Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad

Today is my parents 34th Wedding anniversary.

In a time of throw-away marriages, I’m so happy and proud of my parents!

Congratulations!!!

I love you both!

Stuff Around The Web

I’ve been very selfish recently, not making enough visits to my favorite blogs. . . . .
I wanted to post a couple of goodies I’ve read this past week. . . . .

1.  Fracas’ Cookie Recipe

2.  Jayleen B video made by SkyWindows

First Day

Kate,

I hope your first day of Teacher’s College was good.

Happy Birthday Christine

Happy Birthday Christine!   I hope you are having an awesome birthday!!! 

Thinking about You, Too!

I got a beautiful simple card in the post this week from my Grandmother – my Nanny.

(Grumpy Minou with the card)

There are very few people in this world who affect me so wholly then her.

She is the matriach of our family, and one of my best friends.

I won’t go into details about what an amazing woman she is. . . trust me she is!

This beautiful and simple card hurt me right down in the very core of my being.

I’ve avoided Nan recently, actually for the last 8-9 months.

She had a fall and broke her back over a year ago now, and simply she hasn’t been the same. The medications that were helping her body heal, were stripping her of her mind and wits.

I was so emotionally distraught about seeing the one of the most influencial people in my life simply looking like they were hanging on to a last shred of life (and of dignity) I couldn’t bring myself to visit her.

And I haven’t.

I’m sitting here, tears welling in my eyes.

I’ve been horrible, horrible to the one person in my family who knows me the best, and accepts me just the way I am. My partner in crime, my confidant. My inspiration.

I love you Nan! I promise I’ll be there to see you soon.

I love you!

Rock & Spice

Which are you?  Rock or Spice?

In every relationship there is a rock and an spice.  You can personally have traits of both but you are primarily one or the other.   Which are you?

Rock : The rock is stable, considerate and interested in the details.  The are solid in mind, sturdy in thought and tough with challenges.

Spice : The spice is spontaneous, off the beaten track and a little eccentric.  A heaping of an artistic nature, a sprinkling of the wild side and a dash of out-of-the box thinking.

Although I have a strong tendancy to be timely, I believe I’m the Spice to Colin’s Rock. . .  .

Welcome to the World Little Adeline!

My good friends Cheryl and Michael from back home had their first baby today at 8:27 am.

Her name is Adeline.  She weighed 9lb 5oz.

Congrats you two!

School’s Back In

Congrats to my sister in law Kate.  She was accepted to teachers college and plans to attend during the next school season.  Lots of new changes for her and Paul, including a temporary move.  Kate will live closer to school, and Paul will be working at a satellite plant in Port Colbourne so they can be closer to one another.

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Dave.

I used to work for my Dad while I was in college. When I worked there I called him by his first name, Dave.

Since then, in a bid for humourous nostolgia, I still call him Dave once in a while. To which he replies ‘Daughter’.

My Dad owns his own company with a partner, the partner is the good cop, my Dad is the bad cop. Dad collects debts for the business and usually does the firing of employees. My Dad plays this roll, not because he is a mean guy its because he allows negativity as such roll off him like water off a duck’s back. He just goes with the punches.

He’s always been a laid back sort of guy.

Now he is starting to wind down a bit, looking to sell up his part of his business to the partner (who still has kids in elementary school). Dad enjoys a few rounds of golf in the week and has taken up poker.

My dad has always been about keeping himself active and busy. Up until the last few years (after his hip replacement) my dad played competitive “old timers” hockey. He traveled with my Mom to Europe on year and another year he took all of us to Florida for a tournament.

Besides himself playing hockey, baseball & lacrosse. He also coached. He was the type of coach that 15 plus years later, you’d still call him the best and most influencial coach you ever had. And once or twice, most specifically at lacrosse, kids he coached back in Long Branch who now themselves were married and had kids would come back to him and ask him if he remembered them. He always did.

My Dad was the ‘cool’ Dad on the block. My friends, my friend’s parents, and pretty much everyone in between adored Dave. He liked to tout himself as quite a comedien. Classics which include – “How does an elephant hide in a cherry tree, he paints his toe nails red” and the ever popular “I hope this rain keeps up, so it doesn’t come down”.

My dad often gets asks to host or mc various events, his famous opener, which I learned because as I child I found it hilarious!

“Ladies and Gents, hobos and Tramps

cross eyed mosquitos and bow-leg-ed ants.

I come before you, to stand behind you

to tell you about something I know nothing about.

Of course you know next Thursday is Good Friday

There will be Mother’s meeting for Father’s only.

The admission is free, you pay at the door.

You grab a seat, and sit on the floor.

Thank you for your unkind attention,

I’d like to draw your unkind attention to the four corners of the round table”

I remember Saturday mornings with my dad. We’d get into the car and head to Max Milk to pick my dad’s lotto numbers. My brother, Sister and I all got to help pick numbers. We’d then head to the dump, we’d always find something that needed to be taken to the dump. Followed by going through the car wash. After our long morning of errands we’d head to McDonald’s for a cheeseburger HappyMeal with the newest toy.

I also remember my dad being quite an inventor and handyman, and even though as an adult I realized he was actually a DIY disaster waiting to happen. I must admit his ideas and presentation of his ideas were very impressive, perhaps the exucution was left to be desired. Of course the fact that he fixed everything with old hockey sticks and duct tape should have been the first indicator.

I remember riding on the back of my Dad’s bike. My push car that he rigged (with a hockey stick) so that he could push me without bending over. I remember catching crawfish in the creek behind our house. I remember science fair projects and making fishing rods out of widdled sticks.

I remember my Dad walking me down the aisle when I got married, telling me all the same jokes that made me laugh when I was 6. . . . .

My Dad is a good man.

Happy Father’s Day, Dave, I love you to bits.

Oh Baby!

This has been a week for milestones with my family and close friends.

We just found out our good friends Geoff & Becky are expecting their second baby in December this year! Naomi, their first baby, will be turning one in August. Becky and Geoff just celebrated 5 years of marriage on May 24th as well.

Congrats you two!!!

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More Birthday Wishes

Happy Birthday to my Father-in-Law and to my Brother-in-law’s wife, Kate.

Both share the 16th as their birthdays.

Colin, Marty, Minou, Manny and I hope you both have a fabulous day!

One Small Step For Mankind. . .

A BIG HUGE wooooohoooooo going out to my little buddy Ryan, who just took his first steps this week!

Way to go Ryan!

Now it will be much easier to chase after the girls!

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157,766,400 seconds Married

I Love You Colin

5 years today we married. . . . .

Here’s the numbers:

Colin & Joey have been married for 1826 days or 5 years, this can be converted to one of these units:

• 157,766,400 seconds
• 2,629,440 minutes
• 43,824 hours
• 260 weeks (rounded down)

Colin & Joey have been together for 4240 days or 11 years, 7 months, 10 days.  This can be converted to one of these units:

• 366,336,000 seconds
• 6,105,600 minutes
• 101,760 hours
• 605 weeks (rounded down)

Check out this website to calculate the duration between two dates.

The Daughter She Never Had

Its our wedding anniversary this week.  5 years.  A long time by today’s poor standard of marriage.

Both my parents and Colin’s parents are still married.  Its almost like we are out of the norm having both sets of parents in 30 year plus marriages.

Mrs Graham sent us a lovely anniversary card, and this card convinces me I’m the daughter she never had.

Read closely. . . . . .

In addition to the card my Mother in Law sent, was a postcard sent by our mortgage broker.

It was about how to buy your Ex’s share of the house WHEN your marriage fails!

Interesting sense of timing on that, eh??

Poooooooohey!  Colin is stuck with me for a very very very very very very long time! 

I love you Colin.

Scott & Manny

Scott came over last night for a little more Colin BBQ action.  We made brochettes.

Scott adores Manny.   His girlfriend’s cat, as discribed by Scott, is the devil incarnet.

We had Scott and another friend Vlad over on Sunday for a BBQ for Colin’s birthday.  Vlad had arrived first, and Manny being the attention whore that he is tried everything to get Vlad to pay attention to him.  No dice, little kitty!  Vlad isn’t really a ‘cat person’.

Vlad and Colin went out to the shops to pick up a few last minute items, and while they were out Scott arrived.

A few minutes before Scott arrived I was telling Manny that he was coming over.  And as Scott’s car rolled into the drive way little Manny was at the door like a speeding bullet doing little circles, purrs and whiirrrrrs in excitement.

He knew Scott would pay attention to him.   Manny loves all the attention Scott gives him, and generally Manny follows him around while he visits.

Even last night Manny was ever so excited to see Scott.  Its very cute actually.

Colin and I have made an important decision about Manny.  If Colin and I die, or end up in a situation or move that means I can’t take my beloved cats,  Manny is to go live with Scott.

Scott is even Manny’s friend on Facebook (Yes!  My cats all have ‘CATBOOK’ profiles!)

Aren’t they a cute couple?