DAMN, IT'S MONDAY!

Well another Oscar Sunday as come and gone - and I really liked this ceremony! Jon Stewart was funny in the bland way that Oscar demands and I also loved that there was no runaway winner. I finished 2nd in my Oscar Pool with 13 correct guesses.

My faves of the evening were Tilda Swinton's look of utter shock when she won and then 'taking the mickey' (as they say) out of George from the stage. Apparently he played many a practical joke on her during filming and that was the best payback ever issued.

Helen Mirren 'knighting' Daniel Day-Lewis - and his speech. He is an eloquent bugger.

Javier Bardem (whom Regis called Xavier) and speaking in Spanish to his mother, grandparents, father and the people of Spain. I could listen to him read me the phone book. I do love a Spain Spanish accent. So damn elegant!

Marion Cotillard - total surprise and how gobsmacked she was. You could tell she was struggling to remember to speak English and I thought she did a great job with her speech.

I love that Juno won for Best Original Screenplay - it wa so new and fresh. I hope Diablo Cody can follow it up with another one that is a good.

And George Clooney - whom I have loved since he was on the Facts of Life - although he is much better looking now. No one wears a tux better or is more of a movie star! He also looks like he is a great friend, gets the joke and doesn't take himself to seriously. Wilson is well aware that George is one of my Freebie Five.

ReRe and Mellie - hate you both for being somewhere warm when they are calling for more snow tonight and tomorrow. However, I will be in Ottawa so Wilson will be doing the shoveling this time.

THANK GOD

It's Friday. Also - that February is almost over! This month maybe the shortest but DAMN! does it ever drag its ass!

And Sunday - The Oscars!!!! Imagine dear internet - a chubby Canadian girl sitting on the couch - remote in hand - watching every single minute and so damn happy!. Yipeeee!!!!

Now - if only the end of the day would get here faster so I can go home to my Arthur and Wilson!

NINE WORDS WOMEN USE...

My girlfriend Sharon sent me this on Valentine's Day and I had to laugh out loud. Some of it is more true than I would probably like to admit and if truth be told, I have used numbers 1, 3 and 9 a fair amount in our relationship. Oh come on - so have you!

Anyhoo - read and enjoy!

1.) Fine : This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

2.) Five Minutes : If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

3.) Nothing : This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.

4.) Go Ahead : This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!

5.) Loud Sigh : This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to #3 for the meaning of nothing.)

6.) That's Okay : This is one of the most dangerous statements a woman can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

7.) Thanks : A woman is thanking you, do not question, or Faint. Just say you're welcome. 8.) Whatever : Is a women's way of saying FUCK YOU!

9.) Don't worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking 'What's wrong?' For the woman's response refer to #3.

SENTIMENTAL

Every so often I read or hear or see something that strikes a chord within me – and it is usually about a couple who has overcome some kind of crazy odds together. Usually, because I am some kind of sap, it moves me to tears. OK so I am a sap that happens a lot.

Recently I was reading a very emotional novel about the hard choices of love and my sappy heart is very emotional. I welled up continuously as I read the difficult choices the characters in the book have to make and, of course, being the sappy, impractical girl that I am, I put myself and Wilson in their shoes. I, of course fast forward to the end when we overcome that obstacle and move closer to our happily ever after. I know that life isn’t like that but somehow I know that no matter what life throws us, we will hold tight and get through it together. Some would call me naïve – and I don’t care. I know that what we have, our partnership, can withstand any test.

There are times that when I am with him that my love for him almost brings me to my knees such as when he reaches for my hand during a difficult moment just to give me support or when he puts in my favourite movie after he has made me a wonderful dinner just to make me happy; when he rolls over in bed, snuggles close to me and whispers he loves me; the love behind the kiss that he gives me before he leaves for work every morning and when he comes home from work every night; the kindness that he shows my aging parents, small nieces and nephews, brothers and sisters.

Some would say that I love too easily, feel too much, blah, blah blah! What I know is this - I waited a long time to find someone who loves me! Me – this sometimes too loud, crazy girl who never thought that she would find someone who would see through the crazy and love the girl under it all. He is home to me – where ever that may be – here in Toronto, on a boat in the Caribbean or where ever life takes us. He has taught me that love isn’t loud or flowery – it is solid, quiet, caring, sweet and truly better than I could have ever imagined.

I know every day that I married the best man for me. Our story is a journey – with highs and lows, clear sailing or bumps in the road – but as long as we travel hand in hand, seeing each other as only we can, caring for each other and forgiving each other when need be – that we will reach our sunset together. I know that my life is better for having him in it and I am grateful for every shared moment. Wilson I love you today, tomorrow and forever. You are the one I never thought I would find and I so glad that I stopped looking and that you found me.

I love you! Happy Valentine's Day!

DiDi

PS - now that I have written this wonderful entry about you, can we please buy a snowblower so I never have to shovel again????

LOVE - PART DEUX

More smooshy love stuff coming at you. Do you ever wonder at those couples who are married for 60 years and still in love. My parents are that couple - still happily married, still in love and shockingly still best friends. They will be marrid 59 years in 2008 and when I think about that, it moves me Every.Single.Time.

Being only 14 months into my marriage, they have been the best example any daughter could have in what to emulate in her own marriage. Growing up, I never heard them say a mean word to each other. No fighting, no throwing things, nothing. That does not mean that they didn't have squabbles but as my mom once told me - "If you keep your eye on the prize, they bumps along the way really don't mean all that much". Their prize was and is a long and happy marriage and they never forgot that. While that is what Wilson and I want - sometimes his crankiness and my bitchiness do get the better of us.

Their story is very simple - my dad was sent to Canada from England by his parents when he was 14 years old. He moved into the same area where my mother lived and somehow they never met. After the war, my dad served with the Royal Canadian Navy, he decided to come back to Canada and live in the same area where he'd lived when he was sent over from England. They both lived in the same area for a couple of years until a chance meeting - at church late in 1948. Six months after meeting, my dad popped the question and they were married in a small ceremony.

July 23, 1949

They decided not to wait to have kids and sure enough my oldest brother was born on Mother's Day of 1950 (true story - my mother said she was going to be a mother by Mother's day and sure enough, out he came on the day. Do not mess with my mom and her determination!) Five more kids followed - of which I am the sixth. When I was just over a year old, decided to add another one to the brood and adopted my brother to make it 7. They did not know that when they adopted my brother that he was developmentally disabled but when it started to show itself at around age 4 or 5 - they just rolled up their sleeves and dealt with that too. Many people told them to institutionalize him - but nope. They kept him with us and our family intact. I never knew life any other way but it had to have been so difficult for them - but you would never have known. This was their family and they would do whatever they could to make our lives better than theirs were growing up. They suceeded - in spades!


Now all of us are grown and out of the house. They spend every day together taking care of each other and I marvel at them. I watch my daddy age with my heart in my throat but my mom still sees that young guy that she married oh so long ago. I see them holding hands, caring for each other, helping each other and loving each other after so many years and it always brings tears to my eyes. I know that I don’t have many more years with this wonderful example around me and I cherish every moment.

Married 58 years and counting

Their loving legacy will continue on for so many years to come - with their 7 children, 12 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

I love you Mom and Dad - more than you could possibly know. Thank you for teaching me how to love and for showing me everyday what love brings to your life. Because of you I never settled and I found the love of my life. You both truly are the best!

LOVE

This is a week where people talk about love A LOT! I am not a big lover of Valentine's Day for many reasons (overpriced flowers, stupid restaurants that charge to much for bad meals, blah, blah, blah). But, never being one to miss jumping on a bandwagon - I too will talk about love this week here at blog central.

There are so many kinds of love - the "I just found the prettiest pair of shoes" love, the "happily married - even though he annoys me to bits at times, I still love him more than anything" kind, the new "just fell in love and never want to have this feeling end" kind, the "wet sloppy puppy kisses all over your face" kind(could not resist a shout-out to Arthur) and the kind that parents have for their children.

Today, I share with you a wonderful story of love. Our friends T & D have a gorgeous son C - and I do mean truly gorgeous. Both T & D have siblings and they wanted C to know the love of a brother or sister (as well as the special kind of torture that a sibling brings to your life).

So, being the truly loving parents they are, they decided that there waaaay too many kids in the world who REALLY do need a loving home, they started the process of adoption. China was their first option and did all the paperwork and were waiting for the call.

Funny sidebar - Along the way, they told C that they were going to get him a sister and they decided to name her Libby. C, being the sweet child that he is, went to school and talked about his sister Libby - apparently a lot as his teachers felt the need to pull T aside one day as she picked him up from school. They were concerned about C as he is telling fibs to the other children about his sister - as they knew he was an only child. T quickly filled them in on the missing details and C's reputation was saved.

Then this year, they found their daughter. She did not live in China but in South Africa. T, D and C all went to South Africa late in 2007 to meet her and make her a member of their family. T stayed with her daughter to finalize everything and the entire family was reunited in time for Christmas. Never did a more deserving family get the best present in the whole world.

Look what love brough to Canada - Miss Andile Elizabeth Victoria. Welcome to Canada Miss Libby! You were wanted before they ever met you and are now loved to distraction by more people than you could have dreamed. Your parents and brother are what love is all about!

More smooshy love stuff to come this week - it is Valentine's after all!

ENOUGH ALREADY!

Ok, I get it, really I do! I live in a country where we have winter. But that godamned groundhog didn't see his goddamned shadow and now we have 6 more weeks of this crap. I am so tired of snow, cold, winter, snow, cold, shovelling, snow - well you get the point.

Last night, after we landed from Houston (where it was warm!) we drove home from the airport in a blizzard, we (that is Wilson) shoveled a foot of snow so we could get into our driveway last night. He pulls a muscle in his back and then I (yes me!) shovelled 6 more inches of that blasted white stuff this morning. To top it all off, the damn snowplow came and deposited a foot of that shit back at the end of the driveway - so I had to shovel AGAIN! (on the plus side, I am wearing my JCrew green and white polka dotted wellies when I shovel - so my feet look fab!)

Spring - this is a message from a sick and tired girl in Canada - get your ass here as fast as you can! If you don't, I will not be held responsible for the consequences!

SNOWED IN!

Wilson and I were supposed to be winging our way to Houston today for a conference but alas Mother Nature had other plans. She decided to drop a foot of snow over Southern Ontario and cancel our flight. On the plus side - am sitting at my dining room table, in my pjs with my fuzzy slippers on, surfing the net, ooops I mean working.

We leave tomorrow on some convoluted flight plan but we will get there. And the best part - no snow and sunshine!

As the commercial used to say - "It's not nice to fool with Mother Nature!"