I rarely dream, and if I do, I rarely remember what I dreamt. Last night was a rare exception. The night before last, we had an enormous picnic and fun fair with my son's preschool and didn't get home until quite late. All of us slept in this morning. We fell asleep with the patio door open and could hear the waves rolling onto the beach outside. All the fresh air and soothing sounds made me dream. And this is what I dreamt...

George Bush was coming to give a lecture at my place of employment and I was tasked with showing him around. There were no secret service or police. Just him and I. Naturally, Canada is such a safe place; no need to fear Canadians. We are getting along quite nicely, he and I. I am politely trying to explain that Canada is not a State in the Americas. The Presidents's eyes glaze over and he informs me that he needs to go to the toilet (we generally say washroom here, I thought; this is a rather rude thing to say)...I tell him it is on the next floor above us and I decide to stay in the library (where we had presently been talking, or rather I was talking and he was thinking about the closest can). I am reading and enjoying myself and then realize that a really long time has passed. No one even seems to have noticed that I was escorting the President of the United States around. Ho hum. So I decide to go looking for him. I open the door to the stairwell and there he is; a look of agony on his face and on the floor, having obviously fallen down the stairs. His leg is bent in an obviously broken position.

I tell him that I will go for help. I leave him there and walk to the nearest hospital, which has suddenly become conveniently attached to my place of employment. It never occurred to me to call 911 from the library. No, of course not. I wander into the Emergency and quietly and calmly ask if an ambulance can be sent to the stairwell because, well, the President of the United States is laying there with a broken leg. And there ended my dream.

I awoke annoyed at myself. All this time alone with the President and I didn't take the opportunity to tell him how I really feel about his Politics?! I didn't take the chance to give him a piece of my mind when he was down and couldn't run away from me!? Why didn't I say something like "Sign Kyoto and I'll call you an ambulance..." Anyone who goes back to some of my earliest posts on this blog can learn about my thoughts on this President, but you probably get the idea already. I have given him the middle finger (both of them, in fact) when he came to Halifax.

And then I realized why I didn't. I feel sorry him. He can't help it that he is so stupid. It's a disability. Akin to a broken leg. His brain is partially broken.

NOTE: American friends, of course your opinions and comments, of all varieties, are most welcome. Feel free to disrespect the Canadian government. They currently deserve it as well.

Clothes on the line, 19th Century style.

O.K., so I was really really hungry (explanation for my hand grabbing at the bannock first). Yum. I don't know why I looked so worried, though.

Supposedly I have a crap load of work to do from home today, but here I am.
I am trying not to look out the window at the umpteenth day of fog. My garden looks like a tropical rainforest, with spider webs and giant slugs hanging off of everything like Christmas decorations. Please, Sun, come back...maybe later today, but then we are going to be getting the system that is flooding Washington. Great. Another weekend of rain.

I thought I hadn't really shown you many pictures of where I live, beyond my back door, so here is my home town; Halifax, Nova Scotia...













The MacDonald Bride, from the Halifax-Dartmouth Ferry (always a favourite)...




























Yesterday we went to Lunenburg, about an hour away. It is a world heritage site and a famous Canadian site for ship-building. The Bluenose was built there. We spent most of our time at the museum, since the weather wasn't so nice.















Today I am home. Burning cookies. What are you doing?

For every nice day, we get a week of miserable rain. It is affecting my son. Yesterday he told me that he felt mopy. So I gave him a warm bath and he said it only washed away half of his mope. I can't blame him.

I opened my journal and came across some things I had jotted down that he has said to me; usually conversations in the car. This is the reason why I would never have a video player in my car. Look at what I would have missed out on....

"I prefer to say "let's play it by month." he says to me.

What do you mean, I say.

"Well, you say, let's play it by YEAR, so I say let's play it by MONTH."

Ear, Year, tomatO, tomAto...

Paul McCartney is playing in the stereo.

"This is movin' music, mum. I like Paul McCartnery...you know what else I like, mum...fettucine, spaghetti, cheese sticks, my best buddies, and....the colour red, and....the number seven. A red seven would be my kind of number....and my cousin, K, and you and Daddy and ____(babe's name)."

Here's hoping for sunny skies and even sunnier demeanors. At least the rain could wash our mopiness away.

I am back from Maine. I attended a workshop with scientists from Canada and the U.S. on Tuesday and Wednesday, with a return road trip on either end. I travelled with a sixty year old retired Welsh-Canadian insect scientist who uses bugs as indicators of climate change and a thirty year old fish habitat restorer, who likes shopping more than I do. Have you ever gone somewhere and had a hard time explaining the thing when you've returned. I am still processing this trippy trip. Want to hear more?...what would you like to know?

Mr. C and I went to see "An Inconvenient Truth" tonight. You can learn more about the film here. To the core of my being, I hope you all go and see it. This is an important documentary, by former Vice-President Al Gore. Most importantly, it is factual and correct in its content and message. Let's heed the warnings and take the advice. What is your impact? How can you reduce it? For the sake of our children and grandchildren....we need to leave a liveable Earth to them.

I have been reesarching climate change and teaching University students on this topic for the past decade. There is no longer any debate among the credible scientific community. As developed nations, we are morally obligated to immediately respond to the situation we currently find ourselves in.

I am leaving for the U.S. first thing Monday morning, to attend a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association meeting. I'll be back by the end of the week, with more on this topic.

Sunday is Father's Day here in North America, so Happy Father's Day to Mr. C, who is one of the best father's in the world.

Yesterday the babe and I spent the day with a front seat view to tropical storm Alberto. The wind squealed and it felt like the house might be pulled out to sea. The trees were blown with such force that I thought they would be torn from the ground. We fared well, however; no damage and today it is as if nothing ever happened (except for my flattened rhubarb, but who cares, I despise rhubard anyway). There were some trees down in Halifax and lots of power outages. And the neighbours trampoline ended up in the woods beside our house.

Today I am home with both boys. Another kind of storm; more like a hurricane, these days. We have errands to run, allowance to spend,
and then what shall we do?...

My friend Connie sent me these wonderful socks and a cute little card that she made. I received the package a few days ago, as you can see from the date on the calendar. Today we are expecting the remnants of the first named tropical storm of the 2006 season; Alberto. It is actually a post-tropical storm at this point and it is tracking to our east, but we are still expected to receive 50 to 70 mm of rain by this evening and wind gusts to 90 km/hr. So today, the babe and I will be watching the stormy seas and playing with toys, and I will heed the advice on my new socks...

Notice the grandfathers in either corner of the room...

All the good cake photos showed the babe's name.

Why haven't you fed me this before??!? Not for a long time, babe. Needless to say, Mr. C has been on diaper duty for the past few days :)

I haven't felt like talking about my life that much lately. Odd, because usually I can't get enough of myself.

I have been busy being crafty. One of these days I will show you the photos of my craftiness. I have been preparing for the babe's first birthday and spending a lot of time with the family, since we all had the week off.

So I have posts in the works that will have photos and interesting things. In the meantime, I was inspired by fb's recent post and wanted to answer his questions for you all to ponder....


1. There has to be more to life than work...isn't there?
YES! Work to live not live to work.

2. Or does work give us the means to live and find ourselves?
Well, yes this is partially true. The means to live is important, but I haven't found myself as a result of financial security. In fact, I believe that I found myself at a very young age. Seven. Remember yourself as a child and this is the way to finding your true self. Or so I think...

3. How does one find meaning to one's life?
Loving what you do and finding those you love to share this with. Making a difference for someone. I am a huge advocate of volunteering and community service. I find ways to make a difference by being involved in meaningful projects.

4. What is your reason for being?
Teaching. On all levels and for everyone around me. Sometimes obvious and sometimes subtle.

5. The Rules of Attraction, what is that elusive quality that brings two people together...
I have no idea. Luck?...

6. What makes things click and brings about kisses and maybe more?
Ditto #5.

7. How can I increase my chances of being a desireable person and not on a 'just friends' basis?
Expand your circle of friends and acquaintances.

8. Just how will England do in the World Cup?
I think badly, unfortunately.

9. Can Japan beat Australia?
Really, I haven't the faintest idea, but I will guess yes.

10. Just who will finish as Runners up in Group F?
Who's in Group F?

11. Where's my driving license got to?
When's the last time you had to use it? Trace you steps backwards from there. Otherwise, check the sock drawer.

12. What has happened to the replacement copy of a book that I ordered online?
Perhaps it was accidentally sent to Australia. It can take a good three months for things to turn up there.

13. Which OST CD of 'Elizabethtown' is better, Volume 1 or Volume 2?
I haven't seen either.

14. Why am I asking so many questions?
Why not?

15. Where are you going for the summer?
Not far...perhaps Quebec.

16. What was the last time you ate out?
Last Monday.

17. What did you order?
Chicken and a salad.

18. People say they could spend the rest of their lives 'here' meaning Jamaica, Barbados etcetra but could you?
No, the heat would eventually become boring. I need seasons.

19. What do you wish you were 'more' of? e.g. more determined, more popular etc
More relaxed.

20. When did you last have a good laugh?
Two weeks ago, while I was away in Thunder Bay. One of my very dear friends was also there and we laughed our heads off. The stares we were given by annoyed colleagues made us laugh even harder. I would tell you one of the stories that made us laugh so hard, but I fear that it would lose some of it's comedy in the re-telling. Andf then it would end up being an "I guess you had to be there" moment.

O.K., fb. I just ate an entire box of crackers, while working away on your list. Yes, seriously! I fear that none of this is of any use to you and now I've likely gained a pound or two...

Day trip #2 took us to the Zoo. It was a nice family day, even though the weather just can't seem to turn nice. There is not a sliver of sun to be seen and nothing sunny in the forecast even through Sunday. But really, I must stop talking about the weather, it obsesses me. I know, I talk about it far too much. I have this itch to talk about my sister-in-law. Not the one who whines but the hippy sister-in-law (not that there's anything wrong with hippies...). I have the urge to write gossip about her but then the very thought of putting this in writing exhausts me. I am not very fortunate in the sister-in-law department. Tomorrow, what shall tomorrow bring?...well, pay day for one thing :)

My trip last week was great, even though it was work related. The worst part? Rude air travellers and a delayed flight due to my plane originating in Columbia. Need I say more?

I didn't take my camera with me but a colleague from China (it was an international meeting) assured me that he would e-mail me the photos he took. We shall see. I haven't taken a photo in days and days. Thus the lack of photos in my post. I'll be taking plenty in the coming days, though.

Mr. C has this week off, but we are only taking day trips. We'll take real holidays in August. I am working tomorrow, however. Just the one day this week. And who knows what next week, as the babysitter is away. Again. Travelling through Europe. Lucky woman.

The babe's first birthday is coming up this weekend and so I have preparations for that to do. And finding more time to read up on recipes and do a bit of baking and leisurely reading (if it can be squeezed in).

There has been so much rain that the garden looks like a tropical rainforest, and the insects think so too. They are huge and so many slugs that the ground looks like it is moving. Blech.

I am going to watch Canadian Idol now. Yes, lucky us, back-to-back idol shows...

And I am anticipating Andersoon Cooper's biography, coming out this week. What is it about that man?...

I am away,
I am wishing I were back.
I am back,
I'm wishing I were away again.

I'm at home,
I'm wishing for a sandy beach.
I am on that beach,
I'm wishing I were home again.

I am in the grass,
I'm wishing for the greener spot.
I am in the greenest patch,
I'm wishing I were back again.

I am satisifed,
I am yearning now.
I am content,
I am restless again.

I'm waiting for this feeling to end.
It always does.

I stopped reading Elizabeth Gibert's book, for the time being. Wrong book for this mood. And I am now reading (well, almost finished) "A Long Way Down" by Nick Hornby. It's a genius book..so funny and the characters are great.