My best time

What a beautiful bride...

I can't explain how truly happy I was for my dear friend Charmaine to find the man of her dreams and marry him.  I was purely joyous to see her celebrate the beginning of a new life together.  Both the bride and groom wrote their own vows and she had the great line in her vows...  She said all the important stuff, like how she will stand by him and love him and how he is so wonderful.... all nice but the best line I've ever heard was when , after a long pause and with an emotionally quivering voice, she said "you're my best time"

What a great way to say I like you and I love you!  Char has always had a way with words but this was publishable...  I loved it!  

I can't wait to find someone who will be my best time - especially since I have some pretty great times now!!! 

Congratulations Char and Glen!!  I am so happy for you guys!!

Question 2

Tell us about your loss of a pet
There are 2 days from my childhood that relate to having an animal that I remember like it was yesterday because of the impact those days had on my life.
The first day was when I was going into Grade 2 after a family meeting we all piled into the car and drove to the local SPCA to pick out a dog. I don't remember any of the other dogs but Grizzly. He was a skinny 6 month old collie X that just shook from the excitement in the back set with me on the way home. He was a little timid at first but quickly became my best friend. Everyone in our family loved him deeply as he travelled with us to visit grandma, we took him camping in the mountains and fishing at the lake in the sun and on the ice. Everyone loved him because he was a great family dog.
In the coming years my mom decided to go back to work, my dad was worked long hours at his job that frequently took him out of town and I started to find new things to occupy my time as I grew older other than caring for the dog.
The second life changing day is still so real to me even now as I reflect on it. When I came home from my friends house, Grizzly did not come to greet me as I walked in. I remember asking without concern, "Mom, where's Grizz?" Her and my dad called me to the dining room, sat me down and with very upset and emotional faces said they started to talk to me. I don't really remember how they said it but they made the decision to surrender Grizzly to the SPCA for another family to enjoy him. Our schedules were so busy that he was being neglected. No one was taking him for walks, or grooming him, he just hung around the house and the yard because everyone in the family including us kids were too busy to give him the love he needed. I remember trying to negotiate his return, "I'll do more... I'll do better..." and then running to the basement wailing in tears for hours, it was a flood of emotion like I had never felt. I knew Grizzly wasn't dead and that another family was going to take him but I had lost him from my life, no good bye.
My dad loved that dog and he had to bring my uncle with him for support when they dropped him off. I knew it was tearing him apart too. The following day my uncle went in the SPCA to see what happened to Grizzly because he decided that he was going to adopt Grizzly because he loved him too. When he asked the staff there about him they said he was picked up earlier that day by a young family who lived on a farm just outside of town who needed a friendly family dog. They sure lucked out! Our family still struggles to talk about that day because of the intense pain that we all felt. My dad still breaks down in tears when he thinks about those days, but we always have the memories of the good times and the comfort knowing Grizzly was loved by many.

Bonjour Paris

I went to see one of my all time favourite movies this week at the Edmonton Film Society Summer series of Noteworthy Musicals. I remember watching it years ago and liking it but I couldn't remember much about it. I was so excited to see it again to remind me why I loved it so much. The movie was Funny Face with Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn from 1956 -Fashion world meets philosophy... I truly loved it... I found myself being caught up in the images and the dreamy courtship that was a surprise to both of them. I want to try and find a copy for myself to add to my collection of favourites. It made me miss Paris though. Since Paris is the fashion capital, part of the movie took place there. It was fabulous!

It made me jealous of my friends, Danny and Hailey who will be returning to Europe in a few weeks to travel for 4 weeks - Grrrrr...

The scene is Fred Astaire, a well known fashion photographer, the Magazine editor and Audrey Hepburn, the magazine's cover girl have just arrived in Paris are saying to each other they are tired and want to go to their hotels to get some rest as though being in Paris is no big deal to them. However, they are privately excited to see the sites of this great city and start to take in the tourist attractions. Being a musical there is a great little Gershwin song that they sing in part until they bump into each other on the streets of Paris and go up the Eiffel Tower together. I wish I knew the lyrics to this song before I went to Paris - I would have sang them in the streets as I strolled along... But the Eiffel tower... there is just something about it.

I wish I took better pictures of it. There is a romance about that city... And even the elevator up - maybe it was the altitude or my lack of sleep but I found myself falling in love with the city... dreaming of a day in the life of a regular Parisian... That's for me: Bonjour Paris!

"Bonjour, Paris!"

I want to step out Down the Champs-Élysées,
From the Arch of Triumph To the Petit Palais.
That's for me: Bonjour, Paris!

I want to wander Through
the Saint Honorais,
Do some window shopping
In the Rue de la Paye.
That's for me: Bonjour, Paris!

I want to see the den of thinking men like Jean-Paul Sartre.
I must philosophise with all the guys around Montmartre and Montparnasse.

I'm strictly a tourist
But I couldn't care less.
When they parlez-vous me
Then I gotta confess.
That's for me: Bonjour, Paris!

Light up the Louvre museum
Jazz up the Latin quarter
To show the richest and the poorest:
Here it comes, The great American tourist!

This has got to be illegal
What I feel
Trés gay, trés chic,
Trés mag-nifique
C'est moi, c'est vous
C'est grand, c'est too tu.
It's too good to be true,
All the things we can do.
You do things to my point of view.

We can show you the north or
We can show you the south then
We can show you the west
Come on and show me the best!
That's for me: Bonjour, Paris!

Bonjour. Bonjour!
That's for me: Bonjour, Paris!
PEOPLE.Bonjour!

Living is easy,
The livin' is high.
All good Americans
Should come here to die.
Bonjour!

Is it real? Am I here?
Am I here? Is it real?

There's something missing
There's something missing, I know.
There's something missing
There's something missing, I know:
There's still one place I've got to go!

Oh! Oh no!

I thought that you were tired.
You said that you were tired.
I heard you say that you...
You told me you were tired!
You said that you were so exhausted!
You said you needed sleep!
You told that you had to rest.
You said you ought to rest.
I thought you wanted rest.
Is this what you call rest?
I haven't time to rest!

This fussing and fretting
It's getting my goat.
Let's all let our hair down,
We're in the same boat!

We're strictly tourists,
You can titter and jeer.
All we want to say is La faiette we are here
On a spree,
Bonjour, Paris...! Bonjour!

Oh reading it doesn't do it justice... you just have to see it....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsMipvkpMMs

I want to go back and spend more time there...

and everywhere...

My Own Company

Yesterday was Good Friday and I was sitting at home after a full week of grounding to ensure my health had started to return. Upon self diagnosis I was feeling well enough to go out but not willing to put in a lot of effort to find a social gathering to attend so I decided to go out with one of my favorite people - ME! I packed up my travel journal and headed over to one of my favorite Starbucks to reflect on the last few days of my African experience that I have since neglected to complete since arriving home.
As I sipped on my tall vanilla decaf Americano with room I would look up from my pages to glance around the cafe. I started to notice the last 2 women were putting on their jackets to leave and the rest of the room was filled with single men in their late 30's. Every time I would look up to take a drink my eyes would meet with one or two of the 8 guys angled in my sightlines. Some were so bold as to hold my glance to smile at me. I very quickly started to feel claustrophobic and uncomfortable. It was like the walls were closing in on me, the door seemed further away and I would have to respond to some awkward comment. I normally would have appreciated the neighborly grin or the welcoming smile but this was different... I felt like prey waiting to be pounced on. At this point I did what any insecure girl disinterested in confrontation did - I dug out my cell phone and occupied my attention by punching a bunch of buttons and trying to look as if I would be expecting something better, to give the illusion of more than just me. This held them off for a short time but they continued to close in on me not just with their eyes and their smiles but one brave soldier walked over to the shelf near my table to glance at what I was working on. I looked directly at him as he was peering over my shoulder and looked away after an embarrassed "hello". He went back to his 3-seated table in the left corner to update his mates of what he was sent to scout out. I could barely stand it any longer, I finished off the final thoughts in my journal, tossed my cup and headed out as if I was late for something very important. I started to scurry faster when I noticed another gentleman in particular standing from his chair and starting to come towards me - this was my cue to head for the hills.
I guess spending a Friday night on a long weekend out at a coffee shop alone does project a certain message but when did it become open season for those that sit alone. Isn't there an unwritten rule about those journaling or studying or occupied by choice?
I enjoy spending time at cafes where I can be with my thoughts - I have come up with some of my greatest revelations in a Tim Horton's, Second cup and Starbucks near you! I have drafted up many business profiles and entrepreneurial ideas to develop as well as life altering concepts to my decision-making and leadership. Where can I go to find solace with my own company both professionally and personally? What can I do to take back the carefree cappuccino dates and the latte laughter with myself? Do I always need an escort to keep predators at bay?
Perhaps I am being a bit over dramatic but this was an odd evening. I know I have seen some cute boys in the past sitting in my sightline and wished they would come talk to me but Mr. Right was not among this crowd!