tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-217837342011-12-13T23:00:11.182-05:00Michellenoreply@blogger.comBlogger1171100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-42449803963850908262007-10-25T23:52:00.000-04:002007-10-26T00:17:46.644-04:00

I recently passed my 47th birthday. It didn't seem like a monumental day (it's not like I crossed over into a new demographic category; now THAT'S traumatizing). My family made it special for me, but other than that, it was just another day. I don't know how I got to this age. I mean, I feel like I've only been on this planet for 25, maybe 27 years.I am having a problem though. My natural hair

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1272774264679318112007-10-14T22:19:00.000-04:002007-10-14T23:26:59.646-04:00

Yesterday morning when we awoke, the light on our phone was flashing, indicating that there was a message waiting on our answering service. It is our custom to look at the call display before checking the messages; it's like a sneak peek to see who may be thinking about us. More often than not, call display shows Unknown Name Unknown Number, in which case we may not check the message for a few

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-24607952828883915422007-09-23T22:49:00.000-04:002007-09-23T23:31:26.869-04:00

I was surprised today to learn that I am THIS MUCH younger than Maureen McCormick (51), the actress who played Marcia Brady in the timeless TV show, The Brady Bunch.I've taken to doing that a lot lately..... comparing my age to the ages of Hollywood celebrities. For example, reading my daughter's hand-me-down edition of People magazine today, I learned that I am younger than Valerie Bertinelli (

Michellenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-47270101319889734332007-09-14T11:08:00.000-04:002007-09-14T11:12:01.383-04:00

I've set up a new blog to showcase my art. Feedback and suggestions are always welcome.MichelleHendersonArt.blogspot.com

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-83998084150005338852007-09-10T23:20:00.000-04:002007-09-10T23:53:04.947-04:00

Wait! It's not what you think.....I've had more than enough of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie! They're on the cover of every magazine, the on-again, off-again non-marriage, the children (adopted, natural born, yet-to-be-conceived), the $500,000 necklace, the villas, the movie sets, this city, that city, this country, that country. Now the ever perfect Mr. & Mrs. Smith and perfect little baby Smiths

Michellenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-44289990491169491412007-08-29T09:54:00.001-04:002007-08-29T14:38:39.919-04:00

A glorious celebration of love!Sarah & Jeremy’s WeddingThis slide show randomly picked 50 of the almost 100 photos from Sarah & Jeremy's wedding. To view the rest of the photos or to view these photos on Webshots, click here.More webshots:Jeremy & SarahClick here to see Joe Summers' webshots albums.

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-81698020160705319092007-07-27T21:39:00.001-04:002008-06-21T23:07:27.122-04:00

The news today has been dominated by the scandal in the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration. Minister Mike Colle doled out $32 million in grants to cultural groups including $1 million to the Ontario Cricket Association (what cricket has to do with citizenship or immigration is the next question*). The thing is, the Ontario Cricket Association had requested a grant of only $150,000.

Michellenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-37344609311783264742007-07-23T23:39:00.000-04:002007-07-25T22:32:38.013-04:00

I am hooked on Canadian Idol. So hooked, in fact, that for the first time ever, I made sure to watch the show this evening live -- so that I could call in and register my vote for the next Idol.Lju and I are both rooting for Jaydee Bixby from Drumheller, AB. Instead of sitting him in front of the TV to watch Teletubbies when he was a baby, his parents must have played hours and hours of Elvis

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-80669594601582695342007-06-30T08:01:00.000-04:002007-07-01T01:05:02.794-04:00

Today a friend sent a viral email with a powerpoint presentation attachment that made beautiful promises about my life if only I forwarded it to 10 people within ten minutes of opening it. Of course, if I didn't immediately forward the message, bad things would befall me and those I love.I didn't pass it along. I didn't think the presentation was all that clever. The litmus test I use is

Michellenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-28424996190197509942007-06-19T20:13:00.001-04:002007-06-20T12:51:23.115-04:00

I spent the day today in a series of doctor's appointments. I attended the first appointment this morning with my sister, Christine. We are initiating genetic testing for the breast cancer gene in our family. Before having a routine blood test, we had to meet with a genetic counsellor. My genes are feeling much better now, thank you.After reviewing our family tree, the counsellor deemed that my

Michellenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-52540842606740271402007-06-12T23:37:00.000-04:002007-06-13T00:30:39.480-04:00

It seems Paris Hilton today professed a commitment to "stop acting dumb." Duh, broke that promise already, didn't she? Evidently, Paris made her stunning announcement in a collect telephone call from jail to Barbara Walters. If you were Paris's press agent, how would you handle this breaking news story? I mean, would you issue a press release on the subject? Let's not even discuss the poor

Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-80453261034143355362007-06-07T09:47:00.000-04:002007-06-07T10:29:28.295-04:00

Hot off the presses #1: Winnie Mandela was denied a visa to enter Canada the day before she was scheduled to give the key note address at a fundraising arts gala earlier this week. The gala was to include excerpts of a newly composed opera, The Passion of Winnie, based on her colourful and controversial life. Hot off the presses #2: Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper will not meet with U2

Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-31989167744578049682007-06-04T08:57:00.000-04:002007-06-04T09:27:43.242-04:00

The world should be mourning the loss of Saskatchewan farmer, Gus Wickstrom, who died this weekend at the age of 69.Why is that we know so much about Paris Hilton, but, until now, we've never heard or read about poor, not-so-old Gus? Gus Wickstrom of Tompkins, Saskatchewan was one of a dying breed of weather prognosticators using the spleen of a pig. According to the Toronto Star:"...Wickstrom

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-21888288110590217632007-05-24T17:43:00.000-04:002007-05-24T18:35:52.925-04:00

Just home from a couple days in the hospital. I hate to admit it, but it was a very good thing for me. Almost 72 hours doing absolutely NOTHING but healing. Obviously my body needed it. I have a wound that, with traditional packing and closing, the doctor anticipates would take two months to heal. Instead, they have hooked me up with a Freedom Vac that should heal the wound in one-to-two weeks

Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-47220068583579982422007-05-20T22:36:00.000-04:002007-05-20T23:01:14.398-04:00

"Women constitute 53% of the earth’s population. They perform two-thirds of the world’s work for which they earn 10% of the income. They own 1% of the property and they have 100% of the children. Given these statistics, women should hold the majority of the political power in the world. -– Helen Caldicott, M.D., pediatrician, anti-nuclear activist, author of If You Love This PlanetWe don’t

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-73234750995764257632007-05-15T17:44:00.000-04:002007-05-15T17:51:25.670-04:00

The Bystander Effect is described in Wikipedia as “a psychological phenomenon in which someone is less likely to intervene in an emergency situation when others are present than when he or she is alone.” In the parable of The Good Samaritan, two men bypassed the victim without offering any help. Psychologists coined The Bystander Effect in the 1960’s after the sexual assault and murder of Kitty

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-23791767775981360102007-05-03T04:47:00.000-04:002007-05-08T03:14:42.433-04:00

Today, two weeks after my surgery, I still have a very limited range of movement. I cannot turn my torso from side to side and can only sleep sitting up or flat on my back, if I can sleep at all. My attention span for great literature is quite limited. I started reading John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath" and rereading my favourite book of all-time, "Larry's Party" by Carole Shields, but

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-57958972427642707812007-04-29T18:01:00.000-04:002007-04-29T19:53:59.053-04:00

These past two weeks have been very difficult. Forgive me if I haven't written or returned your call. Sitting at the computer takes more muscles than I have right now. You might not think it, but talking on the phone takes a tremendous amount of energy. I am lacking in both muscles and energy right now.My days are measured in increments between pain pills. The accomplishments have been few --

Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-35196032570646657072007-04-23T01:15:00.000-04:002007-04-23T02:31:13.374-04:00

Today is day 5 post-double-mastectomy-breast-cancer surgery. It is difficult to remind myself that life is good. This is a horrible disease, a painful antidote, a life-changing event over which I have very, very little control. Not easy to accept for a self-admitted control freak.I have been so tempted to name this post "Tits and Pussy." I figured it would likely generate a lot of readers, many

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-14082483527174012792007-04-03T15:43:00.000-04:002007-04-03T16:01:17.016-04:00

Chia came home from the 'hospital' on Saturday, March 31 after 11 days at the veterinarian's. She was not yet out of the woods, but they had weaned her off the intravenous and thought she could probably best finish recuperating at home. I wanted to wait a few days to make sure she was improving before publishing an update.The first few hours she was home, she found deep, dark places in the house

Michellenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-77921313022298872402007-03-30T09:19:00.000-04:002007-03-30T09:24:33.032-04:00

I received a reply this week from Petcetera in reply to my complaint about the recent Menu Foods recall. I asked Richard Kaga for permission to reprint his email here:"Dear Michelle, Thank you for expressing your concern. I visited your blog and was saddened to here of Chia's condition. We hope she is able to recover from it. We were first made aware of the recall on Saturday morning, March 17th

Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-15706277505417678272007-03-23T09:16:00.000-04:002007-03-23T10:39:10.728-04:00

My sister Roni is beating cancer with a combination of courage, fortitude and 17 pair of kick-ass “cancer boots.” I think her wonderful husband, Wayne, bought her a pair of boots for every chemotherapy treatment plus a few extras on those really tough, really low days. She’s been a strong, brave soldier – even when she didn’t want to be. Having completed chemo, Roni is now undergoing five weeks

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-31031202008033221552007-03-21T23:39:00.000-04:002007-03-21T23:59:03.024-04:00

Chia is in the hospital. She's spending the night at the emergency clinic in Whitby. The prognosis is not good. She has renal failure.Last Friday, upon learning of the pet food recall, I sent an email to Colin Perkel, the writer for Canadian Press who broke the original story in Canada. I wrote to object that there had been "There had been no complaints from Canadian pet owners". Mr. Perkel

Michellenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-66800708390640633102007-03-19T22:53:00.000-04:002007-03-21T23:01:58.456-04:00

It's been confirmed. Our cat, Chia, has been eating an assortment of Special Kitty cat foods I purchased at Wal-Mart. Luckily, we buy a combination of Whiskas (not affected by the recent recall) and Special Kitty. It appears as though perhaps we delayed the onset of deadly complications by randomly alternating the foods she's been eating over the past month. Last Thursday evening my husband made

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-64739551312357366392007-03-17T01:15:00.000-04:002007-03-17T09:20:18.041-04:00

Our cat, Chia, has been sick most of the week. Yesterday my husband made the connection between the assortment of Special Kitty foods she's been eating and how lethargic and seemingly "sad" this cat has been for the past seven days. We purchase all of our Special Kitty wet and chunky cat foods at Wal-Mart.This evening I read about the pet food recall at Menu Foods, one of North America's largest

Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-17587146439126979342007-03-02T08:51:00.000-05:002007-03-02T09:01:19.663-05:00

From AOL news: A young doctor who admitted to severing a hand from a cadaver as a medical student, then giving it to a stripper, was fined Thursday and told to stay out of trouble for 15 months.“I never knew it was illegal,” the doctor said. Oh yeah, sure. “I just thought it was kinky, not illegal,” must be how he rationalized it. Come on! How many people do YOU know keep a cadaver hand on

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-76286726881206383112007-02-26T22:22:00.000-05:002007-02-26T23:04:10.182-05:00

My daughter came home yesterday for 24 hours for a 'real job' opportunity from her 'retirement' in Florida. It was a harrowing day for her. After four hours sleep, she left her villa at 5 a.m. to go to the West Palm Beach airport to catch a 7:00 a.m. flight, stopping in Washington, DC before continuing on to Toronto. At 7:30 a.m. she called to let us know her flight was delayed. An hour later,

Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-33156128229511127692007-02-24T21:27:00.000-05:002007-02-24T22:10:42.506-05:00

The end of civilization is nearer. Jim Coyle of the Toronto Star summed it up in this essay, introducing the latest "give it a medical name so everyone has something to blame it on": Parental Discipline Deficit Disorder. Surely, you've seen adults afflicted with this condition: those who have abrogated their responsibility to teach their children the difficult and important lessons in life; those

Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-31386560775090917612007-02-22T17:06:00.000-05:002007-02-22T17:14:34.833-05:00

Although we are nearing the 10th Anniversary of the date we met, and it’s now just more than 2 ½ years since we married, this special anniversary celebrates 5 years since my husband and I quit smoking!Five years smoke-free! Hooray!That’s somewhere between $22,000 and $25,000 that we have not spent feeding the monster. We’ve saved our bodies the ravages of at least 46,000 cigarettes each – not to

Michellenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-9772580593624330782007-02-18T22:42:00.000-05:002007-02-19T07:56:32.647-05:00

A very frightening lead headline on the AOL homepage this evening warns:Asteroid Speeds Toward EarthU.N. Is Urged to Take ChargeWhat Are the Odds It Hits Us?Well, I don't know about you, but that sure got my attention! After all, I saw the movie Armageddon. I remember the fear, panic, potential devastation so narrowly averted by Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, and a young Ben Affleck.Call the

Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-27236987096088667992007-02-09T12:12:00.000-05:002007-02-07T15:23:21.756-05:00

I am a secret American Idol fanatic. But I guess by the very nature of blogging, it’s no longer a secret.I have always enjoyed previous episodes of the show, but I never set my television viewing schedule around it, like I do with House, MD. That’s how it all started. We had set our TIVO – PVR to record House every Tuesday night at 8:00 p.m. Then, Fox changed the schedule and put American Idol

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-61087947597032698112007-02-05T20:56:00.000-05:002007-02-05T21:13:41.906-05:00

Twice in the last week we received telephone calls from bullies who have seen our telephone number appear on their call display who have then called us to find out what we wanted.In the first case, my husband had misdialled his parents' phone number -- dialing the last two digits as 11 instead of 15. As soon as he realized the dialling error, he hung up and proceeded to call his parents,

Michellenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-30043858173456859882007-02-03T11:56:00.000-05:002007-02-03T12:15:30.740-05:00

I was looking for something in the basement today. Always happens like that - I start out looking for something and end up spending hours cleaning, organizing, completely distracted from the original task.I still haven't found what I'm looking for, but I did come across a tonne of Shannon's childhood memories. No, really, a tonne! She's an only child, remember? There were great pictures, cards

Michellenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-22857779873096545202007-02-01T21:38:00.000-05:002007-02-02T12:43:05.848-05:00

The Toronto Star today reported:Sagging underwear hurts bottom line - CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Underwear and hosiery maker Hanesbrands said its profit for the quarter ended Dec. 30 tumbled 78 per cent as the company made its transition to a standalone business and sales of underwear dropped.Our population is growing. There's a mini baby boom and our bulge of young people in the 18-30 year range is in

Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-61901507900209092412007-01-28T22:58:00.000-05:002007-01-28T23:11:22.426-05:00

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Part I - Guest post today courtesy of my parents:Thursday night, we were finishing dinner... Minta and her daughter Laurie were here....... when the doorbell rang. A girl asked if she could use our phone.... that she was staying across the road from us....and had had her purse stolen..... with all her ID and credit cards gone.... and wanted to call her mother who was

Michellenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-59952821763685521862007-01-28T01:45:00.000-05:002007-01-28T01:55:54.735-05:00

How could you report this story with a straight face? And why would you name an iguana Mozart? Forgive me Don Campbell, but this gives a whole new meaning to "the Mozart Effect".

Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-23161378176597322912007-01-27T07:30:00.000-05:002007-01-27T07:34:43.487-05:00

Since the words "random" and "rapid-fire" appear recently to be trademarked, I am pleased to present the quick and useless ramblings of my brain:Me as movie critic: This is the first year of my life that I have actually seen many of the movies topping the big categories at the 2007 Academy Awards. In this day and age that makes me fully qualified to comment on the recent nominations for Best

Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-65416561031530402052007-01-19T09:09:00.000-05:002007-01-19T10:51:47.097-05:00

On Wednesday, shortly after noon and just before having lunch, I let our cat, Chia, outside for a little exercise. Chia was born in a barn and lived most of her life in the country -- she's definitely an outside cat. In fact, she rarely uses a litter box in the house; instead she will cry at the door until you let her out. If you won't come to the door, she'll start to follow you around the

Michellenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1168145325096796102007-01-06T23:32:00.000-05:002007-01-22T00:15:02.594-05:00

It's Badnja Vece (Serbian Christmas Eve) and tonight our choir sang in full force, during mass and outside during the traditional burning of the Badnjak (pronounced Bad-nyak). During Badnja Vece, the entire congregation leaves the church during mass to follow the priest outside to walk around the church three times before burning last year's Badnjak (oak tree, almost like a yule log). (Remember

Michellenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1167796857189414342007-01-02T22:52:00.000-05:002007-01-02T23:00:57.210-05:00

According to the latest on-line test, I am a Mermaid, also known as a Siren. These creatures were beautiful women who tricked sailors into becoming completely entranced by their haunting voices and found death soon after. Not all stories of Mermaids are about gentle loving sea people. They are mystical, magical, and extremely dangerous. They have a way about them that brings anyone they are

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1166915125647798332006-12-23T17:40:00.000-05:002006-12-23T22:13:07.506-05:00

Today's guest-post courtesy of my cousin Kimberley, in her end-of-year-sending-Christmas-love message: While contemplating whether or not I could afford to send out Christmas cards this year, my daughter helped me make the decision to NOT send out Christmas cards. Here is WHY: She asked me one day, about a week ago, if she could cut her hair short. Very short. And guess where all of her hair

Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1166763325288423832006-12-21T23:20:00.000-05:002006-12-23T12:58:51.680-05:00

My sister, Roni, sent me this link: "What Tarot Card are You?" Roni is the Moon card. The Moon is a creative sign, but with this warning: "You may be going through a time of emotional and mental trial." How would it know she's going through cancer therapy?I took the test, answering 20 or so questions. And this is what came up:You are The EmpressBeauty, happiness, pleasure, success, luxury,

Michellenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1165907217825820522006-12-12T01:27:00.000-05:002007-01-22T00:13:28.647-05:00

While researching United States population statistics at www.ask.com for my last blog post, I discovered that the CIA has a website. Yes, the Central Intelligence Agency. When my search results appeared, I clicked on the top link without checking to see who hosted the site. I suppose at first I thought I landed at the World Book Encyclopedia. Then I saw the url: www.cia.gov. I'm pretty sure

Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1165903858709857092006-12-11T23:55:00.000-05:002006-12-12T21:24:58.316-05:00

I haven't been feeling well the last couple of weeks, hence my absence. But this topic inspired me out of my stupor...The December 4th edition of Time magazine featured a cover story entitled Why We Worry About The Things We Shouldn't... ...And Ignore The Things We Should. Click here to read the full story. In effect, the article is about risk assessment, as opposed to risk management. Turns out

Michellenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1163388747124233132006-11-12T22:29:00.000-05:002006-11-16T14:40:14.370-05:00

I just read this tragic story from www.thestar.com:KIHEI, Hawaii (AP) — A shark attacked a Canadian man swimming off a Maui beach, injuring his leg and hand, authorities said.I have just one question: How did the shark know the swimmer was Canadian? What does the shark have against Canadians? Why didn't he attack a Frenchman or an Englishman or even, a fellow American. (I say "fellow American"

Michellenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1163390438022623242006-11-11T22:44:00.000-05:002006-11-13T00:05:15.960-05:00

Today, Remembrance Day 2006, at 11:00 a.m., my husband and I were in the car on our way to Oakville when we heard on the radio the beginning of the Remembrance Day ceremonies at the Cenotaph at City Hall, Toronto. My wonderful husband pulled his car over to the side of the road where we both sat, silently reflecting upon the great sacrifices made by men and women in the name of freedom. In

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1163255988800380442006-11-10T23:59:00.000-05:002006-11-13T00:01:26.566-05:00

My mother and I went to a wonderful party tonight in honour of Walter and Mae Haass's 50th wedding anniversary. The couple, 30+ year neighbours of my parents, looked absolutely dashing. Four of their five children, including their spouses and next generation children were there, all looking beautiful, proud, strong, healthy. As Mae said, "They clean up nicely, don't they?"When Walter was a boy,

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1162526166115396652006-11-02T22:42:00.000-05:002007-01-22T00:17:47.797-05:00

Instead of letting her hair fall out in horrible chemotherapy-induced clumps, my sister Roni boldly shaved her head. Since people would be staring anyway, Roni asked if I would paint a henna tattoo on her scalp. This way, it would give everyone something to look at -- and, I suspect, is a way of tackling this cancer thing head on, so to speak.Without the henna Roni is absolutely beautiful.

Michellenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1161401569556442662006-10-20T23:29:00.000-04:002006-10-20T23:32:49.570-04:00

Thanks to you the Toronto Star has received a number of letters in reply to the story about Christine.Click here to see a sampling of letters published on www.thestar.com.We are attempting to bring her tragic story to a larger audience. If you have contacts at any of the major television or radio media in Ontario, please feel free to share Christine's story with them.Thank you and God bless.

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1161314116790303742006-10-19T22:50:00.000-04:002006-10-20T23:36:49.926-04:00

Not in any order at all:Roni is stunningly beautiful bald. Her big blue eyes have always been striking, but now, it's almost as if that's the first thing you see. It was a bold and courageous decision to shave her head before all of her hair could fall out on its own. As she said, "It's not my fault I have cancer." Bravo Sister! Besides, hair is definitely over-rated.I'm a Soprano. Not the Tony

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1160929171404860982006-10-15T12:11:00.000-04:002006-10-17T19:48:22.096-04:00

Listen to this wonderful birthday greeting.....featuring the lovely and talented Miss Ashlee, age 4. Click the image to play. Make sure your speakers are on -- and listen right 'til the end....it's the best part!

Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1160755262634884792006-10-13T11:56:00.000-04:002007-08-12T21:10:53.554-04:00

Starved of cure by red tapeWoman pleads for effective, less costly stomach pacemakerOct. 13, 2006. 06:14 AMJANICE MAWHINNEYLIFE WRITERChristine Lee has an illness that has prevented her from eating or drinking anything for years. The Oakville mother, 39, lives with gastroparesis. That means her stomach will not empty itself for the next stage of digestion, causing daily nausea and vomiting.She

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1160107593599852552006-10-06T00:05:00.000-04:002006-10-06T09:04:28.830-04:00

Fortune teller didn't see arrest comingOct. 5, 2006. 10:59 AMASSOCIATED PRESSCENTRAL NYACK, N.Y.— A tip for fortune tellers: When reading a customer's aura, be alert for any hint of blue.An undercover police officer posing as a patron busted a Rockland County psychic who charged more than $1,000 for a series of tarot card readings, according to Clarkstown town police. Dorothy Adams, 40, of Nyack,

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1160106994619701872006-10-05T23:51:00.000-04:002006-10-05T23:57:15.476-04:00

I received the following update from my sister Roni yesterday. It's so powerfully written, I asked if she'd mind being my "guest blogger" today. She's agreed, so I'm taking today off! Roni wrote:"So, I'm like 7 days out of chemo. You already know that. Aside from some mouth sores, and being very tired yesterday, I feel okay. I walked to the Habitat For Humanity Store - maybe 3/4 km. away

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1159848229579139312006-10-02T23:24:00.000-04:002006-10-03T22:02:17.096-04:00

I am grateful and proud of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.My husband had a court date today for a driving offence. To say that he was nervous is a serious understatement. For at least the past six months, not a day has gone by that he hasn't thought about this day looming before him. But that's understandable -- he's never been in court for anything, not even a parking ticket. And,

Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1159070503902504842006-09-23T23:48:00.000-04:002006-09-25T11:17:20.836-04:00

My husband and I hosted a dinner party this evening. There were six of us in all, couples ranging in age from 42 - 55. We enjoyed cocktails before dinner, a lovely BBQ, dessert and coffee. The conversation was lively and interesting and filled with laughter.A few hours after dessert, the conversation turned -- as it always will with the 40+ crowd -- to the subject of health. One guy has a bad

Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1157947729780028012006-09-12T00:01:00.000-04:002006-09-12T22:25:08.826-04:00

Sometimes I think my brother Joe would forget his head if it wasn't attached.

Michellenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1157942594393671572006-09-11T00:01:00.000-04:002006-09-12T09:28:12.170-04:00

Click the flag then "play" to view this stunning tribute to our Canadian heroes.With thanks to Wade Penner for the Canadian Flag Clip Art Gallery.

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1157926855092452432006-09-10T18:19:00.000-04:002006-09-10T18:24:03.176-04:00

Bumper sticker seen today on a mammoth band bus and trailer motoring down the 401 west toward Toronto.

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1157793477091532802006-09-09T05:09:00.000-04:002006-09-13T20:55:35.090-04:00

Shannon's cat, Blossom, passed away today. Date of birth was recorded at the vet's office as June 1, 1989. Blossom had just passed her 17th birthday. She was Shannon's beloved cat for more than 16 years.That damn cat pissed on almost everything we own. She has definitely left a mark on this world.Chia doesn't yet realize that she's now an only cat.

Michellenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1157565619652038162006-09-06T13:57:00.000-04:002006-09-12T17:10:55.173-04:00

From a newsbite in a recent issue of Macleans:"A new survey has found that more than half of younger siblings say they find it easy to be funny, whereas only a third of eldest children have the ability. More joyless are only children, among whom only 11 per cent say they're funny. The survey's compiler....says that younger children have to compete for parents' attention, and one device is humour.

Michellenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1157507396968558202006-09-05T21:43:00.000-04:002006-09-19T16:48:38.383-04:00

Lakeridge Health in Oshawa (formerly, Oshawa General Hospital), got a new mammogram machine. I think this new machine must have been invented by a woman. It's not like the old days where you had to put your breast in a vice and someone would turn the knob until it was as flat as a pancake. The original machine, I think, must have been invented by a man. A man who obviously hated his mother.

Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1157426529269997762006-09-05T00:01:00.000-04:002006-09-04T23:28:52.140-04:00

Libra (Sept. 23 — Oct. 23)If everything in life were smooth running, straightforward and sensible, you'd be bored to tears. We all need a little chaos in our world. Granted, you've had more than your share lately, but that imbalance will get rectified soon enough.Enough with the chaos already, please?Source: The Toronto Star

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1157409884200011232006-09-04T18:33:00.000-04:002006-09-11T18:38:05.516-04:00

I have the back-to-school blues.But it's not what you might think: it's because, for the first time in more than 20 years, I am NOT seeing my daughter off to school. After five years of university, five years of high school, eight years of elementary school, and two years of kindergarten, we are NOT shopping for new shoes, school uniforms or colored pencils. NO last-minute late August hair cut,

Michellenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1157002077340347602006-08-31T00:55:00.000-04:002006-09-18T20:05:09.243-04:00

My sisters are all so incredibly courageous.Frequent visitors to this blog know that my sister Chris has a million things wrong with her, including the fact that she hasn't taken food by mouth in at least three? four? ten years? She's allergic to a million everyday things that make simple excursions -- like going to a restaurant, grocery shopping or visiting highway service centres to pee -- into

Michellenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1156827957803592352006-08-29T01:04:00.000-04:002006-08-29T15:29:14.723-04:00

Thanks to YOU my blogvalue has increased $564.54 in the past two weeks! Maybe I should auction off my blog on Ebay! Hey? Anybody wanna buy a blog?August 29 value: $1,693.62August 15 value: $1,129.08

Michellenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1156825501382511302006-08-28T23:59:00.000-04:002006-08-29T11:40:10.336-04:00

Warning! Some people may find the following post to be in poor taste. Reader discretion is advised.I read the online headline that charges have been dropped against John Mark Karr in the Jon-Benet Ramsay murder case. I couldn't help but think:1. Maybe the guy couldn't afford airfare back to the US so he figured he'd plead guilty to a high profile case and get the red carpet treatment and a first

Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1156216954331215902006-08-21T23:09:00.000-04:002006-08-21T23:48:53.943-04:00

My sister has been recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Surgery is scheduled for September 1. Since she doesn't blog, I'm sharing this one on her behalf. Here is her story:She wrote: "I am coaching an AMAZING soccer team. Ages 16-18. From our very first day, these kids have been incredible. Often at this level you get a couple of hotdogs on each team, you get boys that won't pass to girls,

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1156215590746420332006-08-20T22:40:00.000-04:002006-08-22T09:08:40.570-04:00

My sister Chris has gastroparesis. Among a host of other life-challenging health problems, she is also deathly allergic to mushrooms, coconut, latex, pineapple, kiwi, cats and all nuts. In fact, most of her allergies are air-borne, meaning if she is exposed to nut proteins in the air she will immediately have an anaphylactic reaction, requiring emergency use of an epi-pen and a trip to the

Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1155272005895217252006-08-11T00:52:00.000-04:002006-08-16T09:28:17.853-04:00

Book mammogram.

Michellenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1153875460046546012006-07-25T20:53:00.000-04:002006-07-29T10:12:16.873-04:00

Otherwise I'd be in jail. Last Thursday I spent 58 minutes on the phone with Bell Sympatico. Friday I spent 52 minutes on the phone with them, speaking to another four different people. I had to hang up while I was on hold because school was starting. Yesterday morning my husband, upon leaving in the morning for work, wished me a happy day on hold with Sympatico. All told, I spent more than 3

Michellenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1153279631987257342006-07-18T23:18:00.000-04:002006-07-18T23:29:05.910-04:00

Three stages of my current work over the past two days. Picture 1 - the dry brush drawing. Picture 2 - laying in the background and starting the shadows. Picture 3 - the local color, end of day 2 on this painting.

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1153278682492146392006-07-14T23:07:00.000-04:002006-07-18T23:17:55.326-04:00

Now we know why some artists starve. To illustrate my point: On the left, my dry brush drawing. On the right, beginning to model form in the chest area - you may notice that I was both short on time and talent!

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1152675659280529762006-07-11T23:38:00.000-04:002006-07-11T23:40:59.293-04:00

Yesterday's exercise gave us about 2 hours to create a dry brush gestural construct of the nude model.Today, our goal was a two-tone gestural construct, more fully developed than day one. Do you see any progress?

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1152575107111069542006-07-10T19:28:00.000-04:002006-07-17T09:39:54.580-04:00

Today was my first day of school. School, glorious school. I love it so much, it's a tremendous disappointment when the day ends. It seems as if the day is only an hour long.And what a wonderful feeling: everyone I know seemed genuinely happy to see me again. Like they noticed my absence.My heart sings when I am painting. I believe it is what I am meant to do. Last week, while tiling my

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1152193192525278222006-07-06T05:27:00.000-04:002006-07-06T09:41:51.460-04:00

My brother-in-law, Max, is remodelling my parents' kitchen. I am helping. We work very well together as a team -- we're both perfectionists. He's been working 16 hour days since Sunday, doing an incredible job, rebuilding the kitchen counters and back splash wall and rewiring for new lighting. He and I have been working, 16 hour days, for the past two days laying 2x2 porcelain tiles on the

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1151966789282641992006-07-03T18:34:00.000-04:002006-07-03T18:46:29.300-04:00

Let's see if you notice a theme here.....11. Motivational speaker -- I am especially good at selling passion.10. Art teacher -- especially for very young children, before anyone has told them that sky must be blue -- sometimes it needs to be orange, or red, or pink or purple..... 9. Art gallery owner -- but I admit there would be little modern art. 8. Organizational planner -- functional and

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1151589664261145462006-06-29T09:58:00.000-04:002006-06-29T10:01:04.276-04:00

It's not even 10:00 a.m. and, after working 14 1/2 hours at The Children's Group yesterday, already this morning I have:* washed the kitchen and breakfast room floors* vacuumed the entire house* lemon oiled all the hard wood flooring* cut the lawn (an amazing pattern, if I do say so myself!)Someone please find the "off" switch, please!

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1151033939447484362006-06-22T23:17:00.000-04:002006-10-16T22:01:22.526-04:00

Day 3 - Waterloo. Cut the lawn at the rental property. Good news: we have a conditional offer on the house. Fingers crossed the deal goes through -- it's my safety net. Stopped in to see my sister Chris who was dancing with her partner (translated that means she was dragging around an IV pole!). Damn bastards at Shopper's Drug Mart never even called or wrote to apologize for damn-near killing her

Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1150862097510059942006-06-20T23:50:00.000-04:002006-06-21T11:52:55.853-04:00

I'm exhausted. Day 2. Tea with hubby. Favourite part of day. Great conversation with Judy. Second best part of day. Patch walls in preparation for painting, sometime next month. Ladder to Shannon's room. Take down custom curtain, takes hours. Wash curtains. Assemble new steam cleaner. Steam clean carpets. Too hot in here. Reinstall curtains, takes hours. Lunch on the patio. Nap. Shower.

Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1150763845228597462006-06-19T20:19:00.000-04:002006-06-19T20:59:30.543-04:00

Today,I got up at my usual time and had tea with my husband. That's the best part of my day.Started my special secret project then left the house at 10:00 to go to the bank. My bank card was cancelled this weekend since it had been used at a bank machine that had been 'compromised.'Got a new bank card. Found out the slimy thief made two $500 withdrawls on my account on Saturday afternoon. His

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1150513775951171832006-06-16T23:06:00.000-04:002006-06-16T23:10:27.230-04:00

Was looking for an old email message this week and came across this classic, sent to a business colleague on September 17, 2004. Boy! I save everything. But this is a classic business story, don't you think?Last week I went into the hospital for surgery. At 2 p.m. I walked into the operating room and climbed up on to the operating table. In the room with me were three surgical nurses, the

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1149908545738687732006-06-09T23:01:00.000-04:002006-06-09T23:56:21.913-04:00

I'm such a proud Mom! My little girl has earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communications Studies and English. Share a few moments with us!Click the arrow to play the video. Click any photo to enlarge. A few more photos to come when we find the adaptor to get them off the card in Lju's phone!

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1149646182347880652006-06-06T21:54:00.000-04:002006-06-09T21:41:20.136-04:00

Long ago when I was in high school we learned that an atom was the smallest form of matter. Things have changed. Now we have the nano. No, not the I-pod mini, but the actual unit of measurement. How small is a nanometer? According to the current issue of National Geographic:* "one human hair is about 80,000 nanometers wide* the nail on your little finger is about ten million nanometers

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1149127658755182232006-05-31T22:00:00.000-04:002006-06-06T21:54:43.993-04:00

At the doctor's again today. My iron is very low but the good news is that my thyroid level is a very good 16 (in comparison to the previous 23). So, what does that mean? Now, all the symptoms we've been blaming on my thyroid may be caused by something else. The one that causes me the most concern is the "crash" after eating. It's bad. And it doesn't matter what or when I eat. Although I

Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1148865728578749182006-05-28T21:19:00.000-04:002006-05-31T21:59:33.563-04:00

Two days later. Let's add to the list the fact that I spent all last night sick with both diarrhea and vomiting at the same time. No one should have to go through that. It's subhuman.Today I almost fainted at least 10 times. This is not good. Tomorrow I'll call the doctor. He'll probably tell me that's within the normal range.

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1148697262628693412006-05-26T22:06:00.000-04:002006-05-28T21:19:46.906-04:00

That is a statement, not a question.Here's a list of all the current ailments and conditions I presently have:Graves disease, aka hyperthyroidism - When: First symptoms identified in January, 2006. Where: South of France How do I know? Let me list the symptoms associated with hyperthyroidism: change in skin texture * my hair hurts almost all the time * heart palpitations * my nails are growing

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1149201345449594742006-05-25T23:34:00.000-04:002006-06-01T18:38:09.676-04:00

Very clever amateur claymation video with cool groove music. Check it out.

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1148698030256316062006-05-24T22:46:00.000-04:002006-06-06T22:37:04.863-04:00

One of our cats LOVES tuna. Last weekend we ran out of cat food so I opened a can of tuna for the two of them to share. Blossom wolfed down the entire can in less than 5 minutes then promptly walked to the front of the house where she regurgitated everything into a neat, warm little pile. She hadn't even chewed her food, it still looked exactly like it did when it came out of the can. I thought

Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1147050644449488452006-05-10T22:10:00.000-04:002006-05-26T22:06:44.676-04:00

My personal obsession, commitment, passion, vow:I will do everything within my power to prevent this from EVER coming to Canada. From www.thestar.com:Round-the-clock TV channel for babies to launch'Babies are already watching TV,' VP explainsMay 10, 2006. 02:35 PMASSOCIATED PRESSNEW YORK — Escalating an already heated national debate, a first-of-its-kind TV channel premieres Thursday designed

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1147492487526139222006-05-04T23:50:00.000-04:002006-05-12T23:55:57.316-04:00

"Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1146709837727729462006-05-03T22:29:00.000-04:002006-05-03T22:30:37.736-04:00

"It is critical that we teach this next generation how to think -- not just what to think." -- Barbara Coloroso

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1146628295204784852006-05-02T23:50:00.000-04:002006-05-02T23:51:35.216-04:00

As I was driving home from work this evening, I saw a woman jogging with her dog. I could have sworn that you could tell the dog thought the woman was running too slow.

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1146108801270171782006-04-26T23:27:00.000-04:002006-04-26T23:54:16.816-04:00

We received a mailing from the Air Miles people today. I needed something mindless to do while grabbing dinner (Doritos and water at 11:00 at night), so I read their brochure. I noticed that you can redeem 100 Air Miles for a CD from the Universal Music catalogue.If you don't have enough Air Miles, you can purchase additional miles at a cost of $0.30 a mile. So let's say you have 10 Air Miles

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1144958124143796852006-04-13T20:53:00.000-04:002006-04-26T23:41:46.626-04:00

This morning I had to visit the Echo department for tests. I noticed many signs prominently displayed about the hospital's "no fragrance" policy. Good for you! EXCEPT FOR ONE MAJOR THING: My sister has airborne allergies to nut proteins. As soon as she is exposed to the protein IN THE AIR she goes into anaphylactic shock. Today you had a bake sale in the main lobby of the hospital. Many of

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1144308296038402602006-04-06T03:20:00.000-04:002006-04-06T03:25:50.980-04:00

"When you're 45 'pancakes' IS the range of your imagination."Spoken by a hyperactive and hyperintelligent young boy of about 8, as if 'pancakes,' in answer to some unknown question, represents NO IMAGINATION whatsoever.This would make a great line in a script, although I have no idea what that script would be about. I guess that's why it's from a dream. It made me laugh in my dream, which made

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1144068910661312932006-04-03T06:53:00.000-04:002006-04-03T09:00:25.266-04:00

This is so ironic it needs no further comment.

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1143765947978882132006-03-30T21:38:00.000-05:002006-03-30T19:45:47.990-05:00

The Accounts Receivable department at ADT Security. I called them at 8:00 a.m. this morning to update my in-law's monthly automatic billing to a new credit card number. This is the message I received:"Thank you for calling ADT Accounts Receivable. Our office is open from 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. mountain standard time. We are experiencing a higher than usual volume of calls....."OK, so I've heard

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1143500161736043812006-03-26T12:54:00.000-05:002006-03-27T22:52:22.616-05:00

Mozart on the beach in the south of France, January 2006. 1 of 4, click to enlarge (popups must be enabled to view larger icon). Make sure you have the volume turned up!

Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783734.post-1143079307621569772006-03-22T20:53:00.000-05:002006-05-05T22:05:35.596-04:00

I enjoy McDonald's breakfast every once in a while. My favourite is a Sausage McMuffin with egg and 2 hash browns. My favourite drink in the whole wide world is club soda, lots of ice. But not every McD serves club soda; in fact, very few do.So I end up ordering exactly this: Sausage McMuffin with Egg and 2 hash browns, please.Twice in the past two weeks the attendant has asked what drink I

Michellenoreply@blogger.com2