tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81482267851725512932012-02-16T02:02:38.683-05:00"Some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious ambiguity..." ~ Gilda RadnerJulienoreply@blogger.comBlogger1581100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-69690736995269822402011-08-30T14:32:00.010-04:002011-08-30T21:23:22.194-04:00

My goat's gotten. Ninety percent of the time I enjoy my job--facilitating communication for persons with hearing disabilities, and scheduling others who provide these services. The other ten percent of the time I want to rant and rail at a handful of email messages that rustle their way into my inbox. I'm convinced that the sole purpose of some of my colleagues--the whole reason, I say, why

Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-67894338014566338742011-07-07T14:05:00.000-04:002011-07-07T14:06:06.071-04:00

First, Happy Birthday to my Dad! His birthday was yesterday and he was still celebrating when I called him at 10pm EDT. My mom had invited all his siblings and their spouses over for a BBQ.I am a big fan of barbecues, because there is nothing quite so satisfying as finding shortcuts to preparing meals. I like to eat, I just don't like to figure out what to make. Speaking of food, you may be

Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-77964712905422307902011-07-01T23:31:00.006-04:002011-07-02T01:20:23.360-04:00

Hope everyone had a Happy Canada Day!We had a low-key day, with just the right mix of sun and cloud. We did not bother ourselves with William and Kate's itinerary. Instead, we slept in, puttered a bit, then went to Broadway's for breakfast after James mowed the lawn. Unfortunately, we were at least an hour too early to sit out on the patio, which only opens at 11:30 a.m. After we returned home

Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-48919585787071954072010-03-24T23:23:00.004-04:002010-03-25T00:19:48.161-04:00

Happy Belated Birthday, Celina! Hope you had a splendiferous day on Monday!I know: we are bad, bad friends. Our card will be late once again. I had written down the date as the 22nd, yet somehow my faulty memory convinced me I was aiming for the 26th.My excuse is really quite simple: I am aging rapidly.As an example, today I lost our cell phone. I carried it with me, tucked safely in my

Julienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-1357025316154259462010-03-17T21:42:00.003-04:002010-03-17T23:09:11.136-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 'twas a gorgeous day out here, perfect for all the leprechauns to ditch work and part with their pots of gold while acquiring pots of ale. Ontario primary and secondary school kids are on Spring Break this week: a good time to steer clear of the malls. I didn't take my own advice. The afternoon class I usually work was cancelled today, so I strolled over to the ByWard

Julienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-86623783561800702012010-01-25T17:04:00.003-05:002010-01-25T17:16:12.152-05:00

Had you told me one year ago that it could rain on January 25, I wouldn't have believed you. Last year at this time, during the infamous OC Transpo strike, I was carpooling with friends and bundled up in three to four layers just so that I could survive the 20-30 minute walk from Constitution Square to the university without freezing my...extremities.

Julienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-34008454877965590532010-01-24T22:34:00.000-05:002010-01-24T22:35:45.710-05:00

Happy Birthday, Duane!

Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-830204301077607392010-01-17T23:59:00.001-05:002010-01-24T23:55:07.059-05:00

It's long overdue, but thanks to everyone who sent us Christmas cards, photos, and newsletters--and in some cases, all three!For the third year in a row, I did not send traditional holiday cards, nor did I send e-cards, as Gillian Deacon suggests in Green for Life (204). You'll just have to be content with a recap of our Christmas activities instead.After a very physically and mentally

Julienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-53619628579498056172009-08-20T14:25:00.005-04:002009-08-20T14:30:01.597-04:00

~ or why I'd never make it as a fashion critic ~Who wears short shorts? Apparently, not Michelle Obama.I check Webmail every morning; more often than not, before I get to the correspondence, I am lured into reading the Yahoo "news" articles with their luridly promising titles. Consider them my surrogate for the tabloids I don't read at the grocery store. Well, what should be a hot topic today

Julienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-65621499890705418562009-08-18T19:45:00.002-04:002009-08-18T20:07:14.101-04:00

Somehow, I don't think this was what they had in mind when they coined that phrase: "Man charged with stealing 130M credit card numbers in record identity theft."In other Yahoo news (for those who don't get their Webmail there), I just want to take this opportunity to inform you that there is only one "u" in Iqaluit. Extremely important if you don't want to offend Nunavutians residing in the

Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-31649295277933740602009-08-12T11:00:00.016-04:002009-08-13T10:35:02.247-04:00

And now it's time once again for the amateur gardener report...I thought I'd tour you around the backyard to show you how things are progressing now that monsoon season's waning.I took a few pictures last Tuesday (August 4). The soil in this corner of the backyard is so sandy beneath the thin layer of (crappy Ontario) topsoil that hardly any weeds grow there. Tomatoes Dahlias, marigolds,

Julienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-50969524086311243682009-08-06T22:27:00.004-04:002009-08-12T21:48:41.428-04:00

Lots to celebrate concerning my friends these days.Sandra, an Ottawa friend proud of her Prairie roots, won the bpNichol chapbook poetry award in June. Here she is in an interview being very articulate about Lift, her winning chapbook.Congratulations to Shirley & Dave on the birth of their daughter Makayla. I had to find out the hard way...by snooping around Shirley's "Wall" in Facebook. As

Julienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-20651966465451946812009-08-03T22:30:00.009-04:002009-08-04T00:38:10.735-04:00

I did something yesterday that I've never done before in my life: I made a pie. A peach pie. I took a photo just to prove it. Those of you who have been baking from the time you started kindergarten are shaking your heads at this moment and thinking this is so lame--that I am so lame. I agree. I don't know why I previously missed out on this rite of initiation. I don't know why it's taken

Julienoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-27502948401809994232009-07-21T22:04:00.002-04:002009-07-21T22:16:29.786-04:00

How accommodating can the news be? There are three anniversaries in the Chychota family within the span of a week towards the end of July, and without knowing that, Yahoo has posted two unusual love stories in its "Odd News" category in the last two days. You know me: I hafta share.1. A match made in...Facebook: Kelly (Katrina) Hildebrandt & Kelly (Carl) Hildebrandt are engaged to be married

Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-58007011801790435862009-07-17T20:38:00.001-04:002009-07-18T20:29:37.984-04:00

Happy Anniversary to us!July 17, 1999Photo credit: Photography by Michele

Julienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-50161318001871574602009-07-13T14:44:00.002-04:002009-07-13T15:04:41.739-04:00

Congratulations to Tim Horton's on its invasion of New York City! Let's raise a vile double-double in a toast. ("First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin...")Congratulations, as well, to Winnipeg, the Slurpee Capital of the World!

Julienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-5029763585156462462009-07-12T22:50:00.013-04:002009-07-13T14:31:42.552-04:00

~ or the trip that has no end, ends ~Before I finish off this lengthy travelogue, "Happy Birthday, Mom!"***Yahoo featured this previously published article today: "The Places you must visit before you die." The list was not numbered, but New York City was mentioned first.***re: July 5It's nearly impossible to top fireworks as a last hurrah. But I think we did. On Friday as the bus drove down

Julienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-26110651650700285152009-07-11T18:25:00.035-04:002009-07-13T12:00:46.302-04:00

~ July 4, Independence Day ~Last Saturday morning, we tried Ellen's Stardust Diner for breakfast. That place is not about the food; rather, it's about the aspiring talent doing hard time as servers. All the servers sing for their customers' supper--and breakfast, and lunch, and anything in-between. They take turns.It just so happened that we were seated in a section where the server had gone

Julienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-86411308057438105722009-07-10T20:30:00.038-04:002009-07-11T18:24:28.163-04:00

~ Friday, July 3 events continued ~Upon disembarking the tour bus at Battery Park, we walked over to the Staten Island Ferry terminal. Taking the ferry is cost-effective (it's free) way to take in, albeit from a distance, three attractions: Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, and Governors Island. We paused for a moment to watch young breakdancers before going inside the terminal. Before I

Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-57489493743021398882009-07-10T12:23:00.038-04:002009-07-10T15:03:06.369-04:00

Before I recount more of the NY trip, I must put in a plug for Dave Carroll and Sons of Maxwell. This recent article explains how Carroll's guitar was mishandled and broken by United Airlines employees, and this video is the creative means whereby he retaliated. I adore men who don't get mad, but get even.~~~~~A week ago today we were just finishing up a half-day tour of NY on our Travac bus

Julienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-22982691099171208632009-07-09T21:21:00.012-04:002009-07-09T23:40:16.736-04:00

More like a few nibbles, really.OK, so I figured out, or rather James figured out, why one memory stick refused to allow me to download photos from the camera to my computer. Turns out you can lock some of those memory sticks by sliding a wee little tab--analogous to the way you used to be able to lock 3 1/2" floppy disks with the little tab up in the top corner, if anyone remembers those.I

Julienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-54253322963754941472009-07-06T22:54:00.003-04:002009-07-08T00:28:34.134-04:00

Before I launch into the account of our recent adventure, I'd like to say, "Happy Birthday, Dad!" (I wanted to send you a postcard with those greetings, but nobody sells stamps in the USA on the July 4th weekend.)As an early anniversary present to ourselves, James & I participated in a bus tour to the one and only New York City.July 2: "Start spreading the news, I'm leaving today / I want to be

Julienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-10800339251384626342009-07-01T23:43:00.001-04:002009-07-01T23:46:06.553-04:00

What an absolutely perfect day! Despite having gone to sleep after midnight, I woke up to the lovely "I'm hungry" howling of cat #1 at 8:30-ish. Despite not leaving the house until about 10am, we managed to get to Parliament Hill by about 11am. (We had intended to be there an hour earlier, but unlike my speedy husband, it takes me forever to get ready in the morning.) Despite the forecast for

Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-4999683236084627282009-06-27T14:35:00.003-04:002009-06-27T14:40:21.378-04:00

My parents helped me plant two tomato plants this year. I'm so excited that they're actually growing (the plants, not my parents, in case that wasn't clear), because I can't really boast a green thumb. I mean, I once killed a cactus. My Big Boy plant on the left--I've named it Eileen--has a bunch of blossoms, and I quickly ran to Canadian Tire last night before closing to purchase a tomato

Julienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-7548839934499044892009-06-26T22:24:00.003-04:002009-06-27T13:55:30.424-04:00

Yesterday's local Metro contained an article about Ottawa's "Senior of the Year," Mary Kathleen Dafoe, who recently celebrated her 100th birthday. This is one remarkable woman.

Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-40587368881803446352009-06-25T23:52:00.009-04:002009-06-27T13:47:48.608-04:00

Two pop culture icons in one day: Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. Gone.It's hard for me to gauge exactly how much of an impact they had on me, personally; I'd guess slight, at best. Although both definitely figured in my peripheral vision.Of Michael Jackson, I have not much more to say other than I found the 1980s Black version cool, he of the Thriller and Billie Jean music videos that

Julienoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-51780030588237952202009-06-21T18:01:00.002-04:002009-06-21T20:49:07.900-04:00

Happy Father's Day to all the dads, out there! James called his dad earlier this afternoon, and I called mine about an hour ago.Also, belated Happy Anniversary to my parents, who celebrated 42 years of marriage on the 16th! And congratulations are in order to our nephew, Sean, on his graduation from high school last night!I hope everyone's been out enjoying some of the awesome first-day-of

Julienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-40266352705716526282009-06-11T19:35:00.012-04:002009-06-12T15:59:32.775-04:00

A little over a month ago, my parents and brother flew in for a visit. They brought lots Pioneer farmer sausage with them, as well as a hunk of Bothwell cheese. (When did it drop the "New" from its name?) I accompanied James to work each morning so that I could use the car to get around. (He had to miss out on the daytime fun.) Here's how our week unfolded.Sat., May 9: James & I picked them

Julienoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-20407242491091713512009-06-10T12:35:00.002-04:002009-06-10T21:16:14.608-04:00

The reason posts have been so sporadic here this spring is because I've been pecking away at a series of medical lectures for Access Service. The work began April 10, the day after university classes ended for the Winter term (i.e., Jan to Apr), and with the exception of a few weeks in-between, it's been a steady pace. Each half-day block of recordings took approximately 2 days to type.

Julienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-46722071153343225252009-06-07T22:58:00.007-04:002009-06-11T19:35:41.130-04:00

~ neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor...roadkill?! ~Had a rare reprieve today from work that, of late, never seems to end. After our COTR TV fix, we took advantage of Doors Open Ottawa to explore our adopted city. (Yep, we're still home church-less, but it's completely our own fault. Maybe I could make a half-new year's resolution to quit my shiftlessness. I know a friend whose family

Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-33694953449779981782009-05-09T23:39:00.010-04:002009-05-10T14:54:57.956-04:00

A quick bunch of photos of our overnighter to Toronto last weekend for those who don't Facebook. James took Friday off and made a split-second decision to whisk me away for a date to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM).* It was a 30-minute walk from our downtown hotel through the U of T/Queen's Park area. Stopping to smell the pansies and gunpowderT-Rex, meet James. James, T-Rex.ReposeI would have

Julienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-83921002194625296422009-05-08T12:53:00.004-04:002009-05-10T15:09:49.826-04:00

return from Texas/to work impromptu party for James falls flat ok more cake* for us two-week countdown begins Dave & Shirley come for Sunday dinner (i.e. lunch in cityspeak) they’re expecting, yay! new student two more classes (other student dropped two) purchase bedding stock groceries short gig for RCMP sis-in-law & family arrive a 10-day visit sights and sites seen Museum of Civ, Byward,

Julienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-71459580759905225832009-03-17T13:38:00.016-04:002009-04-17T16:49:35.316-04:00

This past Friday, it was a month ago since we left for Reading Week break in Texas. I managed to post an album on Facebook, which sounds pretentious--it was only a handful of pictures--except that my point is I didn't totally blow off reporting responsibilities.Friday, Feb 13thWe had breakfast at Ottawa Int'l Airport after clearing customs. We confirmed, once again, that airport restaurants

Julienoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-3300055108884277912009-02-14T01:00:00.002-05:002009-02-14T01:00:00.361-05:00

Sometimes, after the fur flies, you just know it's time to make up.Hope your Valentine's Day is purrrrfect!

Julienoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-40865528427006569642009-02-11T14:51:00.004-05:002009-02-11T15:26:02.250-05:00

There are a great many interesting things one learns if one works on a university campus. It's not all about academia, folks, no sirree.The Women's Resource Centre was selling chocolate vaginas at a table in the hallway between Morriset Library and Montpetit Hall, near the Tim Horton's outlet. They looked like chocolate cupcakes to me. There might have been a cherry or cinnamon heart on the

Julienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-22149459102529517092009-01-30T11:19:00.000-05:002009-01-31T00:36:48.677-05:00

~ This post has been a work-in-progress for five days; I began writing it on Monday, Jan 26 ~First off, belated Happy Birthday wishes to Duane, who turned thirtysomething on Saturday! We sent you a card, Duane, but I was too cheap to use Xpresspost (≈$10 for a card!!!), so look for it in the next day or three. (Update: Apparently the card showed up Wednesday. Maybe it's time to buy another

Julienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-49157150607583112692009-01-13T22:01:00.006-05:002009-01-13T23:19:31.108-05:00

It felt like a really, really, really long day.I'm extremely thankful for my morning carpooling buddies who pick me up at 6am, but getting up at 5 is beginning to wear me down. This morning we got to the downtown parking lot at 6:35, and I reached the university by about 7:10. I don't mind the walk; it's rather refreshing. I had to wait for the Tim Horton's to open at 7:30. Met the student

Julienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-7619825019167581292009-01-08T14:06:00.002-05:002009-01-08T14:51:14.853-05:00

Scoping out MetroNews, hoping for some confirmation on which way the striking bus drivers voted yesterday, I came across this gem (third paragraph from the bottom):"I just want to thank the president for hosting us," Obama said. When a reporter asked Obama what he could learn from the mistakes of the four presidents surrounding him, he smiled and said he planned to learn from their successes. (

Julienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-8443674859389438152008-12-31T23:15:00.000-05:002008-12-31T23:15:00.800-05:00

Here's wishing you a warm, safe New Year's Eve, and the beginning to a fabulous 2009!We enjoyed a quiet evening of Pepsi, pizza, Monty Python sketches and the "Final Flight" of Royal Canadian Air Farce on CBC. In the mid-1990s, I rarely missed a Friday night in front of the tube with Luba Goy, Don Ferguson, Roger Abbott, and John Morgan ("I'm Mike, from Canmore"). Ah, those were the days, my

Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-53540040218644942892008-12-30T21:49:00.004-05:002008-12-31T22:50:14.224-05:00

To point or not to point, that was the question. Back in November, Shoppers Drug Mart sent a coupon informing me that (a) an acquisition of 1,965 more points by Dec 31 would promote me to Plus member status, and (b) if I were to purchase $150 worth of stuff before year's end, I would receive 15,000 Optimum points--which works out to $25. How warped is this idea "the more you spend, the more you

Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-29914138478320423342008-12-28T18:29:00.006-05:002008-12-31T18:11:34.567-05:00

I know, I know, it's not about the gifts. Still, I really can't resist talking about the presents.People tend to give the kind of gifts they'd like to receive. I remember my mom reading an article on that years ago, and I've found an interview online that corroborates that position, in which the interviewee remarks (about halfway through):One of the big, big errors that I see most people make

Julienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-60220656429727976912008-12-25T19:31:00.001-05:002008-12-25T20:05:41.496-05:00

* To kick off our Christmas season, we watched Sunday's broadcast of Church of the Rock on Global. Pastor Mark's message was entitled "Have a Dickens of a Christmas!" and wove together references to Dickens's A Christmas Carol, the poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (aka "'Twas the Night Before Christmas"), A Charlie Brown Christmas, throwing in the usual assortment of jokes, to discuss the true

Julienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-25333394148403421342008-12-18T22:32:00.004-05:002008-12-25T19:48:13.719-05:00

* apologies to Nia VardalosTue, Dec 9I left Ottawa as the first centimetres of the eventual 30 were falling - thick, fluffy flakes. My flight was supposed to leave at 4:30pm; however, the airport appeared short-staffed and the plane had to undergo de-icing, so the flight only left at 5:30pm. The woman in the seat next to me was comfortably talkative, meaning we made small talk during takeoff

Julienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-79133047681318200882008-12-13T00:30:00.003-05:002008-12-13T00:38:55.602-05:00

My laptop's still on Central Time, so tomorrow is already today.If the weather cooperates, I'll be hanging out at the Tim Horton's at the St. Vital Centre food court from 9:30am to noon. It's always such a rush-around, and I never have time to see everyone I'd like to see when I'm out for holidays; therefore, I came up with a plan. My plan was to create a Facebook "event," and invite people to

Julienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-7724025722161033342008-12-12T23:37:00.003-05:002008-12-13T00:29:57.501-05:00

Dec 1-3 - my last three days of work for the Fall 2008 term.Dec 4 - spent the entire morning of my first day of vacation glued in front of the TV watching a bodyguard pull shut the doors to the Governor General's residence because they kept blowing open in the fierce wind as the press waited for Prime Minister Harper to appear and inform them whether or not he had indeed persuaded the GG to

Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-74974089846463817682008-12-07T21:49:00.001-05:002008-12-12T23:35:27.356-05:00

Tuesday, Nov 25 - Happy things: Perry's birthday! Sad things: The company James works for is still making money, but due to pervasive talk about economic recessions, it laid off 8% of its employees (17). James's status remains unchanged.Wednesday, Nov 26 - GayleR's birthday! (my former colleague) I worked a one-day learning event with another computer interpreter. The organization left a

Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-68531257131303711482008-12-06T20:30:00.005-05:002008-12-12T21:16:36.077-05:00

Things have been on the busy side, what with the winding down of the Fall term and planning for Christmas. Here's a synopsis of recent highlights and events:Sunday, Nov 16 - The Barrhaven Santa Claus Parade started at 5:30pm; we went last year, too, so it looks like this is becoming an annual event for us. The floats line up along Chapman Mills, which is basically next door to us. We stopped

Julienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-71486154060618935142008-11-11T23:42:00.002-05:002008-11-12T21:12:17.451-05:00

This evening I spoke to two Winnipeg friends via telephone. Both found it strange that James and I had to work today. One went so far to say that it seemed "disrespectful." I myself have been quite puzzled that, of all places, Ottawa, with all its pomp and circumstance, would be the city where working/studying on Remembrance Day is the norm. Perhaps it's because otherwise the ceremonies would

Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-32833019087829787372008-11-09T20:26:00.003-05:002008-11-09T21:47:40.295-05:00

I was rather hoping that L and Celina would chime in for my Winnipeg sightseeing list--both of them have perfected the art of being tourists in their own town. Maybe next time. As it turned out, Nicole and her co-worker were limited in what they could do after work. For example, shops at The Forks are only open until 6pm, although from what I gather, the visitors did get to the Christmas

Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-15250379308215726332008-10-31T14:37:00.005-04:002008-10-31T22:21:26.276-04:00

C'est la fête de l'Halloween!Seeing 1.) Logan in the adorable bumble bee costume that Tawny made for him, and 2.) Ellen's trio in their creative trick-or-treat garb put me in a much more receptive state this year, so I'm actually prepared to answer the doorbell and hand out candy--up until such a time as all my friendly neighborhood spiderkids have made their rounds. Or until the kids who need

Julienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-67735175807166397192008-10-26T21:37:00.003-04:002008-10-29T19:26:05.375-04:00

Nope, it's not me. Not yet, anyway.And it's not really dinner per se. It may be a few dinners, I don't know at this point.Since I'm sure you have better things to do with your time than guess, I'll give you the lowdown straight up: An Ottawa friend of mine and a colleague of hers will be flying to Winnipeg for work for a few days sometime at the beginning of November. I'm compiling a list of

Julienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-29720818221762820082008-10-14T14:03:00.003-04:002008-10-14T14:14:58.693-04:00

Just a quick reminder to go out and vote, if you haven't already done so. My mom is a poll registration clerk, so if you're voting in the metropolis of Rosenort/Riverside, make sure you bring your ID or bring someone who can vouch that you are who you say you are--which, in that case, could pretty much be anybody else that you meet in passing through the doors.I haven't quite made up my mind yet

Julienoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-73658539558470675712008-10-13T14:20:00.018-04:002008-10-13T17:12:55.914-04:00

Ottawa had amazing weather yesterday, with a sunny high of 21°C: a perfect Lord's day/day of rest/Thanksgiving Sunday. We had invited friends over a few weeks ago, but their plans ended up changing in the meanwhile, so we took advantage of the time to ourselves. After attending the late service at The Met (because James was up way too late enjoying his sound system, etc.) we returned home,

Julienoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-20117351212465652842008-09-04T21:34:00.000-04:002008-09-04T21:35:04.866-04:00

Remember when crack was hailed as the new cleavage? Seemed like yesterday, so I was surprised to find the notion had surfaced as early as 2002--although iterations on the same theme have persisted into 2004 and 2008. Shannon Rupp, author of the 2004 article, entitled "Plumbing the History of the New Cleavage: Low-slung trousers are hot but I see a bad moon rising," relates that one of her

Julienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-31348234734517357202008-08-31T20:00:00.018-04:002008-09-06T12:51:14.672-04:00

Anyone else haunted by that commercial for Dell computers? It's got a catchy tune. After Googling "i am green today," I discovered that (a) I'm not the only one who appreciates it, and (b) the jingle's lifted from Kira Willey's "Colors." (The complete version is available via a link via the link I just posted. Or you can just go directly to YouTube and search for "i am green today" in

Julienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-82112832951286831222008-08-26T21:46:00.006-04:002008-08-26T22:35:48.468-04:00

James and Bailey at the cabinAnother vacation photo. Nobody has the heart to inform Bailey, 60 lbs. of sinewy muscle and sweet temperament, that she is not a lapdog.

Julienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-82498552093214509972008-08-26T17:36:00.000-04:002008-08-26T17:36:25.249-04:00

Yes! One of my piecemeal summertime projects has progressed to the point where it has shape and substance.One of my positions while I worked at the University of Manitoba (UM) involved coordinating the Mauro Centre's North American Conflict Resolution student exchange--NACR for short. (Its official title was much lengthier.) In that capacity, I guided students, outgoing and incoming, through

Julienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-5364583720263085622008-08-23T22:00:00.011-04:002008-08-25T15:26:46.473-04:00

there and back: July 31-August 9~ or the post that I've plugged away at for days ~Herein lie the details of our vacation. You're welcome to read on, but don't feel obligated to absorb it all. It's a way of thanking those people we did see, and making excuses for our behavior to those we didn't.We enjoyed our vacation in Manitoba! Our itinerary was not precisely set in stone, but because James

Julienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-33250750825501555292008-08-21T15:41:00.006-04:002008-08-21T16:40:43.964-04:00

~ a post for Perry ~What to do if you're a cat and it's a clear & cloudy July 27, with a high of about 25˚C? Why, you whine and howl and scratch at the patio door to be let out. Once you are, you seek out the dubiously shady comfort offered by the west side of the deck and cower in the corner of the air conditioner.When the neighbor kids inevitably show up--they have a remarkable sixth sense

Julienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-58588287897316980592008-08-21T14:43:00.006-04:002008-08-21T15:40:32.401-04:00

Forget the sisterhood. (Well, not entirely, because someday I want to either read the books or watch the movies. But hold that thought.) We're talking more like "band of brothers, marching together" here. On July 19, James and his work buddies participated in a day of paintballing somewhere across the river in Gatineau Park. I don't remember hearing the name of the place, but after a quick

Julienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-6397756497863283192008-07-21T22:52:00.004-04:002008-07-23T20:37:42.948-04:00

Here's a picture of our powder room on the main floor after we painted on July 3 & 4. The glass shelf refracts the light and distorts the color a bit. It's Behr's "Silver Charm," although I maintain that it looks a tad blue to me--but that might be because I outfit the place with navy nautical accessories (which sounds redundant, but I suppose nautical things aren't navy of necessity).my ship

Julienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-81332112149340147712008-07-18T22:32:00.019-04:002008-07-21T22:51:54.084-04:00

Instead of an excursion to New York (purchase of new car took care of that), James & I took a day trip to Montréal with our friends Dave & Ci on June 30. We parked the car near the Metro and took the subway downtown. We walked around, shopped, had lunch, and then made our way to the Infotouriste centre, where we decided to go on Gray Lines' two-hour double-decker bus sightseeing excursion.James

Julienoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-73956312757183446102008-07-17T20:12:00.014-04:002008-07-18T15:32:01.603-04:00

Love seems the swiftest, but it is the slowest of all growths. No man or woman really knows what perfect love is until they have been married a quarter of a century.~ Mark Twainflowers from JamesHappy Anniversary to us!It seems awfully surreal to think that we've been married for nine years. How bizarre. Including the three-month stopover at Mom & Dad's, we've moved five times, we've each

Julienoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-86084951051452422672008-07-15T16:25:00.003-04:002008-07-15T20:01:57.141-04:00

She breaks the lengthy silence...We had obtained our passports in anticipation of a road trip to New York the first week in July. However, Saturday, June 21, those plans came to a halt. The morning started out like many a weekend, except that we were surfing the Web--ooo, suddenly that "surf" sounds archaic...does anybody surf the Web anymore? or take a ride on the "information highway," for

Julienoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-43118346397475253802008-06-11T13:47:00.006-04:002008-06-11T15:54:39.348-04:00

Here's a quick photo update on what we've accomplished in terms of yardwork over the last little while. It all started with a small pot of pansies I purchased at our Loeb-next-door for our front entrance.I've discovered that pansies need to be watered regularly or they droop and become "wilted spinach," as one Web site, which I can't seem to find again, phrased it. Mine are sheltered from the

Julienoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-46055083296054961922008-06-06T21:50:00.003-04:002008-06-06T21:51:51.463-04:00

~ or my husband's been to MIT and Harvard ~It's true. James finally realized a deep-seated dream: he was able to travel for work. He'd been to Chicago on business many years ago, but this was the first time his current employer sent him anywhere. He's on his way back from Boston even as I write. While he was there, he drove past MIT and Harvard on a whim, and he especially phoned me that

Julienoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-90556502616653449372008-06-06T00:22:00.002-04:002008-06-06T02:04:48.074-04:00

Lately it just seems that everyone and his/her dog is kicking the bucket--which sounds terribly irreverent, maybe even crass, but I'm getting really tired of documenting bad news. (I may have to make up for it with reams of "positive energy" à la L.)I hadn't yet noted, for instance, that Freckles, Dave & Ci's "baby girl" since 1996, is no more. (I feel dreadfully compelled to launch into Monty

Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-34088536067353643562008-06-05T09:51:00.005-04:002008-06-05T10:13:23.219-04:00

I also learned earlier this week of the passing of Harold Buchwald. I met Mr. Buchwald, a Board member of the Mauro Centre, when I was employed there, but I believe I'd first heard of him back in the late '80s, when I was a lowly office clerk at KPMG, and the partners corresponded with various law firms in Winnipeg, Buchwald Asper Henteleff being one of them.Those were the days of the antiquated

Julienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-64362557366673877982008-06-04T10:55:00.004-04:002008-06-05T09:51:14.480-04:00

For anyone who might be interested, I've just updated the links on my May 26 post, the ones to obituaries for Brad Hughes and Brenda Kroeker.

Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-88662664979931572952008-05-30T14:57:00.014-04:002008-05-31T15:36:07.099-04:00

A working holidayWhile I was away at my French class last Tuesday, James and Dad cooked up a project involving patio blocks and crushed rock. The end result appears below.It was great, because I'd secretly feared that my Dad, who likes to keep busy, would be tired of relaxing after three days. I think the patio project proved the perfect antidote to any potential ennui he might have otherwise

Julienoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-32313654376768283692008-05-30T14:48:00.003-04:002008-05-30T14:57:50.826-04:00

Here's a YouTube video called "Psycho Kitty: Qu'est-ce que c'est?!!" It's the only thing I know that will stop Darth short in his tracks (except James's "Quit it!") when he's in a howling frame of mind and padding on the patio doors with his little paws because I won't let him outside, on account of the workers are finishing off the last of our neighbors' fences. Thank goodness! Today I heard

Julienoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-80156807956667852192008-05-29T23:58:00.005-04:002008-05-31T10:39:39.335-04:00

And now for the rest of the story, as Paul Harvey would say. On Victoria Day, our accommodating chauffeur, James, took this family to the Hershey's Chocolate Factory in Smiths Falls.Its Web site assures interested parties that the Chocolate Shoppe will remain open through 2007 and 2008. That's because operations are heading south--to Mexico. The news of the plant's impending closure hit hard,

Julienoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-34410571197357269332008-05-28T09:40:00.003-04:002008-05-30T00:00:39.641-04:00

"Tomorrow" should have been yesterday, but it turned into today because studying French took priority over blogging. And let me tell you, it was not easy to concentrate on the work before me yesterday. I went back to sleep after James left for work, but was rudely awakened around 7:30am by jackhammers.Some of our backyard neighboring households have hired a company to erect a fence. Generally,

Julienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-37608183123407288492008-05-27T21:54:00.002-04:002008-05-27T21:54:55.932-04:00

Lilacs on the HillThe second day of my family's visit we set off for Parliament Hill and the ByWard Market. After saying hello to the puddies at the Cat Sanctuary (hard to catch more than a glimpse, really, because of all the visitors), walking around the back of the Library, and taking a few photos, we hit up Hard Rock Café for lunch (thanks, Dad!). Perry claims they served the best macaroni &

Julienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-10324927813494055632008-05-26T13:50:00.004-04:002008-05-27T21:58:19.613-04:00

Lest you think it's nothing but sorrow around here, let me share a few photos from last week.Mom & Dad and Perry flew out for a visit. The Saturday they arrived, we lunched at Mr. Sub (thanks, Perry!) and then dashed over to Dow's Lake to take in the blooms at the annual Tulip Festival, which ran from May 2-19 this year. The weather here in the valley is notoriously unpredictable, but we

Julienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-49583493805587981032008-05-26T12:39:00.009-04:002008-06-04T10:54:44.221-04:00

I heard just yesterday that Brad Hughes, son of Chickie, and brother to Andrea and Pastor Mark, had recently lost his battle with cancer. I performed a Google search earlier today and found Morley Walker's obituary here, and one at the Free Press's Passages site here.I also received the news that Brenda Kroeker, the 43-year-old daughter of Pete and Minola Kroeker of Steinbach, and sister to

Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-8457131320653703192008-05-25T20:45:00.001-04:002008-05-25T20:48:12.283-04:00

My Aunt Elvira passed away Thursday, May 15th, after a battle with cancer that lasted about two years. She would have turned 56 next month. Her obituary appeared in the Winnipeg Free Press.For most of my life I've lived near my extended family members: I can't imagine what it would be like not to know my uncles, aunts, cousins, and cousins' children by name. My earliest memories of Aunt Elvira

Julienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-85835476189486923602008-05-10T23:49:00.006-04:002008-05-12T11:42:30.201-04:00

...walk into a bar. Not really, but it was worth a try.Friday morning I had a dentist appointment. As I reclined in the chair with rolls of cotton, dental instruments, and a suction tube in my mouth, I came to the realization that in addition to having excellent fine motor movements, dentists really need to have the gift of gab as well--a proclivity for storytelling. In that respect, it

Julienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-86540957255224851042008-05-07T23:30:00.002-04:002008-05-08T18:34:24.429-04:00

I'm not working and probably won't be all summer, and therefore should have all the time in the world. So where does it go?! Actually, I know where some of it goes. Routine stuff like grocery shopping, making & eating meals, laundry, cleaning, attending conferences, lunches with friends (this has only happened once so far, but I'm remaining optimistic), applying for first a provincial (not

Julienoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-16638413894448457462008-04-21T10:00:00.008-04:002008-04-21T10:36:33.876-04:00

view from the Summer Pavilion behind the Library of Parliament Supreme Court of Canada is slightly right of centre in the distanceUntil I looked up this title word in the dictionary a few minutes ago, if I were to have been asked to spell it, I would have written "schmorgasborg," 'cause that's how I've always pronounced it. Go figure. Reminiscent of the time when I discovered that "

Julienoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-9490223017069694632008-04-12T22:34:00.005-04:002008-04-13T00:12:41.716-04:00

Sorry, nothing creative today for the following reasons: 1) I'm still dealing with my blinkin' head cold. 2) It rained all day. 3) I finished reading Reader and Raelynx, Book 4 in Sharon Shinn's The Twelve Houses series, late last night. I believe it's the last of that particular series (unless she finds a way to revisit it), and although it definitely provided a satisfying conclusion that

Julienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-29032608403517211952008-04-10T21:53:00.005-04:002008-04-10T22:18:35.528-04:00

My laptop would undoubtedly thank me profusely if I sorted through all my old files and deleted the unnecessary ones. But then, that would mean I wouldn't be able to rediscover the odd delightful grain of wheat among the chaff, such as the following. Before you read what I wrote, though, please see please see this link for the William Carlos Williams poem, "This is Just to Say." Otherwise

Julienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-37457020808606574132008-04-08T17:31:00.003-04:002008-04-08T18:19:21.027-04:00

I've been inspired by the creative posts of fellow bloggers, be they in the form of fiction, photography, life writing, or what have you. So I'm going to be gutsy and share something that I wrote Sunday evening. I haven't done any such writing for a while, but this imagery has wanted out--it's been percolating for a few weeks, since I passed Bridgehead on my way home from work in the dark one

Julienoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-23757059694907178282008-04-06T13:08:00.012-04:002008-04-06T15:09:39.245-04:00

There's something to be said for good old-fashioned snail mail, if you ask me.Last week was rather routine, same as the week before. Nothing all that remarkable happening. University students seem to be experiencing an end-of-term anxiety and beginning-of-spring giddiness that translates into ceaseless nattering from all corners of the classrooms and lecture halls. It wouldn't be so bad if

Julienoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-49352171451957168082008-04-04T18:55:00.016-04:002008-04-04T20:07:34.627-04:00

My sister-in-law and I had a telephone conversation about spring cleaning the other day. She cleans as she goes along, so that she doesn't have to set aside a whole week or month to do it all in one shot. I think that's very admirable, and something to which I might aspire someday. Two years ago, in the apartment, I finally broke down and exterminated the dust bunnies that had multiplied

Julienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-41252303611049599462008-04-01T21:11:00.007-04:002008-04-01T23:59:37.305-04:00

Happy April Fool's! Bon poisson d'avril!Hey, my peeps! I've been taking a little break from the blog. Those 30 tiny moments ran me ragged. Actually, no, they were rather exhilarating--but they did take time, and although I'd like to think I have a lot of other wonderful attributes, I'm not convinced that I've mastered time management. Case in point: I spent almost all Sunday afternoon

Julienoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-34945616177524374392008-03-14T14:05:00.002-04:002008-03-14T14:24:16.733-04:00

Yahoo's article on snow rage caught my attention this morning. I know I've experienced snow despair this season, but it hasn't turned to rage yet.More later, since I've got to go catch the bus downtown. I managed to stay on my feet yesterday, despite the slickness. I'm aiming for a repeat. However, I did succumb to the "cold" in that I called James from Baseline and asked him to have the

Julienoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-34810260683017390632008-03-12T20:28:00.006-04:002008-03-12T22:52:26.331-04:00

a fine mess is a "creative art studio and supply shop" near our place. I haven't ever gone in, but I've always adored the name of the place, and I've been curious, especially since "Messy in March" appeared on the window. Now that I've visited their Web site, I'm even more intrigued.What a huge difference a few days can make (in weather and attitude). We had a dusting of snow overnight, but

Julienoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-23675709519862427342008-03-11T21:45:00.007-04:002008-03-11T23:22:34.164-04:00

Meet Inuit Barbie, designed by Canadian Christy Marcus, who is herself of Inuit heritage.Although here she's pictured propped up by our decorative pillows on the bed, Inuit Barbie's usually prominently displayed on my dresser, so I catch a glimpse of her out of the corner of my eye each morning. James brought her back with him when he returned from his summer of working in the Arctic, 2006; she

Julienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-5415042557012976782008-03-10T21:44:00.004-04:002008-03-10T23:11:09.776-04:00

Had I had the camera with me today, I would have tried to get a photo of the black squirrel that was cheerily jaunting about. I sincerely hope it was that squirrel or one of its little squirrel colleagues that I caught a glimpse of out of the corner of my eye on Friday: a blur of fur in motion, a momentary flash of dark on light from trash bin to the ground below the lecture auditorium's

Julienoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-43259218033643954032008-03-09T20:17:00.017-04:002008-03-09T22:50:38.506-04:00

So while James was digging out our driveway for the better part of the weekend, I did my best to dig out from under all the paper I let accumulate on my desk. I managed to mail out two Xpresspost envelopes yesterday, and tomorrow I hope to send away my long overdue correspondence to our Compassion child (who has probably given up on me by now). To celebrate small victories, I bought a bag of

Julienoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-11105196975082755612008-03-08T21:52:00.011-05:002008-03-09T20:22:36.207-04:00

I know spring is coming, despite all indications to the contrary: I've spotted the bunnies. Marshmallow bunnies. At WalMart.Only after I'd bought them and eaten a few did I read the ingredients. A few weeks ago I finally paid attention to the fact that gelatin is the guck that results from boiled animal tissue; ever since then, I have felt motivated to read labels a little more closely. There

Julienoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-43925859392697404622008-03-07T23:18:00.001-05:002008-03-07T23:21:00.352-05:00

troublemaker #1My power adapter decided for whatever reason that it wanted to take a permanent vacation.troublemaker #2Someone's been playing king of the castle on our hill and caused a mini-avalanche. (Sigh!) More snow to clean up. Guess it won't make that much difference, since the pretty flakes now falling are part and parcel of the additional 30-40 cm of snow we're expecting overnight.

Julienoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-52867446861481840362008-03-06T21:59:00.009-05:002008-03-07T23:08:11.073-05:00

Never mind that I counted at least 15 books that I've bought and not yet read--and that was only in my SF section. ~ Conspicuous and unapologetic aside: Let me be clear on this point: it's SF, not sci-fi. That was the first of many lessons we learned in Dr. John Teunissen's Science Fiction seminar. I remember how I did not want to enroll in that seminar, but there were no other options to

Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-50975431918005750972008-03-05T14:06:00.018-05:002008-03-05T15:10:03.799-05:00

This morning's photos are brought to you by: the color "distressed bus-seat red"...the back of the bus (#76) or "a bigger chair for two to curl up in"view from Mackenzie King BridgeRideau Canal on left, Château Laurier in distance...the letters S (for snowstorm), R, and C (for Rideau Canal)...and by the number 30 for the centimetres of snowfall forecast for Ottawa yesterday & today.

Julienoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-18660383910256160152008-03-04T20:52:00.008-05:002008-03-04T22:44:04.500-05:00

Chemistry Lab, section AEvery Tuesday afternoon, this is where you can find me. The lab is divided into 6 sections, each with about 3 rows of counters, and approx. 16 students per section, roughly 100 students in total. My role is to stay attentive, for at any moment I might need to capture for the client/student announcements made over the PA system, instructions given by the TA (Teaching

Julienoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-61438638140885475282008-03-03T16:01:00.011-05:002008-03-03T16:38:21.896-05:00

Thought you might like to see where I work. This is Colonel By B205, the classroom for Calculus II this term. All the courses I "computer interpret" for right now are science courses. I try to get to all the classes early so that I can stake out a spot near the front. You can see my coat and laptop bag, second row, far right.students' viewIn this class, I've also chosen my seat so that I can

Julienoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-80920696288627257052008-03-02T20:57:00.011-05:002008-03-03T07:01:50.284-05:00

We bought a humidifier yesterday, which we hope will positively impact our hardwood floors. There are a few places where the edges have roughened up. It's a fine line: moisture in the air is good; moisture directly in contact with the floor is bad. That's why the humidifier is now installed in the kitchen. (Like I need one more item to maneuver around in there.) I'm still hoping to find a

Julienoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-5482203059301268942008-03-01T22:05:00.011-05:002008-03-03T07:00:03.045-05:00

"Imitation is the sincerest of flattery." ~ Charles Caleb ColtonIn imitation of fellow bloggers' recent demonstrations of flower power – tulips here (Feb 24) and here (Feb 25), and what I think are snowdrops here (Feb 21) – here are my humble offerings. Hope you're duly flattered!Truth is, they were on sale at Farm Boy, and I just couldn't resist a foretaste of spring. Am I ever glad I bought

Julienoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148226785172551293.post-76163188645789511462008-02-29T23:21:00.011-05:002008-03-01T01:18:04.304-05:00

More accurately, it was chicken noodle soup. A bout of the sniffles has descended upon our household, so we're combatting them as best we know how. I wanted to make a batch of homemade chicken noodle soup--after all, I went to all that trouble to mail myself the requisite Rede-Made Noodles ("Just like Grandma's old-fashioned egg noodles") at Christmastime--but I have yet to call Mom for her list

Julienoreply@blogger.com3