Saturday, July 29, 2006

It's official....

Yes, as of 10:31 pm EST I am officially on vacation!

There is a bit more packing and organizing to do, (which is why I am on the computer of course)but tomorrow we are off to the piece and quiet of the Muskoka's. Not sure who is more excited me or the girls. A friend from work lent me her portable DVD player. That should make the drive up there a bit more painless.
Yes, I am not above plugging my girls brain's into a movie for an hour or so. The drive take 3.5 so there will be lots of time to stare out the window at the scenery. The first couple hours is all boring supa-highway driving nothing to see but transport trucks and concrete. After that we get out into the pretty.

May all of you have a wonderful week. I'll check in with pictures when I get back.

Take Care!!!

Friday, July 28, 2006

FeyRhi Estates is growing!



My vineyard is doing well as you can see. Much better then I ever expected. I even have Grapes!!!! Looks like just one cluster though, don't think I'll be getting much out of it LOL It has grown higher since I took the picture a week ago. I have to remember to plant some supports for it before we go away. I don't want it to fall over and damage the stalk. I'll have to post a picture when we get back so you can see how much it's grown.

Speaking of leaving.... I hate packing. Really really really hate it. If fact I should be doing it now but I am surfing and blogging trying to avoid it. There is already a large pile on the kitchen floor of things to go and I have no idea how we are going to get all this, the four of us and a dog into the car. It's going to be a LONG 3 hour drive *G*

On a happy note, only two more sleeps till me make said drive and I am officially on vacation. I can't wait!!!

I wish there was a packing fairy that would poof in and do all this for me.

Monday, July 24, 2006

5 days left...

And I am on vacation! I cannot wait. It's not that I dislike my job, I just really need to get away. We are going on our annual trip UP-UP North to our friend's dad's cottage.

Sunday to Friday we will be up in the Muskoka's. Home to bears and wildlife, where the night sky is as black as pitch and you never realized exactly how many stars you don't see in the city.

Considering the adventures past years have offered, (the baby bear scare, and last year the chickenpox and leech insident) I think I had better pack more wine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Writing is a humbling experience.

Once again I will be delaying my personal goal. I really suck at keeping scheduels, especially when I am the one setting the pace. I'm having a hell of a time with this story. It's just growing stagnant and I don't know what is wrong with it. Everytime I think I have it figured out... it goes well for a while and then fizzles.

I'm not sure if I have too much going on in the story or not enough. OR perhaps if I could get more then a few minutes at a time to work on it, it would go better.

I'm at a loss at the moment what to do. At the moment I think the entire thing sucks and I should just toss it out the proverbial window and start over. Of course then I worry that I am going to spend my incredibly short career as a writer starting projects and then tossing them to start another.... I could always stack the half finished manuscripts in the downstairs closet, next to the hundreds of half finished knitting and crosstitch projects.

Sunday, July 23, 2006

It's been so long!

I found the link to this one on Michele's blog. I have a hard enough time passing on quizes, but a shapeshifting one? I couldn't resist.







Who is your inner Shapeshifter?




From witches who could change into cats with magic spells, to tribes of anthropomorphic tigers living in the jungles of Malaysia, to bloodthirsty werecats of Japan who would prey on humans for sustenance, tales of werecats rival their more well-known werewolf cousins in number.As a werecat, you are aggressive, fiercely independant, short-tempered and prone to violent outbursts. You can also be very kind though, by protecting those you care for from those who wish to do them harm. Those who befriend you are very lucky (as long as they stay on your good side!)
Take this quiz!








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Thursday, July 20, 2006

It's about time!

Everyone bitches about the media and how they make us feel bad about ourselves. How pencil thin models, and airbrushing has put impossible expectations on our girls. Problem is everyone complained but no one did anything about it. Until now.

I gotta tell ya I spent over an hour in the website for Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty. There is a ton of information there about how this company is trying to change everyone’s view of themselves. They are concentrating on mothers and daughters but really I think that the same could be said for many men. I'm sure the insecurities with body image are not gender exclusive.

I love this picture. Real women with real curves. Maybe it's just because I am a chick as well, but I would prefer to look at bodies like this then the emaciated stick models that are usually featured in fashion magazines, or the ones with HUGE implants in the porn mags.

According to one of their surveys only 2% of women would describe themselves as pretty. I guess I wasn't surprised over that, even though I feel I should be.

Many romance novels are featuring more realistic female leads. Sherrylyn Kenyon's 'Dark Hunter' series is an example of that. Her heroines range from plus sized women to scarred~multi coloured hair, vampire slayers. Each has their flaws and find men who can see past the surface, to what is important. *sigh* Some good romance

Now there is a part of me that wonders if all this is all an elaborate marketing ploy we are all falling for.....but then then I decided I don't care. It's a good message Dove is trying to send out and if that means they get to sell a few more bars of soap and such, then I'm not about to begrudge them.

Oh and yes I have one of their t-shirts. It says "EveryBODY has a best feature."

Saturday, July 15, 2006

I LOVE this weather

It was a busy day for everyone. The munchkin managed to hold off till 8am before coming in and asking what time we were going to the mall. She been jonesin' for this day ever since her sister got her ears pierced. Finally after all the waiting she is sporting a pair of pink studs. Little fashion diva insisted on wearing her sunglasses before I took the picture. LOL

Pressure is on to meet my 4,000 word goal for this weekend. Stay tuned for update but be warned I may extend it to Monday night LOL.

I have a bit of a poll for those of you who read this. I am contemplating getting the small tattoo on my ankle repaired. (long story, another time) After much contemplation and a comment from hubby that sparked an idea I was thinking of getting the girls birth flowers added and extend it up the side of my calf a bit. Trouble is from my research each of their months is represented by 2 flowers (couldn't make it easy could they?)


May is represented by both the Lily of the Valley and the Hawthorn. I think both of them are pretty. But with all that white I wonder if the Lily will look better on skin? Since there is so much green to highlight the flowers, but I like the spottiness of the hawthorn



Now for June we have the Water Lily and Larkspur.




They are all pretty flowers, I can't decide. I wanted to use one to represent each of the girls and then one for myself but the March flower is a Jonquil. They look like daffodils to meand I am just not a daffodilly person. So instead I opted for the Trillium which I think is much prettier and is the Ontario Provincial Flower. The province in which we were all born. So I am sticking with the symbolism here.

My question to you is what do you think? Any preferences/suggestions? Just pop them into the comments, I'd love to hear some input. I promise to post a picture once I decide and actually have it done.

Friday, July 14, 2006

The eve of my weekend....

I tell ya this working for a living sucks. The sooner my numbers show up the better.....of course if I played the numbers I might have a better chance. *G*

Tomorrow is my youngest's birthday. Wow I can't believe she is 7 already. Every morning this week, the first thing she has said is how many days till she is getting her ears pierced. LOL I've already told her that she is NOT to wake me up at 7 am tomorrow. We will go out after lunch and get her's done. She's so damn excited.

Amazingly enough the weather is forcasted to be spectacular, and in fact, it's a gorgeous evening. Why you may ask am I insde on such a wonderful night? Well, I figure I won't be posting much unless something funny happens so why not now. I am just enjoying the feeling that I have a full 48 hours before I have to go back to work. Time to relax, and enjoy a 'wobbley pop' or two. (For those who do not speak Canadian....wobbley pop = beer)

I also want to get at least 4 thousand words done on my WIP by Monday. Not an unattainable goal but not a cake walk. Cranking out 2 G's of story line was much easier when I was playing around, and just seeing what would come out. Now that I have a solid story, characters and *gasp* a plot...well it's not so easy any more. I find that while I write, I tweek, and that means there is more rewriting going on. Not to mention character establishment and development as well as hooks, arcs and mysterious assassins.

But as long as I meet my personal Aug deadline, I'll be happy. For now I'm going to go outside with my beverage in one hand and a notebook in the other and listen to the crickets.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Rain, Rain, GO AWAY!


Damn I swear we had rain of biblical proportions today.
I thought it would never stop! Now we aren't talking a drizzle, or spitting a bit; Nope there was a constant downpour for the entire day, Got soaked getting into my car to go to work and when I got in my car to drive home. BLECK!

Hopefully Mother Nature will have gotten it out of her system. The weekend is forecasted to be very hot and sunny and I have it off!!! WooHoo. My youngest's birthday is on Saturday and I am hoping to see my girlfriend and her family come for a visit on Sunday (yes I am talking about you Mucka!)

I recently got transferred to a new store, closer to home (yeahoo!) Which means that I will not have to deal with my nemeses, the evil wacko Asst. Manager. Now every store has their great and not so great staff. That is true in any job but after what I have had to deal with for the last couple years....well I think I can deal with just about anything. Gotta be careful how loud I type that it's never a good idea to tempt the Fates.

Times ticking and my word counts have not moved as far a head as I would like. Part of that is my continual battle with procrastination; also my ancient laptop has crapped out. It still works but it won’t save anything. Considering it my mum’s, I am procrastinating over telling her too. Now I have to battle hubby for computer time. Hmmm sounds like another good excuse doesn’t it?

I am still determined to get this done by the end of Aug. That is my goal, one I really want to make it.

Sunday, July 09, 2006

Dreaming the Future

So last night I had a very strange dream. It actualy was a romance story...sort of, you know how dream are. Of course now I can't really remember much about it, but it had something to do with a woman who was terrifed of heights and a man who was a trapise artist.

Strange thing is I remember thinking to myself, during the dream, that this would make a great story and I can't wait to write it and that I absolutly love the characters....HUH?? Now realizing I am dreaming isn't anything new to me, many times I realize that I am dreaming and often can change what is happeneing if I don't like it. This is the first time I decided was dreaming a possible manuscript. Too bad my memory was already full of holes by the time I finally woke up.

Long ago I use to keep a note book next to my bed to record my dreams. I think I might start doing that again just in case these two decide to let me know a bit more about them.

Sunday, July 02, 2006

What could be better then a day off??

Well 2 of course! (oh come on you can't tell me you didn't see that coming)

So while the laundry is procreating on my floor and there is a distinct possibility the kitchen dishes may reach a senchant level and wash them selves, I have spent the day next to the pool...again

While the girls were swimming I was reading Karen Marie Moning's "Spell of the Highlander" from cover to cover. Breaking only to make them lunch and then slather a bit more sunscreen over all that pale skin. I wish I read slower cause now I have to wait forever for her next one too! Goddamn she is a good.

You know I remember when I was a teenager, I wouldn't go near anything over a 3spf 'cause I figured I'd never get a tan. I would slather myself in tanning oil with no protective ability and lay out lke a big slab of meat on a BBQ. Now I'm willingly wearing a 50spf and actually am a bit pinker then I should be. That my friends is terrifying.

I just hope that this doesn't get any darker. Why is it if you get a sunburn is hurts later on after the sun goes down?

Saturday, July 01, 2006

HAPPY CANADA DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Yes, we are 139 years young and still able to party.

Gorgeous day too, spent it next to the pool. Relaxing back in a lawn chair, doing nothing but daydreaming. I love statuatory holidays *G*

They are calling for a bit of a thunderstorm tonight so if that happens I'm hoping that I will get a good chunk of writing done. I've always thought it strange but I get really creative during those kind of storms. Wierd huh? Must be the electiricity in the air or something strange like that.