Darkness

Interview with Joe Hill

We all process terror and horror differently, what is scary to some, is just plain ridicules to others. Our reaction to what scares us I believe is deeply rooted in our psyche. Case in point, Horns, which I just read by Joe Hill and I kid you not, this was the most terrifying book that I’ve read. Initially I started reading it but quit after chapter one because I thought the premise of the story was pretty stupid.

However, I just could not get the main character, Iggy Parrish, out of my mind. He had taken root in the deep dark area of my brain and the only way to get rid of him I thought was to exorcise him by following him to the end. So I grabbed the book and finished reading it. I admit, there were still some sections of the story I could not get myself to read and glanced over them quickly before moving on to the next scene. By now you probably think I am some kind of wimp. It is just a story after all.

I think being raised Catholic has something to do with how I related to Iggy waking up as the devil. As a child, the devil was around every corner tempting anyone in his vicinity. There exist a struggle between what is right and wrong and in a perfect world the devil would always lose. But what if...

...the scariest thing imaginable happen, waking up as the devil like Iggy. Scarier still is how the other characters reacted to him. I don’t know but for me taking the reader to the darkest depths of unspeakable impiety is more terrifying than say invasions of aliens or vampires.

Regardless, I totally recommend reading this book, Joe Hill is a talented writer. Which is no surprise, after all he did learn from the most prolific of horror writers, his dad.

Another blogger reviewed the book here and the another review here.

NYC I love U!

I am not sure why it took so long for us to visit this amazing city, but it took over 15 years after living practically next door to finally go there. Although, I admit, I was aware that it is an incredible metropolis with a worldwide reputation for some of the most exciting entertainment venues and museums but somehow it always felt too far away. Really, it is no more than a seven-hour drive.

Going to NYC for Spring break was a spontaneous decision. After our son Andrew returned from NYC with his grade 7/8 class he suggested we go there the following week. After a brief discussion, we agreed to go and as it turned out was the best decision we made collectively as a family.
He was our tour guide and we spent the next three days following in the footsteps of his class, minus going to the UN. However, we added more tourist activities which he didn’t have time to do with his class on his previous trip. Here he is at the Empire State Building!

My first impressions of NYC was that it is clean, energetic, and friendly. I’m not sure if it was because it was one of the first hot, sunny days, but New Yorkers as whole are a pretty friendly bunch. We were there right smack in the middle of it all for St. Patrick's Day Parade. There were millions of crazy, happy, fun lovin people on the streets!

The only criticism I have is where are the public toilets! Fortunately, we found Starbucks had one but others found it too. The line up was about 45 minutes because it was St. Paddy's day and tons of people where in the same predicament.

All in all, it was a very memorable trip, the highlight of which for me was seeing Lend Me A Tenor, which was playing at the Music Box. After the play we went to the Empire State Building, by then after midnight, to see the city lights. It felt very ‘sleepless in Seattle’. Magnificent!

The following are some images (click to enlarge) of the trip…

Going Green...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkU8_zKNcis

I am on day eight of the green smoothie challenge and so far I am doing great. A real bonus to this challenge is that each day I get an email with the smoothie for the day. Along with the daily recipe includes a short note about its benefits, which acts both as a reminder and a motivator. Finally, the price is right, because it is free!

Although, I think the title 'green smoothie' is not that appetizing and might turn some people off, but you wait. Once you've had a glass I'm almost certain you'll want more... Just because it is healthy it does not need to taste bad.

In just this brief amount of time I already feel the effect of the drinks, in that I have more energy and clarity… and as I mentioned above it is actually quite delicious.

My favorite green smoothie so far is:
4/5 kale leaves,
3 apples,
½ lemon and
2 cups of water

Before I put it to my lips I gaze at the color of the liquid in the glass. It is bright, frothy, and very green, a colorful feast to my eyes to be sure. I bring it close to my nose and smell its lemony freshness and then drink this delicious elixir slowly to let my taste buds giggle delightfully. I just knew it would taste great!

I decided to look at where my food comes from started after I saw this video. Honestly, after seeing this film there is no avoiding or ignoring what goes into this body anymore. Maybe sometimes it is good to be ignorant but this is not one of them.

I'm looking forward to planting my garden and reaping even more benefits and it is comforting knowing exactly what I'm feeding my family from now on. It feels great to be in control.

P.S.

I've completed the 14 day challenge!!! Yay for me! It is not as difficult as it seems to change one item in ones diet and the benefits are tremendous, more energy, healthy skin, and hair. Who doesn't need clarity of mind? For all those reasons and more is why a 'green smoothie' a day is how I'll be starting each day from now on. Can you tell I just LOVE it. Thank you Anand and Runi you changed not only my life but the life of the people in my house! I challenge everyone to try this for life's sake.

Spring Cleaning

Yesterday I began the ‘master cleanse’. My goal is to have a nice pink tongue, which means that my body is in perfect balance.
Yesterday’s challenge was to stop thinking of food. It’s harder than you think. Go ahead, say to yourself I will not think about food, and then try not thinking about food. It is especially true if you have a family to feed.

So I told guys that they are on your own for a few days. Immediately, they order pizza! I said to them, although you are on your own you can't order take out everyday.

This morning, I feel great drinking my tonic of lemon, maple syrup, with a dash of cayenne pepper. I am deviating from the program slightly, by drinking a protein shake at mid-day. I’ve read so many posts on the subject and my instinct tells me I’m on the right path for me. Perhaps that is why I'm not feeling hunger.

Dreams

Creating a meditative garden
I dream of allowing my inner child to come out and play!


I dream of long white beaches, and sunny days!

A Final Good-bye

Dr. Francis (Frank/Pete) Abbott, April 12,1928 -February 25,2010

Dearest Friend and Neighbor,

Yesterday, February 25, 2010 I was told of your death. It saddens me deeply that you will no longer walk this earth. I admit though, it was not unexpected, after all you have been experiencing considerable problems associated with aging.

In particular, your quality of life in the past year was difficult for you to accept without a fight. Especially because you were someone who was so active throughout life. Mostly, I think, the fact that you had to rely on others for basic assistance for your daily routine made it that much more distressing. Your body was failing, but yet you felt you should still be doing the things you did several months ago. Hell, not just several months ago, but years ago. You talked recently about taking my son canoeing in the summer. You really had a very strong will, and maybe it could have happened. I know it must have been hard to reconcile the two, making living each day more unbearable. But yet you fought a good fight. Your frustration was evident in your eyes even when you didn’t complain.

I am sure you appreciated though that you were able to live in that beautiful place by the Ottawa River for as long as you did. I have many fond memories of sitting in the screened in porch enjoying the river view in your company. So, dear friend, I do understand and appreciate why your home gave you peace and comfort.

I want you to know that you were the best neighbor I could have asked for, kind, gentle, and an amazing conversationalist. As soon as we met you made us feel part of your family. I will cherish the memory of our Sunday dinners and the stories of your adventures from near and afar.

I will always be grateful that you were part of our life. Good bye Friend! (inside joke / He sang this on his answering machine)

Happy Dance!!!

This image depicts how I felt on Friday!

Last month, I decided to open my eyes and really look at my spending habits because more than anything I needed to know where my money was disappearing to. It seemed like money was flowing through my fingers like water and leaving no evidence that it was ever in my hand. Part of my plan is to record all spending no matter how small. Which means documenting all receipts and opening all mail and recording even the interest payments. Previously, I would guess what I had to pay, and sometime over paid and other times underpaid the bills. This you can imagine resulted in paying higher interests if under paying bills.

Therefore, in keeping with my plan I have been going through my stacks of mail, sorting, and filing them since the beginning of the year. As it is tax time, I decide to look for and found my tax assessment from last year. I remember receiving it but was in a hurry and placed in on pile of the stack of correspondence where it stayed for seven months unopened, until Friday. I opened it and inside was a check for over $6,000!!! Wow! Let that be a lesson to me, open every piece of mail no matter how in a rush I might be.