A song that I can't help liking.

Months back I found featured this song on Will and Ben's Record Room.
It appeals to me for cultural reasons that come from my mothers family. They have roots in the Liverpool area of the UK . This song comes from that area with a language about it that I just adore.
Cup Of Tea by Shack

A wonderful woman sent this to me. Thanks Sue!

A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day, drinking iced tea and visiting with her Mother.
As they talked about life, about marriage, about the responsibilities of life and the obligations of adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance upon her daughter."Don't forget your Sisters," she advised, swirling the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass. They'll be more important as you get older.No matter how much you love your husband, no matter how much you love the children you may have, you are still going to need Sisters.
Remember to go places with them now and then; do things with them. "Remember that 'Sisters' means ALL the women... your girlfriends, your daughters, and all your other women relatives too.
You'll need other women. Women always do.

"What a funny piece of advice!" The young woman thought.
Haven't I just gotten married? Haven't I just joined the couple-world?
I'm now a married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup! Surely my husband and the family we may start will be all I need to make my worthwhile!"

But she listened to her Mother.
She kept contact with her sisters and made more women friends each year.
As the years tumbled by, one after another, she gradually came to understand that her Mom really knew what she was talking about.
As time and nature work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman, Sisters are the mainstays of her life.
After almost 50 years of living in this world, here is what I've learned:THIS SAYS IT ALL:
Time passes.
Life happens.
Distance separates.
Children grow up.
Jobs come and go.
Love waxes and wanes.
Men don't do what they're supposed to do.
Hearts break.
Parents die.
Colleagues forget favors.
Careers end.
BUT.........Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you.
A girl friend is never farther away than needing her can reach.
When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the valley's end. Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you...Or come in and carry you out.
Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers, Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended family, all bless our life!
The world wouldn't be the same without women, and neither would I.
When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead.
Nor did we know how much we would need each other. Every day,we need each other still.
Pass this on to all the women who help make your life meaningful.

Post # 300. Facing the future.

As far as I know it's not all about me.

But I am faced with the fact that
I have to take better care of me.

There are a few realities that I have to face
and a few challenges.
all links are random examples...
One: Find an apartment I can afford.
Apartment hunt ?
Two: Get a permanent job I enjoy.
Jobs I want?
Three: Oh I don't know, find a boyfriend...
Singles group?
Four: Take courses that will help me do what I want to do.
Classes?
Five: Take a vacation because all that sounds tiring...
Travel?
Six: Take care of all that paperwork I have been putting off.
OHIP ?
Seven: Save some money in case I live long enough to retire.

Books, Newspapers and Magazines

What do you like to read?
I find myself reading more newspapers as of late. For the most part it's for research. It's a great resource!
Some magazines catch my short attention span like Readers Digest and Macleans...
Reading blogs seems to take up more of my time and now I am scrambling to find time for books. I have 3 or 4 books just waiting for me to sit down and finish them.
I wanted to remind people of this event coming up.
I was always encouraged to read all I can. My family is a family of readers.
Just a little note from my boss.

As you may know, ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation is the national coordinator of ABC CANADA Family Literacy Day®, held annually on January 27. This special day promotes the importance of reading and learning as a family, and encourages the development of lifelong readers.

For more information on ABC CANADA Family Literacy Day®, please visit: www.abc-canada.org

Sincerely,


Bryan Cantley
VP Member Services
Canadian Newspaper Association


Le 2 janvier 2007

Madame,
Monsieur,

Comme vous le savez, la Fondation pour l’alphabétisation ABC CANADA est la coordonnatrice nationale de la Journée de l’alphabétisation familialeMD (JAF) qui se tient tous les 27 janvier. Cette journée spéciale vise à souligner l’importance de la lecture et de l’apprentissage en famille et à encourager la formation de lecteurs à vie.


Pour en savoir davantage sur la Journée de l’alphabétisation familialeMD, visitez www.abc-canada.org.

En vous remerciant encore une fois pour votre soutien continu à la cause de l’alphabétisation, nous vous prions d’agréer, Madame, Monsieur, nos salutations distinguées.


Bryan Cantley,
vice-président, Services aux membres

I posted this news on my other blog

All I will say here is....
I think I will be listening to CBC Radio One much more!

The list you may heard before... from my emails

ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

FOUR. When you say, "I love you," mean it.

FIVE. When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.

SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.

EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dream. People who don't have dreams don't have much.

NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.

TEN. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives.

TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.

THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"

FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

FIFTEEN. Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.

SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson

SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and responsibility for all your actions.

EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

TWENTY-ONE. Spend some time alone.

I got this list from my email... I took off all the stuff that tells you to pass it along...
that part of emails bugs me... but I like what it's saying without that.

Diet issues?

Not diet! Just life style changes. You just have to decide to do it.
I don't drink soft drink anymore. I drink more water. I don't have the meal deal when I do eat at a fast food joint I just have the burger, no fries, no drink.
I don't think in terms of what's for desert. Sweet things are only bought when I really want them...
I 'trick' myself into walking more. I listen to music as I walk to keep me distracted. I walk home 6k when the weather permits. I'll walk to the next subway station if I can rather than the one closest.
I don't need a gym, or classes or diet food, or an exercise tape... those are all nice but they don't work for me. Just making a few choices to eat better and walk more and not to worry about the results... that works for me. I have lost over 35lb over the past 2 years...and I feel so much better for it.
At 41 I am in better shape than I was at 31.

Me 4 years ago compared to this past July.

Or Now... I don't think I could have done this 10 years ago.

Jan 4th 2006 I started blogging

This is post # 295

This is the link to my very first blog post.
http://barbwheeland.blogspot.com/2006/01/introduction.html#links

When I started blogging this time last year I had no idea where it would bring me.

It brought me to good friends like the stroumboulopouli and the strombo forum and many more on the links to your right.

I met interesting characters like Kyle of One Red Paperclip.

I met George Stroumboulopoulos and Jian Ghomeshi of The Hour along with the wonderful crew of The Hour. The one member of that crew that was key in nudging my life in a new direction is Jeremy, the original Web Producer of The Hour. He linked this blog to The Hour's website via the blogtracker when I wrote a post about George breaking the news about Jose being traded...Over the next few months Jeremy answered my emails and sparked my brain. was that just this past spring? Bloggers gathered, we created the stroumboulopouli and by doing that with Alana, Allison, Becky, Barbara B, Evelyne and Jas, it gave me more inspiration and more confidence to do different things. George is my inspiration as well. He tend to inspire all kinds of people, as I meet more and more of his fans I hear it all the time. You too eh?

I moved to Toronto over the summer because there is more opportunities in the media industry and more things for me to blog about.
I'm a Leo, I need to be in the action.
I love to be free to go to The Hour if I am going to write about it.
I need to grow and stretch and learn and experience new things and blog about it...this blog is a testament to that.
I do currently have a job in media and it's giving me great experience. I won't say where.
You got it, I don't blog about everything. I hope my blog is entertaining to you. To me it has been a therapy helping me in my period of mourning to become who I am today. I started it trying to be... able to step to the next level in my life.

I have taken many small steps and missteps (you learn more from those) in this last year.
I would like to thank all the people in my life, my family, my friends on-line, my friends in Montreal past and present, my co-workers, my new friends in Toronto, all the people who put up with me. So sweet of you.

My love is Graham MacNicoll who died on June 2nd 2004. The journey with you in it for those three years helps me get through the rest of lifes journey. I feel your energy around at this moment and in odd moments.
I wish you were here physically every day. How different would that journey be?

Don't worry about me Graham, I won't be sad and I won't be lonely. Those were not things I was trying to be, but things I was trying not to be.

Being myself now that I know who that is.
Barbara W.

Cheers!
Happy New Year!