October in a nutshell

Where did October go?

Wow, I can’t believe how long it has been since I have updated my blog. There has been a lot going on and I just can’t believe that it is already November. The missing month has had some ups and some downs and I will try to catch you up as quickly as possible. The key word for October has been BUSY!

Let’s get the bad stuff right out of the way.

Halloween kicked off what is sadly become a string of funerals. Last week began with the loss of my Great Uncle, the funeral was on Wednesday. Thursday, a group of girls traveled out of town to support a friend at her grandmother’s funeral, and Friday my cousin’s partner committed suicide leaving her a single mother to their young son. I also found out my grandmother is not well and will not strong enough to undergo the surgery required to save her life. While, she is technically my “ex-step-grandmother” she has been a grandparent to me since I was 8 years old. She lives with my “ex-stepmother” and my little brother and the coming months will be very hard on all of them.

I think part of the reason I have been avoiding updating my blog is that I was really hoping to have some good news. I must start by saying I am feeling much more like myself now that all of the fertility drugs are out of my system. I am not so easily upset and feel sane again. Although I think Christmas will still be a challenge, I am beginning to accept that life will go on with out a pregnancy.

This acceptance was spurred on by the fact that Hubby and I were approached about a private adoption. We kept our fingers crossed; our lips sealed and tried not to get our hopes up too much. Sadly, in taking the time to weigh their options the family let things get too and the girl is now in protective custody. Private adoption is no longer an option and an inter-provincial adoption would be complicated and too lengthy to be in the girl’s best interest. While we completely understand how and why things worked out the way they have, Hubby and I can’t help but be disappointed, both for the girl and for ourselves.

So eventually it will be back to the drawing board to consider the rest of our options, in the meantime November does not show any signs of slowing down and we will likely be full-tilt until the New Year.

Work has been very hectic and I am currently writing three publications which have to be printed by January, including the rewrite of a 100 page book. So far things are chugging along but I have not had a spare moment. I have also been preparing for workshops on reporting forms for charities – thrilling stuff. My first workshop was on Friday and you know it is bad when you nearly put yourself to sleep.

I have been practicing many of my unmarketable skills in the last month. I did a wedding cake for a fall wedding. I don’t often do cakes for people I don’t know but I was asked by my cousin and despite my concerns, the bride and groom were both thrilled with the way it turned out. I wish I had better pictures but these should give you a general idea.

I have also been at my sewing machine working on a beautiful prom dress. Next weekend is our annual “prom” weekend. Friends host a yearly theme party and this year it is a 50’s Prom in Halifax. While I would not usually go to such great lengths for a theme party, I was able to get a great deal on the fabric and pattern when a fabric store went out of business and I think the dress could easily be used again on New Year’s or some other event. I will post pictures when I finish mine later this week but here is the pattern:

Thanksgiving gave me the opportunity to make one of my favourite cakes – Princeton Orange Cake. We had a large family gathering with 15 for dinner. Later that week Monkey and I made apple crisp with apples we picked ourselves. We had a great time picking apples again and the Cortlands were finally ready! My sis has discovered that if you make a chunky applesauce with cinnamon, sprinkle granola on top and toss in it the microwave for a bit it tastes like apple crisp. Yummy! I have been eating a lot of “apple crisp” for breakfast.

Hubby and I went to a friend’s Halloween house party. There were a lot of great costumes. My friend and I went as inmates at a Women’s Prison, I would post the pictures but I’m afraid there are already far too many unflattering photos of me in my prison orange dress floating around out there. Yikes!

I have been collecting goodies for the ladies at the transition house and my spare room is starting to fill up with items for the 8 Christmas gift baskets. I will have to start checking my list to see who I have left to buy for this Christmas. We have managed to get a Guitar Hero game for my little brother and he will soooo excited. Hubby bought a copy for the Wii and we have been playing it quite a bit. It is a lot of fun.

Some November good news!
My cousin finally had her baby boy and both are healthy and happy. He has beautiful red hair and 5 names. K.P.R.M.W. is going to make even initialing something a chore.

My little brother was in town this weekend to accept his Chief Scout Award from the "Left-handed" Governor. (Lieutenant Governor). The award ceremony was held at the Legislature and there was a reception at the "Left-handed" Governor's home. I was very proud of him, I gave him the only gift I could be sure a 13 year old boy would appreciate - money.

On the road again...

I'm on the road again, off to Halifax for a conference. Halifax is just not as exciting as going to the Rockies last year. First off, I go there quite frequently and I had never seen the Rockies and secondly we drive to Halifax and we flew to Alberta. I love flying. I like the anticipation at the airport, the excitement as you take off and watching everything get very very tiny. I especially love flying into a new city and getting a birds eye view of the place.

The drive to Halifax is not too bad it is 4 hours and we are in no rush to get there. EB and I will leave this morning and only have to be at the hotel for a reception at 7:00. Hard to say what we would do with a few hours to ourselves (drink or shop, drink or shop-tough call!) We head back on Friday afternoon and as soon as my feet hit home I'm repacking my bags for a trip to AMERICA!

With the Canadian $ so high, a lot of people are swarming to Maine for some shopping. (Anyone know of any good yarn shops in Bangor?) I am going with Hubby and three friends for the weekend. Apparently there is a good chance I'll run into my mother and aunt on my shopping excursion, they are also going to Maine. My grandparents went earlier in the week and my Sis is going later in the week.

Now I love my new kitten but I also love my sleep. I am generally a very very sound sleeper and although I stay up late I get a solid night's sleep. The last two weeks I have been up and down all night because some crazy kitten insists on chasing her tail under the covers or attacking anything that moves (including eyelashes). Spending the next 5 nights in hotels will mean catching up.

Happy Brithday to Me (and Hubby)

It is Birthday Weekend - The happiest time of the year! In my mind I am already on the beach, sand between my toes, Marista in my hand. The Marista is a drink my Sis and her pal came up with last year that contains several types of juice, raspberry ginger ale and rum, lots and lots of rum. My co-workers had a cake and prezzies for me today and in the bag was a little pillow that hangs on your door knob that says " The Princess sleeps here". They bought it as a marker for my hammock. I also got a box of chocolates. It is going to be a good weekend.

My MIL has gone completely overboard buying 5 turkeys and 3 hams for the 30 people. Oh and a ton of hamburgers and sausages. Hubby and CL left this morning so they could help with last minute set up. I unfortunately can't leave until 5:00 tomorrow. Yuck! I will miss almost all of Hubby's birthday. I will only arrive about 9:00. Just in time for a fire on the beach. The good news is my tent will be all set up although I only sleep in it if it is raining.

I sent my bags and gear ahead so I will have a quiet evening at home tonight and will be able to spend the trip there catching up with my pal RB who has just returned from two weeks out west. I think I should make a cd with our favourite road trip artists - ABBA, Dr. Hook, Neil Diamond, John Denver, Great Big Sea, Juice Newton, more ABBA. Any recommendations?

Before I go here are some of the highlights from our trip to Montreal.

This was one of the stilt walkers in the Just for Laughs Parade

They had fantastic floats. I love Mr. Bean.

Whack-A-Mole prize for the Monkey

Big Scary Rollercoaster!

Organ fun at the Science Center with Hubby

Hubby and I at the Botanical GardensNotre-Dame Basilica

Home again - but not for long!

I know I promised pictures and I will post some eventually. The rest of our trip was fantastic. We had dinner at the hotel's revolving restaurant with friends from Quebec City who were also in Montreal for the week. Since they will not be able to make it to the birthday weekend we were glad to have some time with them. We also spent a day at the botanical gardens where I got lots of great pictures. Hubby was laughing at me because gardens make me happy and relaxed. I am not a big city girl, its nice to visit but I was much more relaxed at the gardens. Unfortunately for Hubby that meant I was in no hurry and we spent several hours there. We also went to the Insectarium and spent the afternoon at the Biodome. It was a hot day and unfortunately I got a bad sunburn.

On Wednesday night Canknitian and Hubby went to see The Police at the Bell Centre and I went to church. Yes, you did read that right. My hubby, the catholic, went to a concert and I, the heathen, went to the basilica. I laughed the whole time I was dressing for church. I said that someone is likely to have a heart attack if word gets out that I went to church all on my own. Hubby said it would probably be God. The Notre-Dame Basilica has a "sound and light show" and I really wanted to see the inside. The show was a little cheesy but it did a great job of showcasing each part of the church and helping you focus on details would otherwise be overwhelming. After the show we could walk around and take pictures, it was very dark and my camera is not the greatest. (A problem soon to be remedied as my birthday approaches.)

Thursday morning we were preparing to check out and head to Ikea (aka the happiest place on earth) when the power went out. Hubby had just left to take the first load of bags to the car when the power went. We were sure he would be stuck in the elevator when he didn't come back to the room. After a bit we called the desk and asked if there was anyone in the elevator. Hubby wouldn't go on the rides at La Ronde and was likely to not be having any fun if he was stuck in the elevator. They assured us that everyone was out, eventually Hubby called to say he was in the lobby. He had made it down the hotel elevator and had his finger on the button for the tiny, smelly elevator to the parking garage when the power went. The power outage did mean a delay in getting checked out but it ended up saving us $100 in parking fees at the garage. When Hubby was waiting in the lobby there were some hotel staff escorting people who had flights to catch to their cars. Hubby tagged along and because the power was out they were simply letting people leave. SWEET! Turns out half of downtown Montreal was without power for quite a while.

Ikea was all I dreamed it would be. I bought so much for the Monkey on this trip, why should I stop at Ikea. When Sis bought her house last year I painted a castle in Monkey's room. On our trip to Alberta I bought him a big dragon, a hobby horse and knights helmet and a dragon fleece blanket, all at Ikea. This trip I bought him the bedspread with knights and dragons and a really cool mirror that looks like a shuttered castle window. He loved it naturally and like the little obsessive compulsive he is he showed us exactly where he wants it hung. The bedspread couldn't be a better match for his room and it is not too babyish so it will grow with him.

Because of the late start we were very late getting home. I spent a good part of Friday at Sis' shop, telling her all about the giant rollercoasters I was on. She wouldn't have believed it if I didn't have the photos. I picked up Monkey from daycare and he was so excited to see us! I also had a visit with both of my grandmothers and helped Sis decorate a cake for a friend's bachelorette. I'll spare you the details.

Yesterday I cleaned a bit in the kitchen and got caught up on Big Love when it got too hot to do anything else. I had a call from Big Bro who informed me that he had quit his job and had just flown back to NB and was coming to town to visit his new girlfriend. He sure moves fast. He did get to see Mouse and his long lost son while he was out west. He would like to bring his son home to meet everyone at the end of the month.

Next weekend is the big birthday bash! I can hardly wait, we will have about 30 of our closest friends together for the weekend. Everyone is excited about the trip and there are a lot of people who will be going for the first time. But first I have to get ready for 4 LONG days of work before my next week off.

Dans le belle provance

Bonjour à tous ! J'ai beaucoup d'amusement au Québec.
(Hello everyone! I am having a lot of fun in Quebec)

I wish I could say my French has improved since I got here but I am finding it hard to catch about 25% of what is being said. Most places have bilingual staff who are happy to speak to you in English, and my two travelling companions are both bilingual.

We are having a blast! On Saturday we went to two comedy shows for the Just for Laugh's Festival. We went to the Master's Show, hosted by Lewis Black and then to the Comedy Night in Canada show which was awesome! Hubby got to have his picture taken at the old Montreal Canadian's Forum (which has sadly now been turned into a theatre and mall.)

On Sunday I met up with Canknitian and her sister and we were off to La Ronde, a Six Flags Park. I was determined to be a good sport but was not sure how my nerves would hold up. I did quite well considering the only rides I declined to go on were ones that make you go upside down. I even went on the biggest ride there The Goliath, twice and started the day with the big, creaky, wooden roller coaster - Le Monstre. It was expensive but a lot of fun. We ate bad for us food and went on a bunch of rides before rushing back to the hotel to get ready for the grande finale. Hubby opted out of the park in favour of seeing more of the comedy festival. Here is his grand debut at the Saint Denis Theatre.

The 25th Anniversary All-Star Gala was great. I was a little disappointed that Lewis Black did the same material both nights but the show was hilarious. Tommy Tiernan did a bit about women and Princess Mental Syndrome, which can be hit or miss. A definite hit, he nailed, he basically reenacted the conversation Hubby and I have once a month that begins with "I have no clothes, these aren't clothes, they don't make clothes for me anymore, just for skinny bitches!"
Hubby and I were in tears laughing!

Monday we toured Old Montreal. It is beautiful with the cobblestone streets and ornate architecture. We bought a Museum Pass which gives us access to over 30 museums for 3 days and unlimited metro. A great deal for $45. We spent the rest of the day at the Montreal Science Centre where we played with lots of stuff and saw an IMAX Movie about the Alps.
We went for a stroll in the evening, had a late supper, and then hit the hay!

Yesterday we had a late start and met up with Canknitian's blogging friend for a day at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. They have a fantastic Emily Carr exhibit. We spent longer at the Museum than we intended but it was worth it. I also purchased a FABULOUS ring in the gift shop. I am in love, and it doesn't even have diamonds. I will have to post a photo. Nadine was terrific, she is an artist who makes crocheted jewelry, and she gave us lots of great tips on what we should see and eat while we are here.

Well I have to get ready for another fun filled day so I will fill you in on the rest of the trip a little later! Only one more sleep until Ikea!

And we're off!

It is 5:45 and we are just about ready to leave on our 8 hr drive to Montreal. While we would like to poke around a bit on our way there we can't take too long to get there as we have tickets to the Just for Laugh's show tonight. We are also going to attend the Final Gala tomorrow night.

Canknitian thinks she is going to get me on some Six Flags rollercoasters but I'm not sure it will happen. I think I would have fun if I got on but I overthink it and chicken out. I have not been on a big rollercoaster since I was 12 and we went on Thunder Mountain at Disney World. I sat in the very first cart between my grandparents. My grandmother and I screamed the whole time but thought in the end it was okay. My grandfather closed his eyes and said nothing, when we asked him if he would go again he just shook his head.

I'll be checking in along the way to tell you all about the fun I'm having.

P.S. Thanks for worrying NH Knitting Mama and thanks to Miss Me for the nomination as a Rockin' Girl Blogger! I love it!

Busy Week

It just never seems to slow down, I just finish my year end reports and I have to dive right into finding funding for this year. Ah, non-profit life. Why did I decide not to go into private practice? Money woes aside things are going well, the new staff have jumped right in and seem to be working out great.

Monkey and I have had two play dates this week, including tonight's trip to the library. Tomorrow we are heading back to the in-law's to prepare for the up coming Birthday Beach Bash Extravaganza! Lil' Sis and Monkey will be coming with us to do some beach combing.

It looks like we will have over 30 of our closest pals join us for the beach party. Because my FIL has a broken paw we will be going to set up the screen house, the outdoor shower etc. It promises to be a wild time. We have all of the regulars and a whole bunch of newbies at the Club Med of the North. In honour of my FIL, this year's slogan is "Break a Leg!"

I am more excited about the birthday weekend than I am about my trip to Monteal. Although I have to say I am thrilled that we got tickets to see Lewis Black!

Back by popular demand!

Hey there folks! Did you wonder if I was really and truly kidnapped? Well I was but it was only for the day. Initially they planned to take me repelling a couple of hours away from here. (This explains the instructions for the clean undies and pink leotard.)


Unfortunately we were not able to go on Saturday so I spent the day on my swing, with a book and some yarn. Friday night I hung out with my buddy Bean at the airport while we waited for his lovely wife and their two infants to arrive home from Texas. Saturday night we hosted a BBQ and Stanley Cup Finals party.

My friend the lucky lottery winner came by to watch the game. While he was bragging up the new house his girlfriend was having a conversation about how she “just can’t seem to put on weight!” They were both promptly pelted with baby carrots for being both skinny AND rich”. (Actually, I’m very happy for both of them and can’t wait to see the inside when they move in next month.)

On Sunday I was given a 15 minute warning that the kidnappers were on their way. We hopped in the car and headed out of town. Silly me, I thought we would just hit the regular stores but sis and Canknitian had another plan. We ended up at a yarn shop! While Canknitian and I fondled the yummy yarns, Sis made a fuss over the pup and struck up a conversation about spinning dog hair. (She is a groomer.) She said after we left that listening to us in the yarn shop was like listening to another language. She is not at all crafty and had no idea what anyone was saying! She said she only understood about every third word. “ Blah, blah socks, blah blah wool, blah blah green”

She was a good sport and we were soon off to lunch (very yummy treat from Canknitian) and then to Costco! The retail therapy, or just being busy seems to be working. Unfortunately it was not enough to curb my spending at the fabric shop where I bought material to make two dresses on Monday night.

Part of the reason I’ve been missing from this blog is that I’ve been busy updating the Monkey and Teecee website with all the great books we’ve been reading. We are nearly half-way through our 100 books with 43 down! We will break 50 this Thursday on library night! I think I’ll buy a big balloon or something in advance to have once we read the 50th book. He LOVES his website and brags (almost as much as I do about our book challenge.)

Meanwhile back at the Beausejour

It seems like forever since I've been to Moncton, although it can't have been more than a couple of months. I'm holed up at my usual haunt - the Delta - for the week. This can only mean trouble since the only things I do in Moncton is shop and eat. So far I've hit the Micheal's, Addition Elle and Old Navy. I'm saving Costco for Friday.

I'm also right on track with the eating agenda. Last night I had dinner with the only two suckers, er friends, who are still practicing law. Every visit I get closer to convincing Mr. Sucker to get out. Fortunately, they took pity on their poor non-profit colleague and treated me to dinner at a great spot down the street. We had a wonderful visit and made plans to go to their place for dinner tomorrow night.

Tonight I am having dinner with my long lost cousin. I'm really looking forward to getting together with her. For now I think I'll just enjoy the peace and quiet of my hotel room.

Seaside Vacation

Hubby and J-li and I had a lovely weekend at the Algonquin Resort in Saint Andrews. Now this is not seasonally the best time for a vacation at a seaside resort but we pretty much had the place to ourselves. It was a very mild weekend and it actually felt like Spring was on the way!

We arrived on Saturday afternoon and although most of the shops were closed for the season but we did find a few treasures. Hubby bought a new mug for his new job. J-li found some smelly bath bombs and I bought a cookbook – “101 Things to do with a Potato”. (Now that Hubby will be working in SJ I will get to experiment with side dishes that do not involve rice!)

We had supper at the hotel, since the best part of staying at the Algonquin is the food. Hubby and I had the wild mushroom and goat-cheese ravioli for an appetizer, and roast beef tenderloin in a merlot reduction. Everything was great. We later ordered dessert from room service. Yummy!

J-li came up to our room and we ordered a movie (For your Consideration) but since we started too late and I did not see more than 3 minutes of the film before I was asleep on the couch - just like being at home.

On Saturday the grounds of the hotel were all covered in snow but by Sunday at noon the grass was showing and it not only felt like Spring it looked like it too! We had a late breakfast at the hotel before taking the long way home.

We took the long way so that J-li and I could stop at Cricket Cove yarn shop. What a great place! There were so many beautiful yarns and handknit items that I was on sensory overload. I fully expected to come out with bags of yarn but faced with that many choices I couldn’t choose. I am truly a novice.

I picked out a book - Weekend Knitting and some Galloway in a sage green with wooly socks in mind. All-in-all not too much spent. What happened next is all J-li’s fault. Since she insisted on chatting with the store owner I was forced to meander around the cash until I came across the Mango Moon yarns. The yarn is made from recycled silk saris in Nepal. I was in love before I looked at the price and managed to convince myself that the $26 was perfectly reasonable price for something so beautiful. I have no idea what I’ll do with it. Maybe I’ll just love him and pet him and call him George.