almost...

A while back I was looking for a song that reminded me of my bro Travis and his lady Pam (hi!)... and this seemed like the perfect song. (Go on and dance, I'll wait)... I've been humming this a lot lately... *sigh* Well, it's been a long and trying year. I've been blessed with... The love of my Chicklet, ma puce, mon ange, my sunshine! Dad's hands to hold... still bigger than mine The support of my friends - My SP buddies and The Hoochies and Hotties (this song is for all of you... all y'all are stuck with me) and fine bloggers I've met on my journey... (I REALLY need to update my links...) And I've had the arms of a good man to shelter me from the storm. I love you honey... I may get a post in before the New Year comes, but if not... May your eyes be filled with stars May your heart know the Joy of Love and may you dance in the moonlight... I know I will. Happy New Year my dears... Love you all more than my luggage! Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Thanks.. you shouldn’t have… really!

I believe I've mentionned Shark-dog and Dum-dum before... Well, yesterday, after I took The Chicklet to her Dad’s after she and I spent a few hours with my Daddy, I came home to a guilty dog… of course the guilty looking one (Dum-dum) wasn't the perpetrator of the haineous crime. You see, Shark dog got to the box that was on the kitchen counter, the one with the chocolates Santa left in my stocking… So what has my boxing day been like? I’ve been picking up “presents” left by Shark dog… she even managed to wrap them… of course the shiny foil wrapping is on the INSIDE of the present! YUCK! Well, I hope your Christmas was all you hoped for... Don't forget to donate some rice, Santa's already started his naughty or nice list for next year... Love you all more than my luggage! Hugs, smooches and gropes!

For Roger!

Today is my darling blogging buddy Roger's birthday and I promised him cake... Roger is one of the sweetest bloggers around, he's got a wickedly funny sense of humour and look how adorable he is with his birthday crown on... Love ya babe! So grab some confetti, streamers and a sparkler and go over and pay him a visit, tell him Anndi sent you with a piece of cake! Love you all more than my luggage! Hugs, smooches and gropes (mostly all for Roger ;p)!

So this is Christmas...

Hey everyone, As today is Christmas Eve, I have to say thank you to all who’ve managed to make it through my Crusade to Feed the World. It almost felt like The Spanish Inquisition… but since I suppose you’ve come to expect me to include it in some subtle and not-so-subtle ways in every post since it began, guess it didn’t quite turn out like the Spanish Inquisition. The day my dear friend Vince decided to bestow a Christmas Spirit award on yours truly I had started writing a post about Free Rice. His gracious gift brought about a different twist on the post. You’ve all been kind and supportive and I must say, Christmas came early for me when I saw how many friends joined in promoting such a simple and easy way to make a difference and how many of you were playing. We’re at 11,239,338,070 grains and you guys rock! When I lost Mom in January, I started thinking about the firsts I would be faced with. You’ve all made this first Christmas without her easier… you’ve helped give me focus and the knowledge that the world goes on and that it’s a good place filled with most excellent people. My best wishes, and those of The Chicklet go out to the awesome folks in the blogosphere… For the kiddies out there, don’t forget to track Santa’s progress with the folks at NORAD! Last I checked, he’d begun his trip and was in Russia, and he had eaten close to 1 000 000 000 cookies… I was told by a source in the know that Santa will gratefully accept donations made to Freerice on his behalf. My best bud Vince had all y’all play a little game last week, and we had fun listening to some of the versions of Christmas Classics he put up (although some of the choices made us want to toss the Christmas cookies) Here’s some tuneage from The Luggage… Rock on babies… Vince had folks pick a favourite version of this song… We would have loved to find this version, the definitive one, on The Couch jukebox. This one’s my Christmas present to Matt… enjoy buddy! Think they go well with RICE? For those of you traveling, be safe and be mindful of those who haven’t received the gift of common sense and are out driving impaired. Merry Christmas to all… Love you all more than my luggage! Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Happy birthday Mom

Today is my mother's birthday. It's the first one we celebrate without her. My mother was a giving person, she worked for Franciscan monks and managed their affairs for about 30 years. During that time she worked with them in their charitable endeavours. I remember spending time in the kitchen at the monastery with Mom and brother Rene who was tireless in his efforts to feed the poor in our town. Around the holidays, they would gather donations from local supermarkets and citizens and we would make Christmas packages for as many families as we could. There was a lot... but we always could have used more. I learned a great deal from Mom and brother Rene... hopefully I'll pass it on to my Chicklet. This year, as I did last year and for the past few years, the small Christmas gift my company gave all employees will be used to buy a complete Christmas dinner for a family in need and a few other supplies. As much as I need the extra cash, my pantry is full... and so is my heart. So, in memory of my mother and brother Rene I ask that you give. All it'll cost is a few minutes on Freerice. If you can afford to, think about your local food banks, drop off a new toy or a book for a needy child, spread Christmas spirit... smile at the people you meet. Je t'aime Maman... Merci pour tout. Love you all more than my luggage! Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Wordless Wednesday... filling Santa's bag

Love you all more than my luggage! Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Tuesday tissues...

I'm not kidding, you better crack open a new box... I was looking through old pictures (it was a snowday...) and I came across pictures of the time I took the Chicklet to see The Nutcracker when she was about 4 years old (she still has the ballet slipper we got that night)... And I started thinking about the musicals I had seen at The Place des Arts (where I actually had my B.A. commencement ceremony)... and I remembered being a student and sitting in the back at Les Misérables. Have you ever felt like the world disappeared, have you ever wondered what it's like to float? As if your body is suddenly no longer your own and you are lifted and transported back in time simply by listening to a song? That's how I felt when I heard this... This is the song I was looking for... As I said, I was looking for Les Misérables and Jean Valjean, but first I found this song... I'll give you a minute to, um... what is it that Vince says? Oh yeah, tired eyes... There isn't an evening that goes by that I don't ask God to spare families the pain of losing a father, a mother, a sister, a son, a friend to war... There isn't a day that goes by that I don't hope for PEACE... There are too many days where children don't eat to their stomachs content... My Chicklet sent me an e-mail today (she's discovered how to e-mail me...) and asked me what I want for Christmas. I want PEACE LOVE For children everywhere to go to sleep on a full stomach, knowing someone loves them... Please help, show them someone cares... Love you all more than my luggage! Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Manic Monday - Carol

I sit at my computer, sipping a lovely cup (well, Santa mug really) of delicious and sweetly aromatic chai tea. I'm waiting for the storm after the storm that will come when my Chicklet learns that she in fact, as she predicted last night, gets to stay home from school for her second snow day since the it's-not-winter-yet-but-you'll-have-a White-Christmas-cause-you-all-complained-last-year unofficial start of the winter season. 15 inches... it never seemed so big... oh well! Mo chose a theme word once more this week, a word in keeping with Christmas (for those of us who think in the obvious way). Well, finding the inspiration for this edition of Manic Monday was easy... Last year, my daughter spent quite a bit of her free time at school practicing for the school's Christmas choir. She practiced in the washroom, in the car, humming in her classroom I was told, at the dinner table, she sang to her doll, she practiced in her bed... basically, she sang Christmas carols all over the place. Considering what our family was faced with she managed to bring JOY and the magic that comes with Christmas into our lives. For the not so long time reader... my mother was in the terminal phase of what was a losing battle with cancer. They recorded a lovely song written by a man named Jean Naty-Boyer about the children of the world... and the wish for a peaceful Christmas. Thankfully, Mom got a chance to hear it. Noël Des Enfants du Monde (with a so-so translation by moi... my apologies!) Enfants de Palestine (Child of Palestine) Ou enfants d'Israel (Or child of Israel) D'Amérique ou de Chine (From America or China) En ce jour de Noël (On this Christmas Day) Que ton regard se pose (Whether you should look) Sur la terre ou le ciel (Upon the earth or up to the sky) Ne retiens qu'une chose (Remember but one thing) Il faut croire à Noël (You must believe in Christmas) Matin couleur de cendre (Be it an ash colored morning) Ou matin d'arc en ciel (Or morning filled with rainbows) Qu'importe il faut attendre (No matter, you must wait) En ce soir de Noël (On this Christmas night) Que les fusils se taisent (For the guns to fall quiet) et répondent à l'appel (And answer the call) De cette parenthèse (Of the spirit) Qui s'appelle Noël (That is Christmas) Un jour viendra peut-être (Hopefully a day will come) Un jour au goût de miel (A day as sweet as honey) Où l'on verra paraitre (Where we'll see appear) Un oiseau dans le ciel (A bird in the sky) Aux plumes de lumière (With feathers of light) Un oiseau éternel (An eternal bird) Colombe pour la terre (A dove for the Earth) Un oiseau de Noël (The bird of Christmas) As we prepare our houses for the coming of Christmas, as we grocery shop for the Christmas dinner, as we plan what type of cookies we'll bake for Santa... some children may not have enough to eat. The United Nations World Food Programme manages the funds raised through Freerice and numerous other donations, and they have distributed rice in many countries... Myanmar... Nepal... Cambodia... Phillippines... Sri Lanka... Bangladesh... Cote d'Ivoire... India... Madagascar... Ecuador... May your holidays be filled with love and laughter... and may their stomachs be filled. May the guns fall silent and may we all find PEACE. As a quick note... I received a wonderful e-mail late Friday and have had a few exchanges with the author since... more about this is another post. My thanks to Turnbaby who promoted Freerice once again on Turnbaby Talks. SMOOCH! Love you all more than my luggage! Hugs, smooches and gropes!

it goes on and on and on...

Some people participate in the Friday Feast... some have nothing to eat. 8,294,816,130 Did you know that the likelyhood of donating to a good cause is increased by the presence of oxytocin, the feel happy drug our body produces? This hormone is linked with empathy and facilitating positive social interaction with our children and spouses... Empathy is associated with health, longer lives and improved social interactions babies! SO... Go for the good drugs, and shun the spoiled over-priced so-called athletes who cheat and enrich themselves with lies... That number makes me happy... and so does what was waiting for me in my inbox! Thanks Roger! Click on the ornament and get yourselves some of the good drugs... at no cost. You'll feed your brain and get a natural high... no wonder it's addictive! I feel the love people... you rock! Love you all more than my luggage! Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Wordless Wednesday... if you needed a reason

7,786,631,170 Love you all more than my luggage! Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Two for Tuesday sillies.. return of the video monster!

I hadn't planned on this until I paid my bro Travis a visit this morning. This one's for you Trav... hehehe This is for Dana... Memories of youth... *sigh* Man I loved these tunes... so.. if y'all have been paying attention, in every post I mention a certain game and deftly craft it into my post... How am I to do it this time? Well, it's a word game.. so I thought, what are other word games? Word association! (also a potent psychological tool - and no, I don't need treatment) Cow Patty... patty... paddy... rice paddy... FREERICE! Phew... that was a stretch. Immagonna go lie down now... maybe on The Couch. The tuneage alone is therapy... But today, there's an important post so be serious and go read it please (bring tissues cause Vince used up all of his). Love you all more than my luggage! Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Manic Monday - Ornament

Yup... me... This walk down memory lane is brought to you by Morgen. Mom and Dad had great glass ornaments. Dad would climb up on the stepladder to the trap door that reached the attic and bring down boxes and boxes. And he even let me climb up there and have a peak while he held on (but told me not to tell Mom cause she'd have had a conniption). I remember the birds Dad had... I'm going to go hunting in the attic and see if they're still there. While I do... play a little... Love you all more than my luggage! Hugs, smooches and gropes!

They were always so quiet...

In the news... I'm posting twice in one day. Well, that's not the news... but it doesn't happen often in a week much less a day! Back to the news... Montreal firefighters made a startling discovery on Saturday when they were called in to inspect the damage caused by a burst pipe in a commercial building in the chi-chi borough of Outremont. It seems the Yeshiva Gedola daycare's neighbours (who were never around but apparently paid their rent on time, by cheque) were in fact pot growers. The firefighters found 1500 mature marijuana plants ready to be harvested and quite a few younger plants as well. The daycare operators just found the neighbours to be very understanding of the children's naptime and were enchanted that no one had called to complain about the incessant playing of Barney and Raffi tunes, such as The Schmenge Polka (thank me now before I regret inserting a Youtube video here... yes, even the video monster knows where to draw the line - albeit with crayons). The burst pipe only caused minimal damage to the daycare which is now open for business as usual and the staff are once again up to their armpits in Pampers (wait... I thought the fit was better on those). No reports of withdrawals as of yet, but the day is young. Nothing apparent tipped off the staff running the daycare. It seems the usual telltale odour accompanying a growing operation was absent. The smell of talcum powder and dirty diapers proved an effective cover up. The manufacturers of Febreeze, Proctor and Gamble may want to investigate turning it into their new odour fighting scent. The kids ever present munchies calmed by nothing less than massive quantities of kosher arrowroot cookies and minigos also failed to arouse suspicion. Pringles, also a Proctor and Gamble product was apparently not on the daycare's menu of chosen snacks. I checked and couldn't find out whether P&G are sponsors of the Free Rice ... so I don't feel bad AT ALL about associating their products with pot growers and Barney. Oh, had I told you they've doubled up on the rice? 1 word equals 20 grains... We're up to 7,536,669,470!! Love you all more than my luggage! Hugs, smooches and ... wait til the kids naptime for the rest...