Chronicles of a Shoemaker's Daughter

... or ... "phew, I got these out of the way ... so what's next?" My friends and I always made these lists, long before the movie. We often played a sort of game that involved writing your own obituary, or coming up with a list of things you might want to be remembered for. Some of the things on my list seemed well, sort of boring or perhaps a little bland, while others seemed well nigh impossible. But, I am happy to report, that I have managed, over the course of 25 years, to strike some of the entries off my list. It was only when I realized that in fact, I had managed, between long "dry spells" to get to quite a few of my bucket goals, that I really began to understand the power of writing things down and visualizing the results. So here is an incomplete run-down of a few goals that I can safely strike from the list: 1. Learn to type (seriously, I was over 30 when I learned to type without looking at the keys!) 2. Live in the Caribbean for a yea...

Also known as, "doo, doo, doo, lookin' out my back door ..." It is hard to believe that I had a hand in helping all these little beauties along. And when I remember, I do pause and give thanks to the heavens, because as sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, winter is right around the corner. And the chair that I usually occupy during Guarda La Yarda season, will look something like this: And let me be clear, this was NOT shot in B&W and was not photo-shopped or digitally altered in any way. Some winter days are just THAT gloomy ... and cold ... brrrrrrr .....

Summers in Canada are never long enough for my taste. So, even as I continue to remain swamped with work that is costing me money instead of making me money, I take a deep breath, count my blessings and get the heck out there to enjoy a mini stay-cation or two! Here are a few scenes from the Toronto Caribana parade, and a few more photos from the Harbourfront a few days later This one must be a sort of Halloween Mas ... or maybe it's just a colourful tropical arachnid! So, why did I suddenly feel the urger to call Ghost Busters?! This next shot is my favourite - I call it Boats 'n' Floats ... And then, a few days later, we headed out to the Harbourfront. My friend was late, so while I waited I tried to take a few shots with my new blackberry. I miss my old cheapo HP camera. It was my first digital camera, but it took such nice photos. I still don't mind these so much ... and I am sure that I will treasure the summer re...

My shoes don't fit any more. Literally. I still wear the same size, but somehow my old shoes don't seem to fit. Ironically, my whole life seems to be playing out much like the lack of fit between my footwear and my aging peasant feet. What a great metaphor. I suppose I could go out and just buy a bunch of new shoes. Or I can stop and reflect on what is really going on with my feet. Is this a temporary situation? Or something that I must take more seriously? In reflecting on footwear and where my feet have taken me over the last few years, I have also been reflecting on my life journey. My choices over the last 6 years have forever altered not just the direction of my life, but also who I am fundamentally, as a person. But, you know that old say, "watch out what you wish for?" As I grow closer to achieving my goals, I have been plagued by a lack of fit between myself and parts of my environment. I am struggling with "fitting in" in certain scen...

Dear Mr. Murphy: I used to scoff at your laws. Now I have one simple request - can you please stop collaborating with Ms. Karma? I need a little break to get me through this deadline! Cheers, from me and my Mac ... I am sending a plea out to the universe to get me through this week ... and through these next few months. How much new learning can this middle-aged brain really deal with? Well, that question is being put to the test in some serious ways. I suddenly feel so much more tech-savy today than I did a mere 6 month ago. But, I have paid for it in stress and sweat. Going back to grad school at age 50+ is already challenging enough, but I wasn't counting on all sorts of technological hiccups. When my reliable PC decided to implode during my final assignment for my first course last October, I decided to invest in a MacBook Pro. But first, I resorted to my little laptop PC to get me to Christmas. The plan was to purchase a new laptop after the holidays. And then co...

... but they make the world's most heavenly cheese. And that is something to sing about! I went to my favourite cheese store today. While I waited for for my meagre order of Chevre Noir and my lates t "sheep-cheese from Quebec" discovery, I was distracted by a sign that said they had "fresh" Mozzarella di Bufala direct from Campania. Well, since my folks are from Campania, and I have such distinct memories of meeting the creatures that produce the milk that makes "real mozzarella" so special ... I had to have me some. In case you don't know, a bufala is a female water buffalo. How did these beauties that resemble oxen more than they resemble bison, get to the mountains north of Naples? Rumour has it they were shipped to the Roman Empire from Egypt during the reign of Cleopatra. I love this cheese shop, because every time I go there, it triggers another set of long-lost memories and images that I have m anaged to bury deep in my sub-conscious. So ...

I wanted to post a photo of something that happened in St. Kitts. But it seems to have gone to computer chip heaven along with some of my missing Anguilla photos. So, after I left Anguilla, I met up with my friends, "Mr. & Mrs. _eh," in St. Martin, and we flew to St. Kitts on one those wonderful LIAT puddle-jumpers. I rented a car there too. Then I proceeded to do my very best to break it. I even had a "mug-shot" of the evidence ... me holding a piece of what was left of the license plate after I plowed into a low wall, in the hotel parking area. Unfortunately, the photo was taken with my Samsung Ace phone, which died recently, before I remembered to retrieve my photos. With a dead camera, you would think I would have ensured that my phone-photos were well saved, backed up, whatever. But NO! Anyway, I guess today, I started thinking about my weird "equipment karma", that seems to extend all the way from kars to cell phones, to PC's. An...

This past week's snow storm was a non-event, here in Toronto. Oh sure, we had a few days of bitter, biting cold. The kind that causes the extremites to seize up and fall off, if not properly wrapped in mitts, layers of socks, scarves and the like. And oh yes, it did snow, but in the days preceding the arrival of said snow-fall, the media played it up as the storm of the century. An apocalyptic, disastrous weather pattern, that would surely shut down the city. And boy, were we ready! School boards called a snow day for the first time in over a decade, the snow plows and salt trucks were out in full force, and those who didn't trust their bosses to close up the shop, put in for a bit of lieu time or a vacation day. Well boys and girls, the big bad winter storm didn't live up to the hype. And I feel nothing but the utmost respect for my friends and family who live south of the border, because they actually were treated miserably by t he same weather system before it took...

Edited and pictures added February 1, 2011. It has been quite some time since I have posted anything on this blog, largely because I haven't decided whether to keep it going, shut it down or let it morph into something else. Life changes have taken over, and although writing here proved good therapy while I was preparing for the career shifting, now that the changes are in full swing, much of my computer time is spent building my business and trying to figure out how to market counselling and coaching services without loosing track of my personal philosphies and integrity. Ah, but this is a topic for another time. Today however, I'm here to talk about my recent trip to Anguilla! So without further dawdling, here it is (at least in part, and for now, minus photos, for the most part, which is also a subject for another time ...) Update - February 1, 2011: I have finally uploaded some photos ... PART I - GETTING THERE: For Canadians, especially those of us living in Sout...