Grace's Birthday Part 2!

Sunday after church Jerusha had a bunch of us girls over for "Grace's Birthday Part 2". J wasn't able to join us at Niagara but she still wanted to do something to help Grace celebrate so she hosted a lovely luncheon. She had appetizers spread out on the table when we arrived and served a delicious Trinidadian meal. 

After lunch we played "Whoonu" and "Never Have I Ever" and enjoyed this fun cupcake creation. It was a lovely relaxing day. Have I mentioned how much I love all my friends here lately?

Star Wars

My friend Sharlaine moved from BC to Ontario just a few months before I did. She's five years younger than me so we weren't really close in BC but since moving we've developed a deeper friendship. It helps to have someone around who understands what you left behind and knows the same people you do. Sharlaine is a HUGE Star Wars fan. I like Star Wars but I honestly can't remember the last time I actually watched the original three movies. I know I have seen them, probably more than once, but it's easily been ten years or more. Before we moved we made plans to get together to have a Star Wars marathon. On Saturday we finally achieved that.

I worked in the morning and then headed over to Sharlaine's mid-afternoon. I got there around 5pm and we made pizza and settled in to watch the movies. Unfortunately we only made it through the second one (Episode V) before we were both dozing off so we called it a night. Still, it was fun to hang out and remember how much I really do like those movies.

I made little individual coffee flavoured cheese cakes decorated with a Star Wars themed kit from Williams Sonoma for dessert.

Good Timing

(I wrote this post on my Blackberry today while I was killing time. So if it's a bit choppy, that's why. Hopefully it's okay to read because it's about something rather exciting for me.) First a bit of background because I can't remember if I've blogged this before and if I have, I don't expect my readers to remember it. Rewind to first semester of first year. Following the advice of the history undergrad advisor I took a course called "North American Studies 101". The prof and I hit it off extremely well. Out of a class of 200, I participated a lot and often stayed after class to chat. She's also from BC and we found we had a lot in common. As I worked through my first year homesickness, I found I could often turn to her as proof that it would all turn out okay.  Our final exam was on December 22nd. As I was leaving we chatted a bit about our plans for the holidays (both of us were going back to BC) and she asked if I had heard of her NO202 course called "North American Narrative Place and Identity". I was aware of it but, because it was a second year course, I hadn't thought about it much. Well, she invited me to take it with her in the winter semester since the following year (my actual second year) she was scheduled to be on sabbatical and wouldn't be teaching it. It didn't take me long to realize that when a prof invites you to take a course, it's a good thing, so I enrolled. To keep the story short, it was one of my favourite classes ever. The paper I wrote was called "The Representation of the Senorita in Contemporary Country Music" and I got 93% on it (!). I got an A+ overall in that class (the only one I've received so far). So by the end of that year, because of her and how much I enjoyed North American Studies, I declared myself a double major in History and NAS.  So second year goes by. She was on sabbatical and I've taken three other NAS classes (none of which were taught by her anyway). As I was building my third year schedule I realized that the only course that I could take with her is a French course (she's cross listed as a prof in NAS and French). This is a course I was planning on taking for my French minor anyway. It's on Quebec Culture and can be double counted as credits for both French and NAS. But, it's IN FRENCH! I have to admit I was pretty nervous about having to participate and write in French. The content isn't too bad, I mean we study Quebec a lot in NAS, especially in contrast to English Canada and, when I was in Montreal I learned that history really is the same in French as in English (for the most part). Anyway, I talked to a few of my coworkers who have had this prof, in French, and asked what their experience was. In general it was a pretty favourable review but one of them did caution that she seems to pick favourites. This is criticism of her that I've heard before and I admit I laughed it off because we all know where I stand that way ;) the thing that concerned me was possibly losing that status over my less than stellar language skills. Keep in mind that I see her as someone who could be a fourth year seminar advisor and a very good contact for future opportunities so maintaining this status is important to me. I decided to be proactive and go talk to her before classes start in September. Just be really upfront and explain that while I am looking forward to this class, I have some concerns. I figured honesty is the best policy and that way I don't feel like I'm hiding anything and that I can go to her for extra assistance when I need it. Okay, now to the point of our story. So I'm psyching myself up to talk to her in September and guess who comes in to Starbucks on Monday? Just as I'm about to go on my lunch break too. I almost didn't recognize her since it's been a year since I saw her last but I recognized her voice. I said hi, welcome back, etc and we started chatting like no time had passed (except that we had a year of stuff to catch up on!) She ended up staying in the store while I had my lunch and we talked about everything. My experience with Explore and living in Quebec (she did the program 20 years ago), my trip out East, the 2011 playoff run (she's a huge Canucks fan), me going to Georgia, my review of the French profs I've had this year AND the WHOLE structure of this course that I'm taking with her. She was happy to hear that I am going to be in it and I was really upfront with my feelings. I told her why I'm nervous and she told me why, for what I want out of it, I shouldn't be. Apparently when this course was first designed there were only 30 seats. That allowed for a lot of interaction and participation and people wrote papers that were graded with feedback. Now the class has expanded to 80 seats with no marking support. 80 people means there's a wide range of language ability and it makes in class discussion difficult and grading papers a monumental task. She kind of apologized for that and said that from a "French language improvement point of view", the class would be a disappointment. It's mostly listening and reading. There will be weekly readings with short answer "homework" assignments which are mostly completion marks, two multiple choice mid-terms and a final that will require writing but not a lot and it will be graded on content rather than grammar. So for anyone looking to improve their speaking or writing skills (which I am not really) the class wouldn't be good. But for anyone looking to learn about culture (which I am) it will be fine. So there. I was prepared to worry for another three months and now I don't have to! Plus she has emailed me some of our readings so I can get a headstart on the more difficult ones. Talk about good timing and how everything works out for the best. I need to keep believing that!

Port Dover

Monday, May 21st was Victoria Day. I worked a six hour shift at Starbucks (time and a half baby! ;)) but I was done by 1pm so I made plans to meet up with Jess in the little town of Port Dover on Lake Erie. It's about the same distance from my place to Port Dover as it is from hers and there's no real convenient place to meet up so we just met there. It worked well though because Jess had the whole day off so she was able to go out early. I got there around 3pm and joined her on the patch of beach that she had staked out. This picture was taken later in the evening when the beach had cleared off. It was BUSY, which makes sense since it's the "official start of summer" and probably the nicest May Day we've had in a long time.

We both brought snacks but we got fish and chips for dinner anyway. I had the perch and she had halibut. Food eaten outside always tastes better and this was no exception.

The line for food was crazy long. Can you see Jess (in the grey cap) and Chili in line?

We both had books so we just sat and enjoyed the nice weather. We read a bit, chatted and did a lot of people watching. It was a wonderfully relaxing way to welcome summer. I hope we can have a lot more days like this.

Niagara Falls

This is my friend Grace. She turned 25 on Friday. She was having a hard time with that number. I think we all have issues with some number or another. For me it was 23. 25 was actually pretty fun. Anyway, since she needed a distraction, a group of us decided to go to Niagara Falls for the night. There were seven of us total so we got two hotel rooms just a few blocks from the falls. We carpooled down and arrived about an hour and a half before our dinner reservations. I had anticipated the early arrival and packed a selection of cheese and crackers which I served as an appetizer on the slate cheese board that I bought Grace as a present. (I bought the same one for her brother and sister-in-law's wedding last year and she's been coveting it ever since ;))

Grace is a very girly girl so we decided to use her birthday as an opportunity to get dressed up. Our dinner reservations were at the Keg so we all pulled out our fancy dresses and did our hair. We got lots of looks but the "Happy 25th Birthday" balloon that we made Grace carry explained a lot :)

After dinner we changed into more comfortable shoes and then set out on a scavenger hunt that Sharlaine created. (Note the feather boa and blinking crown for Grace ;)) We broke into two teams and had to find 25 things such as: ONE famous person (a picture or a statue), a person with TWO tattoos, THREE people drinking coffee, etc. And of course get a picture of a team member with each person. It was a lot of fun. We only gave ourselves 45 minutes so there was a lot of running involved. My team won but only because we managed to get a group picture with TWENTY people looking at the camera (in Tim Hortons, we just kind of shouted and everyone looked LOL)

Saturday morning we slept in, had our own continental breakfast in the hotel (I brought fruit, one of the other girls brought homemade biscuits, and we had the leftover cheese) and then we headed out to see the falls. Even though Grace was born and raised in Ontario this is the first time she had actually been to the falls (other than crossing the border). She's been lots of other places. England, France, BC and on two cruises but sometimes the things in your own back yard are just as hard to get to.

It was a fabulous day for sightseeing. It was the holiday weekend so it was a little busy but not as bad as it will be later in the summer. It was sunny and warm with a slight breeze so when we did get hit with the spray from the falls it was refreshing more than annoying. The mist at the Canadian Falls was there but it wasn't really all that bad.

The first time I visited Niagara Falls was during my trip to Ontario at Easter in 2000. We drove down on Good Friday and had to be back for an evening church service so we didn't have a lot of time. It was a cold overcast day as well so it wasn't all that enjoyable. Aside from the brief stop I made on the American side of the falls in December 2010 I haven't been back. Maybe it's all in my head but I swear the falls look different from when I was there in 2000. I feel like I can tell that they have receded. It's really interesting to see.

Grace, Sharlaine and I decided to take the Maid of the Mist. Again, I did ride it twelve years ago but this time we were able to go SO much closer! Right up to the base of the Canadian Falls. It was awesome!!! Well worth the money it costs.

These are the American Falls as seen from the Maid of the Mist.

I didn't actually realize the bird was there until I uploaded this picture. I like it. There are tons of birds all around the falls and they are interesting to watch too.

After the boat ride the three of us joined up with the rest of the group and we visited a few of the shops in Niagara. The Hershey and Coke stores were favourites. This picture was taken in a hotel lobby by a friendly guy with an accent. That's me at the bottom, Susannah, Sharlaine, Elizabeth, Grace, Rachel and Esther. Just some of my awesome friends in Ontario :) 

Grandma & Grandpa

Today would have been my maternal grandparents sixtieth wedding anniversary. Unfortunately Grandma passed away just after their 45th and as I mentioned in my last post, Grandpa passed away this last Christmas (December 28th to be specific). They had an incredibly rich life though. They met in Germany where they were both working on a farm after the war. The married on May 18, 1952 at the Lutheran Church in Beedenbostel, Germany which is just outside of Gockenholz where the farm was. In 1953 the emigrated to Canada along with my grandmother's parents, three brothers and sister. The landed at Saint John, New Brunswick and took the train to Raymond, Alberta. There they all worked on a sugar beet farm for a few years to pay back the fees that the Lutheran Church had paid to sponsor them to come to Canada. From there they moved up to just outside of Edmonton and lived on a farm and then in town for the rest of their lives. They had five children. Two boys, two girls and fifteen years later, another boy. My mom was the youngest girl. Because my family moved from Alberta to BC when I was three I didn't have daily contact with my grandparents but we'd visit several times a year and often for a longer stretch during the summer so I did have a good relationship with them. It's hard to believe they're both gone now and that Grandma has been gone for half my life. I still miss her every day. I was given her wedding ring when she passed away. It's just a simple gold band with Grandpa's initials and the date of their wedding engraved inside (HB Mai 52) I wear it every single day and rarely take it off. Today means that it is at least sixty years old as well. It's a reminder of their quiet love and simple endurance. I treasure it more than anything and am honored to wear it.

Ashley

I know a lot of people and I consider a lot of people friends. Some people are particularly special though. One year ago today I met one of those people. One year ago today I arrived in Chicoutimi, Quebec and when I got to my host family's home, I realized that there would be two other students living there with me. What I didn't know was how much and how deeply one of them would impact my life and in how short of a time. I met a lot of people during my time in Quebec but Ashley Gibson and I formed the deepest bond of all. As someone who only had brothers and who hadn't had much success with roommates, I never knew the intimacy that could develop when you live with someone, especially when you are sharing the experience of the Explore Program. It is very intense and without Ashley and the other friends I made, I don't think I would have made it though.

Ashley and I initially connected because we were so close in age (she only had six months on me). Our other housemate, Museb was much younger and good was a good sport about taking on the role of "little brother". In the five weeks that I was in Chicoutimi Ashley and I were pretty much always by each others sides. She was in a different classroom but we often ate lunch together and sought each other out at break times and for group events. Most evenings we either had dinner at the school or with our host family and then she and I (and sometimes Museb) would go out. I spent more time in pubs and bars in that time than all the rest of
my life combined (well...it felt like it anyway ;)) But really, that's what we did. Ashley drank, I drove, we were a fabulous pair. Then on weekends we'd go exploring. It was generally someone different in the back seat. Victoria joined us a few times, Beth, Vita, Steve, Adam, Connor, the list goes on but it was always, ALWAYS, Ashley and I together in the front. We covered the Saguenay Region in the sun, rain and fog and sampled every cheese curd, ice cream and beer (for her) that we could find. It was around the fourth week that I had to go out quickly. I was driving away from the house when I realized "this is the first time I've been alone in my car since I arrived!!!"

I wouldn't have had it any other way. We shared so much in such a short time

I saw Ashley twice after Quebec. Once on July 8th when I was passing through Toronto and managed to meet up with her for dinner (I met her mom that night too) and once on August 31st when we met up for lunch at a restaurant just down the street from her house. Once school started our lives both got so busy it was hard to coordinate our schedules. Even so we BBM'd frequently and stayed in touch on Facebook. Over Christmas we made plans to get together for her birthday on January 6th. My return was delayed by the death of my grandfather and her party was postponed due to the death of her grandmother. A few days after our last exchange which was "I'll let you know when we reschedule" I received a phone call from Ashley's mother telling me that Ashley had died. As far as I know her death was caused by a bad mix of new prescription drugs and just like that her young life was ended. She had just had her 32nd birthday. I did make it up to Collingwood for the funeral. That was one of the hardest drives I've ever had to make but it was also therapeutic in it's own way. It seemed like a long drive was a good way to pay homage to someone who I got to know so well in my car. I still miss her like crazy and think of her often. I've lost other friends and acquaintances but never one whom I was so close with. Even if she was only in my life for a little over seven months.

My $8.80 Gamble

So, as a follow up to my previous post, I present My $8.80 Gamble. This is the dry goods I bought at the bulk foods store as a result of reading Pinterest. (clockwise from top left) Dry kidney beans, dry pinto beans, bulgur, flour, couscous, dry black (turtle) beans and cornmeal. The flour and cornmeal aren't really a gamble, I've used them before and I was low. The beans, bulgur and couscous however, were. I have used beans before but only ever the canned kind. I even called my mom and asked why she never used dry beans. They are SOOOOO much cheaper! And, in the spirit of "real food" don't have any additives like salt. Her response was mostly that it just took too much planning to get them, soak them, cook them, and THEN include them in a recipe. It's much easier to just open a can and dump them in your pot. Fair enough but I'm finding that all the prep that goes in to cooking, especially clean cooking, is part of the fun of it. It's kind of a game for me. Now, I realize that I'm one person and if a dish I'm planning isn't ready I can just have cereal for dinner. It's different when you're feeding a family. I get that. But still, it seems worth it to me. So the black beans were for a delicious Black Bean Salad that I'm already craving again. The kidney beans, pinto beans and bulgur were for a vegetarian chili. It took me almost a week to prep it. Tuesday I started soaking the beans, Wednesday I cooked them on the stove. Thursday I soaked the bulgur and would have made the chili but it was a GORGEOUS day and just not chili weather. Friday I finally made it. Vegetarian chili is initially a little different to get used to because it doesn't have that hearty meaty taste but I added extra chili powder so it's still got kick and it's very satisfying. Plus, removing the meat makes it much healthier which is the point. I made cornbread muffins to go with it. Lastly I used the rest of the pinto beans for Easy Slow Cooker Refried Beans. My landlord has a slow cooker which she stores downstairs and has given us permission to use. This was my first time using a slow cooker, ever. I like refried beans as a base for my version of Mexican food (basically just a tortilla with beans and lots and lots of veggies on top). This recipe was easy. The only thing I would do in the future is be sure to only let them cook for eight hours. I left them in for closer to nine and all the water was gone. They're a bit dry but I just add water before reheating and they're perfectly fine. The good news is that even though I've eaten over a third of it already (in wraps, pitas, etc) I still have a ton so I won't even be trying it again for a long time. 

So there, that's my report on the cooking adventures that eight dollars and eighty cents bought me. And I haven't even use the couscous yet! I have some plans for that though. I'll let you know how it goes. And who knows, maybe I'll inspire someone else to use dry goods. 

How Pinterest Changed My Life

That sounds dramatic but stay with me here. I'm online every day and accessing certain websites via my phone all day. Before Pinterest the websites I visited were very limited. Facebook, ScrapShare, my school's website, Hotmail, the bank, and a couple of radio stations. There were a handful of blogs that I visited as well but I mostly read those through the updates sent to my email. I was aware of Pinterest but avoided it like the plague because it seemed to all consuming. I finally broke down back in March or so and asked a friend for an invite. As predicted, it was immediately addicting but I found that I didn't only repin things, I actually clicked the links and visited the websites. And I made the stuff I found! So Pinterest has opened up a whole new world of websites to me (ones that I never ever would have visited on my own) and it's inspired a new passion for cooking. I have a separate board for some of the Recipes I've Tried if you're interested.

The other part of how Pinterest "changed my life" is more directly credited to a website I found because of Pinterest. 100 Days of Real Food doesn't really say anything different than anyone else but it's presented in a way that just makes sense. Initially, as a student on a very, VERY limited budget, I was drawn to Lisa's 100 Days on a Budget. If she can feed a family of four healthy, filling "real food" on $125 a week, then surely I can do it on even less than that. Especially since I have a ton of staples in the cupboard already. I read all the entries for the 100 Days on a Budget and then moved on to the Original 100 Day Pledge. Lisa follows Michael Pollan's mantra from his book "In Defense of Food" "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." I haven't read the book yet myself but I plan to this summer. This plan just makes sense and in the twoish months since I discovered Lisa's blog, I have started making these changes. For the first couple of weeks to say I had "changed" was laughable because I was still eating the food I had on hand. All the processed frozen things in my freezer and boxed items in my pantry. Over time the change was reflected in my shopping habits. The best part about how Lisa presents her suggestions is that is empowering. Instead of feeling deprived because I "can't" eat certain things, the difference is that now I "can" but I CHOSE not to. For a stubborn person like me who HATES to be told what I SHOULD do (should is my most hated word ever) being given the choice of eating crap or eating whole, clean, real food, is liberating.

So this discovery of a website (with recipes) that focus on "real" food along with the eye catching pictures from Pinterest, have combined to really, finally, change how I think about food. And the best part? It's FUN! I look forward to each meal I prepare now. What a concept. :)

Wonderful Weekend

Saturday night my Uncle Doug (dad's younger brother) his wife LaRae arrived in Ontario. We met up for dinner in Burlington where they were staying before heading to Niagara. It was wonderful to see them (they're the first family that has "visited" since I moved here!) We had a nice dinner and then went for ice cream. The whole time we caught up on each other's lives, discussed all the family weddings scheduled for this year (my two brothers, their son, and one other cousin/nephew). We also reminisced about family history and discussed the genealogy research I've been doing out here.

Since I was already in Burlington I had made plans to stay over night with my friend Jess. I got to her place just before 10pm. We chatted a bit and then went to bed and slept in on Sunday. It was the first Sunday of the month so we had a late service (7pm) which meant we had the whole day to do whatever we wanted to. We started with breakfast and then went for a walk along a section of the Bruce Trail. It was a perfect day for a walk. Sunny and warm with a slight breeze that keep it just right. We walked along a creek and then up a hill and looped back around to the parking lot. The whole thing took just over an hour.

Next we drove into Oakville and went shopping in their downtown district. This was my first time visiting there and we weren't looking for anything in particular so it was just nice to poke around in the shops. Jess bought a beautiful linen skirt and we shared some meringues from a bakery while sitting in a park and watching all the little kids run around on the grass.

Once we were done shopping we went back to her place, had an amazing dinner of fish, new potatoes and salad and then got ready for church. Nothing about the day was particularly spectacular (except for the weather) but it was incredibly relaxing and wonderful. This week I am doing a lot of closing shifts at work so I am going to enjoy having my days to myself.

Back Online!

I know no one here has probably missed me since I'm blogging so infrequently these days but I was offline for the early part of this week. Not totally because I do have access on my phone but something got messed up on my computer so I couldn't get online. I finally broke down and it took it into the tech shop at school where one of my Starbucks regulars ran a "network system restore" and now it's all happy again. So how did I survive for three days without regular internet access? And why did it take me that long to decided to fix it? Two words: Downton Abbey. I borrowed the first two seasons from a friend of mine...well, a week ago today and I finished watching them last night. It's SOOOOOO GOOD! It's been a long...no, scratch that. I don't think I've EVER been this addicted to a tv show! I had heard good reviews of the show and when I heard she had it, I was excited to see what all the hype was about. I'm happy to report that it was just as good as it was made out to be. It's really what I needed following exams. Just some mindless entertainment. I also have the last few seasons of Road to Avonlea (I started watching that last summer after I got back from PEI) and I'll borrow "Larkrise to Candleford" from this same friend soon. I may rewatch Downton before I give it back though. It's that good!

Friday Fill-ins

And...here we go!

1. Vegetables are best period. More on this in another post.
2. Pinterest has too many mason jars; and I don't have enough.
3. How wonderful it is to do nothing and then relax afterwards. <-- one of my favourite quotes
4. Five Love Languages is a book I'd love to recommend.
5. Using leftovers: I like all leftovers. It means less cooking!
6. Good music makes me incredibly happy!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to studying, tomorrow my plans include writing two exams and Sunday, I want to PARTY BECAUSE I'LL BE DONE SECOND YEAR!

Friday Fill-in Blog

After my French exam I was craving Greek so we went for Egyptian. That makes sense right? No? Okay, let me explain. I've been nursing a craving for tzatziki for a few weeks now. My friend Heather and I were discussing it after a recent trip to the St. Jacobs Farmers Market and she mentioned that there is an excellent Egyptian restaurant in town that serves amazing lamb, tzatziki and the tabouli that I sampled at the market for the first time and fell in love with. In celebration of completing my French exam yesterday, we went for an early dinner. I followed her lead and ordered her usual: lamb kofta served over Egyptian rice mixed with vermicelli noodles, tabouli, some sort of spicy bean mixture that I forget the name of, and of course the tzatziki. I also had some pickled (in beet juice?) turnips. It was delicious. Different from anything I've ever really eaten but I loved it. It's also a HUGE portion so I have at least half of it still waiting for me in the fridge.

So what's the Greek tie in? Just the tzatziki. When I say I'm "craving Greek" I really mostly mean the tzatziki. This stuff was different from what I am used to in that it had chunks of cucumber rather than the shredded version I have had in the past but it was still good. It inspired me to try and make my own as well. I bought "Balkan style" yogurt last time I was at the store (instead of the regular pre-sweetened stuff I usually buy) but I used it all in my morning smoothies. I need to go shopping again and I'm going to get either Balkan or Greek style yogurt and see if I can make my own tzatziki. I'll let you know how it goes!

My own Passion Tea Lemonade

I've been meaning to try this for awhile. Today I'm just sitting at home studying for my 7pm exam and getting tired of drinking water. I brewed up a large cup of Tazo brand Passion Tea (I got a tea bag from work so I could try this) poured the brewed tea into a  glass, added approximately a tablespoon of lemon concentrate (that yucky stuff from the bottle that they say you're not supposed to use but I do because it doesn't go bad like real lemons and I need it for the bran muffins I like to make), a bit of honey, all the ice cubes in my Ikea ice cube tray, and water to fill the glass to the top. It totally works! It's not exactly like Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade but it's very drinkable and a little better for you since it's sweetened with honey instead of Classic Syrup. Plus it doesn't taste like tea (I don't like regular iced tea). I'm going to get a whole tin of Passion Tea because I can see myself making this a lot more during the summer.

Random Easter Memories

I suppose any annual event makes you think about past ones but today I'm reminiscing about past Easters. When I was a kid the chocolate was there but the emphasis was, as with every Sunday, always on church. Doing an Easter egg hunt was always a bit awkward because it was either completed in a hurry before church (like the picture) or we had to wait until after which was just painful :P

Because we moved a fair bit, Easter is very much associated with the house we were living in at the time. For example I know, from our ages and the angle that this was the house on Harwood. I very clearly remember the excitement of finding our chocolates in Mom and Dad's closet too. And our "baskets" that were actually empty Becel margarine tubs :)

The year we were on Astoria we had our hunt in the back yard. That summer we found a stray chocolate egg in the dryer vent. Somehow we had missed it and by then it was very melted. Ooops!

One year on Perth we had to do the hunt in the living room because it was POURING rain outside.

When I got older it was less about the chocolate and more about the fact that I had a long weekend and it was a great time to travel. In 2000 I visited Ontario for the first time and in 2007 I was in Texas. It is crazy to think that I now LIVE in Ontario (I joked about moving back then but I never, ever would have done it) and it floors me that Texas was five years ago already.

Easter is obviously about much more than chocolate or travel. After this weekend my heart is full of thanksgiving, love and new memories as I look back five years, twelve, twenty some and two thousand to where it all began.

Yeah for impromptu ice cream dates

I had just sat down for dinner when I got a text from a friend asking what I was up to. She wanted ice cream so after I finished eating I caught a bus over to the school and we walked a few blocks down to DQ. I had a peanut buster bar, something I've been craving for awhile now. Then we walked back and I caught the bus home. All in all I was only gone for about 45 minutes but it was nice to get out and enjoy the spring evening. Yeah for being spontaneous!

Five Friends and yummy bread

I thought I blogged about the last time these lovely ladies and I got together but I can't seem to find the entry. Because of that, I'll give a bit of background. We met on the History Students Association trip to Quebec City in January 2011. While everyone else was out drinking we bonded. We see each other around campus but don't really hang out a lot. We met up in April 2011 for an outing to a bakery in Guelph and again in August or September for coffee at Williams here in Waterloo. Getting five people with crazy schedules together every few months is a bit tricky but we love catching up so I think we'll make a point of doing it for a few more years. L-R is myself, Megan (back), Laura, Louise and Adrienne. I actually have history classes with Megan and Laura this semester so I talk to them a bit more but I rarely see Louise, who is an English major or Adrienne who is an Archaeology major. 

Since I was the one who contacted everyone to organize the get together, I got to chose where we went. We decided to stay in town again and this time we checked out a new German Bakery in town (Mere, this is the one I was telling you about) Adrienne had a year end brunch banquet that day so we just met up for mid-afternoon coffee. I had one of the donuts and bought a big bag of day old buns for $5. 

The bakery actually makes it's bread IN Germany and then has it shipped over about 60% baked. They finish the baking here and serve it. The result is fresh, authentic German bread that throws everyone who supports buying local into a fit of confusion. The bread itself is obviously not local and the carbon footprint is huge but it IS a local business and it's just so good! Plus the shop itself is adorable. I'll definitely be back (this is already my second visit) they have my support for sure.

As for my lovely friends, we're all spreading out over the summer but I'm sure we'll meet up again in September, if not before.

Heidi's tips for Saving Money: Win stuff!

I'm happy to report that my track record for winning things from the local radio stations has continued in Ontario. So far I've won the newest Eric Church CD - Chief, and the previously mentioned Hunger Games movie tickets and sound track. I also "bought" (with points earned by entering bonus codes online) tickets for myself and two friends to go to to the Waterloo Region Food & Drink show at the Kitchener Market.

My latest acquisition was a "call in and win" thing on FaithFM. On Sunday nights they have a gospel hour and they've been giving away cd's and dvd's of the Collingsworth Family over the last few weeks. I've been caller 3, 4, and last night I was 2, 4 AND 7. Luckily 7 was the lucky number and I won a copy of the the "A Decade of Memories" dvd. The Collingsworth Family is here in concert this week but I can't attend because of a prior commitment so this is a nice substitute. Plus, it was freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! :D

Good-bye

My latest roommate has moved out. It's a weird feeling. She's been here for six months but we hardly ever talked so I can't really say I'll "miss" her. We both just let each other do our own thing and didn't get in the others way. We shared the fridge and kitchen space but she let me have a lot more space than she ever took. The fridge looks weird because it's half empty (like, the right half is perfectly clear) and the shelf where she kept her food is empty. Other than the fact that her bedroom door is open and the room is cleared out, nothing is really different. I didn't get a chance to say good-bye though. Maybe that's what feels weird. Even though "good-bye" would be more than we've said to each other in a long while.

A new girl took a look at the place the other day. I haven't heard yet if she's going to take it or not. For the record, whoever moves in next will be my fourth roommate in two years. The first one drove me nuts, the second one I never, EVER saw, and the third one who just moved out was just there. Very unobtrusive. I'm interested to see how the next one will be.

The Hunger Games

My friend Sharlaine and I joined the throngs of people going to see The Hunger Games this weekend. The only difference for us, was that we didn't pay because I won tickets (and the soundtrack) through the local radio station :D We chose to go this weekend because it worked best for both our schedules. Sharlaine lives over an hour from me so the weekends are really the only time we can meet up and with Easter and things coming, we figured it would be better to go sooner rather than later. Plus, neither of us really wanted to wait.

I loved the movie. Now I should admit, up front, that I've only read the first book. Sharlaine lent it to me last summer. I had a hard time getting into it and getting through it and because of that, and school, I haven't bothered with the other two. She recently lent me the audio books though so, I'm hoping, with school ending soon, I should be able to listen to them finally. She was really impressed with the movie too. They made minor changes which are necessary for book adaptations but overall I think they really captured what the book was about. My favourite part by far was seeing all the costumes in the Capital. Craziness!!!

I have to admit, I'm really enjoying the soundtrack as well. I didn't think I would but it's got some really great songs on it. I was expecting to recognize more of them in the movie but either they weren't used or I was just too engrossed in the story. Probably the latter, it was that good!

Friday Fill-ins 3/23/12 (on Saturday)

This is me hopefully easing myself back into blogging. 

1. Spring was here. It was an absolutely fabulous week. Now it’s the weekend and it’s drizzling outside. I guess that’s still spring though... 
2. I like my coffee strong. Komodo Dragon blend this morning! 
3. I forgot how wonderful flip flops feel. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t mind my boots but my toes are loving being free.
4. Veggies are what I plan on buying at the farmers market today. 
5. Heads, shoulders, knees and aches, pains, everywhere! Why? Is this what it feels like to get old? If so, I don’t like it :P 
6. Walking to and from school is my favorite form of exercise when it's warm enough out not to wear a coat! 
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to some end of year formal dinner at school. I forget what groups it’s for. I’m just going for the free dinner :D. Tomorrow my plans include HUNGER GAMES! After church, with Sharlaine! 

Want to play along?  Check it out: http://fridayfillins.blogspot.com/2012/03/friday.html.

Attitude of Gratitude V4#24 - Auto save

Yes, auto save. It is a LIFESAVER. And auto recovery for that matter. The battery is gone on my laptop. As in I have zero battery. It works fabulously when it's plugged in but it can't be unplugged for more than two seconds or it shuts down. I have a loose cord connection as well so it tends to happen often. When it does I initially curse because it's a pain to boot the thing back up but then I praise god for auto save because I rarely actually lose work. Even when I haven't saved myself (which I try to do fairly regularly), the computer saves automatically every few minutes and then recovers whatever I was working on. It stinks that I have to rely on it but until I get around to getting a new battery, I'll take what I can get.

From love affair to all out relationship

I have a confession. I've been having an affair. With David. Well, with his tea anyway. Have you heard of this stuff? DAVIDsTEA? You may recall that I don't even LIKE tea. Well, this is different. I got a sample pack of "Forever Nuts" as part of my Secret Santa gift at work and I fell. in. love. Granted of all the zillions of teas that David has, that's probably the best choice for me because I love anything nutty (my Santa knows me well) but I'm interested in trying other ones now. In fact I finally stopped in at their store yesterday and I spent over $30! THIRTY!!! On TEA! ME! The coffee queen. It's not cheap so it's not like I got a lot. Just a tin of my beloved Forever Nuts, adorable little drawstring fillable tea bags (actually buying a tea ball or something which is actually cheaper sounded too much like commitment) and a mini-tin of Coco-Chai Rooibos which I haven't even tried yet. I like the herbal and rooibos teas because they aren't caffeinated and good for drinking before bed.

I feel like a traitor to Starbucks which is why it feels like an affair. The fact that it was a coworker that introduced me to this stuff is only slightly ironic. And that I've fallen head over heels in love, with tea. I'm still finding it hard to believe but I am enjoying it. I should probably be worried. I'm thirty and now I'm starting to drink tea. Pretty sure it's downhill from here. Next thing you know I'll be getting a cat. If that does happen, please, please, PLEASE stage an intervention LOL

Attitude of Gratitude V4#23 - Family

Any of you who have been reading my blog for any length of time know that I generally include "Family" as one of my first annual gratitude posts. It's one of the few topics that I allow myself to repeat because I truly am grateful for my family. Well, I have to admit, this past November I wasn't exactly grateful for them. In fact I was kind of happy that I was so busy with school because I could avoid the drama. So, with the benefit of hindsight, let's see if I can catch you all up a little bit. First, we'll start with a recap on my family. L-R in the picture is Brittany and Seth (the oldest boy in our family and his fiance, you may remember back in August when I announced their engagement). Next is myself, then Robert and his wife(!, more on that later) Robbie, Dad, Mom and my "baby" brother, Aaron.

Yes, Wife. So Seth and Brittany got engaged in August 2011 and set their wedding date as August 2012. Then in October Robert and Robbie got engaged and decided "hey, since everyone will be in BC for Christmas, let's just get married then!" Great idea right? Well, it kind of blew up on them. Major, MAJOR drama ensued. The most majorest drama that my family has ever seen. Mostly on the case of Seth's part. To say he was livid and hurt would be an understatement. I spent HOURS on the phone with him, and then Mom, and then Brittany and a bit with Robert (who was WAY up north and out of range most of the time). In time it died down and Seth has (thankfully) mostly come to terms with it but I don't think he'll ever really forgive Robert for leapfrogging him to the altar.

So, back in November when I was supposed to be writing this post, I wasn't particularly grateful for my family. Now that Christmas and the wedding have come and gone, and we're all back on speaking terms and the drama is mostly passed down, I can go back to being grateful for them. Even with the drama they are WAY better than most families and I wouldn't trade them. Plus, I really like my new sister-in-laws which is just a bonus!

Attitude of Gratitude V4#22 - Flying

Another five weeks have passed since my last post. Crazy. So, where do I start? How about where I left off. That seems more manageable. I'm just going to keep going with the gratitude posts and blog little chunks of the past month plus.

I am so glad that I love flying. My choice to live so far from my family means that flying is a fact of life if I want to see them and not spend most of my trip on a bus or in a car. Luckily I really love flying. Yes it has drawbacks but it's so worth it. Just before Christmas I was scheduled to fly out of Pearson International Airport in Toronto at 7am. I did the math and realized that, accounting for weather and traffic, in order to be there on time I would probably have to get up around 3am. Instead my friend Jess drove me out the night before. We went for dinner and she dropped me off at 11pm. I just spent the extra time in the airport with the few people that had layovers. It worked. It wasn't particularly comfortable for napping but it was quiet and I figure I probably wouldn't have slept at home anyway.

The benefit of being up for most of the night is that I got to check in and check my luggage with out waiting in line. Same with going through security, plus, they're a bit more laid back and patient at 4am. I got on the plane just after 7am as scheduled. I found my (window) seat, sat down, buckled up, put my headphones in and my jacket under my head...and the next thing I knew I looked outside the window and this <-- is the sight that greeted me. Mountains. Mountains WEST of Calgary. I had fallen asleep immediately. I didn't hear the safety announcement or I didn't feel the plane move at all. No taxiing, no take off. None of it. So, thanks to my nap, my five hour flight felt like only about 45 minutes!!! It was great! Granted I was a little disappointed because I DO like flying and I had big plans for while I was on the plane (reading, watching movies, etc) and I missed it all. That's okay though :)


This was my plane from Edmonton. Why Edmonton you ask? Well, I'll get to that. For now, I'm going to post this and hope it inspires me to get back to blogging :)

Attitude of Gratitude V4#21 - New Boots

Last year I got Uggs, well, fake Uggs. Soft Moc ones but I love them. In 2009 I got my red boots. This year I got these gems (apparently new boots is a November tradition :D)

For my birthday my friend Rachel (pictured with me on my birthday below) gave me a gift certificate to the shoe store Spring. I would never have considered that for someone but I think it's brilliant!

I have noticed this style around campus and really liked them. It seemed like everyone I spoke to had gotten their boots at Spring so I made my way over there and found this pair. I love the neutral colour and they are SO soft. They're not snow boots by any stretch of the imagination but they are good for walking to the bus in the rain or on cool dry days when you don't want knee high boots. I usually wear them laced up to the top (like the one on the right) but I have seen lots of  people wearing them open (like on the left). I really like the plaid inside too and I wanted you to see that ;)

Yep, I am thankful for new boots!

Attitude of Gratitude V4#20 - A Sense of Humour

I'm having trouble keeping track of all the people I know who are engaged. This isn't a new problem, I generally have tons of weddings to go to but it seems like recently there's been a bunch more. I can't help but wonder though, if all these people are getting married, why am I still single? Well, let's look at WHO is getting married.

Of the seven weddings I know of that are coming up:
Two of the guys are my brothers
Two of the guys are my cousins
Two of the guys are over ten years younger than me
Two of the guys are gay and marrying each other.

Alrighty then. Let's just forget it :P

Anyway, lately I've really been enjoying Terri Clark's newest single called "The One". It really captures where I am right now.

I hear the whispers as I walk by
They always start with bless her heart
She’s still single and that’s such an empty life
She must not be lookin’ all that hard
They’ve all got their stories of why I’m still alone
But the only truth that matters is my own

I want fireworks to paint the sky
A kiss to burn my lips
I wanna feel the touch that pounds my heart down to my fingertips
And twenty years from now it still won’t be as good as it will ge
It might be a lot to ask for but I won’t take any less
 Just because I won’t settle don’t mean I won’t settle down
I don’t need a love that I can live with I want the one I can’t live without

 Momma’s always getting on me
She says I don’t give anyone a chance
But if I can’t feel the music when somebody holds me
How am I supposed to dance
There might be a few more lonely nights
But I’m not keeping score
It’s worth the wait for what I’m waitin’ for

 Fireworks to paint the sky
A kiss to burn my lips
I wanna feel the touch that pounds my heart down to my fingertips
And twenty years from now it still won’t be as good as it will get
It might be a lot to ask for but I won’t take any less
Just because I won’t settle don’t mean I won’t settle down
I don’t need a love that I can live with I want the one I can’t live without

 And just because I won’t settle don’t mean I won’t settle down
I don’t need a love that I can live with I want the one I can’t live without
No I can’t live without

 So, I'll keep singing, and be grateful that I can laugh about it.

Attitude of Gratitude V4#19 - Christmas Music

 I titled this Christmas Music but really I'm grateful for Christmas music, live music, and great friends who are flexible and open to adventure.

First the music, I have four friends who have joined a celtic fiddle club and they participated in a Christmas concert on Friday night. Granted only one of them plays the violin. The others play flute, clarinet and mandolin. The music was a lot of fun. Lots of good toe tapping fiddle tunes with just enough Christmas standards thrown in to make it feel festive.

My friends Kinsey (left) and Heather (left) joined me. Kinsey had invited us over for a Christmas dinner that she was hosting on Thursday night but I had to work so I suggested dinner on Friday and then invited them both to this concert. It was held in a church in Acton which, with traffic, is well over an hour away (although it was a lot less getting home) so we had dinner and then just visited in the car. They both said that they really enjoyed the show, but for different reasons. Kinsey posted on Facebook: "Had a great time tonight at a Celtic Christmas Concert with Heidi and Heather! All those jigs and reels really made me miss PEI!" Heather said she enjoyed it because she used to be in band and was familiar with some of the music. In any case it was a fun relatively inexpensive night out and we all said we'd be game to do something like that again!

Attitude of Gratitude V4#18 - Good Days

Today was just an all around good day. Let's see if I can remember all the wonderful things that happened. I guess the big one is that I finished my last paper of the term. I probably could have still worked on it for awhile but it was due at midnight so around 6pm I just decided it was done and submitted it.

I also talked to my landlord. She has been STRESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSING out over renting the other room in my basement suite. I can't remember if I've posted about this but the current tenant had decided that she wanted to move because she thought it was too expensive. Well she looked around and realized that it's actually pretty middle of the road (especially considering everything is included, heat, hot water, laundry, parking, internet, tv, etc) Plus she didn't want to deal with the hassle of moving so she's decided to stay. She managed to talk our landlord down on the rent though and since we both pay the same amount, it means my rent will now be $35 cheaper for the next few months. Not a huge savings but every little bit counts right now so I am thankful. Plus this chick is pretty easy to live with so that is nice. My landlord had been considering renting to some of the guys that have inquired and the last person that looked at the place was a guy with a girlfriend so there would have been three of us here. I'd prefer to not live with a strange guy so this really is an answer to prayer.

Let's see, oh yeah, I also managed to change a tutorial I have next term to a better time slot. It was at 10:30am on Monday mornings when my next class isn't until 2:30pm. Now I have it on Wednesday with a bunch of other classes which is much better for my attendance potential.

I also realized that with my current grade in French, if I don't write the final exam AT ALL, I'll still pass the course (not by much, but I'd pass). Of course I will write so it's almost like bonus marks!

And then to end it all, I found out that my friends Angela and Matthew got engaged last night. It was their three year anniversary and the engagement isn't a surprise to anyone but it's still exciting. That makes five weddings for friends and family so far next year. We'll see how many I'm actually able to attend!

Attitude of Gratitude V4#17 - Cookies

Because what is Christmas without a cookie exchange? I certainly don't NEED a bunch of cookies but they sure taste good! I made Cinnamon Sugar Crispies which have pecans on top. They were kind of small but tasty. I hope everyone liked them! These are the ladies I exchanged with. Sandy, Bev (in front), Ruth and Brenda. In the first picture Ruth was looking at Bev for some reason. In the second we were all tickling each other hence the huge grins LOL I love these ladies, and not only because they make great cookies!!!

Attitude of Gratitude V4#16 - Twilight

Heidi's Tips for Enjoying Books that are Turned into Movies

1. don't read the book for at least a year before you see the movie so you don't remember every specific detail and don't get annoyed by minor differences in the plot

2. Set your expectations low

3. Decide that you think the lead actor is cute and is perfect for the part

With these three tips, I can say that I really enjoyed seeing Breaking Dawn on Saturday with my friends Sharlaine (back) and Elizabeth. Sharlaine didn't follow rule number three so she had a hard time with the movie as a whole. Elizabeth didn't follow one or two so she was a bit disappointed as well. For me, I really enjoyed it. It was like seeing old friends and I have to admit, I am wholly back on the Team Emmett bandwagon! ;)

Timing is everything too. This movie focuses on Edward and Bella's wedding and I couldn't help but thinking of my own brother's weddings that are coming up. Seeing Edward, Emmett and Jasper (did he make one?) make speeches just made me think of my brothers. Those guys are like brothers to me anyway, even if I do think they're cute ;)

I am looking forward to the second part of Breaking Dawn even though it contains a lot more "vampire" stuff which I don't enjoy. I am interested to see how it all plays out on screen though. I was discussing the movie with my coworker and was reminded of a blog post I wrote two years ago. It's my stance on Twilight, for the record :)

And, to make this an official "Gratitude" post, I am thankful that I have friends who I can go see them movie with! Sharlaine and Elizabeth were technically on a double date, in that their husbands went to see another movie while they saw Breaking Dawn but they allowed me to join them which I appreciate. It's always fun to see films with people who can appreciate them.

Attitude of Gratitude V4#15 - SS Sisters

For the past few years I have participated in an ornament exchange on ScrapShare. I received this year's ornaments on Thursday after a very long day. I left that morning at 9am and didn't get back until almost 11:30pm. It was wonderful to be greeted by a lovely package like this.

When we sign up we fill out a brief questionnaire about how you celebrate Christmas, any colours you like, anything you collect, and any ornament that is special for any reason. I said that they're all special but that I like the ones that represent where my SS sister lives.

This year my name was assigned to Amy in VA, aka "greeneyes". She sent two ornaments and a beautiful card. The ball with the H was hand painted by a friend of hers and interestingly very closely resembles an ornament I was eyeing in the bookshop at school earlier that day!

The second one is the town hall in in her town, Vienna, VA as it looked in the 1950's. I immediately Googled it and was tickled to see that the town hall still looks exactly the same (except the trees are a bit bigger). Take a look! Here's the address: 152 Center Street South, Vienna, VA, United States

The ONLY thing wrong with this ornament? Now I want to take a road trip to Vienna, Virginia!!! Thanks Amy! Don't be surprised if I end up in your town some day ;)

Attitude of Gratitude V4#14 - Farmers Markets

One of the things I loved about living in my apartment in BC was that the local Farmers Market was within walking distance of my apartment. There was nothing better than walking downtown on a sunny Saturday morning and loading up with fresh veggies.

One of the reasons I chose to move to Waterloo, Ontario was that it is close to the little town of St. Jacobs is so close. St. Jacobs has a huge Farmers Market that runs throughout the year on Saturdays and on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the summer. Unfortunately between school and work I can't always get out there so this year I was super excited to get involved in the student run Farmers Market on campus! There is a group of students (mostly in Geography interestingly enough) who work together to source local food (not always "organic" but definitely local) and sell it in the Concourse once a week. Local means seasonal so this time of year it's a lot of root vegetables (beets, turnips, sweet potatoes) which I have been having fun eating. They sell each item piece by piece. For example, 25 cents for a potato or apple, 1.25 for broccoli, etc. and focus on small amounts. One of the issues with the bigger Farmers Markets is that you often get massive amounts of food. Like two pounds of green beans or ten apples. Well that is great if you are feeding a family but for a student, on a budget, buying huge amounts of food doesn't make sense because it goes bad before you can eat it. This way you only really have to buy for the week and you can load up again next week!

I was able to volunteer for an hour and a half between classes for about a month and a half. I got off track when I got sick but I'll be back next year for sure. I stopped by the last market booth on Wednesday and they gave me a little bag of chocolates as a thank you which I immediately devoured :)

I look forward to next year and in the mean time, I'll try and take a trip out to St. Jacobs again. It's only about 15 minutes from my house so it makes a nice little trip.

Attitude of Gratitude V4#13 - Christmas Tree

So apparently my new tradition is to wait until the second year that I'm at a place before I get a tree. That's what happened in my last apartment and that's what has happened here. I can't even really remember why I didn't get a tree last year. No time I think, or ornaments (because I think bulk ones are boring). This year I knew I wanted a small tree so I started shopping in early November. I ended up finding one (for twelve dollars!!!) at Zellars. It's pre-lit with white lights and I added a string of another 200 coloured lights. I still don't have many ornaments because most of them are still packed away in BC but I have collected a few. I have the ones I picked up this summer while travelling and the Starbucks ones from this year and last year. At the top is the one I received in last year's ScrapShare Ornament Swap.
The tree is three feet tall which is just perfect. It sits on a shelf in front of my mirror which makes the lights even brighter. I love having a tree up, especially when it's dark and cold out and I am stuck inside writing papers (or blogging...) and studying.