9 Years Ago

Princess Diana

Everybody knows who this lady was, and it was nine years ago that she was a victim of that tragic car accident. When she came into the public eye, people were drawn to her, as they were with her engagement and marriage. I was (still am) a huge fan, both of her and the Royal family. I have books and articles that I collect and read (don't want to use the word hunted as was used in the media), and I miss her presence to this day.

Now, many people remember where they were when they heard the sad news. We were with two other boats, and it was the following morning. The neighbouring boat had the news on. I was just waking up in the V-berth, and all I could hear was 'Princess Diana and Dodi' while they were speaking. I thought that they had eloped or something. Then My Sweetie, knowing that I was a huge fan, came to tell me the news with tears in his eyes. Time was not the same after that. It was occupied with newspapers and TV news and magazines that seemed to publish something new every week.

Sometimes it seems that time just flies, and you know, it probably does.

Horsey-guy continues to ride

Well, once again, it was elimination night on Canadian Idol. Now, last night, my three favorites were Eva Avila, Chad Doucette, and Craig Sharpe, not necessarily in that order. Tyler Lewis, as cute as he is, was really becoming tiresome for me. Tiresome to listen to, as he is often quite flat, and his pitch is off, but mostly tiresome to watch him riding horses each and every week. Oh, and gripping the air with his very huge hands. But, as we all know, the voting is up to the public who phone in their votes, and so who went home? Not horsey-guy....no no.....talented Chad Doucette with the unique set of pipes received the smallest number of votes and has left the stage. Arg!

So we are down to three, and who's it gonna be? Tune in next week.

A View from Above

Montreal, Quebec

This is a view of my city, my home, taken from high above. There are a number of lookout points which allow views of the city from many angles. This is just one of those beautiful views.

As a child, as an adolescent, as an adult, I remember visiting any one of these spots, and always having my breath taken away by the expanse and being left with a feeling of awe, of having the city at your fingertips.

Though this is no longer the city where I have a home, it is still my city, and I am so lucky to be able to go back, and visit, and allow my memories to float back and ground me.

For A Sweet 16

A Family Member of ours turns 16 today. Happy Birthday Mister Sweet 16! You know who you are. Sixteen years. Wow! Ask me where the time goes, and I will give you a blank answer.

Your fellow cousin and hub wish you wishes filled with love and hugs. We hope to see you soon to give you a hug in person. xx

The MASGBLOG Book Club

Welcome to the MASGBLOG Book Club. I finished the book that I was reading. Not that I am keeping tally or anything, but my summertime reading includes a total of three books. The recent book was titled Past Secrets by Cathy Kelly. It was a romance novel, of sorts, and although I am not into romance novels, I was drawn into the cover information. It's not a keeper for me, and I have a friend who I know will enjoy this book.

Here is a list (which should take me well into the next century) of other books waiting in the wings: (I haven't decided which one to read yet, although Everyone Worth Knowing is crawling its way to the front of the pack).....
Fall On Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald (thanks Oprah's Book Club)
Everyone Worth Knowing by Lauren Weisberger (author of The Devil Wears Prada)
Until I Find You by Irving Wallace
The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton (thanks Oprah's Book Club)
Mercy Among the Children by David Adams Richards (received the Giller Prize)
Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
A Million Little Pieces by James Frey (again....Oprah)
The Mineral Palace by Heidi Julavits
Mister Fabulous and Friends by Celia Brayfield
Icy Sparks by Gwyn Hyman Rubio (another Oprah)
Mother of Pearl by Melinda Haynes (Oprah)

Daily Essentials

While I was driving the other day, I noticed not once, not twice, but many times, people walking with what has become the daily essentials......the water bottle and the cell phone (you can add iPod in there as well....just depends on). People walking in the evening with their water bottle and their cell phone. People at the gym with their water bottle and their cell phone. People shopping with their water bottle and their cell phone. Should I go on? I think not.

Pretty soon we're going to need portable washrooms at street corners, and battery re-charging stations.

Another Canadian Idol has left the stage......Steffi DiDomenicantonio, otherwise known affectionately as Steffi D. Not one of my ultimate favourites, but she has je ne sais quoi. She may do well in the big world. Bonne chance.

Now down to 4......Eva Avila, Tyler Lewis, Chad Doucette, and Craig Sharpe.....hmmm and stay tuned.

Clinking Champagne

Saw the following headline and accompanying text this morning.............

JonBenet murder suspect spends night in U.S. jail
By JOCELYN GECKER

LOS ANGELES (AP) - John Mark Karr's return to the United States took him from clinking his champagne glass during a luxurious flight over the Pacific to a high-security jail where he was awaiting a transfer to face charges in JonBenet Ramsey's murder.

I wonder with whom he could possibly have been clinking that champagne glass.

Horoscope Shmoroscope

I know people who poo poo horoscopes, and related phenomenon, but I wanted to capture a recent horoscope for moi, as it is pertinent. without giving any backup evidence.

You'll just have to trust me on this one.

Never lose faith in that invisible hand that provides support when you most need it. It's there 24/7 for you, even if it sometimes seems to forget you. It will now make itself felt again as an opportunity presents itself in a vital area of your world.

To anyone who might read this, have a great weekend.

It's Smoothie Time

I am drinking one of my favourite drinks, a strawberry banana smoothie:

crushed ice

strawberries (.5 points)

1/2 banana (1 point)

1/2 cup orange juice (1 point)

1 tablespoon strawberry banana protein powder (1 point)

1 Source yogurt (any flavour, 1 point)

Blend and enjoy....soooooo good, soooooo yummy!

The Rock Cliff (older pic)

I managed to find a picture of the rock cliff the way that it was years ago.....note the face this time...you can actually see the forehead, nose, in profile.

Rock Cliff

This is a rock cliff at Covered Portage in the North Channel. If you look carefully, it is a profile of a face. This bay is a nice place to anchor, and we were lucky enough to have our boat positioned right in front of the rock face.

And the next Canadian Idol voted off the stage is (and drum roll is heard in the background).................Ashley Coulter....boy was I ever wrong! And....darn...she was my favourite from the beginning. So, now who???

My Need to Read

I should read more. I found a list of the Top 100 Must-Read Books. Hmmm, well maybe I'll get there one day. My goal is to try to use that list as a guide for future selections. Outside of that list, I managed to read two books this summer. One was Self Made Man by Norah Vincent, and the other was Velocity by Dean Koontz. I have another book in progress, and a few other selections (not from the list) that are pending. I'll get to them.

Canadian Idol should be good tonight. Chantal Kreviazuk and the remaining six Idols will be performing at a location unlike their regular set. I think it's going to be at a spot in downtown T.O.

The Whiskas cat food ad, where the fellow hops onto the arm of the couch and says no meat, no Hubert......I luv that ad!

An acoustic Cdn Idol night, and here is what I thought: Craig Sharpe: Rocks! Ashley Coulter: another rocker, but maybe had a few probs hitting the tougher high notes! Chad Doucette: a chameleon with an amazing quality voice. Steffi DiDomenicantonio: don't know how I feel about that Bowring dress, but she had a perfect voice and carries the sound beautifully. Eva Avila: powerhouse voice for La Belle Quebecoise. Tyler Lewis: another powerhouse, and such a cute boy. So, who goes home???? Maybe Steffi or Tyler, but I don't know. Stay tuned tuned tomorrow.

Re-thinking Flying

So, this morning, My Sweetie and I were having breakfast while whimsically discussing the recent scare situation in Britain, and it got me thinking about things (seeing as we are currently in the process of applying for passports).

When 9/11 happened, security was beefed up everywhere. No razors, scissors etc, especially no box cutters. Then the shoe bomber incident, and the airports were checking people's shoes (thankfully people are still allowed to (a) wear shoes and (b) pack shoes. Now, the most recent incident, resulting in disallowing any liquids/gels. Pretty soon we won't be allowed to bring anything on our person, no iPods, laptops, not even a purse.

Hopefully, future security restrictions will still allow us to wear clothing.

The Week That Was

This was our first week back after being on vacation for two weeks. Vacationing on a boat is always an instant vacation. Of course it takes some time and work to make things ready, stow the provisions, ensure equipment is in good order, but it is always worth it.

This past week, we settled back into our respective routines, and of course had a little excitement during the week. Mostly, we reflected on the vacation, the places that we visited, and the people that we met. We have been to many of these places before, but every time that we return, they always feel new, ready to be explored. We managed to escape the wild weather that apparently hit the home ports. We had storms, but we were always somewhere protected, and out of harm's way.

Now, I admit to not being the best photographer, nor being a photographer at all, but I thought that it might be kind of cool to share some of my photos. This one is the Pointe au Baril lighthouse. We had just spent 8 hours crossing Georgian Bay, and reached the port of Pointe au Baril, where this lighthouse greets incoming travelers and bids farewell to departing travelers. Enjoy!

Savvy?

We went to see the Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest last night. Cool flick. It sucks you into the world of the high seas and pirates, and makes you feel like a kid again. Luved Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, and Tia Dalma. Like the first movie, the Curse of the Black Pearl, I loved the costumes and the creative props.

We always stick around, after the movie has ended, to watch the credit roll and listen to the closing music. Good thing we did too, for the last surprise tidbit!

Anybody Know This Dog?

This beautiful young lady was found roaming around our streets last night. She was finally caught and spent the night in our friend's garage. She is now tied to our back yard fence. Our friends have been calling her Bear, but we have been calling her Abby. She is trained, and very loving, but now she needs to have her family back.

NewsFlash!!!! Abby aka Bear aka Josie has a home nearby. It turns out that Josie is part lab part border collie......lovely, lovely dog. At least she was cared for while she was lost.

24 Years Ago.........

It's our Wedding Anniversary today! Twenty-four years ago, it was a beautiful and sunny Saturday, and we were spending a busy day getting ready for the 3 o'clock ceremony. If I remember, and believe me after 24 years sometimes that is not easy, my maid of honor and I were up very early to get our hair and makeup done. Upon our arrival home, the photographer also arrived, ready to start snapping those pre-wedding photos. I remember thinking at the time that it was way too early to be at the house, and why did they have to take so many photos, but in retrospect, they captured some truly priceless memories.

Happy 24th Anniversary, Sweetie! xxx