I should probably wait until tomorrow to do an update on the first week of advent collages, but nah, I will do it now while I am thinking about it :-)

Here are the first four collages - the only thing that is missing are the chocolates (because I ate those already) :-)

This is maybe the hardest question that I have encountered on Questions and Reflections. I read it this morning and sat, mouth gaping. I don’t know. I know who other people have told me that I remind them of someone (some actresses such as Meagan Follows and Rene Zellweger – dunno about that. They are much more beautiful than I am and personally I don’t see any resemblance!) I have been told about songs that have reminded people of me (Jaded – by Aerosmith and Spaceman by I can’t remember). I have been told that I am like a breeze through a screen door (oookay) and I have even been told that Autumn reminds someone of me. The question of who reminds me of myself has floored me. Think think think. I would look into a mirror but I think that would confuse me more. Ah! Thinking in terms of a fictional character – how about a hard-nosed detective who is on the case of a mysterious thief, then she gets caught up in something that is way over her head… nah, that’s not me. What about a character who falls in love with… nah, seriously not me. Is there a fictional character that reminds me of me? Hmmm I have no idea. I am going to have to think on this one. Ooh but I remembered who sings Spaceman – 4 Non Blondes… hmmmm  Yes, I will get back to you on this one.... right now, I am clueless. :-|

letting go.

Ok, I've been up to my eyeballs in potatoes and Christmas dinners (and toys) for the past few weeks or so, and haven't been able to take part in the Friday Five. I read the first five the first Friday it came out, and then was just not able to get to it until this Friday.


On the road:

1) Where have you traveled most recently?

To Nova Scotia. For Canadian Thanksgiving, my two daughters and I drove 20+ hours to visit my parents in their new home on the south shore of Nova Scotia. We could have flown, but I really wanted the girls to see the land for themselves. It was a beautiful trip – not just going at the height of Autumn colour but spending very special time with them, and my parents. It is a trip that we will not forget.

2) What city/ country have you always wanted to go? Is there a place that draws you?

There are many places that I would like to go – it is hard to pick just one really that draws me the most. China is pretty much at the top of the list. I would like to take my children to Senegal, and show them the village I lived in while I was there. I would love to explore everywhere.

3) Which place(s) have you found particularly magical or beautiful?

I find beauty everywhere I go. It is hard to really pick out one place. The lily ponds near my house or the Carolinian forest in Springwater where I love to walk, the stretch of highway just past Bridgewater, Nova Scotia is lovely, and I enjoyed walking on the beaches there under the moonlight…. I think I just have to settle with everywhere I am - there is beauty and magic.

4) If you could travel anywhere this holiday season, where would you go? and…
5) Who would you bring with you?

Nowhere – I am happy that I will be spending Christmas at home with my family.
I would bring my brother home from England though, so that he could be here with me.


Giving Globally:

1. What gift (s) would you like give the world.?

Patience, understanding, creative spark and most of all Love.

2. What is the most unusual gift you have received?

A spurdle – which is a Scottish kitchen tool for making soups. It’s basically a piece of wooden doweling

3. What do you like best about gift giving?

The reaction when the gift when it is first opened. It is the most honest moment 

4. What gifts would you like for the holidays?

• Enough food and clothing for the kids and their families that I see every day at work
• Peace and serenity for everyone carrying sorrow and worry around with them right now
• Love for everyone who is struggling and everyone who is not
• Laughter (quiet or loud)
• Understanding for everyone and respect for their individual path and the paths of others, no matter where they might lead

5. When has a gift made you feel warm and fuzzy inside?

My daughter’s request that her birthday gifts (she was born on December 28th) from her friends be canned goods so that she can donate them to the Boys & Girls Club Supper program.


On Love:

1) Who is the last person to whom you said "I love you"?
My daughters when I left for work this morning

2) Who did you look up to as a child?
My dad

3) Which public or historical figure (s) do you admire?

Obama for his tenacity and his spirit

4) What qualities in others inspire you?

Honesty, openness, sense of humour,
Love of life, spirit of adventure

5) What makes you feel loved & appreciated?

When someone says thank you.



On Being Thankful:

1) What are you thankful for today?

That it is the last day that I have to cook so many potatoes, and that all of these potatoes will fill over 130 bellies.

2) What do you appreciate about the Earth?

Its resilience and patience

3) Who is the last person you said "thank you" to?

My assistant for helping me mash potatoes

4) When was the last time someone thanked you?

Two days ago when I was able to get 10 turkeys donated for the Christmas luncheon we are hosting next week for 300 seniors to celebrate the holiday season.

5) What is your favorite way to say thank you?

A smile and a huge hug.

My husband, Ian and I met 14 years ago when he was working at the Boys & Girls Club of London with me. He was running a youth employment program, and I was running the youth wilderness summer camp program. I still remember the very first time we met – he was being given a tour of the building and I was working at a table in the hallway (planning the summer). He walked by me after he was introduced to me and barely said hello. I thought – what a jerk! Luckily we got to know each other quickly because we shared an office and I realized that we shared a very similar sense of humour and outlook on life.

We were both busy running around that summer – I spent weeks at a time taking 13 and 15 year olds up to Algonquin Park and the Bruce Peninsula teaching them wilderness survival skills and leadership training while he ran his program. Often, when I returned home I would find my office area hijacked with some prank that he and my co-workers dreamed up. I remember one time coming back after a week in the bush to find my entire desk moved and set up exactly as it had been in a basement stairwell in the building. We dated for six months, and then one night, at a youth dance he proposed to me. We’ve been married for thirteen years and have two daughters. I still am working at the Boys and Girls Club and he is a motivational speaker, speaking around the country to high school and university students. We still laugh a lot and work well together! He is my complement - my sweet funny man :-) He makes me laugh out loud. ;-)

la