Memorial Day

Since Memorial Day is an American holiday, I thought that I would write a little about it for my Canadian readers.

It was General John Logan, the national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, who officially proclaimed Memorial Day on May 5th, 1868. Flowers were placed on the graves of both Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. After WWI, Memorial Day was expanded to include fallen soldiers from all American wars. These days, it also includes remembering any loved one who has died.

The cemetery at the end of our street is so beautiful this time of year, and also very busy. We've had to move our leisurely bike rides through the park like setting to the streets of our neighbourhood for fear of being run over. I took some pictures so you could see all the pretty flowers and momentos that people have left at the gravesites of loved ones. It's important to take a moment and remember the people who are no longer here with us and think about the influences they have had on our lives. It brings those loved ones back to life in our hearts and minds. In that way, it keeps them alive forever.

The Grass is Always Greener

A few months ago Will bought the girls a DVD collection of old cartoons, including Mighty Mouse and Popeye, and Moira has really been into them lately. We've also rented Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry and the Muppets which she also likes. Yesterday we were talking and I told Moira how Auntie Erica and I used to watch all those cartoons on TV when we were kids. Moira asked. "Even Garfield?" to which I said yes, it used to come on on Saturday mornings. Moira sighed and said, "I wish I had your life!" Wow! No one has ever said that to me before.

Poll Results

I hope you all enjoyed my last poll on your favourite doughnut. Here are the results:

2 votes glazed
2 votes jelly
1 vote cream filled
2 votes other

My vote was for glazed. When I was a kid my favourite doughnut was the long john (the rectangular one with a chocolate glaze on top). I don't think there is a doughnut that I don't like. People in the States rave about Krispy Kreme doughnuts and a few years ago Boise got it's first one and it happens to be just down the street from us. They are good, especially when they just come off the line. They are still warm and melt in your mouth. Yum! However, Tim Hortons doughnuts are better. They have more substance to them. You feel satisfied after just one (OK, maybe two!), but the Krispy Kreme ones are just fluff. You have to eat several of them to feel like you've eaten something. All those extra calories! UGH! And I love the Timbits (doughnut holes for my non-Canadian readers).

Here are some fun Doughnut facts for you.

- No one knows for sure who really invented the doughnut, but a certain sea captain's mother placed a large nut in the center of the dough where it would not cook (hence dough nut), but the son took credit for the hole in the middle. He was eventually burnt at the stake for being a witch. (Talk about Karma!)

- The first doughnut machine was invented in 1920 in New York by a Russian refugee.

- Canadians are the largest consumers of doughnuts in the world.

Please read my "Sick of Going Green" post to understand this week's poll.

Sick of Going Green

Am I the only one who is sick of all this "going green" stuff? It seems to be all that everyone is talking about these days. It's worked into tv and movie scripts and I can't even pick up a magazine without there being at least one article on the subject. I know the planet is in trouble and we all need to do our best to help the co2 situation, but I'm tired of hearing about it all the time like it's late breaking news. Maybe it's because I've always been "green". I've always recycled whenever it was possible and have never been one for over packaging or disposable. I never learned how to drive until I absolutely had to because I was going to be on my own practically in the middle of no where. It was so much easier and cheaper to take the bus or Skytrain (rapid transit train for my non-Vancouverite readers.) Now that Mother Earth is in danger, it has suddenly become the "in" thing. I think it's just common sense. Everyone should always be doing what they can, not only for the environment, but for their own health and peace of mind.

If you want to check out what your carbon footprint is on the world go to carbonfootprint.com and click on the "calculator" tab on the left. According to this site the average output of co2 in the US is 20.4 tonnes per person. The average in industrialized nations is 11 tonnes. My score is 6.546 tonnes. I was so happy, but not surprised, that my scrore was well below the national average. However, to make any kind of climate change, the world has to get down to 2 tonnes of co2 per person. That's a big difference.

I will always do what I can for the planet and the future of my children. I guess all this "going green" stuff has showed me that I can always do better.

Happy Birthday, Moira!

I can't believe that my little girl is seven. She's going to be starting grade two at the end of June. My baby! Where did you go?

Moira has been countng down the days until her birthday since January. She decided that this year she wanted a horse themed birthday party. She invited eight kids, but one couldn't make it and another came half way through. Thank goodness the weather is always nice on her birthday so I plan her parties for outside.

Eating pizza on the patio.

Will mowed a maze in the back lawn. We had a couple of games set up, like horseshoes and Moira wanted to play a version of "hot potato" but with a stuffed horse. It ended up that all the girls wanted to do was play on the swing set. They were impatient to eat pizza so that Moira could open presents and then they could all have cake. I was worried that they would rush through every thing and then be bored for the rest of the party. They all played well together and made up their own stuff to do.



I wish I could take credit for this cake, but my thoughtful and talented friend Terhi made it for me. I was stressing out about what to do for the cake - should I take the time to make one or just cheat and buy one? Terhi came to my rescue and offered to make it. Not only was it beautiful to look at, it also tasted very yummy.

Moira had a fun birthday and is already planning what kind of theme she wants for next year. Let me put my feet up first!

Catching Up

Now comes the laborious task of playing "blog catch up". In the last couple of weeks we have tried to get a loan for a new house but the bank lied to us about some stuff so we refinanced our house with another bank to take our business away from them and now we are working on getting a second loan so we can put an offer on a house that we have had our eye on since Easter. "We should know more next week" has become our motto.

We also got a new cat, but after five days he ran away and we haven't seen him since. I made my first sale on Etsy (It was to Erica. Does that count?) and the book club that got started at my birthday tea is now reading its first book "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom. It is an autobiography about a Dutch watchmaker and her family who help to hide Jews during WWII. It's very interesting and makes me appreciate what I have.

Kyla is doing well and is doing much better with the potty. She uses it by herself now without us having to remind her all the time. She still goes commando under her dresses as it easier for her to go on her own. She loves to play outside and has become clingy lately. Part of being two, I suppose. She really isn't a "terrible two" but neither was Moira. She turned wretched when she was three. I'm half expecting that Kyla to be the same way.

Liam is getting so big. I'm in denial about how old he really is. Whenever someone asks me his age I always want to say six months, but that's not true. He's really eight months. It's so hard to believe. He already has four teeth - the top two plus an eye tooth and one lonely one on the bottom. He's gotten all of them in the last few weeks. He has been a trooper and has hardly been miserable. Nothing that being held by mum can't fix. The days of the toothless grin are over. Sigh! Liam sits up on his own now, although I still keep a close eye on him. He sometimes topples over. He's so chubby. I just love it.

Pimp My Ride

Check out my sweet ride. They say you never forget how to ride a bike and it's a good thing too because it's been seven years since I last rode my bike. For my birthday Will got it tuned up and with my birthday money I bought myself a basket, bell, helmet and lock. Will also got a bike trailer so that we could tow Kyla and Liam. It was so nice to go out as a family for a bike ride. We rode around the cemetary that is at the end of our street and fed the ducks in the pond and went to see the five caribou that are kept up near the funeral home. I felt so free on my bike, with the breeze flowing through my hair and the smell of the blossoms in the trees. Then there was the burning sensation in my upper thighs from lack of use. My muscles cried out, "Stop! I hurt!", but my spirit cried out,"More! More!' I've gone on several more bike rides since that first time. I had forgotten how much fun it is. I even rode it down to the fabric store the other day. Sure it took me longer to get ready and to ride there and back than if I had driven, but the benefits to my body and the environment far outweighed any hassle.

On another note, this is my 100th post. Wow! Who knew that I would make it this far?

Taylor/Rogers Update

I'm sorry that I haven't updated my blog in a while. Things have been crazy around here. First our laptop died again so now we are back to our old PC. I took for granted how easy it was to do things on our Mac. It doesn't look like we will be able to get it up and running again any time soon so for now I'm back to the laborious PC.

I've also been busy with some projects for the Highland games. Since my jewelry isn't really selling anymore I'm having to expand my Celtic merchandise line, plus I've been working on a few other projects that I've had rolling around in my brain. My creativity has been blooming lately and I can't work fast enough to keep up with my brain. The house and my family have been neglected.

As soon as I can get photos downloaded I will get caught up on my blog. I'm going to make it a priority this week.

Love to you all.

Poll Results

Here are the results for how often you buy online:

1 vote at least once a month
3 votes a few times a year
2 votes never

I buy a few times a year and it's mostly supplies that I can't find here in town, like craft supplies that I use to make things for the Highland games. I don't usually buy things for personal use, although with my discovery of Etsy, that it quickly changing. I got some birthday money so I've boughten a few things that I couldn't live without. It's fun to get things in the mail, but I love the instant gratification of just going to the store and getting something right away. It's a give and take.

This week's poll was inspired by Amanda.