Family !!!

I am very much looking forward to hanging out with all of these people today !! Thanksgiving dinner tonight at Gramma's and almost everyone in the photo above will be there - I can't wait !!

Outside Tomorrow !!

Finally, I will get to spend tomorrow OUTSIDE enjoying this beautiful weather we are having in Southern Ontario. I can barely wait !! I just have to make it through at 12 hour day at work first, wish me luck !

On My Mind ...

Can you guess what's on my mind these days ? Where I want to be ?

I am jealous of Dan, he got to spend most of yesterday outside enjoying what turned out to be a really nice day. Sunday cannot get here fast enough !!

Pretty Colours ... of 2008

Is this what is's like outside? Are there pretty fall colours everywhere? I haven't had a non-rainy day off to go enjoy the fall colours, and it is making me sad. I hope to spend all of Sunday & Monday outside - with no rain please !! Keep your fingers crossed for me : )

Funny Fall Berries ?

I really am not sure what these are ... but I saw them last fall and kind of loved them. They are sort of ugly, and rather strange, but that's what drew me in to them. I am sure they are out & about again now ... I hope I get a good fall hike in before all the pretty colours are gone.

Rise & Shine

A photo of yesterday's sunrise from our balcony. Today it looks nothing like this outside, it is dreary and rainy ... which makes it the perfect day to stay inside, be very productive, and get ready for the week ahead !!

Rainy Market

Today Dan & I went to St Jacob's Market ... I had my heart set on taking lots and lots of photos  - of crowds, and flowers, and produce, and quirky folks ... and it rained all day ! So I took very few photos ... but we had a great day anyway, and now I am keeping my fingers crossed that it is beautiful tomorrow for our hike.

A Pop of Red

As I have mentioned before, I adore flowers. This photo was taken just over a year ago in a park in Toronto. I am looking forward to posting some new fall photos soon !!

On The Fence

This photo is one of my all time favourites. I took it about a year ago, when Dan and I spent the afternoon and early evening wandering around Toronto, shopping and enjoying the sites. I love the innocent hearts on the fence, in juxtaposition to the graffiti on the wall ... caught my eye and I have loved it ever since.

What else is new ...

Quick post before I get ready for work. Just some cute flowers I saw walking to the park the other day with Dan.

Gramma & Grampa

My wonderful Gramma & Grampa - on their 50th Wedding Anniversary, last July. We had a wonderful party with many friends and family. It was a night to be remembered.

Family

I see my Mom's side of the family all the time, usually once a month we all get together for a big, loud family dinner - and I love it. My Dad's side of the family on the other hand, I see very rarely. Some because they live in Alberta, some because we live busy lives, and some just because. It's complicated and heartbreaking at times ... but they are all my family and I do love them all so very much. Above is a photo of my Aunt Shelly, my Aunt Lorraine, Me, and my Mom - on a rare occasion a few years back. This weekend is another rare event - my Uncle Rob and his two boys, Nick & Karl, are coming to Ontario for the weekend and I will get to visit with them - I am pretty excited !!!

Heading Out

This photo was taken in the spring, on one of the first "warm" days we had. Dan is all geared up and is heading out for a short but surely satisfying paddle before heading to work for the day. Wouldn't it be great if we always had time to do something like this in the morning before work?

Empire Cookies.

One of my favourite Christmas Cookies. I stupidly choose them as the cookie I would bake for a Christmas Cookie Exchange 4(?) years ago. With the help of my amazing, wonderful Mom ... we baked and assembled nearly 200 finished cookies, which means 400 cookies in total. They are delicious, and well worth the hard work ... but my advice is to never, ever make that many.

I have no idea why I was inspired to share a photo related to Christmas today, but it was the photo that jumped out at me, and screamed "PICK ME" ... so enjoy.

Bright Lights

An old photo today ... It's from the Sound of Music Festival the first year I ever went, which was only a few years ago now. It was full of bright lights, loud music, lots of people, and oodles of fun.

Mom Visits !! YAY

Mom & Laurie came to visit for the weekend !! We had a fun party at Deb & Paul's last night ... it was a lot of fun, and great to get to visit with everyone !! : )

A shot of me taking photos on our hike to The Crack in Killarney earlier this week. Had a great day for hiking, a little rain on the way back down, but all in all wonderful. Dan obviously took this photo of me, which is handy because otherwise there might not be any.

Oh Joy !!

I realize I have been away camping all week, and should be sharing a photo of a beautiful scenic view or a macro image of a unique leaf/mushroom/flower/tree ... but I want to have time to select those photos, and I have been home for only long enough to shower and unpack.

Instead of that you get this ... The Joy of Cooking ... if you know me at all, you know I am by far one of the pickiest eaters in the world, and must be wondering why in the world I have this book ... well in my mind, this book is the STAPLE of any cook book collection. And while I do not eat the majority of what is inside, I certainly hope to be able to make a great deal of things for those who do, and those who I love. xo

My Meghan

My cousin Meghan was born when I was twelve, and I was over the moon to have another girl on my mom's side. I took to Meghan immediately and loved spending time with her, babysitting, and watching her grow up. Meghan just started grade ten this past week, and is definitely a young lady now. I love that we are still close and get to be involved in each others lifes fairly regularly. The above photo is about a year and a half ago, at Meghan's grade either confirmation for which I was her sponser. I have no doubt we'll be there for eachother's significant events for years to come. Love you Meg !! xo

A Nip In The Air

It's starting to feel a lot like fall around here. Socks and sweaters are now the norm one me. I switched to my fall purse yesterday (aka the greatest bag in the world), and have even made the move to my mary-jane birks instead of any sort of sandle-birk. I've started sleeping with the window closed, and all the blankets pulled up high. In the morning we open the windows, and I bury myself under a blanket while I eat breakfast and watch a little TV. It's taking a little getting used to, but I do love it.