Journey & Adventure

This local organization – or should I say, a group of talented individuals have recently came to my attention. This is such a fantastic cause. I cannot tell you how many times in my travels that I’ve wished I could help those in need in some small way, but with a large impact. The founders of You Are Sew Gorgeous have done just that. The concept of You Are Sew Gorgeous is simple – turn donated pillowcases into beautiful dresses for little girls in need in underdeveloped nations. Their hope is that a handmade dress will make these girls feel special – the way they deserve to look and feel. Feeling special is something every little girl deserves regardless of where they come from or their social status.  I’m sure these dresses mean the world to them and I can only imagine the smiles on their faces.  I’ll be taking some of these dresses along with me in my next round of travels. If you would like, you can also look them up and "Like" them on Facebook here .

When asked how he was doing, the President of our company responded: "I'm crankier than a bear with a sore ass." He's 78 and just doesn't give a s**t.  That man has made my day!

I borrowed a substantial portion of this post from Ecuador George .  He's another individual in the process of selling it all and relocating to Ecuador (he's quite witty too), so I recommend you pay him a visit.  I found his post very moving.  Not only does it sum up life quite nicely, it's exactly the reason why J and I are moving forward with life...in another country.  Here is a synopsis... Bronnie Ware is an Australian nurse who spent several years caring for patients in the last 12 weeks of their lives. Ware writes of the phenomenal clarity of vision that people gain at the end of their lives, and how we might learn from their wisdom. “When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently,” she says, “common themes surfaced again and again.” REGRETS OF THE DYING by Bonnie Ware For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were...

Well, my long weekend did not go as originally planned. Actually, all my plans pretty much went out the window the moment I threw my back out first thing on Saturday morning. Apart from turning the wrong way, I can’t explain why it happened, but it did and the rest of my weekend was spent between lying on the floor, lying on the sofa, lying in bed, crawling up the stairs and pretty much being miserable. In hindsight, although we didn’t get much done with our projects, or get to the movies or to the beach, we did get some much needed rest and caught up on some mindless television watching, so all in all, I guess it was somewhat successful. Our weather here in Canada has been fantastic – far better than it usually is this time of year. On the downside, we are already experiencing dry, drought–like conditions. Our grass has turned a beautiful shade of brown and the farmer’s fields are quickly becoming dust-bowls. I don’t want to say it, but we need rain. It can rain as much as it w...

It’s a long weekend here in Canada – Victoria Day. In celebration of Queen Victoria’s birthday, which I don’t think is actually on the 21st of May, but who am I to complain…it’s a long weekend. I’ll take them when I can get them. My weekend plans consist of working in the garden planting some more perennials and laying down mulch, continuing to work in the spare room and of course, working on my tan since the weather is supposed to be fantastic. J and I are also planning on going to the drive-in (yes, we still have a few of them here in Canada). Our plan is to see the Avengers and whatever else might be playing. I was really hoping to see Battleship as well, but I’m not lucky enough for two blockbusters to be playing on the same drive-in screen. And if time and energy permits, we may head out for a long walk on the beach. It will be our first beachcombing outing of the year and I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of beach glass and other treasures I can find. What...

After my mini meltdown of yesterday, I’d like to give a special thanks to Seṅorita Andaluciana for coming up with my new mantra and Jacqui providing the idea of an “incentive” photo. I can now carry, with a new and improved outlook on the future. Thanks ladies! Sand Between My Toes, Ocean View, Sunny Dreams...

I’ve always been perplexed by that phrase, but now that I have a specific goal in mind, that phrase holds new meaning to me. “A means to an end” is exactly what my job is…something done to achieve something else. My current job is simply a way to facilitate my disappearance from North America culture. I’ve always done well with my career, but I can say with 100% certainty that I don’t enjoy what I do and I haven’t enjoyed what it for probably the last decade. I’ve come to the realization of late that this latest job, while the most financially fruitful has left me feeling like I’ve sold out – money for happiness. My previous jobs left me counting the hours down until the end of the day. I was always bored and unfulfilled, but I seemed to find a way to make it work. At least I had the freedom to come and go as I pleased, I was able to freely surf the internet, to blog, or to just laugh with co-workers.   Here, there’s none of that. Every hour of the day, I’m monitored ...

First, Happy Belated Mother’s Day to all Moms out there. On that note, I don’t see all the commercial hype about Mother’s Day. I believe you should respect and be nice to your mother every day of the year – not just one day designated by Hallmark Cards. Believe me (and I speak from experience), one day does not make up for the grief and torment we caused our mothers throughout of lives. Don’t get me wrong, the ability to sleep in or a nice dinner is always appreciated, but the gushy cards, flowers and gifts just feel “forced” upon us by society and somehow they become phony and fake. I’d rather the attention come at random times throughout the year….those are the moments that make moms feel special. The renovation on the spare room continues. With the room totally striped out and the millions of nails and screws removed from the studs, J can now start running the electrical. It seems like it’s moving slowly, but considering we’ve only been working on it for a few hours each ...

Is it 5:00 yet? How much longer until I can go home? It’s 3:35 and I really don’t want to start anything new. Gosh, this afternoon is dragging. I really don’t want to cook supper tonight. I’m hungry. Maybe I should get a snack. If I wander to the vending machine, I could kill about 10 minutes. I’m tired. I need a nap. I get to sleep in tomorrow. Maybe I should write a blog entry. No one reads blogs on Fridays. Still hungry. Too lazy to wander to the vending machine. Gosh, this afternoon is really dragging. Why the hell is it dragging? Is it 5:00 yet??? Ahh, hell it's only 3:37. That’s it, I’m getting a snack. Happy Friday!!

I was sent this in a e-mail today and thought I'd share a chuckle with you... TRUTH My Favorite Animal Our teacher asked what my favorite animal was, and I said, "Fried chicken." She said I wasn't funny, but she couldn't have been right, because everyone else laughed. My parents told me to always tell the truth. I did. Fried chicken is my favorite animal. I told my dad what happened, and he said my teacher was probably a member of PETA. He said they love animals very much. I do,too. Especially chicken, pork and beef. Anyway, my teacher sent me to the principal's office. I told him what happened, and he laughed,too. Then he told me not to do it again. The next day in class my teacher asked me what my favorite live animal was. I told her it was chicken. She asked me why, so I told her it was because you could make them into fried chicken. She sent me back to the principal's office. He laughed, and told me not ...

Well, maybe I don’t know exactly where I’m going, but I now have a better sense on where I might want to go when I get there. What am I talking about? Well, as we start the investigation process on our relocation plan, we’ve been reading about places and points of interest throughout Ecuador. We know, we want to live on the coast, but we’re not sure where exactly, so to help orient us, I purchased a map of Ecuador.   Before you think it - yes, I’m well aware, you can simply use Google Maps to find the location of pretty much anywhere in the world, but I’m an old fashioned sort of person. I like maps – physical, hold them in your hands, type of maps. And of course, no trip to the virtual bookstore, would be complete without purchasing some books. After all, if you spend $25 or more, shipping is free! So, in order to complete the South American experience, I purchased a couple of “Learn to Speak Spanish” books. I’m pretty good at ordering food and drink in Spanis...

With The Boy starting his summer job and J and I working in opposite directions from said summer job, logistically, we could no longer continue with only 2 vehicles in a household with 2.5 adults and the determination was made, that The Boy needed his own vehicle. For the past month, we have been diligently scouring the countryside for a good, used vehicle for The Boy and one he could afford. We searched dozens of car lots, but the pickings were slim in his price range, but we persevered and found this little beauty (similar, but not actual vehicle, just a photo borrowed from the Internet) … It’s a Chevy Tracker, full loaded. When we picked it up last night, it was all shiny and newish-looking. What we saw this morning when we emerged from the house, was not so new looking, but rather was slightly covered in mud. What did The Boy have to say about its new found grunginess? "4WD. It’s unbelievable.”

Yes, this is me today...  My boss and co-workers are extremely grumpy today and their mood is spreading.