history

Even though it feels like just a few weeks ago, it must have been mid-August that my aunt Zella gave me a box of old, unsorted family negatives. Not the negatives that fit, in plastic strips, into a plastic foldy thing, but larger, rectangular black and whites of a time before. It was early this summer that I decided that it could be my spare time summer hobby job to scan and catalogue old family photos, so that everyone could access and enjoy.... and finally, now, I am getting around to things. I'm faced with a bit of a conundrum with the box of negatives; I don't want to develop all of the pics (expeeeeensive!) and nor do I want to buy a contraption that will convert them to digital pictures. I suppose what I DO want is to find the cheapest alternative, and that means looking into options with a little more gusto. Anyways, so there were a few bits and pieces of paper mixed in with the pile of negs, and I wanted to share a few things... if only for myself.


From my Grandpa Larry to Grandma Edith, "With all my love". I have tags that are almost identical to this that I've saved...

Calendar, 1948. And lists! I make lists like nobody's business! On Grandma's list: take negs in, buy lovalon rinse, buy presents for B, L, J, Baby food, desserts, rice, tie, flowers for Mrs J, thermometer, pancake flipper

This looks a lot like my Sonicare...
I had to google lovalon rinse, and this is what I got:



While I figure out just what to do with the pile of negatives, I am going to try to get through an album that Zella gave me on Sunday night. It's filled with a semi-chronological hodge-podge of photos of my Grandma as a young girl, and then as a young woman and then about a third of the way in Grandpa comes into the picture, and then there are kids... young ones. There are also a few articles and newspaper cutouts taped in here and there, and it makes me think a bit of scrapbooking... but minus the fancy paper and creative time. Anyways, it's super cool to go through these pictures of my grandparents, and see them in these stages of their lives; their wedding invitation is in there! and there are photos with my uncle and my pops as newborns. It will take a while to get through it all, but here are a few of my favourites from last night's first scan session.



Written on the back: "Warwick Farm Alberta about 1923, H Zella Spencer, Ella the mule, Edith Hope" - my great-Grandma, a mule, my grandma and my great aunt...


My Grandma Edith playing tennis... where and when exactly? not sure. On the back: "Those shoes are crepe-soled so are not ski-boots as you might think (p.s. I got that shot)"

Dessert Mania

First there was Denver and then there was dessert. Dessert has pretty much dominated the last five days of my life and... and, I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I might need a break. Steve and Bob and I made a super yummy birthday dinner for Marg which was followed (of course) by cake - cheesecake. And, it was pretty much the best cheesecake I have ever eaten - ever. Not that I'm a cheesecake connoisseur or anything, but, like pizza, there are variations galore, and you never really know which one you're going to get served up unless you cook it up yourself with four blocks of cream cheese and four eggs. But when it comes to this decadent dessert, why go half-cal? This is one of those best enjoyed as the real-deal desserts. No whipped topping, no "light" business... unless of course, you want to leave the table thinking eeeeeeh, meh... that wasn't really that good. Here is the link to the "perfect recipe" ("if it fails for you, it's your fault, not the recipe's" - see first comment) - if you want cheesecake, this is for YOU.


On Thursday night we both passed on dessert (which is actually a bit unbelievable, seeing as how we ate at Terroni, home to the best gooey in the middle flourless chocolate cake ever) but had an amazing dinner with amazing friends in the city. In t-3 days Dan and Milka are moving to Calgary, so, sadly, our visits are going to be fewer and farther between than they have been as of late. SO, we had our last supper - but certainly not our last Terroni supper - and got away with a dessert break.

Friday night we were subjected to sticky toffee pudding cake at Pam and Bob's as part of Uncle Ralph's surprise 70th birthday extravaganza - it was also amazing... amazing and delicious. The plan was this: a small crew of us were to gather at Bistro 238 in Courtice at 6:30 to lay in wait for Sir Birthday and his wife... but unfortunately, the man of the hour arrived with his escort about 30 seconds before everyone else did, SO! The effect was a bit lost, but he was still quite surprised. After a delicious meal, presents and some good catching up, we headed back to Bowmanville for dessert. YUM. I'm not sure that this is the recipe that was used, but it seems to me like it would be something similar - also something I would recommend to dessert eaters.

Marg, Bob, Ralph, Rod, Justin, Steve, me, Bob, Laura, Pam, Barb, Paul and Steph - a good crew!

Last night we ate out with Steve's cousin and his wife, Ryan and Shauna (at Fresco on Elgin - great food, but a bit pricey) which, as per the dessert theme of this post, included dessert. I opted out but shared Steve's chocolate hazelnut tart (which tasted a bit like a Mars-Skor hazelnut-speckled hybrid); Ryan had chocolate banana cheesecake and Shauna picked the organic carrot cake. And then - nope, the dessert bonanza isn't over - tonight, we had lemon loaf. My aunt Zella had us over for dinner (which was AMAZING - bone-in ham, rice, roasted veggies and green beans) and it was my job to bring the dessert. My mom makes a mean lemon loaf but I didn't want to bug her for the recipe so picked this one off of food.com - it was alright, but Mom's is better. And now I'm done. We're done. We're both ready for a dessert break, but we'll see how long that lasts. If I change my mind tomorrow, can I blame it on the baby?

family and friends in Denver... awesome!

Bieber fever? Don't have it... but this guy sure does. A friend of mine sent me this link this morning and I have to share - so so soooo funny.



So, Denver! I had an AMAZING time there! It was soooo great to see my sissies and hang out - it makes me a little blue that we don't live closer to each other. Thankfully I didn't get harassed at the border, and the trip there was a breeze. Karin picked me up from the airport Wednesday night, and we headed back to her sweet cute cute little house before picking up Claire and heading out for dinner. It was good times: a rooftop patio, cold drinks, a view of the city and patio lanterns strung around the warm air of a still-summer September night. We caught up, laughed etc., and got the trip off to a stellar start. Thursday everyone had to work (boo) but Karin snuck away early, and we met Claire at the hospital for lunch. It was awesome to see her in her scrubs as a working real-world NURSE... so that was fun. What else... We shopped and wandered and were treated to a SUPER yummy meal by Karin's husband Rob who cooked for the three Osberg girls - pre-game meal before beach vball time at a somewhat sketchy bar. I cheered and drank water, and the athletes pounded it out and drank Coors Light making it a win-win situation for all. I preg-designated-drove everyone home, and that was that, another day done and gone.



Friday and Saturday took us up to Estes Park, Rocky Mountain National Park AND the hotel that inspired Stephen King's The Shining... for real. We stayed at the historic Stanley Hotel where the movie plays on a non-stop loop on channel 42. It wasn't filmed there, and it wasn't dark when we arrived; for these two reasons we vegged and watched the movie after we checked in. It had been a looooong while since I'd subjected myself to this flick, but it was still creepy and a little scary and ... yup, not a movie I'd choose to watch at night, in one of America's most haunted hotels. The town of Estes Park is very small town mountain-y, with art galleries, cute little shops and more than a few tacky junk shops (two year-round Christmas stores in one town? that tells ye something). Friday we had drinks and appies on the grand front porch of the 100 year-old whitewashed central building, and then had dinner outonthetown. On Saturday we attempted a hike, but only made it 30 minutes in - we didn't all have the most appropriate footwear AND the hot beating sun was trying to melt me alive. SO! On with things; we took Trail Ridge Road up up up and up across the Continental Divide, winding and curving through Rocky Mountain National Park's peaks and plateaus. We gained more than 4,000 feet in a matter of minutes, and topped out at 12, 183 feet - eek! The views were amazing.... super super beautiful, and much better witnessed in person. It seems like an amazing park to spend some time in - camp, hike, wander, explore... but it was so super hot, and we were Denver bound.





On Monday while the sissies worked I drove down and met up with Jess Waltz, a basketball teammate and best friend from university. It had been six years since we'd seen each other, and even though much has changed (kids, husbands, houses, cities) it was as though it was just yesterday that we were in Spokane, drinking beer and procrastinating. It was great to meet her kiddies and spend the day together; it made me wish (again) that I had some Star Trek beam-me-there machine that would allow me to see her whenever I wanted. Hmmm.... where do I find one of those?


And now is when I talk about how completely and totally spoiled I am - spoiled with gifts! Jess and her family, and the sissies - everyone showered me and the little one on the way with presents, with cute cute CUTE presents! Outfits, books, stuffed animals... I am so grateful and so looking forward to meeting our little guy, and wrapping him up in all of his uber-cute new clothes. I also sort of spoiled myself and bought new boots and a pair of black pumps (I love you Nordstrom Rack) - !!! Super cute too, hurray. And so it was an amazing trip, and I should have taken more pics. I should also have a week 30 pregnancy pic to post! Woops. I'm still feeling fine and am not (yet) enormous... I think all is as it should be. We're in Bowmanville and Toronto until Saturday, and until then I'm looking forward to more time with family and friends!

perfect vehicle, where are you?

How did we not realize that a Japanese (or Asian) vehicle would not could not will not ever be big enough for us? Today was day one of car browsing, and after reading about Hondas and Hyundais we decided to walk down the street to the megablock of dealerships less than half a kilometre away from our abode. CRVs have been catching my eye left right and centre, BUT... it turns out that I won't really like sitting in them because Steve won't really like sitting in them; toooooo small. We test drove the Honda Pilot and thought it was okay; more truck-y than our dead and buried Expedition, and not quite as easy to handle, surprisingly enough. It was passable - no axe on that one - but not a huge hit. Over to Hyundai (we've been checking out cars in Phil Edmonston's Lemon-Aid books, and these two automakers have been given top marks) we went to check out the Veracruz and the Santa Fe, and again - fail. Perfect for small(er) folk, but not so much for nous. I had to head home and crash (a full morning of futon-searching and swimming caught up with me faaast), but Steve continued on to Nissan, Mitsubishi and.... hm, maybe that's it. Maybe Mazda? Anyways, he got home and said something like "And so the conclusion is this; Japanese cars aren't very big." How is this a revelation? We just spent eight months there in the land of small, compact mini-ness.... were the cars supposed to be any different? I think it's time to move away from Asia in our search for the next voiture.

Dinner is in the oven (Cool Curry Chicken), and a list awaits: I have 20 tabs open in my browser and an empty suitcase that needs filling. Okay, so there are 7 other tabs open, and they are:
- Apartment Therapy | SUPER cool website I want to spend hours on ... Design, Technology, Children, Green Cooking; "saving the world, one room at a time"
- re-nest (also apartment therapy) | 49 creative reuse ideas that will inspire and surprise you
- the crafty crow: a children's craft collective | the giant marble art painting/art project = hoping to have time, energy and space to try this...
- ehow | how to do marble paintings
- chez beeper bee | haven't had time to check this out yet, but the pics are neeeeat. no idea how I got here.
- NHTSA Defects and Recalls: How to file a complaint | :(
- Apartment Therapy (again): Stylish ideas for displaying family photos
- Apartment Therapy (aaagain): 5 unconventional ways to display family photos

Our walls are still bare, and I've found some inspiration in some of the Apt Therapy posts; now the question is this: WHEN exactly, will I get around to it? Hopefully, um, soon. Some time in between Denver and Vancouver and baby. I fly to Denver tomorrow on the milk run (Ottawa-Toronto-Winnipeg-Denver - that's what Aeroplan gave me in exchange for minimum 25,000 points... ugh) to visit two of my sisters for six days, and, besides the travel, I'm super excited! It's been over a year since I've seen Karin, and neither of them have seen THE BUMP... and I've never seen where they live or work etc., so it will be good. PLUS I'm planning to get together with one of my best friends from uni, Jessica Waltz. She's now a Bird, and has three baby birds; much has changed since we last saw each other 10 years ago (or something like that - eeeeek) and I can't wait to catch up in person. So I must pack! As per usual, I've been slacking in the photo department... stay tuned for some shots from Denver!

strollers and such

I have found some amazing websites, and some crazy people. "My name is Naomi and I'm a stroller addict." Strollers anonymous? There are a bazillion strollers out there... actually. I think there are a bazillion, and they range in price, fanciness, gloop and glee. A $1300 strolller? Yup, it exists. Steve pointed out that it's a bit like buying a Ferrari, the Ferrari of strollers, and we both realized after the comment escaped that not only are we presently shopping for a stroller, but we may also be shopping for a car. Wait, we are shopping for a car. After some hemming and hawing about what to do, we've come to a decision and are going to get on with things - sell it as is and move on. With the only available replacement engine on the horizon clocking in at almost 130,000 kms, we decided that it's not worth it - not worth the money, the future complications and the lack of guarantee. What a shame though... we both got a little attached to that big red beast. Ach well! Shopping for a new car will be fun, right? More fun than shopping for a stroller? We'll see.

This might actually be the Ferrari of strollers - this "luxury" stroller comes with an iPod dock and a DVD player (um, why?) and will set you back at least $3500...

The Silver Cross Balmoral Pram is a handcrafted traditional English carriage - $2900?...

... I don't think this one's for us.

Uppababy Vista - one of a few strollers that we are actually considering.... but ?? I dunno!!

Another stroller on our to-consider list: the Baby Jogger... best folder, super compact...

And I'm coming up on 29 weeks! I've been feeling fine and normal for the most part - pregnant, of course, but not too huge or anything, thankfully. The little guy is moving around much more these days and it's soooo cool to watch my belly move this way and that, and see baby movements poking out here and there... amazing. I had to get a fit to fly form filled out at my appointment on Wednesday - I leave for Denver to visit my sisters in five days - wheee! This is one of my excuses for not having bought anything; wait for a trip south, and stock up where it's cheaper. Of course, I'll need to make a list and organize before I go, and that's yet to be done. We were kind of hoping to have made a decision on the wheels so that I could order online and pick up and bring back... but as of maintenant, that hasn't happened.

What else... ooh! I went for a super nice walk the other day with Diane, a friend that I met last summer through a Vancouver friend. We parked near the Museum of Civilization, and did a 5 km walking loop along the water, starting in Quebec, middle-ing in Ontario, and ending back in Gatineau. It was a beautiful day, and I managed to snap all of three pics. Wooops... my streak of bad news camera work continues. We chatted the whole time - about anything and everything, and finished things off with a beer on a patio in an older part of Hull. It might just be that I haven't had a brew in 9 months, but my non-alcoholic Beck's actually tasted okay. I don't think I'll be running out to buy my own stash of beer or anything, but for as long as the weather lasts, I think I'll take advantage of beer-on-patio lounging...

labour day?

Labour Day has been an official holiday in Canada since July 23, 1894, and I feel like I haven't done much labour to deserve it. Well, I suppose that it's like any other day for me... a day that I don't do much labour. I labour around the house I suppose, but I don't feel like I deserve a holiday. Meh. One day though, I'm sure I'll be wishing for these days of unemployment... maybe? I just can't see when that day will come. Perhaps in a few months when baby is born I'll wish for a lack of work to do... hmm, probably. As far as a career goes, I still need to make that first step in deciding what it is exactly that I want to do - I still don't know. Anyways! Our weekend - which wasn't actually a long one - was good. We made it into Toronto on Friday night and went to Rob and Charlie Janson's wedding reception on Saturday. I wore the same dress and the same shoes to the same venue as Dan and Milka's wedding - we were the only repeat guests, but looking at the pictures it seems a little funny; same room same environment, same outfit ... fashion faux pas? I think so. But I was the only one who noticed. Well, besides Steve, but ? whatevs.



We had a few delicious brunches with Dan and Milka at Le Select, a super cute little bistro close to King and Spadina, and by a few I mean two - Saturday and Sunday. I feel like I love the idea of going out for brunch, but whenever we're at home I always can the idea the next morning; breakfast at home is so yum too. And you can stay in your pyjamas and you can eat on the couch. The meals there were great though - it's definitely a spot I'd recommend, for breakfast, brunch or dinner (we've also dined there - dinnered there? supped. We've also supped there.). And now we're back in Ottawa, sans car. There's been no resolution on that front as we're waiting to hear what we could get for the thing if we sold it as is. Once we can compare the pros and cons of fix and sell vs. sell as is, we'll make a decision. Until then, we are a pieds to the store and the gym, and on the bus for longer trips. At least I am; tomorrow I'm taking the bus into Ottawa for an appointment. I have my route mapped out and my faresaver tickets... so hopefully I don't get too lost. And hopefully it's not raining - my raincoat is the worst raincoat ever (being that it's not waterproof) and we have no umbrella. EEEsh, what do we have? No baby stuff yet either. Well, we're slowly maybe making our way there, I think. Anyways. I do have dinner on the go and it smells delicious; on the menu: greek potatoes, chicken and pork souvlaki, home made pitas, greek salad and tzatziki. I think that's it. On that note, to the kitchen I go....

ups and downs

Sigh.... what a week... Our truck has died (how often does an engine just go on a well maintained, regularly-serviced, low-mileage 2005 vehicle?), the tax man is asking questions (all of which can be answered, thankfully) and - here's the biggie - it doesn't look like Steve is going to World Championships. Boo and blues... His knee has been getting better and he's started training more, but the coach has decided to not risk putting him on the 14-man roster in case he's not healthy enough to play come the big dance in a month or so. SO! The week has had its challenges. But... the glass is half full, and most of theses things are fixable - maybe expensive and disappointing, but fixable. PLUS, we've had some good things happen this week too. On Tuesday night we rushed rushed out of the house to the Dairy Queen in the Rideau Centre; Steve ran in for caloric ice cream treats while I parked, and we met on Parliament Hill - I had my arms full of blankets and he had his hands full of melty blizzards. It has been hot here, and there is no doubt that summer is still alive and kicking... it's been in the low 30s, but getting up there close to 40 with the humidity, ugh. Anyways, we found a spot on the lawn in front of the Parliament buildings and watched Mosaika, an amazing sound and light show played on the backdrop of the centre building. It was awesome! Awesome show, awesome to lie in the warm summer night on a blanky, and awesome to linger there until long after everyone else had left.


And I'm not too sure if this is going to fall into the good things/great things category, but it does match with productivity: last night, for the first time, we were kicked out of a store... a baby goods store. The good part of the story is that we learned more about strollers and car seats from the most knowledgeable salesperson I have ever met in my life. Pera talked for an hour about the features and pluses and minuses of almost every stroller in Kiddytown, and then did the same for every car seat in Kiddytown, and information flowed in and filled in the baby blanks upstairs. Her manager had to come around and tell us that the store was closing... and that we had to ummm errrrr, maybe come back another day? So, progress is slowly being made on the babins front. The second bedroom chez nous is almost empty enough for a crib purchase, and we're planning on making it to Ikea one of these days for a dresser that will double as a changing table. That is, as long as we have a vehicle to get us there and back. We have Steve's parent's voiture here now, but are returning it this weekend. Another trip to Toronto tonight - for a wedding tomorrow.... eee! I'm excited. Maybe not so much about the drive, but it will be good to see friends and family and hopefully get a few things sorted out vis a vis our truck. The little engine that could? We'll have to see about finding one of those....