DUCK!

Well if I didn't already have a clue I would know for certain now. Spring is here and the bloody ducks are back. The male is at the pool edge, the female is on the fence.



They're harmless, but they drive the dogs nuts. Usually, they are swimming around in the sludge on top of the cover and I'm more afraid of Chewbacca jumping in to play with them. For now, before we let the dogs out, we have to check to see if they are there first. Once we get the pool open they don't come back. I think it's the chlorine in the water they don't like. OR The sludge on the cover is warmer then the lake at the moment. Given a choice between Lake Ontario or the sludge, I'd algae dive too.

In retaliation to the Fox assholes....

(yeah yeah language warning....What? You couldn't tell already?)




I know it has been a very long time since I updated here. I do have other interesting things to write about but today this is chewing at me. I was pondering if I should respond to the moronic assholes that populate the Fox network...

Yes, in the end I decided that I wanted to. I am very proud of our armed forces. Although I will admit a certain affinity for the NAVY because my uncles that served in that uniform.

As for the Fox network...you know who you are.... Fuck you!

Joe is the MAN!!

Keeping with my proud to be CANADIAN theme as of late, I offer you a couple more tidbits from the advertising department of Molson Canadian. I still think it's sad that some of the best promotions for our country comes from a beer comapany. Doesn't it seem logical that the government should run their marketing departments like Molson ...does the government have a marketing department? I certaintly wouldn't mind seeing more patriotic commercials




Oh and as for those CANADIAN sterotypes....

Another retail holiday.

I'm really not a fan of Valentine's Day.

To me it's just a day that retailers have built up to get you (guilt you) to spend lots of money. As if $$$ can prove how much you love someone.

Love is what you do, not what you spend.

The day my heart broke.

My oldest realized at some point in the last couple days that she is different, a moment I have been dreading with all my heart.

What do you say to a child who is different? Except to try to reassure her that it isn't as bad as she thinks. While she has a hard time leaning now, one day she will catch up. I sat there holding my sobbing child, who doesn't understand why she is different and why she isn't as smart as everyone else. I tried to tell her that being different isn't a bad thing. What a boring world this would be if everyone was like everyone else. That she has so many talents, just because school is difficult doesn't mean that she isn't going to do well. She will just have to work harder and that is a good thing because she will learn how to handle difficult situations in life. And we all know those don't stop with school.

This is one of the reasons I don't want to 'label' her. I refuse to tell her she can't do anything. What ever she wants to try, I encourage. Never do I want her thinking for a moment she can't do something because she has ____(insert annoying medical opinion here)____.

This also tells me that some little fuck'n ass at her school has discovered the art of 'cliques', or decided to spread their nasty little wings. How can I protect her from that? There are lots of handicapped kids at her school and those with obvious challenges are understood. For kids like my daughter, who's challenges don't show on the outside, they are fodder for those trying to practice manipulation and peer pressure.

Her recent decision to be a 'punk' might have started it all. Nothing like making a change to one's self to draw attention. In this instance, it has drawn the wrong kind of attention. Again something I am NOT going to say to her.

She sees the world differently then the rest of us. How she experiancesit is different too, and sometimes she gets lost in her own head.

Most times I think that everyone is on crack, that there isn't anything wrong with her. She is a perfectly normal little girl...and then there is the times I glimpse what she should know or do and I feel so guilty because I should have taught her that, or I did something wrong at some point. And of course the worst part are the things she comes out with that I remember feeling at her age. Like not being able to sleep and feeling like I was being watched all the time. So I must have genetically passed them on to her. What is a little more mommy guilt right? I know I know it's not my fault. (Right?)

I have days that I wish they would put a label on her, then someone could give me a list of things to do. But then I'm afraid that doing that would cause her not to do something she could because it on was this imaginary list.

I feel so lost.

Happy Super Sunday!!

!!!GO STEELERS GO!!!

I'll give you something to be pissed about.

(To those of sensitive natures: Please read, but just ignore the bad words.)

My mum is annoyed(pissed) that the TTC is allowing the atheists to post their message "There is no God, so relax and enjoy your life"
While I might not agree with their belief that there is no higher being, they do have the right to speak their mind. Basically that doesn't bother me so much.

What does pissed me off to no end and has been eating away at my thoughts for the past few days. A school in New Brunswick has stopped playing the National Anthem.

ARE YOU SHITTING ME??

It's the NATIONAL fuck'n ANTHEM. NATIONAL as in part of our country. Free country.

The country that has suffered loss of so many of our soldiers and continues to do so. Singing the anthem in school is patriotic, reminding us that no matter what our beliefs are we are still CANADIANS. Reminds us that fathers, brothers, uncles, cousins are out there in uniform protecting our rights. Not just our Military Soldiers, but RCMP, CSIS, Coast Guard, police officers, firemen, hell, I could continue on for a very long time.

Apparently the ANTHEM was banned because there are parents who complained. But Principal Erik Millett of Belleisle Elementary School in Springfield, N.B., won't say what exactly the complaint was,c iting privacy issues.

Ok fine.

To those parents: Get the fuck out of my country! I don't want one more soldier to die to give you the right to be an asshole.

To Mr Millett: Stop being an asshole and be proud of the country that gives you the freedom to be an assole.

I remember when they used to play the National Anthem at the movie theater before the movie started. I tried to find it but no luck, so instead here is the old signoff from CBC TV.



How cool is our country?? Well we have a beer named after us. They have a commercial that I think we should sing every day!!! LOL

I'm still cool!

It's my mum's fault.

Having a special needs child I find that I reflect a lot on my own childhood and what things made me what I am today. I guess in a way I hope that I can help my daughter as much as I can and try to guess before hand what might bother her and how I can help her deal with things that will affect her for the rest of her life.

She announced a couple weeks back that she has decided that she wants to be a punk... LOL yea I should have seen that one coming. I still listen to heavy rock, love things with skulls, no I'm not your typical suburban mom. Am I worried, no not really, she is just trying to stretch her wings and find her place. Her thoughts don't run in the same patterns as ours so I'll let her do what she wants, with a few guidelines of course. (no we are not painting your room black and no you are not getting any tattoos or piercings until you are 18)

To be honest, I would rather her be listening to Avril Lavigne, Billy Talent and Spyderbait then Brittany or Madonna. I don't say that out loud of course because teenage rebellion is just around the corner and I'm not giving her any extra ammunition or ideas.

So back to my original thought. For fun on my other writing blog I post here and there about about songs that inspire me. "The Ride of the Valkyries" from Die Walkure, beyond a doubt is one. I vaguely remember my mum putting it on and telling me to close my eyes and imagine what the music was telling me. I would lay on the living room floor and visualize viking women on horseback, leaping from mountain top to mountain top, lightening bolts piercing the skies above them, lighting their way.

I's a very primitive sounding piece, and I don't mean that in a negative way. The music is raw and powerful there is no synthetic electronic mixing. A piece like this is best playing on natural classical instruments. This isn't the only song I remember from my childhood. "In the Hall of the Mountain King" by Edvard Grieg is another one.Is it any wonder that as I got older my musical tastes leaned towards similar styles?

So all that heavy metal I drove my mum nuts with when I was a teenager. Mum, it was all your own fault. LOL

A new view to the world

Here we are at the start. Big original window that let the heat out and kept our main floor chilly. They had to cut out each pane of glass to remove it.

Oh man now it's getting chilly in here!

Just to give you an idea of how far it extends from the front of the house. Those are called pewter prairie grills. It adds a nice design with out being too much.

Of course they couldn't get the job done in one day, it just gets gets dark too early. So they have to come back and finish off the bottom and put the siding back up on the house. Already I can tell a big difference in the internal temperature. The ugly blinds are back up for now. We still have to put the trim up on the inside and I get to shop for something new and much prettier in hang over the window.

Yes, Truly I am still alive

Yikes!! Time has really flown since last I posted anything on here. In still up to my eyebrows and higher with stuff, but here is a bit of a cheat. I'm just nearing the end of NaNoWriMo for this year, so I can't commit to much for for another few days. next week I will do my best to get caught up and back on track. Until then...

Thirteen Things that have happening since my last post. 1~ Went to Florida 2~ Wrote 32,356 words on a new novel for NaNoWriMo 3~ Finished a lace shawl 4~ Celebrated my 12th wedding anniversary 5~ Had the old front window replaced with a gorgeous bay window 6~ My youngest daughter broke her arm 7~ Got an early start on my holiday shopping 8~ Got an early start of my yule gifts 9~ Listened my Apocalyptica cd approximately 500 times 10~ Worked way too many hours 11~ Got a Zune. (I love it) 12~ Got my second rejection letter from a publisher. 13~ Developed a fondness for shawls. #2 is started, #3 is planned.

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Don't know what it is, but I know what I like.

For the longest time I couldn't say that I had a favourite art style. Not that I didn't like anything, just I didn't know what it was called. Well I finally figured it out. Art Nouveau

I have old papers from when I was about 16 with all these doodles on them. Swirling branches that curl in here and there. All of it very romantic and colourful. All of them the same style over and over.
I purchased this frame in an antique store in Tiverton, Ontario. Having fallen in love with it the moment I saw it. The handsome couple in there are my Gran and Grampy. There was a beautiful small mirror as well and I didn't buy it. The frame alone was a touch pricey for my budget at the time. To this day, I am still pissed off because of course when I went back for the mirror, it had been sold.

Then I won a set of small tarot cards from author Robin D Owens. Guess what style the pictures are in. Gorgeous! Love them!!

What am I getting at with all this you might be wondering? I'm still planning my tattoo and I now have a style in mind. I think it would be perfect for me, and something I will never get sick of. The most important part is finding a tattoo artist familar with it.

My Grampa

The Roberts Clan has been dealt a staggering blow with the loss of their beloved Laird.



George MacIntosh Roberts
1925 - 2008

Under a fog of woodsmoke and burnt BBQ sauce

It's that time of year again. The Labour Day weekend marks an important event around these parts.
RIBFEST



Over a hundred and thirty thousand people descended into Spenser Smith park this weekend, unleashing their inner carnivore. That is a lot of people. Last year the Ribbers went through over 90,000 pounds of ribs.

Wow

In light of the Maple Leaf Meats scandal I wondered if that would have an effect on this weekends turnout. Not in the slightest if the crowds that were there today were any inclination. Or perhaps it was the relief of eating something that had been cooked right in front of them.

Either way it was all good. I have come to the conclusion that getting pulled pork sandwiches is the way to go. For $6.00 I get a sandwich stuffed with more meat and sauce then I can finish. Bonus is I can bring it home for a late night snack. That is a hell of a deal when you consider that a full rack of ribs is $20.00.

But then eating the meat out of a bun isn't as much fun as gnawing is right off a steaming bone. LOL

I have a couple of great pictures but they will have to wait until I can find the cable that attaches my camera to the computer. Damn I knew I should have gotten a hot pink one.

Change

***Warning 'F' bombs abound. If ya don't like 'em. Then go here.***

So Change, Pretty fuck'n scary if you ask me. I find myself, at the young age of 37 faceing just that. I have been offered an oppourtunity at a new job. In a similar field to what I work right now, but I'll will be leaving the security of a union position with the government and facing the UNKNOWN.

I'm shitting a brick.

On one hand I have to think about the morgage, the kids, the cost of living...ON THE OTHER HAND>>> I am being offered almost the same $$$ a few more benefits but there isn't the security that I have right now.

It's not that I am unhappy with my job.I love the store that I am in at the moment. I adore my manager, but that can change in a moments notice with a call that says I am being transferred to HELL. (it's happened before)

Life is an adventure right? That is what my hubby tells me. He is being so very supportive and wants me to go for it and see what happens. I am a bit more concerned. Fuck, I am so concerned.

What if in 6 months I decide that I have Royally fucked up. Then what. I could beg my job back, but knowing this company, I will have to start back at the bottom and work my way back up. That would so SUCK!

On the other hand, I have an incredible opportunity at something that I would be good at.

Fuck, I am running out of hands.

Do I jump or do I stay in a job that is already feeling confining?

Only time will tell.......




TO BE CONTINUED

Yes, another month passes

I wish I had something interesting to say but life just keep going on. Nothing really new. Sorry.

But here is something for you. I read about it on The Goddess Blogs.

I dare you, watch the entire thing and don't smile. You can't do it. At some point your lips will curl and you will feel better. Maybe it's the music, maybe it's the silly little dance, but it's a feel good moment.

Allow me to introduce you to Matt.
14 months in the making, 42 countries, and a cast of thousands. Here is his 2008 video.



This did strike a chord in me personally. My niece flew to Sao Paulo, Brazil on Monday. She is part of the Rotary Youth Exchange and will be living there for a year. I know she is going to have the most amazing experience of her life, but I already miss her.

Where did the month go?

Wow it's been a month since I posted something here. I feel so bad. LOL

Life has just been flying by...I would appreciate it slowing down a bit since the faster it goes he faster I reach 40. Not something I've completely prepared for.

Also most of what I have been doing is writing which is documented here, and knitting which is gabbed about here.

I'm on the lap top again because our main 'puter has suffered 2 major virusus this month and frankly will have to wait till I have more $$ to take it back to the shop.
Aside from the file I would like retrieved I will gladly have the thing completely whiped and take it downstairs for the girls. I set up a wireless network in the house. It is much more convenient working on a laptop.

Tomorrow is July 1st and there are already some fireworks going off so I have to go sit with Karma. She gets all freaked out by the noises.

More tomorrow....

Note:
I just found my brother's birthday present.




It's ok if you don't understand. It's a long running joke between me and my younger brother. I'm tempted to order us both shirts in matching colours.

There was a time when we would go to great lengths to trap each other into saying the dreaded response... even phoning at 3 in the morning and asking "Guess What?!"

Chicken Butt!!!.

They even have a page in the Urban dictonary about it. Check it out here.

I seriously can't believe someone actually put it on a shirt. This is the best!

My boy

Chewbacca is getting so big. He's just about 16weeks old and almost as big as his mum. Still a big ol'baby though. He has an addiction to socks and Ryleigh's shoes. Not sure why,but it's always Ryleigh's shoes. I'm thinking that she is feeding them to him so that the little fashion plate can get a new pair. My baby girl has inherited her mother's addiction to pretty footwear.

Sunday morning baking

I've been trying to get in the habit of baking something every Sunday. I used to bake all the time when I first got married, and before that, but after the girls were born it just seemed like there wasn't enough time. My husband has mentioned a few times how much he misses it....(well one more time and I'd refer to it as nagging)

So today, after our "way too early" morning Gymnastics practice with our youngest. I decided to make a batch of Chelsea buns.

Grease the pan and set aside for later......
450 F 12-15 min.......just watch them sugar burns!

2 cups all purpose flour
4.5 teaspoons Baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons shortening
1 cup milk
Mix the dry
Blend in the shortening
Add the milk

Dump onto a well floured surface Mold into a ball, roll out slather with marg, lots of brown sugar and cinnamon out to the edges...raisins....slurp

Roll em out
cut em up

One batch will fit an 8" round cake tin you should get about 6 buns

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

Sounds easy right?... Well it is. My mum has made them a hundred thousand times and I have made them hundreds of times. Although I will admit it's been ages since I made any.

I've been cleaning like a mad woman knowing that my reward when I took a break was going to be a nice cuppa and a bun.

My moment arrived, I finally sat and broke off a piece anticipating ambrosia in the form of brown sugar, cinnamon and raisens.

WTFBBQ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know what I was thinking, but I put in 4.5t of Baking SODA!!!!!!!

Fuck.

Hubby has gone out and now I have to whip up a fresh batch before he gets home. Because I am not about to admit what I just did.

Another thing, the taste of soda does not leave the back of your throat for a very long time.

I Owe My Mother

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.

"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished
cleaning."

2. My mother taught me RELIGION.

"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."

3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL.

"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle
of next week!"

4. My mother taught me LOGIC.

"Because I said so, that's why."

5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC.

"If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going
to the store with me."

6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.

"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

7. My mother taught me IRONY.

"Keep crying and I'll give you something to cry about."

8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.

"Shut your mouth and eat your supper."

9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM.

"Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck?"

10. My mother taught me about STAMINA.

"You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."

11. My mother taught me about WEATHER.

"This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."

12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY.

"If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't
exaggerate!"

13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE.

"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.

"Stop acting like your father!"

15. My mother taught me about ENVY.

"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who
don't have wonderful parents like you do."

16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.

"Just wait until we get home."

1! 7. My mother taught me about RECEIVING.

"You are going to get it when you get home!"

18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.

"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to get stuck
that way."

19. My mother taught me ESP.

"Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"

20. My mother taught me HUMOR.

"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT.

"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

22. My mother taught me GENETICS.

"You're just like your father."

23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS.

"Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"

24. My mother taught me WISDOM.

"When you get to be my age, you'll under stand."

And my favorite:

25. My mother taught me about JUSTICE.

"One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you"


I love you Mum