Homeless People

Recently the last of the original cottages from the Whitby Psychiatric Hospital were torn down to make way for a subdivison. During the demolition I always felt it was a shame to destroy such a beautiful peice of ancient architecture. Reading this survey that recently revealed 5,052 homeless people living on the streets and in shelters across the city of Toronto prompted me to think maybe they could have served a better purpose.

Happy Fathers Day, Garth!

Becoming a dad changed my husbands life. Cliché, perhaps, but nevertheless true. Garth is always home to tuck our kids into bed, and is an active participant in the best years of their childhood. Garth takes them to school every morning and picks them up in the afternoon. He helps out in their classrooms. He makes it a point to spend as much time as possible with them. My daughters relationship with their father is completely different than the one they have with me. Daddy is their buddy, their pal. They hang out with him in the backyard while he's doing yard work or puttering around. They tag along when he goes to the store or to the carwash. They talk to him about so much. Daddy is the cool parent. Being with your Dad is just so easy. I asked my girls to tell me why they love their Dad:
1.) He snuggles with us
2.) Because he play fights with us
3.) He lets us sleep in his room and stay up late
4.) He takes us out for dinner
5.) He jokes with us and our friends
6.) He is kind
7.) He takes us to parks.

So there you have it........from the mouth of Babes.......Happy Fathers Day, Garth!

Happy Father Day, Dad!

Fathers are supposed to be tall because if they weren’t, who would their children look up to? My father is taller than I am, but that wasn’t and isn’t the only reason why I look up to him. I think of my father as a gentle man. He seldom raises his voice. My father worked a full time job and then came home and worked some more. There was always something to do, something to build, or to maintain, or to repair. My fathers career brought travel and adventure to our family. My father is very personable and liked by everyone. While helping to raise 4 children my father passed on his wisdom, experiences, knowledge, words and his love to each of us.
I love you with all my heart! It’s something you don’t often hear, but nonetheless understood.

ASU Golf Tournament

Well, today was my best day yet. I made par once and lost only two balls. I ended up having the top score of females. I must credit Mr. David K for all his coaching. It was a fun day with good company.

Golf Tips For Getting More Distance

Tomorrow is my workplace annual golf tournament. I have been reviewing golf tips so I can improve my score from the last few years. I love playing golf, however my main handicap is distance. Tomorrow they are going to fly!!!!


BEST TIP: Maximize coil on backswing.
At address, keep most of your weight on right foot.
Widen your stance, with toes pointed out.
Tee ball high and hit it with an ascending blow.
Use a strong grip and light grip pressure.
Waggle to relax muscles and rehearse hinging of right wrist.
Make a wide arc and strive for maximum extension.
Maximize coil and get left shoulder and hip behind ball on backswing.
To maximize coil, don’t lift left foot on backswing.
Hinge wrists fully at top of backswing.
Be sure to complete the backswing to put the club in the right position.
Don’t let your left arm bend at the top of the backswing.
Start your downswing by pointing the butt end of the club toward the ball.
Relax arms, make a shallow approach, delay turning of shoulders on downswing, let arms extend and pull shoulders into finish.
Accelerate the club slowly on downswing.
Rotate shaft through impact.
Try to generate maximum clubhead speed when the clubhead passes the ball, not at or before impact.
Keep head and upper body behind ball throughout swing.
Try to keep your right heel on the ground longer on downswing to help keep your body back.
Throughout the swing, the only pressure point in your grip should be at the point where the lower pad of your right thumb meets the knuckle of your left thumb.

Demoliton Of Lakeview Generating Station

Early this morning and after 43 years of service (1962-2005) the "Four Sisters" stacks of the Lakeview Generating Station in the city's way west end were brought down by explosives in a controlled demolition. My father used to work here.

Happy Anniversary!!!

Man have we aged........


















On this date 11 years ago, Garth and I were married. I couldn't imagine experiencing life without him. He keeps me sane, knows just how to take care of me when I need it, and most importantly, he makes me laugh. He makes me feel good just being me, with all my quirks and everything. Garth invests time in his 2 daughters lives and he enjoys spending time with me. I do appreciate Garths help with domestic chores, and I readily admit to being organizationally challenged. ( Okay, okay---I'm lazy, there I said it! However, I prefer to think of it as being more "laid back") My husband has obsessive- compulsive traits in his personality, and he cannot relax until his world is in order. And though the last year has been rough for us, I'm stronger because of his love, and we're stronger together for it. I love the life we're building and I can't wait to see where it takes us.
I love you! Happy Anniversary!

Argos Exhibition Game

Garth and I took our two daughters to see the first pre-season game of the Toronto Argonauts this year. We went with our neighbor/friend and his daughter. It was an exciting game as Ricky Williams made his Canadian Football League debut. Judging by the hundreds of fans with Miami jerseys featuring Williams’ No. 34 at the Rogers Centre last evening it was clear who many had come to see. We were made to wait, with John Avery starting as tailback. A loud ovation erupted midway through the first when Williams, who is wearing No. 27 with Toronto, was shown on the Jumbotron patiently waiting his turn. Williams said the biggest thing for him was being able to see the game and get a feel for the tempo. That was the big thing for me as well. I wanted to see the game and feel the tempo. The kids had a blast going onto the field after the game and my youngest had her backback signed by every Argo cheerleader she could. Brooke wanted the autograph from the Argos themselves and hunted down her favorite Argo, Defensive Back Clifford Ivory ....It was a fun night!!!

Class Trip: Black Creek Pioneer Village

Toady, my husband and I went with our daughters grade three class to Black Creek Pioneer Village. We went on a guided tour of old buildings with interpreters of the pioneer days inside acting their parts as demonstrators and instructors. Afterwards we took a group of kids on a non-guided tour and visited some other buildings, one being the kitchen. We learned that to test the temperature of the oven, a woman would roll up her sleeve and stand next to the stove and place her forearm into the oven. If she could not hold her arm in past nine seconds then the oven was hot enough to bake food with. Despite the heat and humidty a good time was had by all.

Delicious Words

Swirling...Twirl.....Whimsical.....Gypsy...Mist.....Scrumptious...
..Spirit....Bohemian....Sass...Love.......Tender.....Bloom...Peace...
Serendipity...Blessing...Mystery...Effervescent....Imagination...
Magnolia...Cuisine...Twilight...Justice...Ambiance... .Seduce....
Gloss...Calliope....Soliloquy......Sizzle......Felicitations...
Voluptuous...Epiphany.....Entice.....Willow....Vixen..
Mahoghany...Intuition...Lilac..Nurture.....Destiny....
Tranquility...Passion ....DejaVu ......Luminous....Quintessence....
..Aqua.....Paradise.....Zamboni.....Melodic....Mesmerize.....
Sunshine...Ethereal...Soothing.......Twinkle.....Bliss...
Extravaganza...Delicacy......Loquacious....Lullaby...Mimosa...
..Sashay....Vivacious....Renaissance....Peruse....Poinsettia...
Moxie...Illusion..Luscious.... Thrill..Facilitate....Enchanted...
Radient....Haiku.... ..Patchoulli.......Snuggle.......Loving....
Coffee........Merci....Turquoise.. ...Inspiration.....Glimmering...
...Delicious

There are some words you just can't help but fall in love with--the meaning and the images they evoke, the way it rolls off your tongue, the way it dances on the corner of your mouth. There are some words that are pure magic. There are words that make people smile when they are tossed into conversation. And then when you take them and string them together, they take on a whole new meaning and begin a brand new dance. They are delicious to savor and your mouth waters with expectation.

INXS At The ACC

Sunday Night I headed into TO to see INXS at the ACC with my husband, my galpal Heather and her neice Rita. I have always been a fan of INXS and the last time they did a big tour it was the fall of 1997 which I missed. Sadly, Hutchence was dead 3 weeks later and INXS was no more. But in the summer of 2005 we got "Rockstar:INXS" on TV and my guilty pleasure became the star-making machine for JD Fortune and INXS was back. I must admit, initially I was never JD's biggest fan on the show but the boy can sell it on stage. He had so much energy bouncing around from one side of the stage to the other. JD loves being a rockstar. He has gotten to the point where his confidence has become seductive and he works it. He is a genuine frontman he does the upbeat tracks really well. I couldn't have asked for more,they sounded fantastic. Their new material fit in really well with the classic hits. The original members of INXS had huge smiles on their faces all night, and lots of energy on stage. Great concert all round.
Stabilo (Formerly Stabilo Boss) was great as an opener, by the way. A Vancouver band worth checking out. I found them endearing as they thanked us for our appluase many times, knowing that we were tolerating them on stage, and the real reason we were there was behind the big black curtain. As it got closer to show time, there was a projection of a switch up on the 2 side screens, which eventually changed to a countdown to when the show would start. When it got down to one minute left, the place went nuts. We counted down when there was ten seconds left, and everyone was up on their feet cheering. I loved the feel of the energy in those couple of seconds. The lights went down, came back on, and the band was up on stage, JD front and center. They launched into "Suicide Blonde" right away, the whole place going nuts. When they went into "Devil's Party" next, JD yelled; "Welcome to the party,Toronto!"

Set list:

Suicide Blonde
Devil's Party
Mystify
Hot Girls
By My Side
Afterglow
Taste It
Original Sin
Hungry
Never Let You Go
Kick
Need You Tonight
What You Need
Devil Inside
Pretty Vegas

Encore:
New Sensation
Amazing Grace
Never Tear Us Apart
Don't Change

To My Daughters On Mothers Day....

I will always try....
-To recognize that as children, you are people too.
-To laugh with you, instead of at you.
-To admit my mistakes.
-To validate your feelings.
-To be patient.
-To respect your choices.
-To cherish you
-To hug you and kiss you at every opportunity.
-To love you unconditionally.
Forever.

Happy Mothers Day Mom.....I Love You!!

Having four Children meant her days were filled with silly songs, diapers, birthday parties, soccer games, music recitals, homework, and school dances. Mom would spend sleepless nights when the curfew had come and gone. She would pace hospital corridors after my heart surgery. She would fill stockings and Easter baskets at midnight. She would run here and there between extracurricular activities, spend countless hours repeating spelling words and helping with homework assignments. Dinner was always on the table, followed by snacks and televison time during the evening. Small tiny things were done, barely noticed, but all with great care. The ''thank you's'' were usually few and far between.
Then the day came when her young grew wings and left the nest. The cycle continues now as her children have children of their own and learn what Mom had so selflessly done over those many years. A mom puts down her life to raise her children to help them reach dreams, achieve goals, be joyful, and have good character. Alot of my childhood was spent living in various places throughout Canada and other places of the world. Throughout it all she was my constant. Whether we were living in Ontario, Alberta or Venezuela, dinner was on the table and we were still bathed and read to and loved. The heart of a mother is a place to call home. Mom means security, trust, care, and unconditional love.
As I've grown older our relationship has matured, and I've grown to appreciate her in different ways and even though our attitudes and opinions don't always match up, I respect the way she approaches everything with kindness. Thanks for everything, Mom...you're the best!
Love, Jill

Your favorite daughter in the whole wide world.

102 Movies You Must See

The films highlighted in Orange are the ones I have seen.


"2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968) Stanley Kubrick
"The 400 Blows" (1959) Francois Truffaut
"8 1/2" (1963) Federico Fellini
"Aguirre, the Wrath of God" (1972) Werner Herzog
"Alien" (1979) Ridley Scott
"All About Eve" (1950) Joseph L. Mankiewicz
"Annie Hall" (1977) Woody Allen
"Apocalypse Now" (1979) Francis Ford Coppola*
"Bambi" (1942) Disney
"The Battleship Potemkin" (1925) Sergei Eisenstein
"The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946) William Wyler
"The Big Red One" (1980) Samuel Fuller
"The Bicycle Thief" (1949) Vittorio De Sica
"The Big Sleep" (1946) Howard Hawks
"Blade Runner" (1982) Ridley Scott
"Blowup" (1966) Michelangelo Antonioni
"Blue Velvet" (1986) David Lynch
"Bonnie and Clyde" (1967) Arthur Penn
"Breathless" (1959 Jean-Luc Godard
"Bringing Up Baby" (1938) Howard Hawks
"Carrie" (1975) Brian DePalma
"Casablanca" (1942) Michael Curtiz
"Un Chien Andalou" (1928) Luis Bunuel & Salvador Dali
"Children of Paradise" / "Les Enfants du Paradis" (1945) Marcel Carne
"Chinatown" (1974) Roman Polanski
"Citizen Kane" (1941) Orson Welles
"A Clockwork Orange" (1971) Stanley Kubrick
"The Crying Game" (1992) Neil Jordan
"The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951) Robert Wise
"Days of Heaven" (1978) Terence Malick
"Dirty Harry" (1971) Don Siegel
"The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie" (1972) Luis Bunuel
"Do the Right Thing" (1989) Spike Lee
"La Dolce Vita" (1960) Federico Fellini
"Double Indemnity" (1944) Billy Wilder
"Dr. Strangelove" (1964) Stanley Kubrick
"Duck Soup" (1933) Leo McCarey
"E.T. -- The Extra-Terrestrial" (1982) Steven Spielberg
"Easy Rider" (1969) Dennis Hopper
"The Empire Strikes Back" (1980) Irvin Kershner
"The Exorcist" (1973) William Friedkin
"Fargo" (1995) Joel & Ethan Coen
"Fight Club" (1999) David Fincher
"Frankenstein" (1931) James Whale
"The General" (1927) Buster Keaton & Clyde Bruckman
"The Godfather," "The Godfather, Part II" (1972, 1974) Francis Ford Coppola
"Gone With the Wind" (1939) Victor Fleming
"GoodFellas" (1990) Martin Scorsese
"The Graduate" (1967) Mike Nichols
"Halloween" (1978) John Carpenter
"A Hard Day's Night" (1964) Richard Lester
"Intolerance" (1916) D.W. Griffith
"It's a Gift" (1934) Norman Z. McLeod
"It's a Wonderful Life" (1946) Frank Capra
"Jaws" (1975) Steven Spielberg
"The Lady Eve" (1941) Preston Sturges
"Lawrence of Arabia" (1962) David Lean
"M" (1931) Fritz Lang
"Mad Max 2" / "The Road Warrior" (1981) George Miller
"The Maltese Falcon" (1941) John Huston
"The Manchurian Candidate" (1962) John Frankenheimer
"Metropolis" (1926) Fritz Lang
"Modern Times" (1936) Charles Chaplin
"Monty Python and the Holy Grail" (1975) Terry Jones & Terry Gilliam
"Nashville" (1975) Robert Altman
"The Night of the Hunter" (1955) Charles Laughton
"Night of the Living Dead" (1968) George Romero
"North by Northwest" (1959) Alfred Hitchcock
"Nosferatu" (1922) F.W. Murnau
"On the Waterfront" (1954) Elia Kazan
"Once Upon a Time in the West" (1968) Sergio Leone
"Out of the Past" (1947) Jacques Tournier
"Persona" (1966) Ingmar Bergman
"Pink Flamingos" (1972) John Waters
"Psycho" (1960) Alfred Hitchcock
"Pulp Fiction" (1994) Quentin Tarantino
"Rashomon" (1950) Akira Kurosawa
"Rear Window" (1954) Alfred Hitchcock
"Rebel Without a Cause" (1955) Nicholas Ray
"Red River" (1948) Howard Hawks
"Repulsion" (1965) Roman Polanski
"The Rules of the Game" (1939) Jean Renoir
"Scarface" (1932) Howard Hawks
"The Scarlet Empress" (1934) Josef von Sternberg
"Schindler's List" (1993) Steven Spielberg
"The Searchers" (1956) John Ford
"The Seven Samurai" (1954) Akira Kurosawa
"Singin' in the Rain" (1952) Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly
"Some Like It Hot" (1959) Billy Wilder
"A Star Is Born" (1954) George Cukor
"A Streetcar Named Desire" (1951) Elia Kazan
"Sunset Boulevard" (1950) Billy Wilder
"Taxi Driver" (1976) Martin Scorsese
"The Third Man" (1949) Carol Reed
"Tokyo Story" (1953) Yasujiro Ozu
"Touch of Evil" (1958) Orson Welles
"The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" (1948) John Huston
"Trouble in Paradise" (1932) Ernst Lubitsch
"Vertigo" (1958) Alfred Hitchcock
"West Side Story" (1961) Jerome Robbins/Robert Wise
"The Wild Bunch" (1969) Sam Peckinpah
"The Wizard of Oz" (1939) Victor Fleming

Movie Review : Match Point

I am not a fan of Woody Allen films and interestingly, this did not seem like a typical Woody Allen film. Instead what you get is a straight forward thrill-ride of a tragedy. Jonathan Rhys Meyers assumes the role of leading man with considerable comfort and style. The character interactions and dynamics are intriguing. Scarlett Johansson is sexy as the ultimate object of desire.The movie's ending twist is a classic that Hitchcock would love. It can take your breath away, if you weren't already holding your breath

Birthday Celebrations For Sheila

This weekend I am headed into Toronto to experience some female fun, frivolous adventure, entertainment and shopping galore. I am sooooo....looking forward and grateful for this retreat because I get to spend some quality girl time with Sheila.
Girlfriends are so important -- I'm realizing that more and more everyday, and I'm grateful for the ones in my life. There are girl friends, and there are girlfriends -- those that you can say anything to and know that they won't think you're insane. I'm grateful to have Sheila, because with her,I can say things I couldn't say aloud to others and I know she's thinking the same thing, feeling the same way.
I'm lucky to have that comfort with my girl, Sheila.

Toronto Science Centre

The place was very busy due to the rainy weather. My husband and I noticed that alot of the simulator things were broken and needed repair and a lot of the stuff was pretty old. The kids seemed to overlook this flaw and enjoyed the place. It was nostalgic for hubby and I. My youngest daughter liked trying out all the hands-on exhibits like walking the balance beam, trying the rowing machine and so forth. A new feature for us at the Science Centre is Kids Park. It is a hands-on area where Children can play with water, dress up, play with a crane, and so on. All the kids loved the part where you would launch a ball down a track with loops. I liked the grocery store complete with real scanners and cash register. It is an area designed, I believe, to teach children how to select from the four food groups to achieve a balanced diet, but my girls of course ignored the educational 'grocery lists', and just stuffed their basket with random items. We spent lot of time in this area.