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.

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!

Swing la bacaise...

I went shopping for Christmas decorations yesterday. I feel the need to renew and start some new traditions. The Chicklet and I snagged the last tree we liked (as it was the floor model I even got a discount - now THAT'S Christmas, babies!) grabbed a lovely star for the top (picked out by The Chicklet - she really likes sparkly things) and headed out for home. We had planned to set it up in the basement in my father's house next to the wood burning stove that I can't fire up on account of the chimney has to be checked and will probably need a liner, but it's the perfect and traditional doorway for Santa, so... But it was too tall! So today, PLAN B. The new tree is in the living room (but not in the same spot as it was when I was a kidlet - new traditions...) and we'll put the old tree next to the wood burning stove (The Chicklet has been advised that this does not mean Santa will double up on presents though). I promised I would wait for her to come back from her weekend with her Dad to trim the tree so today was shopping and outdoor decorations day. Saturday morning she and I attended the kids Christmas party my company has every year. We have connections to the North Pole and Santa himself makes an appearance. My daughter and her friend from school were, as has been tradition for 3 years running (this one's a keeper), Santa's elves and gave Santa the Christmas presents his other elves had laid out under the tree for him to hand off to the very excited kids in attendance. I got to hold a baby, smell her head. You know, there's nothing like the smell of a new baby's head. Some people say new car.. but no. It's that little pudge at the nape of a baby's neck that holds the secrets to the universe. I even sat on Santa's lap and thanked him... but I didn't ask for anything. Because I don't need anything. I have a cool way to make a difference in someone's life (yes.. Free Rice ... you KNOW what I'm talking about and did you know as of December 8th, 7,354,236,430 grains of rice have been donated). Sure, it would be nice if I could win the lottery, pay off the debt a greedy self-centered arse saddled my father with, take care of the college funds for my bestest friends kids and actually deliver some food to the starving... but my Chicklet is healthy, Dad's healthy, I'm healthy and after all I've been through in the last year, that's all I ask for. All this Christmas stuff is hard I must say. I have so many memories of Christmas that are wrapped up in my mother's arms. She loved Christmas. If I didn't have The Chicklet I probably wouldn't celebrate, but I learned from my mother that missing a loved one (as she had lost a mother, a father , a brother...) doesn't mean you should stop living life. I pulled out a CD The Chicklet and I fell in love with last year that brings with it memories of Mom (La Volée d'Castors is their name and they bring old fashioned Quebec folklore back). As frail as she was, she held on through Christmas and New Year's... and when we played this for her I saw her tap her foot as she had during what we French Canadians cherish at Christmas time: Le Réveillon. A MASSIVE gathering of family and friends, food, singing, dancing, music and kids tunneling into the fur coats that had been laid out with care by our aunts on the bed in the spare bedroom. Our family got smaller, the kids grew up and we haven't had such a gathering in many, many winters... I hope some time in the not too distant future, we'll have new Christmas Eve parties, singing, dancing, laughing with something soft and fuzzy for kids to curl up in on the spare bedroom bed. All in all.. yup Roger, it WAS a good weekend... Love you all more than my luggage! Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Go on... all the cool kids are doing it...

We know stand at ... drum roll please! 2,628,006,040 WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! The Chicklet showed her English teacher who promptly sat down and whipped out 5 bowls of rice... hehehe! Love you all more than my luggage! Hugs, smooches and gropes!

People rock!

To the dear wonderful people who have joined in with The Chicklet and I in our efforts to Feed the World... (scroll down and find out what I'm going on about...) My everlasting thanks! The Chicklet donated 600 grains of rice yesterday and is extremely proud of herself! Not bad for a French Chick! Update on the totals: On 15 November 2007, 201,226,610 grains of rice were donated! For a grand total of: 2,098,280,280 Keep it up guys! Thanks to Vince Travis Coco Sueann Turnbaby Robin Dana Miss Maryfly (WOOO!) Have you fed the World today? Charles, I know you'll find five minutes.. and for a writer and all-round nice man, this should be just your cup of tea! Sparkster, DUDE!... so... how many? Come on... You'll LOVE this game! Whenever I feel a tad sad.. all y'all make me Happy! Love you all more than my luggage! Hugs, smooches and gropes!

The nudge...

I haven’t actually written anything really in quite a while. I’ve been keeping to myself a lot, especially in blogland, mostly because I’ve been just so tired lately. The kind of tired where I fall asleep in front of the boobtube while hanging out on the chesterfield (cause I never fall asleep on The Couch), only to wake up around 3AM, turn off the boobtube and proceed to fall back asleep instead of heading off to bed… sheesh! The only contact I’ve held with some of the most wonderful people God saw fit to grace the earth with lately has been through my H&H family, an e-mail group I belong to (thanks to Queen Dana) and the sillies sent sporadically, but somehow just at the right time, by one of my cyber buds (cause it’s all about Jo). So… I was possessed last night (yeah, I know... and NO, this is not a spooky or clever Halloween story) by a strong and overwhelming urge to reach out to a friend who’s been going through a lot lately. And although I’m the last person to interfere with someone’s requests for privacy and quiet time (well, unless I feel I need to shove a little), something made me include this person in an e-mail because I got this feeling she needed a massive giggle. Maybe reaching out to someone who needs support makes our own problems more bearable. I heard back from my friend and Soul Sister by choice and made my way over to her blog at her behest today, and I read yesterday's post. What I found brought a rush of emotion and tears that not even the strongest dam (no, not the Duck) could hold back (shut up, I’m not a softie). As angry as I was, deep and profound sadness overtook me. You can poopoo (yes, it’s a word and I’m using it) the idea of fate or kismet all you want. But I tell you, there was something nudging me when I wrote my response to a quite cheeky joke a sweet friend sent to the lot of us fortunate enough to be included in her silliness. I hesitated for a long time to hit send, and every time I would take this person’s e-mail off the reply list, my fingers would start typing her name again and pulling her e-mail address up. This went on for a good 5 minutes. And for me to sit on what I thought was a clever comeback for 5 minutes is no small feat. – Now, don’t you roll your eyes at me… yes, sometimes my comebacks are clever and if you contradict me I’ll be forced to sneak up on you in the middle of the night and scare the shite out of you by banging a cowbell (testing, testing) over your head… Now, I was saying… I now know what, or rather, I know who nudged me. Mom. Yesterday morning, I was thinking of my Soul Sisterfriend Sue and her journey as she accompanies her friend Dee in her final days. I wondered out loud how she must be doing. You see, Dee is fighting a losing battle with cancer but is serene as she has lead a good life, loved much and leaves quite a legacy. And then yesterday evening, as The Chicklet was eating her pre-trick-or-treat dinner, I quickly checked my e-mails. There it was… the cheeky joke. Again, it reminded me of my Soul Sisterfriend, and the reply just typed itself as did her name in the "reply to" section… So here’s how I see it: Mom, having gone through so much of what I can only imagine what Dee is going through, raised this to my attention. It’s that simple. I’ve given up trying to rationalize any of this and I’ve given in to believing. Leave it to Mom to use a chicken joke to do this… For a close to a month now, I’ve been wearing a necklace that belonged to my mother, just a simple gold chain with a delicately carved cross. It gives me comfort, partly because it was hers… and partly because it reminds me there is a higher power. I’ve asked Mom to keep an eye on them. I pray for Dee’s daughter Renee and hold her in my heart because I know what it’s like to watch your mother’s body wilt as the soul is about to embark on the one journey we should all live our lives in preparation of. I pray for Dee. I remember how Mom held on to life, not because she feared death, but because she loved living and probably hadn’t given everything she had left to give yet. I pray for Sue, my Soul Sisterfriend… she’s a strong woman, has been through so much and has brought me no end of smiles over the many months I’ve known her. Today, another link in the chain… someone beloved sent me this: It is so easy to complain!!! There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, 'If I could only see the world, I will marry you. One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend. He asked her, 'Now that you can see the World, will you marry me?' The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him. Her boyfriend left her in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying: 'Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine.' This is how the human brain often works when our status changes. Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who was always by their side in the most painful situations. Life Is a Gift from God!!! Today before you say an unkind word -Think of someone who can't speak. Before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone who has nothing to eat. Before you complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone who's crying out to God for a companion. Today before you complain about life - Think of someone who went too early to heaven. Before you complain about your children - Think of someone who desires children but they're barren. Before you argue about your dirty house someone didn't clean or sweep -Think of the people who are living in the streets. Before whining about the distance you drive think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet. And when you are tired and complain about your job -think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job. But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another - Remember that not one of us is without sin and we all answer to one MAKER. And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down - Put a smile on your face and Thank GOD you're alive and still around. Okay Mom, got it… Love you all more than my luggage! Hugs, smooches and gropes!

The assignment

The wonderfully wicked Kyra tagged with her own MeMe… It took me a while… I guess the point is to give old and faithful readers a walk down memory lane.. and new and cherished readers a glimpse into my journey. Here goes. First, I have to post the rules.. So, here they are: Go back through your archives and post the links to your five favorite blog posts that you've written. ... but there is a catch: Link 1 must be about family. Link 2 must be about friends. Link 3 must be about yourself, who you are... what you're all about... Link 4 must be about something you love Link 5 can be anything you choose. I think this is a great way to circulate some of the great older posts everyone had written, return to a few great places in our memories and also learn a little something about ourselves and each other that we may not know. Post your five links and then tag five other people. At least TWO of the people you tag must be newer acquaintances so that you get to know each other better.... and don't forget to read the archive posts and leave comments! Link 1: Family… it starts with a mother’s love Link 2: I made friends for life accompanying Mom on her journey … and I grew more than I ever thought possible. Link 3: I relived memories with this one… Cruisin… Link 4: A post about something I love… well.. love! What we should all strive for. Link 5: This post earned a me a very humbling nod… a post of the Day by The Rising Blogger… so here it is: a day in my life . As much as I love Kyra, and want to do the whole thing as per the rules (who am I kidding.. rules?? HA!). Besides, I don’t think there’s anyone left to tag. But, if you find yourself wondering why you started blogging in the first place.. what kept you blogging.. this is the MeMe for you. Hope you enjoy, Love you all more than my luggage! Hugs, smooches and gropes!