Bye 2012!

2012 has been a wild year for us, and it has flown by in the blink of an eye!  Life has been so busy I didn’t even get to mail out Christmas cards this year but don’t worry, I have them all ready for next year and will have them to the post office by December 1^st (which sounds like a lifetime away!).

2012 started slowly for us, Royal Ribbons was doing well and picking up after the holidays.  I filled my calendar with lunches and book club and Civic Awards meetings as well as worked on plans for the Business Excellence Awards night – I was asked to join the committee and since I had the time I agreed to help out.

February was spent working on big changes to the Civic Awards program and ceremony.  We spent almost a year revamping the entire event so we had lots of meetings to discuss bylaws, logos, scripts etc.  Fortunately we had a very mild winter so getting out and about was easy – I don’t think I wore my boots once!

March was busy with committee meetings as all of the awards nights were coming up quickly.  I also turned 41 and seem to have firmly crossed the Rubicon.  I was invited to a volunteer dinner in town and it was nice to be the one being waited on for an evening.  It’s always great to see so many people dedicated to their community gathered in one spot!

The Little Prince turned 4 in April and amid the flurry of events we had a nice little family party for him at home.  A few of my friends came by for cake and champagne…and photos with the Thomas mural!

May found me on a plane, on my way to Scotland for a week.  I had a great time staying in Stirling and got to see lots of cousins.  In true Scottish fashion, it rained all but one day but that’s alright, I had loads of fun anyway.  

In June it was time to get back to business…Royal Ribbons was a year old and I was enjoying meeting new people and making lots of great contacts.  I also provided lunch for my Rotary Club while they worked at the Habitat for Humanity site which is such an amazing experience.  I got to meet the woman the house was being built for and can’t think of anyone more deserving.  At this point I ended up with some sort of stomach flu, which is a great weight loss program…after about 10 days I managed to get out on my wobbly Bambi legs to attend a monument dedication, in the sun and heat…I didn’t last long!

July is when everything changed.  Policing in our town was up for debate and the people didn’t like it.  I attended a council meeting that made me so angry I offered to join forces with the biggest curmudgeon in town to fight town hall.  We were at risk of losing our police force and a committee was formed, I was named chair and within 24 hours we were on the front page of the newspapers, money was pouring in and the town know they had a fighting chance.  6 weeks of fundraising, meetings, flyers, newspaper and radio advertisements, sign blitzes, interviews, letters to the editor, t-shirts, a march led by our local pipe band, a rally, and my speech to council in front of a packed gallery – the vote was deferred until December.  It was supposed to happen on September 11^th – the irony did not go unnoticed – but we were faced with having to wait more than three months to find out if we would be able to keep our police force.  

In the middle of all of this, my parents moved to town – just in time to see me in the papers each week, I was presented with my Chamber of Commerce plaque, the Little Prince attended a teddy bear picnic, we went to a Big Band concert in the park, the Little Prince played on a soccer team for the first time, our Danish exchange student arrived for a year, we found a new school for the Little Prince, dropped the ceremonial puck at the local hockey team's opening game, attended the fall fair, I took up shooting, provided the meal at a weekly poverty dinner, took the Little Prince to a Wiggles concert, went to a wine tasting (and was poured into my house at the end of the evening), celebrated Thanksgiving with our parents and our exchange student, and did a flight in a fellow Rotarian’s private plane with the exchange student so she could see the area in the fall from the sky.  I was also juggling other committee commitments as well…sometimes having to work with the politicians I was fighting against – life is nothing if not complicated!

Fortunately another councilor decided December was too long to wait and asked that the vote be on October 30^th.  This left us 6 weeks to fill so the police committee got to work on a few information brochures and I spent my time gently lobbying a councilor and the deputy mayor.  Coffees, phone calls and talks in the hallways of town hall have become the norm.  Fortunately, when the vote came down, after an hour of debating in council chambers, one of the councilors decided to listen to the people who elected him and changed his vote.  Town hall erupted in applause as it was finally decided we would be keeping our police force.  I felt like I could breathe for the first time in months!  We all went to the pub for champagne, speeches and to hang out with the cops.  I turned to address the police chief at one point during my speech and saw him wipe a tear away.  This is how important the fight was for our town.  

In November I reconnected with friends I have missed for a few months, got to work on choosing next year’s outbound exchange student for the Rotary club, started plans for the 2013 Christmas committee and started thinking about the holidays.  We saw the holiday train go through town and I’ve decided to try to get it to stop here next year.  We attended the candlelight walk through town and the lighting of the park, and the Santa Claus parade.

In December I worked a lot, took the exchange student to Toronto for the Christmas Market and dinner at my favourite spot, met with the head of the poverty coalition to talk about forming a board in January, organized a pot luck dinner for the Rotary club, rang the bell for the Salvation Army outside the liquor store (I knew I would see most of the people I know), went to the Little Prince’s school pageant, took a stuffed animal for the hockey team’s annual Teddy Bear Toss and wound up in the paper again for helping out…and then everything came to a screeching halt when the Little Prince got sick, then fell down and did something to his ankle that has left him in a cast for a few weeks.  He spent more than a week in bed and I wasn’t sure he would manage Christmas…but the little guy rallied and managed to smile while opening his presents and got to see his grandparents.  I took a few hours away on Christmas day to serve lunch to the poor as a friend of mine organizes it each year.  It was lots of busy, fun work and quite a few of my friends did the same, donned an apron and provided a nice meal for people who wouldn’t have one otherwise.

I have been busy getting Royal Ribbons back on track; I added a few new products and have plans to add more in 2013.  The latest is custom mugs which I spent a day traveling all over the city to prepare for and in one day got enough orders to put me in the black – I’m calling it a success!   Life is still all about meetings and lunches – I get calls from all over the place from people asking me to help them take on their own town hall – so I keep busy, which is fine with me!

The Little Prince is doing well in Montessori school and he is making lots of friends there.  The Suburban Prince has been working away , doing his thing, and I have taken a part time job at a local funeral home, as well as joining a few more committees.  

I am exhausted just proof reading all that!  Yes, I tend to bite off more than I can chew but isn’t that what makes life fun?  2013 will be another wild year I’m sure – and I am looking forward to it!

From my family to yours, all the very best for 2013! 

2008 was the worst and hardest year of my life.
2009 was about picking up the pieces and survival.
2010 was about figuring it all out.
2011 was meant to be epic but I can't remember much of it!
2012 was my year.  I found my stride, proved what I am made of and plan to take that into 2013 to accomplish more, bigger, better things.

Look out world! 

Happy New Year!
Happy Hogmanay!


 
Have a fabulous day!

November

  

Happy November!   It has been a crazy three months and the policing vote was on Tuesday night....all of my hard work paid off!  One of the coucillors flipped his vote, saying he sees the will of the people and now we will get to keep our local police force!  Wahoo!  I am happy and exhausted and in dire need of a break - I am looking forward to getting back to business and friends and all the things I had to do without for all this time. 

First up is a trip to the mall to find shoes to go with this dress...

 ...I'm not sure if I should go with navy shoes or stick with neutral ones...tho it wont do any harm to have a pair of navy pumps in my closet even if I don't wear them with this.  

See how quickly my mind reverted right back to worrying about the most simple things? 36 hours out of politics and right back to my 1% problems!

Have a fabulous day!

What a week...or so!

Happy Monday!  It has been a wild 10 days - I managed to survive the Wiggles concert and the arena has free wifi so while the Little Prince danced and sang, I replied to hundreds of emails and kept in touch with the real world.

While we were there I got a message from the Cheeky Reaper that he had a huge visitation that night and was on his own at the funeral home so when I got home I did a quick change and went to help him out.  I'm realizing if you want to see who's who...go to the big funerals!

On Saturday I called a police committee meeting and I really thought it would just be an hour - I got home 5 hours later!  The official meeting lasted 90 minutes but then my Spiritual Advisor came to the bar and we got to talking then I had to drop by the Lincoln Lawyer's (new character in this movie I call my life, he looks like Abe Lincoln, and is the lawyer for the police committee) house with a document.  His wife makes the best coffee and she knows I will never turn one down....aaaand after coffee we got into the raspberry beer and before I knew it I was strolling in the front door after 7pm. 

 

I went to have a chocolate from the little box I left on the coffee table.  Seems a certain Little Prince found them and decided to do a taste test!

On Sunday I went skeet shooting in a farmer's field.  I came home achy and the next day had a nice bruise - the big shotgun just about knocked me over!  And yes...I can hit a moving target.

On Monday I went to my Rotary meeting and then I think I stopped at the bar to chat with some committee members - tho I can't remember...it's all becoming a blur!

Every morning at 8:30 this farmer takes his horse out for a jog - I used to wonder how anyone could live in the country...I'm turning into one of them.  I'm way more Hunter wellies and riding jackets than I ever thought I could be.  I used to read Marie Claire...now it's Garden & Gun.

On Tuesday morning I had a meeting (at the bar, surprise surprise) with a member of the board that represents the police to council, then Hermes Scarf Friend came up and we had lunch in the cozy corner (a little semi private room with one table right at the front window of the bar) and chatted for a couple of hours.  We made plans for the exchange student, gossiped and decided we need to do a drinking tour of town again soon.  At this point I realized I needed to have a nap or I wouldn't make it through the rest of the day so I went home and rested for a while.

On Tuesday evening I went to the council meeting to make sure nothing shady was going on then stopped by the...wait for it...bar (I'm sure you think I'm some sort of lush by now but I assure you, as soon as I walk in the wait staff will come over with a club soda and lots of lime for me).  There were all sorts of interesting people there so it was a fun hour of chatting and deciding we all hate the same person.

I spotted this little beauty in town a few weeks ago - my dream car!  It was a gorgeous day and it took everything I have to resist asking the owner if I could take it for a spin.

On Wednesday I spent the whole day dealing with media - from 5am I was emailing reporters and making arrangements for interviews - then I had to do a photo op, then go to the radio station to record the new ad for the police committee.  I stopped by the...you guessed it...bar to chat with my Spiritual Advisor (with just a few days left before the vote everyone is spending a lot of time thinking and talking about it).  Everyone knows my car so anytime I am in the bar there will be a stream of people coming in to talk, pass on information, say hello...so an hour later I got home and needed to lie down.  5am is very early when I have evening plans the same day!

That night we went to a soup dinner party - just my luck tho, I was allergic to three of the 4 soups and don't like the 4th one. I filled up on cheese and crackers and didn't make a fuss.  The people sitting next to me were the strangest couple.  She is about 6'4" and he is just slightly taller than my 5'2". I also suspect she was once a man.  Anyhoo...when another one of the wives started talking about her cat I knew it was time for me to go home. 

Our Rotary exchange student is the loveliest girl and I'm not kidding when I say I am going to have a hard time giving her back to her parents.  I tend to invite her out with me more than I am expected to (I'm her guardian and counselor but she doesn't live with me) but she is just so nice to have around.  I took her to the mall with me and stumbled upon these - you know you are getting old when this prompts the sudden donning of sunglasses.  And these weren't the brightest ones they had!  As the exchange student was trying things on it made me smile, then cringe to think when I was her age I would've been going gaga for all the neon in the shops.  Preppy or not, no one got through the 80s without something neon.

My parents went to Florida for a few weeks and I didn't ask them to bring anything back...to be honest I just didn't get organized enough to do the research and make my list.  They will do the leg work as long as I provide item names and numbers, store addresses and phone numbers etc.  Anyhoo...I did have a few things shipped to them - a box of ribbon so I could avoid the customs bill and a couple of Android tablets (half the price they are in Canada) - but this is what they bought for me!  Wahoo!   I'm known for my club soda (or soda water as it is called in some places) and everyone knows to follow the trail of empty blue cans if they want to find me - well, my mom asked the Lilly staff person what the little thing is, which surprised me as it's not like we don't have koozies here, anyway...she was told it's "for your can of club soda".  My mom knew at that moment she had to get it for me to go with the monthly planner.

On Thursday I did my usual running around, customer calls, seamstress meeting (I get all of my clothes tailored) and then had a civic awards meeting.  It was decided the Little Prince and I will be placing the committee's wreath on the cenotaph on Remembrance Day. He has watched me fight for democracy all this time with the policing issue and it is the perfect opportunity for him to come and see why I have put myself and my family through this.  We will have some talks about the people who have given their lives in the name of democracy so I hope he takes something from it.  It's a bit of a big deal and a privilege to be able to represent the committee and take part in the ceremony.

After the meeting I went to...the bar...and everyone was shocked to hear I was meeting the Suburban Prince for dinner as we never seem to be in the same place at the same time!  I had to wait for a while so I chatted with the regulars before I sat at my table and one of them was nice enough to think I needed some vodka in my club soda so he sent one over.  How nice is that!  

This week there is a 'town hall' meeting for the public on Monday and I will need to be there as police committee chair ready to ask questions of our elected representatives.  On Tuesday there is a special council meeting and the supposed final vote is to be that night.  We are supposed to find out once and for all if we will be keeping our police force.  We have spent 3 months trying to get just one councillor to change their vote, I am cautiously optimistic as these people have to know there will be either a riot, or a parade.  If we get what we want I will be the first one to jump up and lead the standing ovation.  I've also made it clear that if the vote goes wrong, I am no longer responsible for holding people back.  I have prevented riots, talked people out of burning down the mayor's house, kept people from picketing and storming town hall...if it goes wrong, I am stepping aside and letting the chips fall where they may.

It's Downton Day!  Episode 7 is tonight and I wont give any spoilers but I will be here at 4pm watching the live stream, armed with a handkerchief.  I will post this link to the new ep once I have it.

And that's my life in a nutshell - I have spent the weekend at home, alone, not going anywhere, recharging and getting organized again.  It has been nice to stay in my jammies and not have to be 18 people all at once!

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Have a fabulous day!

Friday Friday Friday!

 Happy Friday!  It has been a wild week - my life is such a roller coaster!


- On Monday I dropped the Little Prince at my parents' house and went to a Rotary dinner, I managed to sneak out before the presentations and had a quick coffee with the Cheeky Reaper before going home for the evening.

 

Looking for a tiny little runway

 

 I can see my house down there!

- On Tuesday Daddy Warbucks too the exchange student and me flying in his little plane which was awesome, as always!  We spent an hour flying around town and checked out all the buildings we know.  We were then invited back to his house for a glass of wine and a chat.

I had to leave in time to get to town hall for the council meeting - policing was on the agenda and it didn't go as we had hoped.  The fight isn't over as the final vote has happened so now I am scrambling to figure it all out and get a press release out today.

I was also told my Spiritual Adviser has stage 4 cancer and I broke down in front of town hall.  Fortunately there were some big shoulders there to dry my tears.

- Yesterday I ran errands and attended the police board meeting - it's amazing how many groups are involved with policing...there's the police force, the association or union, the police services board and council.  It can be very confusing to the newbies!

- Today I get to spend my afternoon attending a Wiggles concert. I don't want to go but I am doing it for the Little Prince.  I am told it is 90 minutes of pure hell but it does eventually end.  Oh the things we do for our children!  Sometimes I question my decision to be so old when I had my son, a Wiggles concert is no place for a woman of my age. And I'm told the bar is closed in the venue.


- Tomorrow I have a police committee meeting and I hope to go shooting at some point over the weekend - must kill all the little clay pigeons!


If you can, please leave your comment here instead of on Twitter. Thanks!


Have a fabulous day!

G8/20 Food

Don't forget to enter my Flower Power Giveaway!  The winners will get a flower in the colours/styles of their choice!

I am sure you have heard all about the violence, rioting, looting and general criminality surrounding the G8/20 summit this weekend in Toronto.  It is very strange to see this going on in Toronto - Canadians are usually peaceful in their protests and even the mayor pointed out the last time there was a violent incident during a protest was 15 years ago.  Let's remember the people causing all of the problems in the city right now are anarchists - not protesters.

Everyone has been wondering what is going on inside the summit - I have no idea what the world leaders are talking about but I do know what the wives had for lunch!

All of these details are courtesy of The Toronto Star.....

Pastry canoes stuffed with cranberry mascarpone mousse dotted with white chocolate pearls, surrounded by a passion fruit purée to represent water, and decorated with orange icewine jelly, more summer berries and a chocolate paddle.

The tastiest part of the pastry canoe — which was almost childlike in its cuteness — was the violet-hued mousse, all pillowy softness with unexpected white chocolate pearl crunch.

The soup, people will be amused to learn, is a modified version of a recipe the Royal York developed a few years ago for the annual Milk Calendar put out by the Dairy Farmers of Ontario.

Toss strawberries, cream, yogurt, honey and orange juice into a blender and purée. The taste is pure berry, the presentation charming. Servers poured soup from individual white porcelain teapots into white bowls holding tiny rounds of panna cotta topped by raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and blueberries and a single viola.

(Is this actually a 'soup' and not a dessert?)

From the reporter...“We’re here for the pastry canoe — it’s breaking food news,” I joked with various officers. I’m not allowed to tell you how my silly banter went over or what anyone replied.


Have a fabulous day!