the curtains aside I was hit with the glare that only comes from a snowy ground and sky. Although it wasn't enough to really get excited over, things were still white and my heart certainly felt the warmth when Alex called out with glee 'Does it remind you of home?' He was so excited. If only we could bring him home to Nova Scotia...

My Baby Sister is Coming to England...

She's Coming!!! 


Well the countdown is on until my baby sister arrives in England on the 23rd of England. We are already making our plans for what to do and see and can barely contain our excitement. Just for Stacy to come here and see how I live now and to explore England and quite possibly Scotland, with us will be absolutely fantastic. The boys are thrilled and cannot wait to meet her. Above all else, I'm just so grateful to have someone come here to be with me, times have been a bit 'tough' at times!


A New Baby Boy!

I was so pleased to hear that my good friends back home, Jeff and Jaime Brown are now the happy parents of a beautiful baby boy - William Borden Brown... he was born almost a month early but both mom and baby are doing well. I'm so proud of Jaime for persevering through her difficult pregnancy but in the end, it was all so worth it. Although I'm not technically a member of the Brown family, Jeff has been like a little brother to me all these years, so I hope that I will be given the title of Aunty alongside my dearest pal Annette! I can't wait to see you all and give that little 'ginger' haired boy a cuddle!

I Could Blog Forever...

I have tons of things to talk about today (serves me right for not blogging in over a week) however I've been avoiding the gym far too long and duty calls... I will try to get back on track though and much sooner than later.

A Little Ronan, Champagne and Chilli...

Its 4:30 on Valentines Day and have just put a pot of chilli in the oven. I'm sitting here listening to the Ronan Keating CD, namely the one song - Father & Son, that Andy gave me as part of my Valentine's gift. Its a bitterly cold and windy day out, however I have taken advantage of the wind to dry some towels. I find myself more relaxed and at peace today than I have felt in awhile. The trials and tribulations with the Dragon still continue and of course court faces me on Thursday, but in all honesty, its not at the forefront of my thoughts. I have supplied the information that I have and what will be will be.

At the moment Alex is over at his Grandma's fixing his bike. Soon he will be home for his tea (supper). I am contemplating heading upstairs for a bubble bath and to enjoy the mini bottle of champagne my husband gave to me last night before he left. Tonite I am off out to Strictly Come Dancing, an event that will highlight two of Britain's top Ballroom Dancers with my friend Beryl.



I would like to acknowledge that today is my special Valetine, Annette Brown's birthday - I wish her all that she deserves... maybe she will be blessed with being an Aunty for the first time on this day as we are all anxiously awaiting the birth of her brother's first born!

I'm Going Over the Top

This picture is of the Grimsby Dock Tower which can be seen for miles around the local area. It was originally built so that the local fishermen and sailors would always know they were close to home once the tower was in sight. We can even spot it from various areas in the village where I live. On May 8th a Cancer Foundation is hosting a 275 abseil from this tower and I fully intend to be part of the group. Not only is it a great way to have some fun, but better yet, do something positive for the community and raise money for cancer. I had originally planned to do a tandem parachute jump for the Foundation, (easy-peasy for me, since I've previously jumped on my own) however I thought it might be nice to start with this local event.



A Start In Sight

This morning I received a phone call asking would I be able to start my job on Monday. As exciting as the news was, I had to inform Lucy (my new employer) that as we still have Alex with us and it is 1/2 term for his school, I would have to wait an additional week. Unfortunately for me, but fortunately for Lucy, she is off that week to a health spa... so we set my start date for February 28th. Thank God, I am looking forward to this like there is no tomorrow.

We met the Fockers

Last night Alex and I took ourselves out to a movie to get away from the chance that someone might call and upset him for the third night in a row. It was a successful night as we both found the movie refreshingly funny. I think the director gave us a wickedly amusing sequel, so much so that I personally enjoyed it more than the first.

Patience...

Yesterday while I was chatting to Andy on the phone re the various occurrences in our life, we got to talking about my job. Or non-job, as it seemed. Andy was pushing me to call and find out what the hold up was however I informed him that I know what the hold up is. They are awaiting clearance on my Police Records Check and I was told that this could take up to six weeks or longer. I have been in contact with my employer at least bi-weekly for various things and I was not going to be calling her to find out what the deal was as I was secure in the fact that she would call me and let me know if something had changed.

I received that call today as Lucy rang to invite me to a 'Time Out' program for all her admin. staff from the various clinics being held on Friday morning - sort of a discussion group for everyone to talk about learning objectives and changes/challenges affecting the clinics. Although I haven't started, it'd be a nice event to go to and meet some of the people I will be working with, learn a bit about my new position and enjoy a free luncheon. I'm looking forward to it. During this call Lucy informed me that all should be a go soon, that there had just been a hold up at HR over some 'confusion' with my maiden name. I told you all that the English seem to have a hard time grasping the idea of a gal keeping her own name... sheesh. Anyway, the main thing is that I'm going to start working again soon.

To Knock on the Door... Or Not

Alex to say the least, is an outdoor kid. He does amuse himself while inside, but if the weather permits, he prefers to be outside. There is a place down at the back of our estate where kids jump their bikes - lots of hand-made hills and dips. The problem is Connor is rarely here and unless Alex has a friend or cousin to stay over, he has no one to go with. The same goes for football or anything else he might want to do outside. There are two boys who live in in the houses next door. We know one, Jack, however Jack doesn't often want to play out he's more of an indoor kid. Then there is Ben, who I do know is an outdoor kid and would probably go out with Alex in an instant. However they have never really met and Alex is hesitant to go 'call for him'. I've mentioned it to him a few times, but hey, when I think back to being that age, I doubt I would have went and knocked on a strange kid's door. Anyway, I've just noticed that Alex is outdoors now kicking the ball around with Jack. I know its not been easy for him since he doesn't go to the local school, however now that the weather is warming up, maybe the boys next door and he will get to be pals.

So, last night at just after eleven I was just getting offline when I heard a knock at the door. I walked over, thinking it might be Julie, my neighbour (Jack's mom), however the tall, big outline quickly diffused that thought. I leaned down to the mail slot and asked who it was. I heard a man say, 'Open the door'. I muttered, 'not likely' to myself as I quickly went upstairs to look out of Alex's front room window. There was a guy standing there wearing a baseball cap and holding a 40 oz, almost empty booze bottle. A car was parked near him with the engine running. I watched as he pulled out a mobile phone, dialed a number, swore, hung up and then spoke to the person in the car, who then drove off. I waited a minute more until I saw him finally walk off in the direction of the next few doors. I'm not sure who he was, or what he wanted but he might have been the guy who lives on the other side of Julie. After about 20 minutes another car came back and I saw someone get into it from the house two doors down. After that I heard a door slam a couple more times, then all was quiet. I must say, it didn't affect my sleep and I was just relieved it didn't wake Alex up.

This morning when Andy called to make sure all was fine (I had been chatting to him after the door knock) I ended up telling Alex what had happened the previous night. He asked why hadn't I woken him. When I expressed puzzlement at this, his explanation was 'Mum would have'...

I Say... Was That A Spot of Snow, Old Girl?

Yesterday as I was driving Alex home from school it began to hail. It didn't last more than a minute and then was gone. It was a rather dark and cloudy day and we were just glad to get back into the warmth of the house. We were home for about 15 minutes when I looked out the window and had to do a double take for I could have sworn I saw snow. I was correct, however by the time we went to take another good look, it was gone. In light of the recent snowfalls that have been bombarding the good folk at home, I feel a bit selfish to say that I was very dissapointed to not have a snowfall worthy of pulling the sleds, or even boots, out for.

The Morning Post...

I've been enjoying hearing the drop of the mail onto the floor this past week as most days there has been a Birthday Card from my Canadian posse. Its great getting best wishes from those at home, either in the mail, via the internet, or over the phone. Today my friend CA took me out for a lovely lunch and gave me a beautiful boquet of pink and white flowers as she has to work tomorrow...(just in time as I've been feeling dreadful with flu and bronchitis all weekend). All this in spite of the fact that she and her husband and daughter are meeting the boys and I for dinner tomorrow night. Wendy is taking me out for lunch and then shopping so that I may pick something out that I like. I have to say, I don't mind about my birthday, even if it means older. I like it much better than Christmas, lol. No, seriously, although my husband has to be away for my birthday it will be a good day because I know I will still be surrounded by Andy's boys, my in-laws and dear friends, as well as receiving word from all my loved ones back home! Andy is taking me to The Pink Butterfly for a romantic birthday dinner on Saturday night. Its a little place that I've been wanting to go to since my arrival here and I'm definitely looking forward to some time alone with my husband...

Whose Fence Is It Already?

Ok... we have a fence that separates our block of houses from the Pub's parking lot right behind us. A few months ago one section had blown down in strong winds and the Estate Agency sent someone out to repair it (we all rent). They left one section un-repaired as its behind the house on our other side, saying that it was the responsibility of the guy next door to fix since he owns the property. Ok fine... we left it hoping he would fix it soon.

Here we are three months later and after some very strong winds the whole fence has blown down behind all four houses in the block that we live in, not counting the area that was never fixed by our neighbour. Kids are now running through our backyard and acting up, we are getting the bright lights of headlights shining into our house every evening from the pub, and we are all getting fed up with it. The Estate Agency has finally told us (after a dispute over who's responsibility it is to put the fence back up - theirs or the pub's) they will be sending someone out to fix it, but again, they can't do anything about the guy's fence on the other side of us. Its time likes these when we need a Tawny or Gary, lol!

I was talking to Julie next door and I suppose I will have to ask Simon (the guy on the other side) if he's going to do anything about his fence. I'm not looking forward to it but I think if I explain that its making us gals next door a bit uneasy to have all these people running through our yards late at night, it might help - who knows? He seems a nice enough guy, but I'm a bit weary of neighbours, especially when reading my sister's blog, lol. I still might just write him a note on a nice card....

Mi nombre es Jody, Yo soy de Canada...

And so begins Spanish lessons. Last night I eagerly grabbed a notebook and pen and set off to class with Wendy and Dave. The teacher, Ana, happens to speak Spanish as a first language and I was pleased to learn she comes from the Dominican Republic originally, as I have been there before. The class isn't really for beginners its basically a refresher course, however she thinks I will be fine as I know a few basic phrases. Yeah ok. I did alright with the 'my name is, where is stuff', but within the first hour my head began whirling around as she jumped to things like conjugating verbs! Wendy had previously warned me that this happens, and I figure it might be because Spanish is her first language. Maybe its not - who knows? I certainly have no experience of teaching a second language. I do believe that I will enjoy this class as she is a very easy-going woman. I think she is going to be a lot of fun!

The Shopaholic Series

I have finally just completed reading the first three books in the Shopaholic Series and am now almost finished the fourth, Shopaholic and Sister. I had heard about these books prior to moving to England, but have only just decided to read them recently. There was a little mix-up when I first went in search of these books as the titles in Britain are different from those in North America. Andy had tried to tell me there were more than four books (they were on my xmas list), but I was certain that there weren't. The confusion of course laid with the different titles. I caught on to this quite quickly as I've seen this happen with movies as well.

Any way, I'm digressing from my point. Although I love reading these books and am going through them at a very fast pace, I'm not finding them as funny as I've been told they are. Sure they have their quirky and amusing bits, sometimes I've even laughed out loud, but in actuality I find them a bit agonizing at times. Here is this girl who has no grip on reality whatsoever, she's making the most stupid mistakes ever and is constantly sticking her head in the sand to avoid the huge mess she ends up with. And time and time again she finds a way out of her mess with little repercussion, or ends up bailed out by someone else. When she does end up in a bind and obviously gets really stressed out or upset I find it hard to feel sympathy for her. Now in this last book her sister comes along and is one person that won't make allowances for her. She happens to be a spendthrift, and makes a lot of sense, but at the same time she goes a little over the top in the opposite direction. There is a scene in the grocery store where she tries to talk her sister out of buying a waffle maker because its an expense she can't really afford, which I was in total agreement with, however it was a bit bizarre when she ended up taking a box of bruised old bananas from the Manager just because they were free. Sorry, but unless I'm skint and there is no prospects of an income in the near future, I wouldn't be taking bruised bananas, not even if you can 'cut off the black bits'... UGGGH.

The sad reality of it is, is that there really are people out there who are in debt up to their eyeballs and just hide their credit card bills away without opening them in the hopes that they will disappear, or those that go out and buy something they don't really need (but want) rather than pay a bill. Its just sad and pathetic. I myself have made minimum payments on my bills from time to time so that I could spend my money on other things, things that I don't really need, even to the point of being further in debt. However I think that most of us have been guilty of this at some point in life, but to completely ignore your debt is just asking for trouble.


FOUR FOR FRIDAY

Q1: How has the advent of the Internet changed the way you get your daily news? Its been best for me due to my living circumstances i.e. email. It also lets me check on events that are taking place in Canada.

Q2: When you were younger, what were some things you dreamed about doing, and that you still think are possible to do today, but that you just haven't gotten around to doing or experiencing yet? Well I always dreamed of flying, but hey, that's never gonna come true is it? I did dream of travelling a lot, and although I've seen a few countries and am currently living on a different continent, I still dream about seeing so many other places. I think that together Andy and I will manage this. Learning to speak another language was something I always wanted to do, and I'm trying to achieve that on a small-scale level. Maybe someday I'll tackle the piano.

Q3: If you were forced to live on a deserted island for one year, what five things--aside from specific items of clothing--that you'd choose to bring? A toothbrush and toothpaste (for obvious reasons); My Watch (I don't imagine I'd be having to keep to any schedule, however I would like to know the time); A fishing rod/spear; Matches or lighter (all this is based on me being alone. I would have said a book first, but I'd have read it in the first 2 or so days so what would be the point?

Q4: Did any notable or high-profile person's death in 2004 have a dramatic or long-lasting affect on you? To hear of Christopher Reeves passing made me sad as I think he fought a long hard fight and didn't get to walk again, something he had wanted so desperately. However all those people who lost their lives in Asia hit me much much harder than any other one person in recent history (high-profile or not).

Could this be the year???

Air Canada is having an incredible seat sale at the moment. Prices as low as $488 from Halifax International to London Heathrow. Do I want to come home again? You bet. Andy and I were talking though and with the new job, the wedding to pay for and our hopeful, delayed 'honeymoon' this spring, we think it would be better to wait and see about later in the year.

This means I won't see those of you at home for quite some time - Christmas possibly. This means that we are hoping someone will be able to get themselves over here. I have been living in England for over a year now, and have been home twice. I would so love to be able to show a loved one (friend or family) my home, to introduce them to my new family and friends, to show them the English countryside, the English pub life but most of all to have someone to stay in our very own home... Hopefully we will be able to work something out with someone before this seat sale ends on the 19th of January.

But hey, if not there is always Canadian Affair or Zoom... so we will see!

Oh, and did I mention that the weather over here in spring is absolutely glorius? Much better than in Nova Scotia (come to think of it, I think it goes straight from winter to summer). Today its kind of windy, however the sun is shining and the flowers in my mother-in-law's garden are already coming out... by the end of next month it will be even better. Already I'm only wearing my denim jacket when I go out, and in March/April it will be even warmer - just a light sweater! Not to mention that all the cute baby lambs will be jumping all over the hillsides... Its ever so pretty! LOL...

tomorrow is the Day...

Ok... so today didn't start off the way I had planned. Yes I kissed my husband good-bye as he left to go away to work for the week in Chester (England, not NS), I drove Alex to school for 8:15 and well, that was it.

I came back home and watched a half hour of TV before promptly falling back to sleep and not waking until 12 NOON. What a lazy ass I am.

This afternoon was a bit more productive:
Watched TV/Did dishes until three o'clock.
Went to pick Alex up for 3:05.
Went to La Cocina (my favorite kitchen store) to buy a spring form cake pan and egg separator.
Went to Tesco to buy groceries for the week.

Alex happily came along with me on my errands to assist.

So tomorrow will go as planned for today:

Get up and make Alex eggs for his breakfast.
Drop Alex off at school for 8:15.
Go to the GYM.
Eat a healthy lunch.
Make necessary phone calls to my employer to arranging meeting I was supposed to schedule.

Shouldn't be too hard.....

Alone Tonight

When I say alone, I mean in bed. For the first time since I've moved here, I will be sleeping without Andy. As Alex is with us for the time being, I'm not alone in the house which is nice (although I'd be ok with it as I'm not the sort to be afraid at night in my own house). However its going to be strange not having Andy by my side at night. I won't miss his snoring, but I will miss him.

So at the moment I'm cooking Alex his tea (dinner) and will heat mine up momentarily so we can enjoy dinner together. I think we will be baking a cake this evening and possibly playing a board game. I'm rather enjoying having him with us. His mother's loss is definitely our gain...