Happy New Year!

It's New Years Eve and to ring in 2007 properly a friend and I will be doing "all things Canadian". So what does that mean? Well, our plan is to cook lobster for dinner, and then watch Anne of Green Gables into the New Year.

The lobster adventure actually started last night.
I picked up 2 live lobsters last night from Loblaws. I had to do some research about how to store live lobsters. Since this is my first time actually cooking lobster I have a lot to learn. Whenever I've had lobster in the past, someone else has cooked it (and usually bought and cooked the lobster on the same day). I discovered, however, that you can store lobster overnight for up to 36 hours in the fridge (see these two sources: 1 , 2 ). So when I got home I got the lobsters all settled in the fridge (in containers that are kept damp by newpaper soaked in a brine solution). I checked on them a few times throughout the night and they seem to be doing well. They're still alive though a bit sluggish (as we all get in the cold!).
Cooking the lobster turned out to be pretty simple. Thanks to my landlady's generous offer, I had a stock pot that was perfect for the job. We brought 6 L of salt water (2 Tbsp per Litre) to a boil, plunged the lobster in head first (we'll spare you the video), and cooked each of them for 15 minutes until they were bright red.I was a little squeamish at first about boiling the lobster, particularly when I saw it still moving in the pot, but it had to be done. In the end it was fine.
Once cooked, we had to figure out how to prepare the lobster. It's been awhile since I last ate lobster so I'm not as familiar with lobster anatomy as I once was. We figured it out - take the tail off and cut it down the middle, twist the two claws off, and pretty much ignore the body (though there's some meat to be found, most of what's found in the body is the tomally and neither one of us were very interested in that).And then came the best part: eating the lobster!
We've decided that eating lobster is not for the faint of heart. Tearing off legs and sucking the lobster meat out of them would not appeal to some. And it's a lot of work, but oh so delicious!

Christmas at the cottage

My grandparents did a wonderful job decorating, inside and out. Gramp did his best to make our cottage the most decorated on the lake, and Gram trucked some of her favourite decorations from home to set up in the cottage, including about 20 of these snowflakes which were hung from the rafters. Very pretty and festive .
And then there was the natural beauty...
Though we didn't have any snow over Christmas it did get cold enough for ice to form on the surface of the lake. As usual, the sunsets at the lake never disappoint!

Frenchy finds!

Yes, while I was home I had a chance to go Frenchy shopping. Actually I had to drag my cousin to go shopping (though secretly I think she wanted to go too - she came home with lots more than me). We intended to go to the Weymouth Frenchy's and then work our way back to Digby, but as it turned out the Weymouth Frenchy's was closed. So, instead of heading back to Digby right away, we kept going to Meteghan, shopped for a bit there, stopped for lunch (Rapure Pie) and then headed to Digby.
The thing about Frenchy's that makes it so much fun is the sifting and the finding. There's definitely a strategy to shopping at Frenchy's. I've learned over the years, the best way is to start at a corner in the bin, push all the clothes to the side so you can see the bottom of the bin, and then sifting through the clothes one-by-one.
The key is to shop with someone who is not your size. This way you're not competing for clothes. I usually shop with my cousin and she's definitely not my size. When she sees something that looks right for me, she'll toss it over and if I like it, I'll put it in the orange basket or toss back in the bin (and vice versa).
It's a guarantee that most of what you sort through will be quickly passed over - there's a lot of junk to say the least (like this green and white polyester 1960s shirt). Usually my cousin makes the best finds. I give her full credit for my score finds this trip!
Another key thing to remember when shopping at Frenchy's is not to buy something that you think you can fix. Because some of the items have been previously worn or are unsold merchandise, and have been bundled and shipped from who-knows-where, they can sometimes have stains or might be damaged. If you find something that is damaged or stained throw it back in. You'll find something else. Chances are you'll never get around to fixing it, or the stain will never come out. And you've wasted a few precious dollars you could've spent on something else.

My purchases this trip:
1 large cranberry red banquet sized tablecloth (which my mother has promised to cut to fit my table - Thank you Mom!) = 3.00
1 pair of jeans = 3.50
1 Lands' End super comfy aqua hooded sweater = 3.50
1 Columbia long sleeved shirt = 3.50
1 sweater/shirt combo = 3.00
1 empire waist blousy top = 2.50

Travelers

I'm still in the the Airport, but as I'm sitting here watching people going by and waiting for my plane, I'm reminded of a song I really like by Carolyn Arends. It's simple and folksy, but very cleverly written and so true!

Travelers
by Carolyn Arends

Well, I should be there already
But my flight has been delayed
I'm a weary one of many
At an overcrowded gate
I have claimed my bit of carpet
'Cause there's not a single chair
Man, it's hard to be this grounded
When I should be in the air.

It's funny at an airport
How you witness every scene
The frantic and the famous
And the faces kind to me
There are signs to welcome daddies
There are flowers and balloons
Business trips and funerals
And happy honeymoons

You can guess some of the stories
'Cause it isn't hard to tell
The tears of sweet reunion
From the ones that bid farewell
There is variance in circumstance
Direction and occasion
But the truth is we're all travelers
Who have not reached our final destination

Eating raisins in the corner
Is a girl of five or six
She is sporting a new shiner
Shaped just like her brother's fist
But I'm sure he didn't mean it
'Cause they get along just fine
Accidents will happen
When you're killing this much time

And over by the payphones
Every guy has got a wife
He'll call to say he's sorry
He might not get home tonight
And that booker in Armani
Just keeps weaving through the crowd
Guess he's had a few too many
'Cause he's getting pretty loud

We are prodigals and pilgrams
We are sinners, we are saints
It gets hard to tell the difference
The more you make us wait
There is variance in circumstance
Direction, and occasion
But the truth is we're all travelers
Who have not reached our final destination

Well, you know those little carts
The employees drive inside
One guy keeps racing past here
Like the Indy's on the line
And the woman cleaning bathrooms
She sings "Jesus is my Lord"
While the girl who makes the hot dogs
Snaps her gum and just looks bored

Me, I sit here dreaming
Of my pillow and my bed
The kids won't be awake
But I will kiss their sleepy heads
With a hundred other passengers
I mutter up a prayer
Lord it's hard to be this grounded
When we should be in the air

We are restless, we are ready
To be anyplace but here
And the waiting has a way
Of making one thing very clear
There is variance in circumstance
Direction and occasion
But the truth is we're all travelers
Who have not reached our final destination

Yeah, the truth is we're all travelers
Who have not reached our final destination

c 2001 Songs of Peer, Ltd / Mr. Marley's Music (ASCAP)

Time to kill

I'm sitting in the Halifax International Airport as I write, marvelling about how fantastic it is that I can take advantage of the Aliant Hotspot (Wi-Fi) to keep me occupied until it's time to board my plane in an hour's time.

So I'm not looking forward to going back to the city, after being in NS for 10 days I'm getting quite used to the life out here. But I am looking forward to seeing Millie again, and seeing how she fared with the part-time cat sitter arrangements.

Christmas was wonderful as always. I love having the time with family, and find whatever time I have is never enough. But I took advantage of every moment: visiting with my very good friends for a day; dragged my cousin to Frenchy's and found a couple good finds; played games with the girls; over-indulged in Christmas sweets (peanut butter balls, caramel popcorn, Grampie's snack-tray, seafood casserole, turkey, the list could go on and on). It was a good holiday.

Can't wait to get settled back home and see Millie. I realise after being around all the family pets (Annie, Avery, Caleb, Im, Mittens, Teaka, and Tundra) how attached I am to my cuddly cat. Let's just hope she's not in a snit when I get back.

Signing off from the HIA...I'm thirsty so I'll check out the shops to see what I can find.

Let it snow

Here is a beautiful view of my backyard at home.
It looks like it'll be a white Christmas afterall!

Goodbye dear friend

(A blury photo of my old church taken in the summer of 2005)

Last Sunday my best friend called to tell me that the church we grew up in, and came to faith in was burning down. We knew that church intimately, every room, every nook & cranny:

• the crevice in choir closet that was big enough to squeeze into and deep enough to fit at least two people, possibly 3
• the closet in a closet that also led to a passageway underneath the stage in the sanctuary that was big enough to keep the street hockey equipment and also to hide in during "Spotlight"
• the sanctuary with wooden pews that would creak when you moved
• the kitchen where we spent many hours crafting (Ukrainian eggs, cake decorating, baking & cooking all sorts of things)
• the vestry where we met as a youth group

The church has been abandoned for several years, and (to be honest) when I received the call I wasn't as shaken up as my friend was because I was a little surprised the church was still standing. I had "said goodbye" about a year ago, the last time I visited the town, when I learned that it was going to be torn down to build condos (argh! you can see condo development encroaching on small town Nova Scotia now!).

Here are some photos. I can't take any credit for the photography. They were emailed to me by another friend:

ISAIAH 43:2
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.

Tuesday night at the OFRB

Once in awhile the Ontario Film Review Board opens their theatre to the public to rate a film. I went on Tuesday as part of a fundraiser for United Way (pay $5 to be the first to see and rate a movie). It's a bit of a gamble because you don't know what film you're rating until just a few minutes before it starts, but being a part of the process makes it all worth it.

Earlier on Tuesday, they rated Charlotte's Web (a wonderful movie, said the Chair of the OFRB). Tuesday night we rated Smokin' Aces.

Smokin' Aces has a lot of big names - Ben Affleck, Ray Liotta, Ryan Reynolds, Alicia Keys, Andy Garcia - but don't let that fool you. It was a terrible movie!! What is funny is that the Chair of the OFRB introduced the movie by saying something to the effect of : it's got Ben Affleck so it should be good for a laugh or two. How wrong she was! It was anything BUT funny. And completely NOT what any of us were expecting. First of all there were so many expletives the OFRB reviewers couldn't keep up (their lights kept flashing on and off as they ticked off what was said, and when), there was a lot of implied violence and lots of fake blood, there really wasn't much for a plot - no suspense, no character development. But being a part of the process made it worth it. I would do it again.

Here's what I learned about film rating:

• The Ontario Film Review Board was the first board to start rating films in North America in the 1920s.
  
• The OFRB rates up to 3 or 4 films a day, everything from Charlotte's Web to "adult" films
• The OFRB reviewers post their comments/observations on the OFRB website
  
• A PG film is allowed to have 3 "f***s"
• Directors know how to monopolise on "implied violence", ie. lots of blood, but no actual visible violence (as demonstrated in "Smokin Aces").
• Distributors want the rating to be low because a low rating means the movie will be available to the largest market (ie. more people can see a 14A film than a 18A film). They will appeal a decision to try to get a lower rating.
  
• A film reel is usually about 20 minutes long, and you can tell when a reel is about to be changed when you see a black dot in the upper right hand corner.
  

Have Daypass, Will Travel

It was a lovely day traipsing around downtown with my daypass.

Stop #1 : Queen Street West
I wanted to go back to Romni Wools and look around a bit more. I didn't get a chance to look at the discount bins, or the knitting books on my first trip, and I wanted to pick up a ball (or two) of sock wool with the idea of practicing smaller stitches and possibly making a little pouch for my mp3 player.

To get to Romni, I passed by MissBehav'N where live models were dancing in the windows wearing nothing but pasties and lingerie. Only on Queen Street West. It was a bit shocking to walk by the storefront, look over and see these ladies happily dancing away.
On my way back from Romni, I stopped at Ten Thousand Villages and coveted everything in the store; and Outer Layer, where I sampled dirt scented perfume, and gingerale scented perfume to cover up the very convincing scent of dirt from the first sample. Why oh why would anyone want to smell like dirt?

Stop #2 : Kensington Market
Oh how I love cheese! I indulged in my cheese cravings even though I suspect I will pay for it later. I sampled half a dozen different types of cheeses: Stilton, Appledore (Lancashire w. apples & cinnamon), Oka Classique, and a mild blue cheese. Half these cheeses I probably shouldn't eat, but I really couldn't resist. $9.18 later I had a bag of Oka, Blue Cheese and the Appledore.

Next stop HAD to be My Market Bakery to get some fresh bread to go with the cheese. Fresh bread to go, and tiramisu for the road (again, I gave in to a craving).

Last stop was the South American store where I bought 6 Pupusas. I love that you could miss this little hideaway pupusa place if you didn't know it's there. It's at the back of a tiny little grocery, and two women are busy making pupusas for a good part of the weekend. I've been going there since I first found my way around Kensington 6 years ago. It's quite a little find and the pupusas are really quite lovely tasting. I bought a mix -2 cheese, 2 bean and 2 everything. They'll make good lunches throughout the week at work (and for $2 ea. you really can't go wrong).

Stop #3: Canadian Tire
On sale: 3' Lighted Christmas Tree, $7.99 (reg. $24.99). I've been looking for an artificial Christmas tree. I've tried real trees and although I like them much better, the only trees I can find are potted and can't be left indoors for more than a week (or they come out of dormancy). So off I went to pick up the little guy. It's a bit of a Charlie Brown christmas tree, but it'll do nicely for this year.

Knit one, purl two

How beautiful is this yarn!?! I went shopping today after work with a friend who knows more about knitting than I do. She took me to Romni Wools, an amazing store in the Queen St. W. neighbourhood. When you walk in you you're immediately hit with the smell of wool. You look around and all you can see wall to wall are the vibrant colours of balls and balls of yarn of all different shapes and sizes. Balls of yarn tumbling onto the floor. Soft cottons, silk and mohair yarns to itchy, coarse wools. Everything you could possibly imagine, in dyes that are almost beyond imagination! It's sensory overload.
This was my first knitting project. It started off as my practice piece, but was just the right size to fold in half, stitch up the sides with a blanket stitch and add a drawstring at the top for a hot water bottle cozy. I tried out a few different type of stitches in this piece and had a bit of fun with it. It's not the nicest knitted hot water bottle cozy, but it's a start.
Millie likes the yarn too. :)

On a retreat

I'm back from a weekend retreat in the Muskoka. It was a lovely time spent with my family away from family. It was nice to talk with people in a less formal setting. It was even better to be away from the city, not a high-rise in sight, you could stand still and not hear any traffic or city sounds. And though the ground was soft, and rather mucky, and the skies were grey, it was beautiful outdoors!

D.I.Y.

I've spent a slightly frustrating evening trying to get my curtains up. Frustrating because this has been an on-going process since August. And it shouldn't be that hard.

I have beautiful white curtains (thanks to a friend!). I have 2 8 ft I-beams with all their fixings. I have hooks and lots of eyes. The problem has been drilling the holes to hang the I-beams. There are 8 holes (4 per I-beam) - all to be drilled into the ceiling. I carefully measured the holes so the I-beams line up straight and drilled starter holes. The first 4 holes went well - I was able to drill them with my girlie cordless drill, and the screws stayed secure. The other 4 holes have been impossible! For some reason that side has concrete which my poor little drill can't penetrate. My super tried with her drill - still no luck, just uglier holes. So we needed a hammer drill. Unfortunately her hammer drill was "in the shop". And so I waited, and waited, and waited. Here it is, November, and finally she was able to use her hammer drill to drill the holes. The problem is now the holes are too big for the screws, even with the little plastic plug-thingies. So now I'm trying to figure out how to keep the screws from popping out of the holes. Any suggestions? I'm thinking something like contact cement...but I don't know if that's the right solution.

It's gone

It's been awhile since I've walked through Queen's Park. Today, as I was walking through, I noticed a bare spot where my favourite tree used to be. I always loved this tree because of how it's branches were formed. To me the tree looks like it's lifting its branches to the skies and holding up the weight of the world. But I'm not surprised they cut it down. Each year it looked more and more diseased. "The old has gone, the new has come."

A little bit of Hallowe'en

Okay so I don't go all out for Hallowe'en, but today I went to the St. Lawrence Market and I found this perfect little pumpkin (of comparable size to a tealight as you can see in the photo). As soon as I got home from the Market, you can see what I did.

There area a few people who do take Hallowe'en more seriously though. Building management for this apartment building, for example. Look at the effort they put into decorating the building ....and just for Hallowe'en. Quite interesting. I expecially like the 2 feet sticking out of the ground below, with a sign reading "Did not pay his rent for many months".

Fortunately my landlord is much more understanding :).

Blue Like Jazz

I finally finished Blue Like Jazz this morning. I've been working through the book since August - it took far longer to read than I expected.

I wanted to read the book because it was highly recommended and touted as a live-changing book by a couple people from my church. Over the last few years, I've noticed more and more how trendy certain things can become....and I think reading Blue Like Jazz is a bit trendy right now. I say this because stores like Chapters-Indigo can't keep it stocked for very long. I picked up my copy at Crux on sale for about $5 (regular price $19).

The book itself was interesting, and I wouldn't say it was a waste of time to read it. The author, Donald Miller made some interesting points about Christians and Christianity - how we miss the mark in so many ways with the way with interact with our friends, our community, ourselves, and our God. Blue Like Jazz is as its subtitle reads: Nonreligious thoughts on Christian Spirituality.

My problem with the book seemed to be more in the delivery. I found the author's approach really difficult to follow and to "engage" in. I didn't connect, and I couldn't relate to the author's perspective. First of all Miller writes in a stream-of-consciousness style, throwing grammar and punctuation to the wind. Now I can't claim to be an expert when it comes to grammar and punctuation (and I commit similar crimes regularly), but I am slightly appalled by what Miller can get away with in this bestseller. Didn't they edit the book before it was published?! I found following Miller's thoughts equally as frustrating. It's like following his thought process, but without knowing quite what he's thinking. You follow the story blindly wondering what the heck he's talking about, and hoping he gets to the point soon (perhaps this is the "Sensing" part of me coming through). I also found his male perspective coming through much stronger than I was expecting. I don't find I have the same kinds of questions Miller has about Christian Spirituality - I don't feel like I'm missing the mark. I'm not sure this was the book for me, but I don't want to say it's not worth reading.

I'll close this with one of my favourite passages from Blue Like Jazz :
"We would eat chocolates and smoke cigarettes and read the Bible, which is the only way to do it, if you ask me. Don, the Bible is so good with chocolate. I always thought the Bible was more of a salad thing, you know, but it isn't. It is a chocolate thing."
~ Donald Miller (p. 47, Blue Like Jazz)

I S F J

Today I took the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test.

I was surprised to find out that my personality type hasn't changed from when I first took the test online 5 years ago.

My personality type is :
I S F J : Intravert, Sensing, Feeling, and Judging
Actually I have a borderline Intravert/Extravert and Judging/Perceiving personality. Sensing and Feeling were very clearly defined. More about the ISFJ personality here. And, it's good to know that one of the ideal careers for ISFJs is an archivist. So I guess I'm in the right spot.

You can take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test here. This is where I took the test 5 years ago, and, though the test is different, my results were pretty much the same.

"No Tinkers Here"

I can't resist.

I had some time to kill in the Halifax International Airport, so I browsed the Clearwater store. I was drawn in by a rack of pajamas with lobsters all over them (I bought a pair, of course!).While browsing the shelves I noticed a calendar that made me laugh out loud, and even blush a little. The Nova Scotia Cancer Centre calendar is titled "No Tinkers Here: South West Nova Lobster Fishermen Bare-it For Cancer". I kid you not! Check it out.

These are the gems you find in airports: Lobster pajamas and naked fishermen!

Surprise! ...I'm home!

Thanksgiving was fantastic! This year I managed to surprise my family by flying home to NS without anyone knowing. My mother was in tears, my grandparents were speechless, the weather was perfect and the break was much needed. I had a fantastic visit with my family. It was so good to simply be, to laugh and play with family, to talk with the folks who know me best.

Most of my visit was spent at our family cottage. The cottage is my favourite place in the world. I could happily spend the rest of my days there and never get tired of it. There's no better place to be. I think it's because I love spending time with my family and I have a lifetime of fond memories at the cottage. And I think I have more of an appreciation for the natural environment - a side effect of living in the city for longer than I'd like.

Good thing winter is almost here

...Because I have a lot to read...

One of the advantages of living so close to campus, is the annual booksale at Victoria College. It's madness and it's everywoman for herself (or man for himself). Everyone is looking for discounts - students especially - which means a lot of pushing and shoving. In the end, I got a bunch of good books (and I'm not finished yet - I plan to go back!).

So what did I pick up? Here's my list:
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy - a classic I've had my eye on for awhile, but never felt like I wanted to spend the money to tackle it.
Kim by Rudyard Kipling - a book I've always wanted to read.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - two of my friends say this is their favourite Bronte book, and I'm inspired to read it after watching the theatre production in London
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte - this is my favourite Bronte book (okay, well it's the only Bronte book I've read....so far)
Toronto: A Literary Guide by Greg Gatenby - who knew I wasn't the first person from the Valley to live on my street
A Brief History of British Kings & Queens by Mike Ashley - This might be the solution to my constant confusion around the kings and queens.
Archives: Mirror of Canada's Past- a hardcover book highlighting some of the archival materials from the Library and Archives of Canada. I have the 2003 Archives of Ontario book - this new addition seems to fit nicely with that.

The first five books were on my Chapters wishlist. So I can scratch those off and feel pleased with myself for saving a lot of $$. Most of the books are brand new; the spine hasn't even been cracked! And all books were a steal!

I think I'll go back. My trip today only covered one room - the Canadiana, Literary Classics, Poetry, Drama and History room. I wouldn't mind checking out the fiction room, the religion books and see what else is out there.

The Devil Wears ...Frenchy's?

Ah yes, see if Miranda Priestly (played by Meryl Streep) wears Prada, she could very well have found it at Frenchy's. One thing I'm really looking forward to doing on my next trip to NS is taking advantage of a day or two of Frenchy shopping.

Frenchy's is a maritime thing. It's a chain of used clothing stores that offers more than just used clothing. You'll find name-brand clothes from Gap to London Fog to Prada if you look for it. The concept is simple - they divide the clothes by type (shirts, pants, skirts, sweaters, etc.) into bins, and you simply have to dig. Shopping at Frenchy's often involves time and imagination. The clothes are wrinkly and sometimes have flaws that require a tiny bit of touching up. But usually when you shop at Frenchy's you can come away with some really great clothes.

My best finds have been some great knit sweaters, a fabulous pink Kenneth Cole skirt, a Banana Republic top and a really pretty skirt which met an untimely end when I mistakenly tried to iron it. Ho hum.

And apparently I'm not the only one who things Frenchy's is great. There was an article published in the New Yorker recently from a freelancer who loves Frenchy's just as much. Read it here: RAG TIME: What I bought last summer (by Calvin Trillin).

A lament for Bloor & Bedford

As of the end of this month, Bloor & Bedford will be a very different corner from what many of us know it as today.

I've lived near this corner for a good 6 years and have enjoyed the many amenities it has offered : flowers from Sunny; the quick run to Becker's (now Mac's) for whatever it was I needed, or wanted + a quick chat with Gus when he was still there; drycleaning services from Platis; the occasional quater chicken dinner from Swiss Chalet; not to mention the various times I've eaten at Mr. Sub, Crepes A' GoGo, Pita Factory and Harvey's.
Did you know?
The first Swiss Chalet opened on the Bloor & Bedford corner in 1954 and has operated in the same location until it closed on September 10th, 2006.
Here's the full story: http://www.swisschalet.com/aboutus/swiss_story.html.

All that will be gone by the end of the month as businesses close, and the buildings are prepared for demolition. The corner will be completely taken over by One Bedford, 30+ storey, condo development.
I took lots of pictures of Bloor & Bedford before everything is gone and posted them in an online album here.