time flies...

Ten years ago today, during a snowstorm, a pink, naked, dark haired, blue-eyed, sweet baby girl was laid on my breast. I finally got to say hello to the being that had taken over my body. The being whose feet would poke out and give my basketball-sized belly odd shapes. Soft music was playing (she still listens to this every night) and time stood still. That day, I realized just how much a parent loves a child, I knew the deepest love. In those first few days, I'd lay in bed, gazing at her for hours... wondering what the world would hold for her, my sunshine. I find myself still gazing at her, usually in awe. She's an amazing person. Her kindness touches me. Her infectious smile warms my very soul. Her questions test my patience and my knowledge of the world (thank GOD for the internet)... and her observations about the world humble me. Fast forward to today and I'm faced with a mini version of me (my parents' revenge). She's a great traveller, a music afficionado, a budding scientist... and a very cool chick indeed. We're embarking on quite the journey after the first 10 years... I've got my shots, my passport and I guess we'll see where this next decade takes us. It promises to be quite the ride. Bonne fête mon trésor! Je t'aime de TOUT mon coeur! Love you all more than my luggage! Hugs, smooches and gropes.

may peace and comfort come...

In memoriam Northern Illinois University My thoughts and prayers accompany the families and friends of the victims... My gratitude to the emergency measures personnel... Too young... Love you all more than my luggage! Hugs, smooches and gropes

Sweet love...

The most wonderful man owns my heart... I love you honey... heart, mind, body and soul.

A boy's best friend is his frog?

This joke is for my Hoochie sister Dixie... A young boy, about 14 years old was walking down the street, dragging a flattened frog on a string behind him. He came to a house of ill repute, and knocked on the door. When the Madam answered it, she saw the little boy and asked what he wanted. He said, 'I want to have sex with one of the women inside. I have the money to buy it, and I'm not leaving until I get it.' The Madam figured, what the hell, so she told him to come in. Once in, she told him to pick any of the girls he liked. He said, 'I heard all the men talking about having to get shots after making love with Amber. THAT'S the girl I want.' Since the little boy was so adamant and had the money to pay for it, the Madam told him to go to the first room on the right. He headed down the hall dragging the squashed frog behind him. Ten minutes later he came back, still dragging the frog, paid the Madam, and headed out the door. The Madam stopped him and asked, 'Why did you pick the only girl in the place with a disease, instead of one of the others?' He said, 'Well, tonight when I get home, my parents are going out to a restaurant to eat, leaving me at home with a baby-sitter. After they leave, my baby-sitter will have sex with me because she's very fond of cute little boys. She will then get the disease that I just caught. When Mom and Dad get back, Dad will take the baby-sitter home. On the way, he'll jump the baby-sitter's bones, and he'll catch the disease. Then when Dad gets home from the baby-sitter's, he and Mom will go to bed and have sex, and Mom will catch it. In the morning when Dad goes to work, the milkman will deliver the milk, have a quickie with Mom, and catch the disease, and HE'S the son-of-a-bitch that ran over my frog! Love you all more than my luggage! Hugs, smooches and gropes!

the sounds of the peace... love... life

Peace and love.. life goes on! I’m looking to restore my inner peace after the pain that ripped through my ankle this morning when it went in the opposite direction as the rest of me. They say music soothes the savage beast… so, may as well listen to some tunes... On February 5th, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi passed away. On the same day this was sent into the Universe … Across The Universe Lyrics Jai Guru Dev The Maharishi’s body was cremated today on the banks of the Ganges. May he find Peace. May we all find Peace. « Happiness radiates like a fragrance from a flower and draws all good things towards you. Allow your love to nourish yourself as well as others. » - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi « Knowledge has organizing power. Pure knowledge has infinite organizing power. » - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi His words fed the souls of his followers. In his honor, I’ll be spending some time donating rice to feed the hungry as I sit with my sprained ankle elevated… maybe if I meditate, the pain will go away. I’m sending good thoughts for the man who makes me feel this way… I know it will all go well today honey. «The important thing is this: to be able, at any moment, to sacrifice what we are for what we could become.» - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi And finally… A Happy Birthday to the little man who has me wrapped around his little now 3 year old finger. WOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! You are gonna break some hearts... Love you all more than my luggage! Hugs, smooches and gropes!

I got distracted...

Ladies, can you blame me? Just to be fair... she distracts me too... Just one more.... *sigh* Love you all more than my luggage! Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Something wicked this way wafts...

I was lying in bed snug and comfy, dreaming of something deliciously wicked when it hit me... And now I'm left wondering just what crawled up Shark dog's butt... Ugh! Love you all more than my luggage! Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Proud Mama!

Yesterday was parent-teacher-child conference. And I'm very proud of my Chicklet. She's a math and science whiz , got a great evaluation in English as a second language, gym and dramatic arts. Her chosen reward? a book! She's been working very hard this year, and we've all noticed that she's matured a lot this year (we = homeroom teacher, English teacher and myself). She was so proud to show me a powerpoint presentation her project group worked on about lizards (I'm thinking of contracting out that part of my job to these 9 and 10 year olds... it was that good). Considering I've been having a crap week.. this was just what I needed. Oh.. she wrote a lovely little composition about friendship. I'll have to share it with you soon, kids are wise. Enjoy this tune, Chicklet and I really love these guys.. The Alternate Routes a great bunch of guys with a great band that we discovered when we went on our summer Chick Road Trip to see Taylor Hicks in concert... The guitar line slays me... *sigh* Love you all more than my luggage! Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Thursday Thirteen - he said...

I haven't done a Thursday Thirteen in ages. I've spent a lot of time lately remembering some good times... I’ve said it before.. I LOVE hockey… and I love my Habs. Stephen Leacock said it ever so eloquently: "Hockey captures the essence of Canadian experience in the New World. In a land so inescapably and inhospitably cold, hockey is the chance of life, and an affirmation that despite the deathly chill of winter we are alive." I spent many a Saturday evening, sitting on the carpeted floor of the living room while Mom sat in her spot on the chesterfield (aka a sofa) and Dad was in his armchair. We'd watch "La Soirée du Hockey" and I was the designated volume adjustor (aka dad's remote). It was something we did as a family, and I've experienced something similar with my Chicklet when she and I were swept up watching Taylor Hicks on the show that I'm not supposed to name. Sidenote: my daughter asked me recently as we were watching hopefuls audition, a fun but sometimes unfortunate process to watch, if we were ever going to find another Taylor. What I really like about this is that she's so willing to get enthralled again... Back to hockey... Watching hockey with my parents was a formative experience, I learned a lot about being a good fan. I'm thankful for that. There are some really good hockey quotes out there, and I thought I'd share a baker's dozen with you. 1. "You miss 100% of the shots you never take." -Wayne Gretzky. If you don't try... YUP 2. "That's so when I forget how to spell my name, I can still find my (expletive) clothes." (when asked why he kept a picture of himself over his locker). -Stu Grimson That one just made me giggle, and I've needed giggles over the past few days. 3. "The only difference between the Coyotes and ‘Days of Our Lives’ is that nobody has been shot on our team yet." -Jeremy Roenick *looks out the window for a black sedan and some men in business suits that have something in common* 4. "How would you like a job where, every time you make a mistake, a big red light goes on and 18,000 people boo?" -Jacques Plante It can't be easy to be a goalie... 5. "When Hell freezes over, I'll play hockey there too." -Author Unknown 6. "We get nose jobs all the time in the NHL, and we don't even have to go to the hospital." -Brad Park LOL! Some of the funniest quotes are self-deprecating. 7. "I was happy to have an attraction in our building that we didn't have to pay for." -Harold Ballard on a streaker who ran across the ice at a Leafs game, March 1980 8. "It would have been worse if we hadn't blocked the kick after Toronto's second touchdown." -Alex Delvecchio (in 1971, the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Detroit Red Wings 13-0) Losing with a sense of humour, I'll hand it to a Dreaded Leaf... that was good. 9. "I just don't know what to think. I play in Colorado, they tell me they like me, and I get traded. I play in Calgary, and at the end of the season the GM tells me he likes me, and I get traded. I just hope my fiancee doesn't tell me she likes me." -Chris Drury 10. "I don't think you ever stopped Bobby Orr, you contained Bobby Orr, but you NEVER stopped him!" -Larry Robinson Larry was always able to acknowledge greatness. 11. "I would go to church, light candles and pray, and he would still get a hat trick on me." -Johnny Bower About playing against Maurice "The Rocket" Richard. 12. "Some people skate to the puck. I skate to where the puck is going to be." -Wayne Gretzky. The Great One... 13. I'll let you hear this for yourselves... Jeremy: Never discount your opponents achievements. tsk tsk! Patrick: As good as that snark was.. you could have said that your career records speaks for you. Love you all more than my luggage! Hugs, smooches and gropes!

WW - Honourable...

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

...

Why? I've asked myself that question a lot lately on a variety of topics. I've decided to keep my opinions to myself... It's just not worth it. Love you all more than my luggage! Hugs, smooches and gropes!

There are some things I just can’t wrap by brain around...

Do you recognize this sweet child? The eight month old baby girl was abandoned in a parking garage in Toronto last week. She was found by a woman who thought she was walking past a doll lying face down on the freezing concrete landing of a stairwell (it was one of the coldest days in the city of Toronto this winter so far). The only reason the lady stopped was that the “doll” cried. They have security tape footage of someone driving up the ramp to the second storey and straight to the stairwell, getting out of the car to look in the stairwell. This monster, I mean, person went back to the car, opened the passenger side door taking the baby out and then left her on the floor. “It” got back into the car and took off in a green four-door sedan, believed to be a recent-model Ford Escort. She has been named Angelica Leslie by the kind souls currently caring for her. Angelica – well that is the face of an angel now isn’t it? And Leslie, after the street she was found on. Police currently believe this poor little soul may be American and are investigating this lead further with the help of the Buffalo police department. No one, despite the media coverage has come forward with any clues as to who Angelica really is. You can see the news report if you click on this link. My first “mommy gut reaction” was to curse those responsible for leaving a sweet little angel out in the cold and driving off ... and then I decided to open my heart and look at what could possibly motivate someone to leave a child behind. People do unfathomable things when desperate. But I failed. She has bruises... I’m angry. If you run a search on the subject of abused and missing children there are too many links... so many children are missing... too many... Childfind Canada National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (USA) Missing Children Society of Canada Victims of Violence – Canadian Center for Missing Children Operation Go Home (Canada) If you’re a mother or father, and you can’t cope with taking care of your child, no matter what the reason is... there are other options. Adoption, foster care, therapy... children are not disposable. They matter. Cédrika belle ange, on te cherche... on ne t'oublie pas... You’ll have to excuse me, I’m going to go hug my daughter now... Love you all more than my luggage! Hugs, smooches and gropes!

is it over?

I'm concerned... the many various "official" harbingers of spring and the end of winter are in disagreement. Schubenacadie Sam, Punxsutawney Phil, Wiarton Willy, Gary the Groundhog, Brandon Bob and Balzac Billy might want to converse before giving their verdict. Maybe we should figure out the average instead of looking for consensus... If only those rodents could get it together and let me know WHEN I can start planting my rice paddy!!!! I'm going to tweak the local rink's zamboni and to harvest the rice. It's not that I'm afraid of a little hard manual labour (*snickers and winks*)... but what if there are spiders and frogs in the field? 16,978,230,250 grains of rice have been donated as of February 1st... astounding isn't it? If you want to see where the rice that was donated with your hard earned vocab points ended up visit Free Rice, play and check out the video at the bottom right of the game. It's enough to warm my heart and hopefully melt the dumping of snow we got yesterday. Of course, watching Jonny Lang also turns up the heat! Ladies and Gentlemen, Jonny performing "Groundhog Day with Double Trouble... Love you all more than my luggage! Hugs, smooches and gropes!