Shamantra's House

I've Been Busy ...

2012-02-09T13:47:00.000-08:00

...So have not attended to this Blog as I should. Apologies to my readers who faithfully check in daily and weekly.

I'm on the board of directors at my co-op so that keeps me busy.
My Mom is ill and this understandably enough this keeps me from thinking of things to write about. Focussing is not one of my skills.
Still dog-walking though. I love those walks around the neighbourhood. Bruno is a marvellous, friendly dog person.

Anyway, I follow Vegan Reader faithfully and came across a page there about "Being Poor - Words of Encouragement". After reading some of responses I was inspired to contribute the letter reprinted below: [things in italics added for clarity]

January 27th, 2012 at 3:33 pm

Thank you so much for your latest post. Making money has never been a talent of mine so keeping a roof over our heads and feeding my two daughters has always been a struggle, especially after my husband passed away when I was 31 and very pregnant.

The Canadian system is (was) a little more sympathetic to the needs of the poor so I always managed to cope. Perhaps because of my independent streak and the acceptance that I had to rely on myself – and most importantly that I had 2 precious children depending on me – I knew I had no choice, so get on with it. I am blessed that my children are healthy. [And my family were very supportive].

The Canadian system is much less interested now in helping out. Funding for affordable housing and co-operatives is laughable although there are strong voices in government now – many of them from people in power who grew up in co-ops, so there is hope for improvement. Medical care funding is a large part of federal budget planning and proportionally we spend billions less on military-related issues [than the USA]. However, the actual costs have sky-rocketed so we get way less bang for the buck.

But unless you are smart enough to know how the system works, what questions to ask and what our rights are – well good luck getting the services you require. There are plenty of homeless people here, too
.
So, this doesn’t sound encouraging, does it? But here is what my girls learned from our struggles:

*Independence of thought and action
*How to use tools to fix and build things
*Read books, instructions, the fine print, the bottom line, the ingredients
*How to improvise
*How to plan a meal, choose the best foods for the lowest price
*Eating healthy is cheaper than eating junk
*You don’t need designer labels to look good
*Give, share, respect, honour, listen, speak up for yourselves and others
*Write it down or insist on getting it in writing
*How to work and still put yourself through school and pay off student loans
*Walk tall. Look everyone in the eye
*Appreciate what you do have
*If you need help, ask for it. If someone needs help, give it.
*If you borrow or charge to buy, you do not own what you bought until it is paid for in full
*Volunteer
*Every experience is positive if you learn something from it
*Be mindful. Be thankful. Remember small kindnesses and pass them on
*Things own you. Decide if you need them or only want them
*Never stop learning – take a course, read a how-to book, ask your friends
*You do not need that second helping. Take it for lunch the next day

All the above in no particular order. My girls are now strong and lovely adults. My pride and respect for them and all they have accomplished grows each day.

It was hard not to show my despair when they were growing up without so much. Life is a joint family project so please involve the whole family. Rich does not equal happy. Shared effort will pay off one way or another. Blessings and hugs.

Blog Stats - This is So Cool!!!

2012-01-08T13:50:00.000-08:00

This blog has been floating around the net since some time in June of 2005 but it was not until June 2009 that Google started tracking viewer stats for me and with an almost 2 year hiatus from internet I didn't even discover the stats page until this past September when I re-upped. And up until then, let me tell you, it was depressing because there I was, sharing thoughts and photos and thinking no one was reading. Didn't stop me though. I like writing.

However, it has been gratifying to see that I do indeed have readers. And apparently they check back for more once in a while. I had no readers in June 2009, but in July of that year 149 viewers read the blogs and by November and December 2010, 571 and 535 respectively. I have to attribute some of this to more assertiveness - using Twitter and my Facebook page to let friends know I've posted a new post. I also joined Bloggers.com and a comment on CHOW.com regarding my Big Bear Ranch blog also made a difference I think; as does the use generous use of labels. Of course, none of this has helped me sell my photos on items available at CafePress, but what the heck. This is fun!!!

My most-read items? I thought for sure anything to do with the 2010 Olympics. I have had a few hundred folks check those out - mostly USA, Russian and Euro viewers. But the kicker is the one I wrote in August 2007 about my sure fire cure for mosquito bites! 314 and counting. The January stats reveal 24 readers so far - the UN Year of Cooperatives and the Christmas Spirit posts being the most popular.

Now, I never set out to be a blog star; not my style. And believe me the numbers are so low that that will never happen. The most successful bloggers specialize in something - anything - and are either experts in that field or are really, really good at finding newsworthy items, articles and/or news on that subject. Me, I'm a generalist. I write about whatever strikes my fancy. I appreciate those who take the time to read my contributions and I am thrilled when my readers spend a few minutes to send a comment about my pics and blogs.

I am still learning how to cross-reference my blogs and link to other sites. And labelling is an art form!

While washing the dishes blog ideas pop up like mushrooms so even if it is just to keep the creative juices flowing - try creating your own blog. I use Google's Blogger but there are plenty more out there to choose from.

It really is fun!

Daily Internet Habits - What's on Your Toolbars?

2012-01-04T14:06:00.000-08:00

Now that I'm retired and have a new PC and time enough to enjoy poking around the internet I have established a routine of sorts. After making a cup of coffee - fresh ground Ethical Beans with brown sugar, a pinch of cinnamon and soya milk - I head for my PC and going in order of priority from left to right on my Google Chrome toolbar:
First up - Tagoria- An RPG I've been playing on and off for years. I collect my ambers from working on the farm, do the obligatory safety fight on some hapless lower level player, chat for a few minutes on the shout box, then -
Second up - Check my email. Sort, delete, read stuff.
Next - Facebook. It's a way to keep track of what my relatives and friends are doing. Sort of. I do not use the multitude of available corporate info-collection apps since they collect way too much info that is no one's bloody business. I like to think I still have some privacy. A myth, I know, but a nice one. Enough said about that!
Moving right along -I check out my work schedule on-line daily. It can change.
Then - BBC news feed. Browse that for a while. This can take anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour or two. Main interests are international events, sciences, tech.
Ditto for the Discovery News feed - Although I'm a little disappointed at some of the content. Supposedly science info but editing skills are often lacking and tend toward sensationalist or just plain misleading headlines. No link - find it if you want.
Much better is Discover Magazine's blog. Excellent science news, in brief. Written by people who know their subject matter. Also, a source for video lectures, symposia, all sorts of interesting science discussions news and debates. You can spend hours here. This morning I watched a discussion about the role of the sciences and the role of the humanities in the 21st century. Great food for thought!
Wired is another science blog. A little more upbeat. Science, tech, a little politics, volcanoes, earthquakes, physics, webcams, etc.
TED has some excellent lectures - Ideas Worth Spreading. I'm hoping much of what they offer is being shown in schools. There is something for everyone here.
Just when you think I'm all science and reason - I check out BurdaStyle and Threads to see what freebie sewing patterns are new to the site. Then hop over to CafePress to see if I've sold anything recently. Ditto for eBay and Etsy.
I also check out YouTube, especially the Vancouver Film School stuff. There is some incredible talent in this city and students come from countries all over the planet. Sometimes in the evening I watch one or two of the free movies on YouTube as well. Check out Robinson Crusoe on Mars - there are several links. Remarkable, considering the film was made before CGI. Plenty of world-class documentaries, some classics, award winning animation, etc.
Some days I spend pretty well the whole day on the net. Other days, I'm trying out new recipes, walking the dog, visiting, serving on my co-op's board of directors, out taking photos, and thinking about my next blog.

Happy New Year. The links above are my gift to you. Enjoy!

How to Really Share the Christmas Spirit

2011-12-24T10:31:00.000-08:00

I walk a neighbour's dog. He is a lovely and friendly creature and for some reason people in the neighbourhood want to stop and chat and get their hands licked by said doggie. One of the people with whom I chat is a gentleman who lives in a nearby park . I have seen him several times, sitting on a sunny bench and doing crossword puzzles. Beside him is his transportation - a shopping cart loaded with all his worldly possessions. A tarp, a ground sheet, two sleeping bags, miscellaneous supplies and cooking utensils. And two or three extra large plastic bags loaded with the daily haul of pop cans and bottles. From this he earns his income. What always strikes me is his dignity and his gentle manner. He is always clean, his white hair brushed and pulled back into a pony tail, his beard well-groomed.

I asked him once whether he stayed in a shelter and he said no, the shelters are not always safe from predators. He can't afford to lose anything. so he lives in the park in a secret place that is protected from the weather. One week he wasn't at his usual bench and I was worried that something had happened to him. The following week he was back, looking very weak. Two brave and class-act young men had been walking around with a can of pepper spray, zapping homeless people. My friend was one of their victims. He managed to get help but his lungs were affected and he ended up with pneumonia and had massive doses of penicillin. Wouldn't stay in hospital though - didn't want to lose his worldly possessions.

Once a week, he helps the trash collectors roll the big garbage bins out of the apartment blocks. In exchange, he gets to rummage around and take any refundable bottles and cans. He performs a function much needed in our wasteful society, as do many of the homeless men and women who rummage around in our leavings - tools, small furnishings, old clothes, anything that may still have some monetary or exchange value. I respect their independence and dignity, their friendliness and their courage in the face of illness, aggression, scorn and derision.

So while the rest of us are enjoying turkey with all the trimmings and the pleasure of watching loved ones open that Christmas present they really really wanted - take a few minutes to set aside a small collection of cash, maybe a scarf or sweater you no longer wear and perhaps make a nice big turkey sandwich and go search out one of those folks who clean up after us. And thank them for the valuable work they do in the community.

That's how you really share the Christmas Spirit.

www.petitiononline.com/dchud08/petition.html/

Save Your Pennies!

2011-12-10T15:21:00.001-08:00

In Canada there is an ongoing debate about whether to eliminate the humble copper penny from circulation. Reasons are: Copper is expensive and costs more than a penny to produce, and therefore is debased with cheaper metals. Nobody wants to carry a pocketful of change because they don't know how to use needle and thread any more and they are tired of buying new jeans when the pockets develop holes. You can't buy anything with a penny - not even penny candies. They make a hell of a noise when scooped up by the vacuum cleaner. And on and on.

However, before the banks remove the pennies from circulation and sell the copper to manufacturers of copper wire and copper pipe and copper roofing for fancy hotels and office buildings for a very large profit, save a few for posterity. In fact, make sure the handful -[but just a handful mind you, because you want them to be rare] - you save is passed down in perpetuity to your most favourite and responsible heirs. With the proviso that the collection must stay within the family forever - or until at least until the price is right - your family will be well off for centuries.

Why?
This - from Reuters a few days ago ~

Rare Greek coin could sell for $2.5 million at auction

The Dekadrachm of Akragas, which was minted in Sicily and dates to 409-406 B.C., will be sold at auction on January 4 from a U.S. collection by the Classical Numismatic Group, an international firm that deals in ancient, medieval and British coins.

The price would make it one of the top-priced coins ever sold at auction, although collectors of extraordinarily rare coins have paid more than $5 million in the past.
Earlier this year a rare, gold Islamic coin, the Umayyad dinar which dates to 723 A.D. sold for $6 million at a London auction.
The Greek coin, one of only 12 examples known to exist and only the third to come to market in a generation, measures about 35.5 mm (1.4 inches) and weighs 43.4 grams (1.5 oz). It depicts four horses and a chariot on one side and an eagle on the other.
Six versions of the coin are in museum collections.
In its online catalogue CNG described the coin as "a masterpiece of late 5th century Greek art" and "one of the most beautiful of all Greek coins."
Bids will be accepted at a live sale in New York and online in real time for preregistered bidders via www.the-saleroom.com, CNG said.

Sustainable Farming

2011-12-04T09:54:00.001-08:00

Just received my first order ever from Big Bear Ranch in Canada's BC Interior. It's a long drive from Horsefly to Vancouver but the delivery arrived right on time. [577km/359mi] I think it is is really important to support local businesses that incorporate sustainability and are aware of the biodiversity of the ecosystem.

Our co-op has a private site - members only - so it's a great way for us to share co-op news and community info. A neighbour invited several of us to place a meat order. After doing my research about this very successful sustainability/biodiversity-focused farming business near Horsefly in BC's Cariboo countryside, I did order some pork and lamb products - and beef bones for soup. I'd offer up a link for the Cariboo but there are so many it would best for you to just do the googling yourself.

So far, I've only tried the smoked back bacon. The protective fatty layer is beautifully white and the meat itself has a wonderful full flavour, not salty. I can almost see the happy piggies running around their acreage instead of being 'stuck like a pig' in factory barns never seeing daylight. The difference in quality and flavour is ... wow!!!

If you happen not to be omnivorous take a look anyway at the website to see what else this amazing family is into - including eggs, honey and raising Icelandic horses. Looking at their horse pics reminds me of the Lascaux cave paintings of those marvellous strong, sturdy, wild horses dashing across the ice age European tundra. If you have read Jean Auel's books, this is one of the caves where Ayla travelled.

I have jumped around too much on this post but one thing inspires the next!

See you later. And please, please- I love hearing from you so do leave your comments and reactions, and pass the post on via the social links below. Thanks for stopping by.

UN - 2012 International Year of Cooperatives

2011-11-28T09:43:00.001-08:00

The UN has proclaimed 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives.

This is a huge subject encompassing so many aspects of housing, political, social, sustainability, ecological and economic existence that to try and cover it all in one blog entry is well nigh impossible. All cooperatives are democratic, owner-operator ventures.

But ... the cooperative movement is hardly a new phenomenon. One of the most successful business models for a cooperative is Mondragon located in the Basque region of Spain. Internationally, farmers co-ops, business co-ops, website co-ops, medical & health co-ops, banking & insurance co-ops are proving to be models for sustainable, long-term social and economic success. Food co-ops buy in bulk, sell to co-op members and distribute excess to those members in various ways, from a cheque in the mail to deeper discounts the following year. The Co-operators is Canadian insurance co-op that is one of the most successful businesses in Canada.

Co-ops also support other co-ops in the form of charitable work and are deeply involved in international development projects.

In Canada, not-for-profit housing cooperatives provide housing for a tremendously diverse population:

"Across Canada, over 2,100 non-profit housing co-ops are home to about a quarter of a million people in over 90,000 households. there are housing co-operatives in every province and territory" CHF Canada

I live in a co-op in Vancouver. I own one share in the co-op. This entitles me to live here, have a democratic say in how the co-op operates, spends it's money - BUT the most important factor for me is that I don't just live here, I live in a village in the middle of a large city. I know my neighbours. We volunteer our time and whatever expertise we have to help run our organization and help make it one of the most successful co-ops in the country. None of us receive financial compensation but the benefits are huge in social interplay and security.

Co-op members come from all walks of life - some are high income earners, some middling and some on fixed income from pensions or other government sources. We are governed by various government acts and we develop our own internal rules and policies. Our co-op is large enough that we hire a management company to handle day to day financial matters. The final decisions are made by the members.

We do not own our units so we pay a percentage of our total income as a monthly housing fee. And considering the larger global financial situation, home ownership is not all it's cut out to be! The rate is fixed annually after we work on our budget needs for the following year and then vote for it. Currently, our housing fee rate is a little over 30 per cent of our total earnings. There is a cap on fees based on market rent for this area of the city - and a minimum as well.

Many housing co-ops assist lower income earners in the form of partial subsidy. As most Canadian co-ops will have paid off their mortgages by 2020, the small percentage of subsidy provided by the Canadian government will end. By continuing to carefully balance our resource, co-op members will continue to live here and contribute financially to the physical, social and economic well-being of the co-op as a whole.

I will blog more about cooperative choices. And in the meantime please spend a few minutes checking out the links provided. It just might change your life - for the better.

http://social.un.org/coopsyear/
http://www.chfinternational.org/
http://www.canada2012.coop/

Pictorial - MEXICO

2011-11-27T15:52:00.001-08:00

Here are a few of the sites and sights to see in Mexico. While I'm attempting to transfer pics from one PC to the other I thought you might enjoy just a taste.

UXMAL WORLD HERITAGE SITE, YUCATAN

WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT FRIDGE MAGNETS AND
SHOELACES COULD BE SO
EXTRAORDINARILY COLOURFUL!

STREET MARKET FEW BLOCKS FROM THE NATIONAL CATHEDRAL
MEXICO CITY

THESE LITTLE GUYS JUST BLEW ME AWAY
DON'T WORRY! BE HAPPY!

STREET VENDOR - CORNS & SOME KIND OF MEAT STUFF

SMALL SIDE ENTRANCE TO THE NATIONAL CATHEDRAL
MEXICO CITY

TAXCO

THESE ARE SO BEAUTIFUL! THE COLOURS ARE NOT RETOUCHED
THEY REALLY DO GLOW!
UXMAL, YUCATAN

THIS HURRICANE VINE HAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED
THE TREE. MY PLANT AT HOME GREW IN A POT AND
NEVER EVER LOOKED THIS HAPPY
UXMAL, YUCATAN

BIRD SANCTUARY, CELESTUN, YUCATAN

Waiting for My New PC

2011-11-22T23:24:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone!

I will be purchasing a new PC and should have it set up within a few days. I'm really looking forward to this because my poor old Presario needs to be retired. Almost no RAM and if I open more than two windows it freezes up on me. That's okay - she's 10 years old.

Anyway, once the new one is up and running, I will be able to redesign this Blogspot. I have about 4,500 pics to go through and will offer some of my favourites so please check back often and click on the pictorial pages in the right side column. I have a long list of topics to share with you, too. And I have pics on my cellphone of the Judas Priest concert and other things. Once I have figured out how to get them from the phone to the memory card - one at a time apparently *sigh* - I'll post them as well.

I enjoy taking pics of my West End neighbourhood, the trees and flowers in the parks, architectural and weather shots, scenery from around Vancouver, a few from the Okanagan area of British Columbia and I will also share pics of my trip to Mexico. So there will be some of the city, some from the Museum of Anthropology, florals, some archeological sites and some from the bird sanctuary in Yucatan. Oh, and I think there are already some Mexico pics in here that I posted a few years ago.

Stay tuned. That's it for now.

And Happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers.

FLOWCHART: Navigating NPR's Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books

2011-11-04T22:35:00.000-07:00

For anyone who loves reading Science Fiction, Science Fantasy, Fantasy, Speculative Fiction, have a look at this printable chart. It was gratifying to look through and see many old favourites here.

FLOWCHART: Navigating NPR's Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books

Two Sushi Places to Avoid

2011-11-04T22:34:00.000-07:00

Anyone who lives here, or indeed has just wandered about as a tourist for a day or two knows Vancouver is jammed with little sushi joints. They are cheap, the food is quick to prepare and serve, and the ingredients are fresh - well, mostly fresh. Visits to two places on Burrard just north of Pacific and directly across the street from each other - Osaka Sushi & Daikichi Sushi proved to be exceptions. One's food was a little too fresh, the other's very very old.

Now, I've frequented both over the years they've been in the neighbourhood and although not greatly impressive (how hard can it be to roll up short grained sticky rice and chopped fish in a sheet of nori) the proximity is a great incentive on a rainy night.

Here's what happened at Osaka about 2 months ago. New management. Late summer. Balmy. Sunset. A friend wanted some teriyaki. I just wanted edamame and a beer (at $2.49, a great price!). The place was not busy, maybe two other tables had diners. They were open for another hour. We sat outside. The menus were dropped on the table. Less than a minute later the server rushed out again. "What you order?" She was obviously pushing us to order and move on - quickly. So we ordered. Food was produced, and served in the same manner as the menus. We were not made to feel welcome - in fact the attitude seemed to be one of resentment that she actually had to work. So we ate. As the plates were emptied they were scooped away and the bill produced while she cleared the last bits from the table. We paid and left. We did not feel the least bit guilty at leaving no tip.

I did make one more attempt about a week later. I love smoked eel so ordered some on rice. I've eaten eel before and know how it should be served - cooked! Uncooked it is a slimy, gross mess. Give 'em credit though. Each 1inch x 4 inch paper thin slice was grilled perfectly - but only the first 2 inches of each slice! The rest was raw slimy mess. I set it aside intending to tell the server; and ate the rice. What the heck, I'm willing to give the benefit of a doubt and I was hungry. At the end of the meal the server, a different one from the previous week, came to take away the bowl. I showed her the raw eel. Told her it wasn't cooked. She suggested to me that perhaps I didn't know about food. I told her that I had eaten eel many times at Osaka, and this is not cooked. A this point I'm insulted and getting indignant. She goes to the cook. She brings me the bill. No apology, which would have sufficed, no 'how can we fix this for you?', no offer of a discount or a free coffee, just the bill. I paid and left. No tip. No ever going back either.

So what to do when I get a sushi craving? Go across the street to Daikichi. Slightly better food plus you get a flavourful miso with most orders. The folks there have always been friendly and to tell the truth, the food was always better than Osaka's. Well damn! New faces, new management. Had a decently so-so meal. Left a tip. When my brother visited, I took him there. Another decently so-so meal. Left a tip. Went back a few days later. The cook is hovering over a little guy who is studiously stirring a pot of something. Cook is berating little guy. Server is watching anxiously from the safety of the dining area. We order. Bro asks for chicken teriyaki on rice. I ask for salmon teriyaki on rice. Food comes. Bro eats just about anything. But he is also a cook by profession. I look at my salmon, expecting something pink, grilled, flaky. I get burnt, breaded, dried-out, hard, yellowish stuff. Not salmon and with a distinct after taste of unpleasantness. Bro tastes it. Nope, definitely burnt, breaded, unpleasant, not-salmon. I eat the rice. Server clears the bowl, sees I've left the not-salmon. I tell the server this is burnt. It's not salmon. "Oh yes. It is salmon. I tell cook." She tells cook. She comes back with the bill. No apology. No "how can we fix this for you?", no offer of a discount, no offer of a free coffee. At that point my bro hands her $20. She says "This not enough". He says, "She's not paying for burnt food. She ordered salmon. This is not salmon." We left. No tip. Bro confesses later that he spent the next few hours on the toilet getting rid of his chicken teriyaki.

I love my brother.

There is also another sushi place, a pho shop that serves great vietnamese coffee, a few more cafes, and a lovely coffee bar - all in the same block. And a few Thai places, award-winning sushi places, award-winning Greek places, etc. just a few blocks away on Davie Street.

Wonder if they serve smoked eel or salmon? Sure they do. :)

ps I tried to use google maps but it's just plain wrong. Sorry.

More ...

2011-09-21T11:51:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pics ... taken at Sunset Beach

The Trees at the Foot of Thurlow Street

2011-09-18T22:18:00.000-07:00

Thought I would share these with you all. The trees at the southern foot of Thurlow are a wonderful place to visit if you are out for a stroll in Vancouver's west end. Rain or shine, or even on those rare occasions when it snows, you will share Sunset Beach with picnickers, dog walkers, old folks, cyclists, skateboarders, tourists and in late July and early August with thousands of people making a day and night of it, enjoying fireworks and the Pride parade.

Fall in Vancouver

2011-09-17T14:55:00.000-07:00

I took these photographs, as well as the blog's background pic one October a few years ago, all at the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park in North Vancouver. A friend had travelled all the way from Hamilton to visit - on the bus! Of course, when he first arrived it was pouring rain but he insisted on walking the few miles to my place because he had been sitting for three days! We were soaked.

The next morning the sun was a wonderful gift, so off we went via more buses and the translink ferry to North Van, then another bus up Capilano Road to the park. It was perfect picture-taking weather. We spent hours wandering around under the trees, over the trees, around the trees - one of which is original old growth that had been a seedling when Columbus first pulled up on the east coast without a parking pass.

Enjoy...

One Book I Really Love

2011-09-16T16:09:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is an experiment. One of the hundreds of books I read during my "exile" is The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson. If you have read his series about the colonization and areo-forming of Mars then you already know the high calibre of writing to expect from this newer book. It's a world history "what-if" - what if ALL Europeans had died of the bubonic plague. As in his Mars books Robinson delves into religious differences, trade, exploration and colonization issues, the place of women in these alternate societies, world wars, philosophical perspectives, social mores, scientific developments, ecology and economics, and spiritual matters.

I originally read this a few years ago when it first published - and given the current state of world affairs - it is as timely now as then. Beg, borrow, steal or (preferably) buy it. You will read it more than once.

I'm Ba-a-a-a-ck!!

2011-09-16T14:56:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been over a year since I last posted - due to a self-imposed internet blackout. And I see that nothing much has changed in reference to the post below. Very sad.

Anyway, I suspect my few blog fans are horrified at the mere thought of not having internet, but here are a few things I discovered from the experience:

Reading - yes - reading real books! The printed on paper kind! I re-read just about every book I own. Fell in love with some of them all over again and donated some to my co-op's lending library. Picked up a library card from SFU.
I am still attractive to the opposite sex. A very interesting experience.
I have a vacuum cleaner and I know how to use it.
There are hundreds of TV channels but on many occasions there is nothing worth watching.
I have friends and family with whom to have dinner, who enjoy walks along the seawall, to chat with on the phone, do things with, commiserate with, watch DVDs with and generally make eye contact with rather than sit alone and chat with over the 'net.
I live in a very interesting neighbourhood.
I can actually enjoy peace and quiet without needing the visual stimulation of the 'net from 8am to 12 midnight

On the other hand, I am really, really, really am happy to be back. YIPPEEEEE!!!

Aid for Pakistan? It's Complicated

2010-08-27T16:24:00.000-07:00

It's time to get back to doing things I love - exploring housing needs in a changing world.

Just look at what is happening in Pakistan. A fifth of the country is washing away down the Swat River system. Whole cities, not to mention the main agricultural land, hundreds of centuries old villages, roads, railway systems - just gone! When flooding stops, the problems will really begin. Given the world's ever-shortening attention span, once the countryside dries up, all those millions of people will continue to need support, housing, potable and reliable water, roads, railways, bridges, sanitation, electricity, and it will all need to be long-term support.

The land is gone, the soil has washed away - yes, frequently because of very poor land management practices - all the more reason for international organizations, both governmental and NGO, to insist on accountability from the Pakistani government, such as it is, for any and all monies, goods and services the rest of the world sends its way. And given that the Pakistani government consists of wealthy landowners and business leaders (dynastic), the same ones who own the devastated landscape and all the lives within it, there is little reason to doubt the scepticism expressed by some of my Pakistani friends now living in Canada who are reluctant to send funding and aid 'home' since they are quite sure it will go straight into the private pockets of the wealthy castes.

I wish all those poor people all the best in their struggles to stay alive - can't help being sceptical, myself.

Regardless, there are millions of lives at stake - if you can find a way to help even one person, please do so.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Pakistan_floods

Ack!!! 6 Months since the last Blog

2010-01-07T20:25:00.000-08:00

Sorry - Life has a habit of getting in the way. No work, no pay. No pay - no internet.

Lots happening though. I will get back to all my fan :) soonest -

I hope you have all celebrated the past season's holidays & holy days & cultural days & ....

And wish you all the best for 2010. Oh yes! I am volunteering for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics so wave if you see me at the hockey games. I will be wearing tropical blue jacket, hat, t-shirt & vest - yep, that's me.

I will post pics of my neighbourhood so stay tuned.

Hugs and cookies

The Cookie Principle: RPG Moderating Strategies

2009-06-25T14:43:00.000-07:00

As mentioned below I moderate the SB -shoutbox- for an online browser RPG called Tagoria. As with most online games this one is about killing the other characters in PvPs and epic battles, earning ambers to buy more and better equipment to kill more characters & trying out different game strategies.

The role of the moderator is to keep the shoutbox friendly, the language acceptable & answer game questions. Most of the time this is very easy to do - a gentle reminder to get back to the game is usually all that's needed.

The toughest time for mods is when a new world opens up. This is when the company goes all out to advertise on other game sites to draw more players into the ever-expanding fold. For mods it is the dreaded Noob Storm time. New players, novice players, flamers, noobs, predators, newbies, foreign language players who don't understand what 'English only, please' & 'check your messages' means, the vulgar, the sweethearts, emos, the spoiled babies and of course the serious, above-board totally focussed & singlemindedly dedicated gamers. All at the same time!!!

When first invited to mod, I was quite flattered as I enjoy the game and offering advice to new players - rescued more than a few along the way who would otherwise have quit due to lack of game strategy knowledge or just plain unintended noobness. I'm proud to say quite a few of them have become superb strategists,some are now great hordemates (yes, I play the game too) & good friends. That's the upside. The downside is dealing with those who chafe at any kind of perceived authority or those few silly folk who seem to think that a privately owned corporation is a free-for-all anarchic 'free speech democracy'. Being a mod is stressful & we do suffer from burnouts.

So where does the Cookie Principle come into all this?

Well, somewhere along the way and just for fun and the role-play schtick I started handing out virtual cookies to players as a reward for levelling up - this has escalated to the point where if I do not offer cookies within 5 minutes of login, the players start asking for them. It has eventually become a daily expectationof the game - the stealing of cookies, the chasing around the campfire after the thief, general shenanigans - all part of the integrated tradition in at least the 4 English Worlds.

The funny thing is that I am now the Tagorian Cookie Goddess. If there is an argument developing or newbies are under verbal attack (I say verbal even though this is all typed communication between players), or noobs are verbally attacking - I either offer cookies or suggest cookies will not be forthcoming. The result? Everyone behaves, calmness returns to the SB and arguments are (mostly) forgotten. Players who come off bans frequently and sheepishly ask for cookies. A necessary sign of forgiveness from the Great & Powerful OS?

This works better in some of the 4 English worlds. In others the Mods keep a lower profile but in general terms, if RPG Moderators can reach that Zen 'state of being' where frustration, anger, puzzlement and 'taking things way too personally' no longer matter, the game and the players become an interesting and thoroughly enjoyable milieu and a village full of familiar (avi) faces, old friends and quirky personalities - the real world in microcosm.

And just in case you think cookies are for kids - some of us are so far beyond being kids that our kids, spouses, grandkids and workmates are also playing the game.

So have a cookie, some Earl Grey tea sit back and enjoy the game.

A Long Time ...

2009-06-07T10:14:00.000-07:00

It has been way too long since I posted here. My apologies to my one reader ... lol. Hi, rauf.

I have been very busy doing co-op things, looking for work things, walking dogs things, etc. Just wanted to share with you a blog that will give you the courage to face whatever life tosses your way.

As an online game moderator - www.Tagoria.com - (click on the brit/US flag for English) I have had the pleasure of getting to know people from all over this amazing planet. I have made many friends, even met a few from distant places - Hamilton, Ontario and Helsinki - but today is about a true warrior and his family. This player has always been friendly, helpful and honourable as a player - something that indicates to me the truest character of the person in the real world. In early May 'Garand' was diagnosed with cancer. Soon after, he closed his game account to focus on the important needs of healing, family and the positive power of prayer and a steadfast, unshakeable faith in God. It seems to be working.

Rather than close themselves off from the world he and his wonderful wife have chosen to share their journey toward healing.

Please visit www.18words.wordpress.com/

And come away with a joyful heart.

Hugs and cookies.

Common Mushroom with Bug

2008-11-06T17:40:00.000-08:00

These things pop up like...well...like mushrooms in Vancouver gardens. I was playing with the macro settings on my lunch break. Didn't even notice the tiny critter until I uploaded the pic.

Thoughts on the American Elections: One Canadian's Perspective

2008-11-05T11:38:00.000-08:00

Since 9/11 I have followed the news from the US with trepidation and, I admit some fearfulness.

Shock, denial, paranoia, abject fear, a closing up of the psyche, reactionary attitudes and terrible aggression. But I've also watched as more & more Americans have taken the time to really learn about the rest of the world, too. Travelling to other countries, reading more about themselves as others view them, taking the time to examine the issues from a different perspective, become in turn frightened, frustrated then angry as they realize how they have been used, manipulated and denied more and more freedom in their own country by those in elected office and those with enormous corporate power.

And the result is a new willingness to take power back into their own hands. To not allow their fears to paralyze and dictate an empty arrogance in the face of internal and external disapproval and economic chaos.

Yesterday I watched with admiration as democracy was taken back and used, by the majority, for the good of all. I'm not saying that either Mr. Obama or Mr. McCain should have won or lost. I am saying that I now have some admiration again for the American people as a nation. They have accepted that change is necessary and that their voices and actions have come through loud and clear.

Welcome Back!

The Road to Whistler

2008-05-17T12:33:00.000-07:00

(I've been having trouble with Blogger not finding my pics so will add them once I figure out the problem). In the meantime, check them out at http://picasaweb.google.com/vanbookinginfo/RoadToWhistlerPartII/

So now it's well over due that I post to my poor, neglected blog. I see that the blog that got lost is now found - I'll leave them both to confuse you even more.

I've been playing way to much at Tagoria!!!

Last weekend, my friend and I took a day trip up to Whistler, a well-known ski & sun resort north of Vancouver. Whistler is one of the major venues for the 2010 Winter Olympics and Para-Olympics, as well as being a top world vacation destination.

I plan to take plenty of pics to share on this site and on Picasa so dutifully recharge all my camera batteries the night before while packing a picnic cooler with strawberries, Camembert, crackers, egg salad, juice and granola bars. Mmmm.

Early the next morning we leave town and head over Lion's Gate Bridge, through West Vancouver, and soon after passing the Horseshoe Bay ferry turnoff we quickly join the Sea to Sky Highway. The drive up the coast is gorgeous on a sunny day. Most of the reconstruction on the highway is complete with only a few spots left where you have to slow down, but there are no delays. Howe Sound is calm, it's early spring so the trees are that amazing bright yellowy green that gladdens the heart and quickens our sluggish winter blood.

Considering the first few pics were taken through the windshield, and while travelling at speed, they turned out better than expected, but by the time we come into sight of The Chief, my camera is beeping its low battery signal. Eeek! Change batteries. Eeek! Same response from said camera. At this point I'm really ticked because of the crummy camera. We pull into the Shopper's drug store in Squamish and I fork out $18 plus change for new NiMH batteries. Same thing. Bloody cheap technology! So I resorted to turning the camera off, then quickly turning it on and snapping a pic or two before the camera dies again. Typical. First trip in ages and this happens.

Hence the title "The Road to Whistler".

The Chief is a 450 m cliff face that pro climbers love. They even sleep there, hanging from little hanging nets and tents. Weird. But there are paths of varying difficulty along the back of the mountain for those who are brave but not exactly crazy, like my daughters. Named for Chief Mountain, an ancestral Nisga'a, there are 7-10 kms of return hiking trails, depending on your route. One of several in the area, it is estimated at 93 million years old; as volcanic monoliths go, it is one of the world's biggest freestanding mounts. On the Picas site I've placed markers on the google map for you.

I will post more later.

Oh...when I got home that night, I tried recharging the batteries again, but in a different wall outlet. It worked fine. So not only did I not get the pics I wanted, I also had forked out $18 for dead NiMH Duracells from a brand new still-smell-the-paint drug store. Go figure...

The Road to Whistler

2008-05-17T11:23:00.000-07:00

I'm spending way too much time at Tagoria.com!!!

Anyway, I've decided to tell you about my trip to Whistler, one of the best sun & ski resorts on the planet (and probably one of the most expensive, too). This is one of the major venues for the 2010 Winter Olympics and ParaOlympics. I had planned to do a whole series of pics as the drive up the coast is as spectacular as the surrounding mountains. Half way up the highway my camera started blinking that the batteries were dead. I changed them. Same thing. Thinking it might be a problem with the camera, we stopped at a shop in Squamish and I forked over about $18 for extras. They didn't work either! Definitely the camera. Very depressing. It wasn't until I got home that night and plugged the recharger into a different outlet that I discovered it wasn't the batteries at all. It was the bloody wall plug I'd used the night before...which also meant I'd forked out $18 for 2 dead NiMH Duracells from the brand new Shopper's drug store...

Anyway, I did get a few shots before the batteries died. Some of them were taken through the windshield of a car going well over the speed limit, so take this into account when viewing. The lake shots were taken at Porteau Cove Provincial Park. There is a beautiful campground there. If planning to camp at any BC Provincial Park, book well in advance and have your credit card ready.

The very high (450 m), bare stone cliff is a very popular climbing wall, experts only. You can also climb up the back end to reach the top. Clearly marked paths, but still steep and not for the faint of heart...literally. Google Stawamus Chief Provincial Park for info. Might as well check out Pemberton info as well. It's world famous for the eagles and bears that enjoy salmon fishing priveleges. Cameras are de rigeur, but leave your weapons at home. Canadian folk don't take kindly to anyone messing with the wildlife. You won't be invited back EVER and the monetary penalties are very high, but still way too low in my humble opinion.

That said, British Columbia is a truly spectacular place to live and I love it here.

MSG - Deliberate Obesity for Fun and Profit

2008-04-10T15:33:00.000-07:00

I don't usually do the soapbox thing but I've been aware for a long time that MSG is not nice stuff and have tried to avoid it when shopping or dining out. Given the info below, it's been a bit of a fool's errand.

Convenience foods are just that - convenient. When you are in a rush to get food on the table, or if your kids are fussy eaters and prepackaged foods are all they will eat, if you are on a tight work schedule and have to grab lunch on the run, please remember what you read below. It's a long article but worth the read.

MSG is usually made from the fermentation of corn, cane sugar or beet sugar, and further processed to make the fine white crystalline product that is then added to foods.

For a partial list of the major offenders go to the website listed at the bottom of this post.
**********************
Shamantra,

A friend sent me this email. I found it very informative with good resources. I hope that it will at least generate some critical thinking regarding additives on your part - even if you do not agree with the writer. If you are concerned, please pass this on. Thank you.

"MSG The food additive MSG (Mono-Sodium Glutamate) is a slow poison. MSG hides behind 25 or more names, such as "Natural Flavouring." MSG is even in your favourite coffee from Tim Horton's and other brand-name coffee shops!

I wondered if there could be an actual chemical causing the massive obesity epidemic, and so did a friend of mine, John Erb. He was a research assistant at the University of Waterloo in Ontario , Canada , and spent years working for the government. He made an amazing discovery while going through scientific journals for a book he was writing called, "The Slow Poisoning of America."

In hundreds of studies around the world, scientists were creating obese mice and rats to use in diet or diabetes test studies. No strain of rat or mice is naturally obese, so scientists have to create them. They make these creatures morbidly obese by injecting them with MSG when they are first born. The MSG triples the amount of insulin the pancreas creates, causing rats (and perhaps humans) to become obese. They even have a name for the fat rodents they create: "MSG-Treated Rats."

When I heard this, I was shocked. I went into my kitchen and checked the cupboards and the refrigerator. MSG was in everything -- the Campbell 's soups, the Hostess Doritos, the Lays flavoured potato chips, Top Ramen, Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper, Heinz canned gravy, Swanson frozen prepared meals, and Kraft salad dressings, especially the "healthy low-fat" ones.
The items that didn't have MSG marked on the product label had something called "Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein," which is just another name for Monosodium Glutamate. It was shocking to see just how many of the foods we feed our children everyday are filled with this stuff. MSG is hidden under many different names in order to fool those who read the ingredient list, so that they don't catch on. (Other names for MSG are "Accent, "Aginomoto," "Natural Meat Tenderizer," etc.)

But it didn't stop there. When our family went out to eat, we started asking at the restaurants what menu items contained MSG. Many employees, even the managers, swore they didn't use MSG. But when we asked for the ingredient list, which they grudgingly provided, sure enough, MSG and Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein were everywhere.

Burger King, McDonald's, Wendy's, Taco Bell, every restaurant -- even the sit-down eateries like TGIF, Chili's, Applebee's, and Denny's -- use MSG in abundance. Kentucky Fried Chicken seemed to be the WORST offender: MSG was in every chicken dish, salad dressing. and gravy. No wonder I loved to eat that coating on the skin -- their secret spice was MSG!

So why is MSG in so many of the foods we eat? Is it a preservative, or a vitamin? Not according to my friend John Erb. In his book The Slow Poisoning of America, he said that MSG is added to food for the addictive effect it has on the human body.

Even the propaganda website sponsored by the food manufacturers lobby group supporting MSG explains that the reason they add it to food is to make people eat more. A study of the elderly showed that older people eat more of the foods that it is added to. The Glutamate Association lobbying group says eating more is a benefit to the elderly, but what does it do to the rest of us?

Betcha can't eat [just] one," takes on a whole new meaning where MSG is concerned! And we wonder why the nation is overweight! MSG manufacturers themselves admit that it addicts people to their products. It makes people choose their product over others, and makes people eat more of it than they would if MSG wasn't added.

Not only is MSG scientifically proven to cause obesity, it is an addictive substance. Since its introduction into the American food supply fifty years ago, MSG has been added in larger and larger doses to the pre-packaged meals, soups, snacks, and fast foods we are tempted to eat everyday.

The FDA has set no limits on how much of it can be added to food. They claim it's safe to eat in any amount. But how can they claim it's safe when there are hundreds of scientific studies with titles like these:

-"The monosodium glutamate (MSG) obese rat as a model for the study of exercise in obesity." Gobatto CA, Mello MA, Souza CT, Ribeiro IA. Res Commun Mol Pathol Pharmacol. 2002.
-Adrenalectomy abolishes the food-induced hypothalamic serotonin release in both normal and monosodium glutamate-obese rats." Guimaraes RB, Telles MM, Coelho VB, Mori C, Nascimento CM, Ribeiro. Brain Res Bull. 2002 Aug.
-Obesity induced by neonatal monosodium glutamate treatment in spontaneously hypertensive rats: An animal model of multiple risk factors." Iwase M, Yamamoto M, Iino K, Ichikawa K, Shinohara N, Yoshinari Fujishima. Hypertens Res. 1998 Mar.
-Hypothalamic lesion induced by injection of monosodium glutamate in suckling period and subsequent development of obesity." Tanaka K, Shimada M, Nakao K Kusunoki. Exp Neurol. 1978 Oct.

No, the date of that last study was not a typo; it was published in 1978. Both the "medical research community" and "food manufacturers" have known about the side effects of MSG for decades. Many more of the studies mentioned in John Erb's book link MSG to diabetes, migraines and headaches, autism, ADHD, and even Alzheimer's. So what can we do to stop the food manufactures from dumping this fattening and addictive MSG into our food supply and causing the obesity epidemic we now see?

Several months ago, John Erb took his book and his concerns to one of the highest government health officials in Canada . While he was sitting in the government office, the official told him, "Sure, I know how bad MSG is. I wouldn't touch the stuff." But this top-level government official refuses to tell the public what he knows.

The big media doesn't want to tell the public either, fearing issues with their advertisers. It seems that the fallout on the fast food industry may hurt their profit margin. The food producers and restaurants have been addicting us to their products for years, and now we are paying the price for it. Our children should not be cursed with obesity caused by an addictive food additive.

But what can I do about it? I'm just one voice! What can I do to stop the poisoning of our children, while our governments are insuring financial protection for the industry that is poisoning us? This message is going out to everyone I know in an attempt to tell you the truth that the corporate-owned politicians and media won't tell you.

The best way you can help to save yourself and your children from this drug-induced epidemic is to forward this article to everyone. With any luck, it will circle the globe before politicians can pass the legislation protecting those who are poisoning us.
The food industry learned a lot from the tobacco industry. Imagine if big tobacco had a bill like this in place before someone blew the whistle on nicotine?
If you are one of the few who can still believe that MSG is good for us and you don't believe what John Erb has to say, see for yourself:

Go to the National Library of Medicine at www.pubmed.com
Type in the words "MSG Obese" and read a few of the 115 medical studies that appear.

We the public do not want to be rats in one giant experiment, and we do not approve of food that makes us into a nation of obese, lethargic, addicted sheep, feeding the food industry's bottom line while waiting for the heart transplant, the diabetic-induced amputation, blindness, or other obesity-induced, life-threatening disorders.
With your help we can put an end to this poison.
Do your part in sending this message out by word of mouth, e-mail, or by distribution of this printout to your friends all over the world and stop this "Slow Poisoning of Mankind" by the packaged food industry.
Blowing the whistle on MSG is our responsibility, so get the word out.

For a partial list of msg-added foods click on:

http://www.gather.com/

Life is Good

2008-04-09T22:33:00.000-07:00

Well, not much to say. Didn't get to sleep last night because of a major toothache, so off to the dentist today for..oh, joy...two root canals, one that didn't take. That's okay. I've been trying to get someone to take that tooth out for ages. On Friday I get my wish, then no more achy face.

Also, got a letter from the bus company. I passed the first four hurdles and on to the next steps. Yay...the wheels on the bus go round, round, round.

Get to babysit my favourite grandson...well, my only grandson, but favourite grandson nonetheless.

Studying my reflexology course on weekends, so once I'm working again I can supplement my income by setting up shop at Sunset Beach in the summer.

Slowly levelling up on www.holy-war.net/ . This is how I spend my evenings when I can't sleep because of my achy face.

Mexico Pictorials

2008-04-09T02:53:00.001-07:00

It's 2 a.m. I've given up trying to sleep. Every time I lie down two teeth on my right jaw start to throb and hurt so badly that I'm in tears. No point.

So here are some more photos of my trip to Mexico in October 2006. I think I took about 350 photos but will not subject you to all of them. At my Picasa site I've started to divide the pics into albums so that one will be churches, one the countryside, markets, florals and plants, Uxmal and Teotehuacan World Heritage sites, a bird sanctuary on the Yucatan facing the Gulf of Mexico, a few museums. And a miscellaneous album for odd pics that don't fit anywhere else.

Now blogger can't find my pics on the computer and I'm too tired to try and find the problem. So just trust me. Go to Picasa. The photos are all there for you to see.

And for heaven's sake, somebody send a comment once in a while. I know you look at the blog but it's lonely here, sorting through photos and typing away for you at 2:53 am. Thanks :-)

Whitesroad - Best Photo Journal Blog on the Net

2008-04-03T09:35:00.000-07:00

My friend Rauf in Chennai, India is a graphic artist and photographer. You can spend hours at his site as the pics are gorgeous and his commentaries about life in India well worth every minute. His take on life is in turn poignant, funny, bittersweet and always self-effacing. I would love to meet the man and see the country.

Here, you can see the faces, wildlife, cities and countryside, the hustle and bustle of daily life and yes, the tranquillity of this most ancient and beautiful part of the planet.

Rauf presents a side of India that is very different from the usual travel or documentary shows we see but I suspect much more balanced. He tells it like it is and with great love.

So check out his blog 'Daylight Again' at:

http://whitesroad.blogspot.com/

Junior Magicians

2008-03-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

T & J's Magnificent Magic Show

Going for walk around the neighbourhood today I came across two little guys about eleven years old performing a magic show for spare change. Apparently, they stand on this corner on weekends and perform for passersby. Not only do they entertain with a large bevy of magic tricks, the one guy, T, is an amazing contortionist, twisting his legs and arms into seemingly impossible convolutions. Gollum?

They are so funny and entertaining that T & J have gained quite a following. In fact, one passerby is an indie film maker who will be doing a five minute short about them and will be submitting it to a competition. Good luck to all three. Check out their show next time you are walking in the West End near the Burrard Street Bridge.

A few more pics at Picasa.

My Floral Pictorial is on Picasa

2008-03-21T14:51:00.000-07:00

Me again

I'm learning how to create online photo albums using Picasa. My first effort is now uploaded and you are welcome to visit anytime. Click on the link in the sidebar.

These photos were taken last year in Summerland, BC. My friend has a house there and last August her gardens were in full bloom, the air redolent with the scents of the good earth, echinacea, feverfew and velvety deep red and white roses; apple, pear and apricot trees well on the way to harvest time. The famous volcanic remnant Giant's Head is visible from her backyard and the semi-rural homes in the area just as beautiful as hers. She has one black currant bush that provides one large luscious bowl of fruit per branch.

The apricots are from a neighbour whose tree was laden with succulent apricots - too many for one household. As you can see by the pics, canning, juicing and making jams are de rigueur, and what you see is only half of her harvest. When I was visiting, the smell of these delicious, glowingly healthy gifts of the earth wafted through the house, out the doors and throughout the neighbourhood. I collected a little container of poppy seeds that I'm tempted to scatter throughout my Vancouver neighbourhood to liven things up even more.

On this first day of Spring let us celebrate the return of the Sun and give thanks for Nature's bounty yet to come.

Quinoa ~ Nature's Gift

2008-02-21T00:34:00.000-08:00

Always on the search for new food experiences I came across references to a product that is newish to North America but one of nature’s earliest gifts. Grown as a food staple in the Andes for 6,000 years, easily cultivated and insect resistant….

“Quinoa was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, being secondary only to the potato, and followed in third place by maize. In contemporary times this crop has come to be highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%). Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete food. This means it takes less quinoa protein to meet one's needs than wheat protein. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten free and considered easy to digest”. (wikipedia)

Available in bulk at Whole Foods, Costco ('tru-brands') or from health food stores (more expensive), some locations carry products that are gritty and need to be picked over. Tedious work, and can be avoided if you buy from better shops, although you may find closer sources. Bought some at Granville Island that I had to throw out! This recipe is a family favourite, summer or winter, filling and great as part of a healthy lunch or side dish. A little goes a long way.

Quinoa Salad

1 cup Quinoa (keen-wa)
1 7/8 cups Water
1 tbsp Olive oil (light or extra virgin)
3 tbsp Lemon or lime juice
1/2 cup Wild rice, cooked (optional)
1/2 tsp Sea salt or Herbamare
1 Large, firm tomato, seeded and finely chopped
2 Carrots, finely grated
1 Small zucchini, small dice, or grated and drained
2 Celery sticks, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup dried cranberries or currants(optional)

Rinse quinoa under running water. Use a fine strainer as grains are very small. Add to cold water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to just above minimum and cook for 10-12 minutes. Turn off heat, fluff the grains to separate, re-cover and let sit until cooled.
In the meantime, rinse and prepare vegetables.
Add all the ingredients, mix together by tossing with a fork. Serve.
Will store for a few days but probably won’t last that long.

Be creative. You can add other veggies in season, fresh garden peas, radishes, green tomatoes, toasted sunflower seeds, chopped dried fruit, etc.
Quinoa has a light, nutty flavour. There are lots of recipes available. The seeds germinate in cold water in two to four hours and can be eaten raw. Be sure to rinse well as the seeds have a natural coating that may taste a little bitter but is not harmful. Enjoy.

Looking for work...

2008-01-16T16:51:00.000-08:00

Looking for work is not as easy as I thought it would be.

I spend so much time checking Craigslist, Monster, and the rest that applying for the jobs has me confused about my actual skill sets. After 14 years without a break, I'm not even sure what my skills are, or whether the work I can do is what I still want to do.

In the meantime, I'm also having fun picking up ideas for creative ways to use up about 150 pounds (68 kilos) of fabric samples I've accumulated from various sources over the years. So, coffee cup sleeves, doggy jackets and gear, quilts, scarves and eco-bags are on the list of things yet to be started. Again, I spend too much time finding cool patterns on the old www that actually doing is temporarily beyond me.

I've lost 2 pant sizes in the past 6 weeks, which makes me very happy. Now I just have to figure out how to take in the hips, waistbands and legs evenly on about 20 pairs of slacks and jeans.

I've explored Google Earth. Actually found the apartment building we lived in briefly in Toronto after we arrived in Canada when I was a tyke. And the spot on the river where we used to play on those long, hot summer days. The river then was slow, with oaks, maples, reeds, ferns and cool, damp earth providing us with all the materials we needed to build little playhouses. We fished with string and sticks - never caught anything, but it was all pretend anyway. We had jars full of tadpoles, though. :)
Oh, for the good old days when 4, 5 & 6-year-olds could disappear for hours without the stay-at-home moms calling the cops.

Thinking about themes for blogs- How about a ' What people throw away' pictorial? Or crafty stuff? Recipes? Plants and flowers of the Pacific Northwest?

Anyway, I'm volunteering to help out at the Vancouver Wellness Show, an annual event held at Canada Place, see you Cooperative Automobile Network display, Feb 1, 2 or 3. Come and find out why it's more sensible to borrow a car from the co-op when you need it instead of buying a gas guzzling, insurance-eating, rapidly depreciating car.

Vancouver in Winter

2008-01-12T12:42:00.000-08:00

Here it is...Mid-January.

Vancouver weather is more its usual gray and rainy than last winter's freeze-up and wild wind and snow storms. Occasionally a bit of blue opens up in the cloud cover, then vanishes with the next breath to be replaced with a mix of fine mist, drizzle, heavy rain, then another bit of sunny blue. Living close to the water, our weather tends to be more moderate than inland areas. We can be walking along the seawall in sunshine and in Chilliwack the wind and snow will be blasting across Highway 1, pushing cars and semis into the median ditches. In the meantime skiers atop sunny Grouse Mountain are oblivious to all but the cloud cover spread below like a a great soft blanket. The pic above was taken at noon on a recent Sunday, and yes; that's the sun poking through, not the moon.

This is also a shot from my balcony. Bare branches on the plane trees, but still providing bits of sustenance for our local finches, chickadees, the occasional woodpecker and of course, the large murders of crows that leave their rookeries early in the day and head to their alloted city neighbourhoods. At dusk they return, raucous and happy or silently, depending on the pickings. That's them in the background. It's really sad to note that many of the rookeries are vanishing under the onslaught of machines clearing space for condos and new housing developments. I wonder if the new residents will ever even think about the Goddess's evicted little garbage men and the job they do for her, cleaning up after us, getting rid of road kill, dropped fries and burgers, and worse. As long as they keep going to and fro each day, then our small piece of the planet is still somewhat healthy. If they disappear then it's time to move to the Interior!

This is a shot from Granville Island. Taken last year at the end of January. We were waiting for the water taxi to take us back to the landing just on the other side of Burrard Bridge after an hour or so of wandering aimlessly, picking up a few veggies and the obligatory landjaeger sausage from the year-round market. Cold, crisp and not a cloud in the sky.

Christmas Day

2007-12-27T15:05:00.000-08:00

Well, we had a lovely surprise on the 25th. A white Christmas!

It started to snow at around mid-day but didn't become heavy until most travellers had arrived at their destinations throughout the lower mainland. Those of us who came for dinner at my daughter's house arrived easily but latecomers like my dad, who's little Honda Civic has baldish tires, had to park and walk. Now, Dad has not been to the new townhouse in Port Moody so became semi-lost. My sister had a brilliant idea; she set off her car's alarm for a minute. Then we called Dad's cellphone and he followed the honks. Poor guy, 82 and stumbling through 4 inches of wet snow in leather shoes. But, intrepid world traveller that he is, he made it in time for delicious appetizers, hot tea, and a good glass of wine.

I didn't get pics of the snowfall, which is too bad.
Their back yard looks into a mix of leafless trees and cedars, Behind that is a protected salmon stream. At night with snow laden branches and nothing but the sound of the water rushing by in the dark, it was quite beautiful. Below is a picture of the previous snowfall to hit Vancouver.

We had a terrific dinner, lots of food, wine, desserts and cheerful, happy chatter. It's a joy when we all get together, catching up on family news, lots of hugs and kisses, watching the excited faces when my grandson and my nephew discover racing car sets, microscopes and geology kits hiding under the gift wrap, bows and ribbons.

Unfortunately, not all the family could make it, but 14 was still a full and happy houseful. We hope Stephen & Aiyana; Tyler, Karen & my beautiful granddaughters; Kyle & Jenn; Angeline & Mac; Aaron & Troy and all the gang on the Island had as wonderful a day as we did.

May your paths always be full of joy and light.

B&W - Shade and light

2007-12-18T14:47:00.001-08:00

B&W - Shade and light, originally uploaded by Shamantra.

Earth Mother Graffiti

2007-12-18T14:37:00.001-08:00

Goddess Mother Graffiti, originally uploaded by Shamantra.

Taken from the top of a double decker tour bus in Mexico City. We were stopped at the lights in an artists district and there she was, almost completely hidden by trees and graffiti. Perfect Venus. Oct 2006

Experiments with eBay

2007-08-18T23:58:00.000-07:00

Needed some extra cash so what to do? Had some genealogy books that I'd been carting around since the Dark Ages and some beautiful, delicate fine china teacups, never used. So as an experiment I thought I'd try selling them on eBay just to see how the whole process worked.

Well, I made $500. Cdn on the books! This is so cool. Now I have the money to pay for a membership for the Co-operative Auto Network (CAN) without resorting to my overworked charge card. And although the teacups didn't sell the first time, I've an offer on one the second time I put them up for auction at a slightly reduced price. Now my neighbour has asked if I can sell some of her books, crafts and teacup sets. She'll give me a percentage.

eBay is fun. And Paypal is my new pal.

Mosquito Bite? Sure Cure for Bug Bites

2007-08-18T23:11:00.000-07:00

Bug season is in full swing, and with it the nasty itch that comes with being bitten or stung. I have discovered the absolute best instant cure for the mosquito itches and nasty bumps.

The night before I left Merida to catch the Vancouver connector in Mexico City was really hot and humid. The hotel room had a rickety, noisy a/c unit but I was desperate for some cool air. I turned the thing on - standing on a chair so I could reach the dial. While I was cooling off I decided to check out the photos on my digital camera, sorting, deleting fuzzy pics, etc. After a few minutes my ankle started to itch, then a shin, then the other foot. Eek...all of a sudden there were about 42 giant mosquitoes hovering around my legs. My guess is they probably bred in the water that pooled in the bottom of the a/c and got blown into the room. Sneaky devils. They stayed at floor level and were hiding under the bed, camouflaged and armed with huge stingers.

The bites were really nasty, swelling up into big red, itchy, itchy itchy bumps as I watched. I was in a panic because I had no calamine lotion and had no intention of wandering around a strange neighbourhood at that time of night looking for a drugstore. But the itching was making me crazy so I went through all the products in my bags. I thought about whether toothpaste would work, or even my deodorant. Then I read the ingredients on the travel-sized hair spray bottle. Hmmm...denatured alcohol... Well, that should clean things up and cool things down. And papaya...I know that's a natural tenderizer. Good enough. Didn't read the rest...no bloody time! You never know what those foreign mosquitoes were carrying. Not like civilized Canadian mozzies...didn't even have the decency to make loud buzzing noises in my ears as fair warning of a possible preeminent attack. Bastards!

So I sprayed each and every swelling bite with Down Under Naturals hairspray. And no word of a lie, the stuff was almost instant relief. Within seconds the itching stopped. So I turned off the a/c and spent the next 15 minutes running around like a madwoman chasing and killing every mosquito in the room. When I woke up the next morning, all the bumps were gone, no itch and couldn't even see any bite marks. A miracle!

This is probably the discovery of the century, folks. So, kudos to Belvedere International of Canada. Not only do they make really good hairspray, their Down Under Naturals Extra Flexible Spray with Frulix (whatever the hell that is) is the best thing ever for insect bites. All you campers and travelers everywhere, except Antarctica maybe, stock up on that little green bottle with the koalas on the label. And trust me, a little squirt goes a long way.

2007-07-07T12:53:00.000-07:00

Wow...Life kind of gets in the way of one's plans. It's been months since I posted to this blog (which no one reads anyway).

Lots has happened in the meantime. I'm studying for a Class 2 drivers license. Want to get work as a bus driver. Vancouver Transit has community shuttle buses that scoot around the local neighbourhoods. It's shift work, the pay and benefits are very good. It will be interesting because I love driving. With the Olympics coming up in a few years it's an opportunity to meet people from all over the world, however briefly. And I do love showing off my city.

My youngest is off on another Australian adventure. She's becoming quite the seasoned traveller. She's jumped out of planes, rolled down a hill in a giant ball of water, walked on a glacier in New Zealand, learned to scuba dive in the Indian Ocean near Perth, got a pedicure in Hong Kong's airport, eaten bugs in the Outback, was peed on by Ned Kelly (an orphaned baby kangaroo), visited the Hobbit Village, explored her Maori heritage, walked around Uluru, and met some wonderful people from all over this little green blue planet.

This is Uluru, the navel of the Earth, a most ancient, sacred and mystical place. A great red rock in the middle of the Australian continent. 3 hours to walk around.

Made some money at the Annual Courtyard Sale at our housing co-operative. Got rid of a few household items as well as some beach bags, sunglass bags and crochet cellphone bags that I made for the event. I love my new sewing machine. It's a Pfaff, it's quiet, it doesn't skip stitches and it has a walking foot so that thin fabrics can be fed through evenly top and bottom to prevent puckering. I'd post a pic of the beach bags but sold them all but that's my incentive to make more. This pic is of the first cell bag I made. I was tired of trying to find the phone in the bottom of my purse so made this. It's bright, has a long strap to wear across my shoulder or to tie to the handle of my purse. The others are later variations. There are also small bags for cell, change, keys and a credit card. I've also experimented with crocheted sleeves for coffee cups. Saving the planet in my own little way, by eliminating those foam or paper sleeves. These are washable. More on crafts, sewing and life in Vancouver at a later date.

Flickr

2007-04-08T21:45:00.001-07:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

DAYLIGHT AGAIN

2007-01-23T22:38:00.000-08:00

DAYLIGHT AGAIN

Please go to Daylight Again...

An incredibly moving tribute to the poor farmers in India.

The next time you think of what a tough life you are living, go and visit Rauf's India.

The photography is moving. The essays painfully, lovingly honest and sincere.

Merida Pics

2006-11-14T22:37:00.000-08:00

Just a few of the many photos taken around Merida.
I like black and white. With colours out of the way one can see to the bones of the structure. Shadow play. Form and function.

This was taken from a sidewalk cafe in one of the many little squares scattered around the central core of the town. Nice little restaurants. A church. An elegant theatre. Tourist office. Small shops. Sit all day sipping coffee and watching people being people. Two blocks from the Hotel San Juan where I stayed.

The courtyard of the Merida Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Ateneo de Yucatan (MACAY)

A Bit More Mexico

2006-11-12T22:35:00.000-08:00

My daughter is a shoe nut. Not the travelling daughter, the other one. When I was walking through the street market a block east of the Hotel Catedral in MC I couldn't help taking this picture. If she lived here, there would never be problem finding cute kid stuff...

I found it interesting that in Mexico City and Merida a whole block of shops would be devoted to one type of product. For example, I needed to buy a memory stick for my camera. Lo! and behold, there's a camera shop right across from the hotel. Well, they weren't too sure if they had the right brand so, Lo! and behold...there's another shop next door. They were very helpful, had the right memory stick, showed me how to put it into the adapter and then into the camera. Even accepted my Visa card without additional ID. Then went for a walk and Lo! and behold, there are about ten more shops, all selling cameras, film, add-ons, developing film, photocopying services and the same memory sticks for anywhere from 20% to 30% less than I paid.

So, my advice is to really not buy something from the first shop, because there is ALWAYS going to be another one next door, and next door, and, Lo! and behold...next door!

The beads? Well, if I'd had a large suitcase instead of just carry-on, it would be filled with beads from all the bead shops located about two blocks north and one block east. Fantastic!

Mexican Holiday

2006-10-25T22:00:00.000-07:00

This little guy must have been with another tour group!

The Yucatan Peninsula. Mayan ruins in the jungle. I think I was less than 10 years old when I first discovered National Geographic magazines. Since my eyesight was (and still is) very poor, National Geo's and LIFE Magazine's incredible photographic journeys and in-depth articles were, in a way the only way I could really discover this world and beyond. Since then most of my travels have been through books, magazines and films.

However, I have just come back from two wonderful weeks in Mexico and will spend a few posts sharing comments, observations and photos. I absolutely adore my little Sony digital camera! Went nuts and took over 400 pics...won't force you to look at them all. Promise. But I will show some with comments.

The iguana really appeared to be studying the information just inside the entrance to Uxmal, a World Heritage Site located about 80 km south the Yucatan's colonial capital city of Merida. Only a small portion of the site has been excavated and restored but what's there is exceptional.

Views of the main pyramid

I splurged and hired a tour guide for the day to take me south to Uxmal and west to Celestun where there is the Reserva Ecologica de Los Petenes. The tour guide, a retired hotel manager, had a car with a/c. When the temperatures are hitting the high 30s (celsius) and humidity is around 94% by 10 a.m. the a/c is a godsend. When we got out of the car at Uxmal my glasses fogged up!

Senor Castillo is very knowledgeable and his love of the archeology and his native Yucatan comes through. It is a more expensive alternative, but the personal tour allows for one-on-one discussion. Taking a bus tour would have cost much less, but then my time would have been more limited. This way I set my own pace. Let's face it, this is a world heritage site, its wonders cannot be absorbed in a quicky tour when you are sharing the ride and the tour guide's time with anywhere from 6 to 25 other travellers. Also, getting there early is a boon since one avoids not only the heat but crowds. Photography ops are better, too, when there are shadows to provide contrast. These pics were all taken before 11 a.m with a little Sony Cybershot. No tripod. No flash. Mostly just VGA quality. I'm happy with most of the pics.

Comfort Food - West End Style

2006-09-17T17:07:00.000-07:00

The blog below started out to be this one but it got away from me. So now I'm writing the story I started out with and hopefully I won't get sidetracked again.

My daughter arrived back in Vancouver after almost a year spent living and traveling in in southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand. She showed up a few days early so everyone who would have gone to the airport to pick her up was at work. In fact she didn't tell anyone she was back (but that's another story). So she wandered around, dropped her stuff at a friend's place, then called me in the afternoon. We agreed to meet for dinner wherever she wanted.

She chose Kam's Singapore Cuisine on Davie. Now, Kam's has been around for a long time. The food is sort of a mix of Thai but with a hint of something or other. Spicy or not, hot or not, noodles, coconut steamed rice, meat, fowl, fish, veggie, fast, friendly, fair pricing. You can order anything on the menu - it's all good. Bring a hanky or tissues for the sniffles, especially if you order the Hot and Sour Soup. It's delicious but your nose will drip.

Kam greets everyone at the door - most gracious, always with a smile and his signature 'Howaya!' when you enter. Which should be by 6 pm any day of the week or risk a variable waiting time. Staff are really friendly and if you've been there more than twice in three years, I swear they remember you!

Well, the traveling gal and I go through the hugs and tears and the I missed you's. People at the other tables are all happy because she's got there early and they've overheard her speak about her travelling while chatting with the hosts and servers (who of course recognized her after a whole year!) Told ya! But that's not the good part.

The good part is, when she said, "I'll have the usual, please", she got it without having to list it.

And the usual? Deep Fried Tofu appetizers, Crispy Ginger Beef, Mixed Seasonal Veggies with Peanut Sauce and Steamed Coconut Rice (steamed in banana leaves). Beer, too. Enough for 4 people so there is always a doggie bag when ordering for 2.

Friendly Neighbourhood Cops - Only in Vancouver?

2006-09-11T20:03:00.001-07:00

I'm helping someone move into a new apartment a block away. The movee is hauling a huge suitcase full of stuff. Attached to that case is a slightly smaller one that is also stuffed full of things. Over her arms she also has more bags stuffed full of things. At least the suitcase has sturdy wheels so that pulling the cases thru a back lane, up past the sushi place and the video store, around the corner, across the street is manageable. Until we get to the front of the building. There are some stairs to negotiate and it just isn't going to happen! I can't help because my arms are full, too.

Off to one side is a policeman talking to someone who might be a buddy, a neighbour, a dealer, whatever. On the sidewalk, a sturdy bicycle with a cart attached. It is holding and or is surrounded by luggage, a backpack and some green garbage bags with clothes. Maybe someone is being evicted? Anyway, in the middle of all this the cop sees we are struggling with the double suitcase, runs over, lifts the suitcase up the steps, very polite, very helpful.

So we continue up the sidewalk to the building entrance and another cop is coming out of the building. She holds the door open for us, while trying to keep track of the guy she's leaving the building with.

As the door closes behind us I hear the one officer telling the other their next stop is to get a prostitute off Davie Street. He's bothering the tourists. Just another beautiful warm sunny Saturday in the West End.

Thanks for helping, eh!

Favourite Blogs - Amazing Pics of India

2006-08-28T20:59:00.000-07:00

This is India.

Or at least one little tiny piece of India. This photo is only one of many you can find at the two links on the sidebar.

The photography is beautiful. The photographer's commentaries are insightful, sometimes humourous, frequently poignant, giving a rare glimpse of life in one of the most interesting, and to westerners, one of the most mysterious places on the planet.

Spend some time exploring M. A. Rauf's world. Well worth every second.

Cat Tales

2006-08-26T14:51:00.000-07:00

This is Boots.

Not a name I would have chosen, although it makes sense since she has four white paws, white belly and white chin.

Mostly I just call her Cat when I call her anything at all. She knows who she is and hasn't told me yet. But she stays so I guess it doesn't matter.

She weighs in at about 20 pounds. 32" from tip of tail to tip of nose. Yes, that's 20 pounds. No, I don't know what that is in kilos...google it. I think maybe around 9 kilos? Big girl that she is, she doesn't bite or scratch when upset or frightened.

She just throws up. Profusely.

I have learned through trial and error that to give her canned, wet cat food is to invite disaster. You can see the wool berber? It is no longer uniformly warm beige. So she must be fed only the expensive, dry food. Not only that, it must be the hairball formula food (just mineral oil but you just try to get a 20-lb cat to swallow that stuff!) and it must be only chicken or fresh water fish flavour. Not lamb, not turkey, not salmon, just fresh-water. You know, if my kids were ever that picky I would have sent them to boarding school or something. Lucky for them, eh!

Another thing about Cat, and all cats except the hairless varieties, (duh!) is that if you don't comb or brush them frequently, your whole house, your car and every item of clothing and bedding you have ever owned will soon be permanently covered in cat hair and dander. Forever.
Until today Cat has never had a bath. She is quite good at personal grooming and I do brush her sporadically. And when stoned on catnip she drags herself around on the carpet leaving large clumps of black hair for me to vacuum. This is an interesting thing to watch actually. She lies on her side, digs her claws into the berber's woven loops and pulls herself around the room for about five minutes. It is just as effective as brushing, and removes the same amount of fur.

I have problems with my hands and find it painful to use nail clippers or scissors to trim her claws. So once every 3 or 4 weeks I trick her into her travel box, haul her, mewling and whinging, 4 blocks up the hill and get the pet groomers to do it for me. Today I splurged and got them to give her a bath and blow dry. too. She was quite subdued when I picked her up. She is very embarrassed about the pink bow they gave her and has been licking herself all over to get rid of the shampoo smell. But I think they removed at least a pound of hair.

She seems lighter somehow.

Influential Books - And How they Change Our Lives

2005-10-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

Just received a comment from Rauf, wherever he may be, regarding not a post but a book I listed as an all-time favourite. The book in question is the 1949 speculative fiction "Earth Abides", by George R Stewart. Rauf says the book changed his life, and from what his life has been since he found the book second-hand, 20 years ago, I'd say it was a pretty major influence. You can read his comments, see sidebar "How Many Degree's..."

Aside from the obvious Mein Kampf, Little Red Book and Communist Manifesto (and a whole whack of others), books really have been the main transmitters of ideas for a very long time. Let's not go into a history lesson tho. Without them we'd still be farmers, blacksmiths, travelling salemen and herders. And tribute collectors.

Rauf also says that try as he might to share this book that so profoundly changed his perspective and life, his friends couldn't get past the first chapter. This, when you think about it is also really fascinating. I had the same experience after reading Frank Herbert's Dune for the first time. The novel can be appreciated on so many levels - as a basic boy-meets-universe novel, as political/religious analysis, as ecological warning, as huge examination of human behaviour and our interconnectedness to all other parts of the whole damned universe (quantum physics anyone?). I wanted to share Frank Herbert's ideas with my friends. They couldn't see past the sci-fi label to the meat of the treatise, either.

So why is that?

I still run that "...I shall not fear. Fear is the mindkiller..." quote through my head once in a while when life gets a bit too weird. It helps. And I have an exceptional nephew who is into camo and soldiering and saving us from the bad guys/monsters/aliens. I keep meaning to tell him that basic survival sometimes means pennies can be pounded into arrowheads and never mind the rayguns. Anyone who has read Earth Abides through to the end will know what I mean.

Anyone out there who has similar stories?

How Many Degrees of Separation!

2004-05-25T20:50:00.000-07:00

Our family lived in Toronto until I was 12, then we picked up and moved to Vancouver. That was a really long time ago, 40 years ago actually. So it's a bit of surprise to me that I should remember my third grade teacher's name (Mrs. Nolan) or that she was from Newfoundland or that it was a combined grade 3 and 4 class.

One day, after the school year had started, maybe October (?), the classroom door opened and in walked the principal who introduced a new kid to everyone. Well, Peter had just the nicest coloured eyes, and already head over heels in love, I wrote him a little note telling him so. And bless his heart, he got out his little Dutch-English dictionary, studied it, studied the note, studied me, and scribbled back that he liked me too.

Well, that lasted a few months until he found a little blond hussy who lived in the same cul-de-sac as he did. I was devastated of course but got on with life, very occasionally wondering if his life has been as interesting as mine.

Fast forward 45 years. I'm at work last week and a sales rep for a fabric company is hauling boxes of sample books into the office for distribution. On the side of the box is printed the name of a person with the same surname as Peter's. So I asked the rep, "Who's name is that?"

Well that's her name, so, thinking perhaps she's a relative (it was a huge family)I asked if she was from Toronto.
"No, but my husband is."

And what is his name?
You guessed it.
Same brothers' names, same family history, same guy.

So hi there Peter V.

It's good to know you came to your senses and picked a nice girl and probably have had as interesting a life as I have. Or maybe she picked you for those nice eyes.
And thanks, Mrs. Nolan, for seating Peter close enough, one row over and three seats back, so that I could send that little note without getting caught and live to tell the story.

So, how many millions of people in Toronto and Vancouver? And the distance in miles and years?

Wow.

Buy A Cellphone, Get a Free DVD Player

2004-05-18T22:22:00.002-07:00

The older I get, the more I notice patterns in my own behaviour that might be termed as mildly ADD. I have the attention span of a flea, my interests are many, I am always interested in how things work and why things happen, my moods change with the meal I just ate, I'm an impulse buyer who hates malls, I burn food and forget to put the wet laundry in the dryer.
Anyway, I went to Rogers about 6 months ago to rent a movie and came home with a cell phone. The reason I came home with a cellphone was because the sign said 'Buy a Cell, Get A Free DVD Player'. I already had a cell, but I remembered that my daughter had taken her DVD player with her when she moved out. Since then, I hadn't been able to watch LOTR 1 on the DVD I had bought myself. So, I get a new cell phone for X dollars a month for 24 months or something, I get a DVD player, worth about $130, just so I can watch the only DVD that I own at the time, and give my daughter the old cell phone, which she never uses to CALL HER MOTHER!!!! She got the old VCR, too, because her roommate's TV is so old, they can't pick up all the cable channels they pay for. And the cell has a great timer so I don't forget the laundry anymore. That is, when I remember to set the timer feature...And I forgot to rent the movie, so I'll have to go back to Rogers just as soon as those cookies come out of the oven...

What's in a Blog?

2004-05-18T21:35:00.000-07:00

Having created this page on a whim, not really sure of the definition of a Blog and having a menopausal mind that alternates between brilliance and mush with a large spattering of mediocrity in the between spots, I invite you to share in some of the things, thoughts and explorations in the life of a rather ordinary north american female.