Let me tell you how much I love this time of year... I LOVE IT! I love love love those juicy, fragrant little specimens we've come to know as strawberries. MMmmmmm strawberries - fragole - fresas - erdbeeren - morangos - Doesn't matter how you say it, they're sooooo yummy. I've always made it a point to go strawberry picking toward the last week of June. Even as a teen, when most were way too cool to pick fruit out in the country, I'd put together a yearly excursion. More often than not... Read Full Story

How proud am I of my rum cake? From the top of my head to the tips of my toes, I still tingle when I think of my rum cake. When I get an idea stuck in my head, there's no shaking it. My idea was to make an old-school Italian cake. Chalk it up to a nostalgic feeling anytime a celebration rolls around. We had some rum cake at my brother-in-law's graduation. It was okay. So-so. It wasn't mind-blowing. Just "meh". Somehow, rum cake in the 70's & 80's always tasted divine and I decided to make... Read Full Story

Those schoolgirl days, of telling tales and biting nails are gone, But in my mind, I know they will still live on and on, But how do you thank someone, who has taken you from crayons to perfume? It isn't easy, but I'll try... (Lulu) It is only fitting to dedicate this blog to teachers, what with today & tomorrow being the last day of school for most students. For some, it means the last step in their formal education. And though there's so much to say about the last day of school, I... Read Full Story

How can I possibly express my disappointment? HOW!?!? There we sat - friends from waaaay waaaay back, crying and laughing. We had been planning this "movie event" for a month. My husband was watching our kids. My friends had made arrangements for their children and husbands. WE WERE READY FOR SEX IN THE CITY! Wooooo hooooooo! Sex And The City is more a bonding experience between friends than it is a movie going experience. Most women would agree with this statement. So there we sat, having... Read Full Story

It's not every day that your children tell you they want to marry you once they grow up. It's sweet & unsettling all at the same time. As we drove to the grocery store for sushi (yes, my children eat California rolls - no avocado for the girl - extra avocado for the boy!), my daughter professed her love for me & my husband, assuring us that she will marry us once she's older. My son, not one to be left out, piped in with a big "ME TOO, MOMMY! I MARRY YOU & DADDY TOO, OKAY?". Hmmmmm... Read Full Story

It's that time of year again! Time to battle the crowds, wait in endless line-ups, pay five dollars for a bottle of water, and try darn hard to scrub Scooby Doo off my hand before heading in to work the next day. Yes, my friends, Wonderland is officially open for business. I love love love Wonderland. I've been through those gates countless times, and yet, I still get a rush when I get past security & into the park. Perhaps it's just the amusement park atmosphere in general...or the... Read Full Story

It's back-to-school for me. Oh, not as a full-time student, no no no. I've taken it upon myself to "étudier le français". It's a weekly three-hour lesson, and I must say, I'm pretty excited about it. School isn't what it used to be, however. Keep in mind that I haven't been in school for over 14 years (yikes!). Back in the old days, we couldn't register online because the Internet wasn't so widely used. Now that you've got some background, I'll proceed to explain just how I ended up... Read Full Story

Don't get me wrong; I like Mother's Day just as much as the next mom. It's just that thinking of the day itself gives me a migraine. And indigestion. And sometimes I break out into a rash. Other than that, I love Mother's Day. Truly. Perhaps we make too much of a day created by the lovely folks at Hallmark & Carlton. We've come to expect so much. Okay, I'll eliminate the "we" & turn it into an "I". Not fair for me to speak on your behalf, is it? Sorry. I've come to expect too much. Those... Read Full Story

The news upset me this morning. Just yesterday, I hopped on the TTC to get to a meeting downtown. You'd think I might have been able to foresee today's crushing strike just by looking at the driver's face. I'm trying to think back to how he smiled at me when I asked for a transfer. Was it a sincere "here you go" kinda smile? Or was it more a "you don't know what's gonna hit your tomorrow" smile? Hmmm...I'm not sure. I'm not a regular rider. I live in York Region, so if I'm going to be... Read Full Story

I can't tell you how proud I am! My mom & dad are heading over to their local OSPCA (Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) to adopt a cat tomorrow. See the cutie in the pic? Her name is Angel & if all goes well, she'll join our extended family. I suppose it's not such a big deal to some, but you have to understand the background with my parents. My mom & dad are Italian immigrants from a teeny weeny little town in Italy where the sheep outnumber the people. Pets were... Read Full Story