Happy Birthday MOM!

Here's a shout out to my MOM!

Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday dear mooooomm!
Happy Birthdayt toooo you!

And God's blessings too!

Home is great...no plans for southern travel in the near future.....though I guess Hamilton and London are both south of here....It's great to get to relax, and have the longest trips in the car being 5 minutes or less, for a change!!

I slept in Spanish

Hi everyone!

I'm home! I drove in (through a lovely thunderstorm) shortly after 2pm this afternoon. After a bit of wet unpacking, I decided that there were a few things that I needed to do here at the library- so here I am.

Now, sleeping in Spanish, you might wonder: what does she mean by this? I'll give you the following options, please comment and tell me which one you think most likely.

a) Naomi had a long nights sleep filled with Spanish actors, songs, dialogue (and English subtitles)
b) The sheets on the motel's bed had many words printed on them...all in Spanish (but you couldn't hide anything under that bed! The carpet continued up to the matress!)
c) Naomi spent the night in a motel in a small town by the name of Spanish
d) Naomi was wished : "Duerma bien" before she went to her room and fell into a delightful slumber
e) Other (please specify)

The trip went well. I saw enough wildlife, and enough rain to keep me satisfied for a bit! I returned home to find out I had to go and do some work on my next trip--this one is out to New Brunswick--but not for a little bit!

Thanks to Alex and Kelly for their hospitality. I really had a great visit with them!

Now, I must go. Talk to you all soon!

Hitting the road

Yup. That's what I'm doing in the morning. I'm mostly packed up, and we're just going to spend a little while playing games- all sorts- then its off to bed so I can sleep and prepare for the long roads ahead.

I will miss these little Prairie 'cities'. I've enjoyed my stay, and though I've been invited back by many, I'm sad to say that I don't forsee any trips back, at least, not for quite some time.

Peter lent Alex and Kelly a movie- which we watched together this afternoon. It was odd, different and very imaginative. Mirrormask- check it out if you're up for a mind bending show!

I think it's time to play. MUST PLAY! (Or enjoy time with people while I still have the chance) Atreyu, while ok company, is not a person. I'll probably spend a fair bit of time singing with him in the near future, and saying hi to people as I see them.

I'll send more "post-cards" if I have that capability on my over-nights. Hugs!

A light dusting of snow...

Snow!?

Nope, not really...but it sure looks like it could have snowed out there! There are quite a few lawns in the area that have a definite white look to them. The culprit- cottonwood trees. As the fluff falls it even LOOKS like it's snowing, big fluffy flakes! I've never seen this type of tree before, and other than being a little annoyed as the fluff finds its way into my car, I'm ok with it!

Because: Even this city looks pretty covered, in a blanket of snow.

This week has been busy. I can hardly remember when last I posted! I got to play a lot with my "early exposure", we went to Winnipeg and saw the Goldeyes play a couple of ball games (back to back), wandered around the forks, ran around town, went to a few educational sessions, and finished my "early exposure". I can hardly believe the two weeks flew by so quickly.

What makes it easier is looking back on all that we've done! We drove up to Gimli on Sunday- I have pictures to prove it, but I don't feel like scanning pictures at the moment, so you're just going to have to wait for it!

This afternoon I also baked some brownies...can hardly wait to taste them!

Tonight- we finish the Lord of the Rings marathon-- Return of the King. (I hear a rumour that I'll have to do it all again with Bec when I get home!)

I must go- a nap is calling, and I have to be ready to go out in less than an hour!

For Tracey

The Carnival!

Slogans

So word around the van tonight was that Manitoba is getting a new slogan. Check it out (not verified) Spirited Energy . I'm not sure what that's really all about...but it did make me think about slogans of this wonderful country in which I live.
So, I rhymed off:
Canada's Ocean Playground (NS),
Je Me Souviens (QC),
Friendly Manitoba (MB),
Confederation Bridge (PEI) (though they're not all fond of that, from what I hear),
Yours to Discover (ON) (or the old one: Keep it Beautiful)
And ones I forgot/never knew: Wild Rose Country (AB),
Beautiful British Columbia (BC),
Land of the Living Skies (SK),
The Klondike (Yukon),
Explore Canada's Arctic (Nunavut and NWT),
A World of Difference (Newfoundland and Labrador),
Conservation (NB) (Older- Picture Province)

We were also looking for other slogans...Slogans are fun. I know that most if not all of the states have them too-- We saw North Dakota- Discover the Spirit (lots of spirit here out west I guess!)
What other fun slogans can you think of?
Walk in the Light (Brings me back to Edmonton in 1990.)
Good night (and yes, this posts in Ontario time, though I'm currently in Manitoba- which has had another fun slogan- 100,000 Lakes (of which I've seen a few!) )

Bread box attacks

Hi all

Really..I'm not about to talk about that....I'll leave that up to Kelly.

Today was a busy day. It included visits around town, dinner out with Alex and Kelly, choir practice, biking (on a stationary recombant bike) to Morden (or rather 13km) while playing winter and summer games on Alex's commodore 64 stuff and then we watched a couple of Muppets episodes. (I also made a balloon that would be destroyed if wet, but could survive sitting on...who'd like to explain that one?)

I really need to head to bed...but there are a few things that need saying: Effie, my big sister, is pregnant! I'm so proud of her and happy for her!! Things look ago for my Timmins visit in July--now I need to get some details set...more work to do!

Tomorrow night I'm going with Kelly to a Lutheran Women's Missionary League meeting....on a lake or something...sounds like fun to me!

The bed is calling...much more sweetly than the textbooks do...I think I'll answer this call!!

Manitoba

Hi and hello there from the land West of Ontario.

(Well, I really can't say that everyone and everything West of Ontario says "hello", but I can try!)

I made it safe and sound to Winkler. I haven't gotten lost once in this city. (I'm rather proud of that), but!! Manitoba is hard on the family cars. See, the first time Alex's, Mom's and my car drove here we each got a windshield chip from a stone. I'm a little sad that Atreyu got hurt in this way, but I won't hold it against Manitoba and decide I'll never return. That wouldn't be right.

Today on my way home from "work" and on my way to the car, I stepped out of the building, and smelled the air. I said to myself "smells like it rained" and then proceeded to get wet, as it WAS raining and I was no longer protected by the building! I moved quickly toward the car and noticed a HUGE rainbow in the sky. I grabbed my camera (which has taken up residence in my purse, but is still NOT a digital camera) and got a picture of it...then got into the car before I was soaked. I chased the rainbow home, and got Kelly to come and see that it was there--but it was mostly hidden by trees. (She noticed a faded 2ndary rainbow).

We went out again to pick up a few things and got rained on again. Good evening for rain I guess! (And yup, Tracey, I DO enjoy blogging about rain for some odd reason, I may have to change my blog name!)

We had the church picnic yesterday, and that was fun. (Ever played Bocce ball with a 3 year old? You gotta try it!)

I think all the driving I did last week really wore me out, it's early here, and I really just want to climb into bed (9:30ish). I think Kelly's baking...mmmm!

Cheers!

I'm going West, into the sunset

Most of my family will recognize that reference to a line from a play that I was in (as was Effie) many, many moons ago! I wanna go West, into the sunset (It was called Going West)

The trip has been going well (1,710 km so far). Tonight, we're spending the night in Dryden, ON. A nice, comfy room, with wireless internet. (Gotta love the new wave of things, it's spreading everywhere!!). Last night we staying in Wawa- see picture:

Only, please add a touch of fog to the view- fog, the reason we didn't leave Wawa as early as we had hoped to!

Also, we've been seeing lots and lots of wild life. Loons, turtles, bears, moose, crows, ravens, hawks, ?two wild or on the loose dogs, mom spotted a large grey wolf.
Plus- a crazy crow tried to smuck Atreyu- it didn't work so well.

Atreyu was really after his buffalo--so every time he saw the Bison trucks he was after them!! hehe

Today:4 bears- a mama and two babies, peeking over the guardrail and deciding not to cross after all, and one taking the railroad tracks (I spotted that one) and 2 live, close to the road moose--
Mom got out when we stopped and took a few pictures of them--and then tried to share with me the moose calls that the other car of people who stopped to take pictures of the moose were using to catch its attention.

Today we were at Kakabeka Falls- which was very pretty and is said to be the Niagara Falls of the north. I don't know if I personally would go so far as to say that....but, yeah.

Tomorrow- we make it, God willing, to Alex and Kelly's place.

I'm going to head off for now, got to spend some more time beating my mom at cribbage-- I skunked her this morning while we waited for the fog to lift!!

Dripping on me

Hi!

A Saturday post from the rather wet Thornbury/Clarksburg area. Well.... I almost made it to the library without getting wet. See, we'd been hearing the occasional thunder roar and seen the random drop or two of rain, but I really didn't think the rain was going to really fall. I helped mom get the clothes in off the line, so they wouldn't get wet (thinking to myself- now it probably wont rain for an hour or two!) and jumped in the car. Well, as I drove the first few drops fell, by the time I had parked it was coming down hard and I ran inside so I wouldn't be soaked. Had I run in but a moment later I WOULD have been soaked! It was coming down in buckets!

Hmmm...summer plans. I have some. They are still in progress, some of them, though the "heading to Manitoba" ones seem to be shaping up quite nicely. See, Mom and I are leaving to drive out on Wednesday, then we hang out for a bit, Mom and Dad fly back on Monday and I start a couple weeks of an elective in the "wild west".

I then drive back east on my own--unless someone wants to fly out to meet me??--and spend my mom's birthday here at home, and then soon after that I head out to New Brunswick to help with a VBS. If all goes right, I hope to round up some helpers to bring up North with me to do the same VBS, but this time in Timmins--still waiting to hear on that one!

Other plans? Hmm... some of my classmates want me to be in Ottawa for July 1, not sure if I'll make it or not. I hope to spend time with my not-so-little-anymore Anna and hit the beach, go camping at least once and find some time for relaxation.

The 10pm club has been keeping up its schedule, only problem is, we're getting sleepy. Last night, to add to the excitement of meetings, we added knitting to our list of activities! I don't know if the daily meetings will survive, and I hope they forgive me when I'm out of town and can't make the meetings for a few weeks!

I should head home. Too bad the rain hasn't let up- not at "buckets" level anymore, but it is still a steady downpour!

This and that

So... I tried to comment, and it didn't work (silly library) so here:
Yup, you can tell what's important to me! hehe

I guess it's just what's going on in my life right now!

So, effie, you have fun with dentists? ie, laughing and biting??! craziness!

Now! Today's stuff:
We have started a silly club...meetings start at 10pm ish and we play Canasta and eat dried fruit...anyone care to join us??
hehe

In a dentist chair

Hi

So today I spent almost an hour in a dentist's chair. It was roughly this colour. The actual experience wasn't so bad, and I have no cavities.

Sitting in that chair, I was chatting about many things...not too many objects in my mouth- though trying not to laugh with the pointy-teeth-cleaning implements is not such an easy thing to do sometimes.

This dentist has posters on the ceiling. Great idea--I mean, you're going to end up staring up there anyway, why not have something fun to look at?

Now, I don't really want any dentist horror stories here, but anything you think odd/different about a dentist experience you've had? So far, my life has contained only good experiences at the dentist, not too many cavities, wisdom teeth out under general aneasthetic, so I didn't feel a thing, ya know. Not too bad. I was even one of those kids who didn't mind going first, out of my siblings to visit the chair.

I went to the movies last night. It was a good action flick. That's two good action flicks in one week! Wow- this vacation thing has its advantages.

I made grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch. Mmm..yummy.