Today, fill your cup of life with sunshine and laughter.
~Dodinsky


30 November 2010

Where has the week gone?

I never did get back here in time to post my song list for Friday. It was midterm week, complicated by the expectation that report card marks would be in by 8:30 on Monday morning - and I teach grades 6-12, two classes of each! I spent lots of quality time with my laptop but none of it was much ...fun. But that's all over now!


Saturday was our town's Santa Claus parade. With seven-year old socialite living in the house, of course we had to go, complete with entourage of his five (!) best friends and their families. To think I used to be a loner ...

So you know, this picture is one I grabbed off Google but it's from last year's parade. Any photos taken this year were likely obliterated by the snow - lovely, white, fluffy flakes drifting down throughout the evening and setting the mood so beautifully! It wasn't cold either - just enough to have snow. It was a perfect evening, capped off by hot chocolate and cookies for everyone at our house following the parade. This was Steve's first Christmas parade in Canada - they don't do one in the UK - and he was thrilled by everything. I have to confess, it was pretty wonderful for me, too.

I know it's early in the season, but there's just something about Christmastime ...



24 November 2010

Dancing Fool


The Dancing show last night was interesting.

Keep in mind that this was the ONLY time I've watched the show all the way through without falling asleep (not a comment on the show - it's a strange effect that watching TV has on me). I don't know what the show's format is supposed to be, or who the previously booted personalities were (except I had this strange feeling of deja vu during some of the interim dances - was that Knightrider? He looks like hell! And Mrs. Brady? If that was her, I suspect a liberal use of cryogenics ...)

Most of the show dragged and was boring to me because, frankly, I didn't know what trials and tribulations the various dancers had undergone through the season so most of the stuff between the performances was irrelevant to me. I was watching this because Trav says the dancing is amazing. He's right.
Two moments last night were of the "breath-taking" genre:

That guy, Kyle ... I missed whatever his first dance was called, but it rocked! He and the blonde chick he was dancing with were so into it and they made it look like so much fun, I wanted to get up and skitter with them. It brought a genuine smile of pleasure to my face - something TV is not generally capable of doing. I totally see why they called him a consummate entertainer. His expressive face was almost as cool to watch as the dance itself. Who is he, anyway?

Baby danced last night and made me cry with the Viennese Waltz. That was truly of a sensual beauty. I have to give her this - she does elegant VERY well. It was a pleasure to watch her dance again after all these years - maturity has a grace and loveliness all its own. (I can say that - she's close to my age!)

I'm not sure Jennifer should've won though - doesn't she have dance in her history? Pretty sure that Kyle guy was starting from ground zero and if she wasn't, the playing field couldn't have been too level ... but that being said, she was clearly the best technical dancer. Still, I wouldn't want to make that decision - they were as different in their style as you can get and I loved watching them both.

Which left me feeling a little sorry for the other girl - Bristol? I loved seeing a big girl make it to the finals, even though her skill wasn't in the same league as the other two. I thought her cha-cha was wonderful - just as good as Baby's although not as fun as Kyle's (Strange how both Jennifer and Bristol wore the same type of outfit for that, eh?), but her other dances were a bit ... wooden? I suspect she's worked her ass off to get to the level she displayed last night but that could likely be said about most of the contestants, so I'm not sure what made her so special to the voters. Maybe there's something else I'm missing? Feel free to enlighten me.

So here's my irreverent and unenlightened take on this bit of Hollywood pop culture - just let them dance. That's what the show is supposed to be about. Put aside all the scandal and drama and just ... dance.

22 November 2010

Five for Friday ... on Monday!

Okay, so my new Five for Friday didn't post when it was supposed to and I never check this thing on weekends, so it's a few days late ... but it's one of my favourite groups-of-five and I didn't want to miss out on sharing it. These songs are supposed to make you feel good all over. Hope it gives you an injection of positive on this cold, snowy November Monday.

17 November 2010

Wordless Wednesday ... (yeah right!)


Only five weeks until Christmas ...
OH! MY! GAWWWWWWWWWDD!

12 November 2010

Five for Friday

Not sure how to link to Trav's Friday meme, so the link is up there somewhere. (I just checked it out and you click the title of my post and it takes you there! How cool is that?!)


My Five was inspired by the mood of remembrance that this time of year engenders. I hope you enjoy the songs and that they move you as they move me, to reflect and to give thanks to those who gave up so much, and continue to give, so that we can live in peace and safety in our world.

10 November 2010

05 November 2010

Dona Nobis Pacem


My blog post will be short and shamefully inadequate today, if you compare it to the beautiful work done by so many people on the bloggosphere for this event. So I won't compare it. I'll enjoy the moment and pray for peace, along with my little boy who believes, as I do, that the world is still fundamentally a good place filled with caring people. This movement confirms that, doesn't it? And, as I look at the beautiful Peace Globe designed for me by an extraordinary and precious friend (a million thanks and big hugs, Vinny!), my heart softens and I wonder at the people who can look into the eyes of a child and NOT see peace.
Peace be with all people, today and always.

Slideshow