That would be me. I'm a come-from-away. Or a CFA, if you so choose. :)
I love learning local lingo, don't you? (Wow...alliteration, eh?)
So we're back, as you can see. A bit reluctantly, but I guess it wouldn't seem like a vacation if you always want to be at home, right?
Nova Scotia and PEI are every bit as gorgeous as I remember them. And I think Andy finally understands my dream of having a vacation home on the Island. I think if we were financially ready, we would have bought a place while we were there!
He loved the Island...and I did my best to show him it's not all Anne. We only had one Anne Day, and the rest was tooling around the South and North shores, and Charlottetown. Saw more than I did last time I went, but still have yet to make it to the east and west. After that, I can officially decide where I want to live. :) Right now, Andy prefers the south shore, and I prefer the north. But honestly, it's all so gorgeous, I'd be fine anywhere!
Andy's a little surprised at that—it's a TINY province, with only 138,000 residents. It only has two "cities"--Charlottetown with a population of 32,000 and Summerside with a population of 14,500. There are 31 cities across Canada with populations larger than the whole province of PEI.
But I love it. It's so gorgeous and peaceful...and at times, you feel like you're the only one on the Island.
Halifax was great, too—saw a lot more than the last time I was there, for Braden and Erin's wedding. B&E have an adorable apartment in an old house on Cherry Street...the birds woke us every morning, much to Andy's annoyance. I'm not really a morning person, but he definitely isn't! And I'm finding that I can wake up early and be all right now. ;) I've always enjoyed waking up to birds, though...we don't get that very often where we live now.
A grand old time was had by all—while we went to PEI, Mom, Dad, Braden, and Erin went off to Cape Breton. I've been wanting to go there—and they loved it! But I wasn't giving up my PEI time. No way, Jose!!!
We were able to spend time with Erin's family, as well, which was a BLAST!!! I don't think all of us have been together since Belgium...11 years ago! Oh, wait...that's not true. Tee-hee---there was the wedding back in 2001. But Andy wasn't there. :)
It's been fun seeing my family...we just saw them in October, and we're all spending Christmas together, as well. So this is a rare occurrence, and one I'm pleased to have! Mom and Dad have decided to "officially" retire in 2015, and they'll live half the year near Braden and Erin and half the year with us. Only NONE of us knows where we'll be. :) Still, it would be nice to be close. And who knows? Maybe Andy and I will move to Canada, and we'll all be somewhat-near each other! Well, closer than a few thousand miles, anyway.
Speaking of moving to Canada...why can't we?! It's America Light and Europe Light...we get the best of both worlds, man! Well, at any rate, I'm going to try to live on PEI next spring and summer. A few Islanders convinced me to audition for next season's Anne of Green Gables. It plays at the Charlottetown Festival every year...Canada's longest running musical! I think it's in its 44th season now... I looked into auditioning several years ago, but was living in Germany and very, very poor. So...I'm starting to re-learn the music and looking into auditions. I imagine I'll have to head to Toronto for that, but I don't think it's until after the first of the year. * whew* Do I expect to get Anne? Well, of course. :p But I'll be just as pleased to to be Second Schoolgirl on the Right.
The current Anne is in her third season, so I think they'll be looking for a new one! Wouldn't that just be a dream come true?! We'll see. I've got plenty of time to prepare and plan, and to send out good juju...
Of course, I can always try for the new musical Anne & Gilbert, too... :)
Oh...while on PEI, I was able to make my Canadian debut as a model:
Mary was so nice--we chatted with her for about half an hour. I loved her work, but...money, money. *sigh* She was the first to tell me I needed to audition. :) Another was Joe from our B&B...they were great people--AND they gave me their granola recipe. Man, that stuff was yummy. Can't wait to make it. :)
This isn't much of a "What I Did on My Summer Vacation" essay, but...ehhh...I don't feel like writing! And it would be a long one, so thank your lucky stars!
I've put the pictures on my Flickr site. Most of them don't have descriptions. I'm feeling a little lazy, she says after waking up jet-lag-early, going grocery shopping, doing loads o' laundry, and getting back into the groove of things!
There's a lot...warning's fair. But you can click on the ones that look most interesting. :) The foggy lighthouse scenes were our last views of The Gentle Island. :)
I also brought along a shirt with puffed sleeves, to take Modern Anne pictures. Yes, I am that much of a dork.
Those of you great at Photoshop can have loads of fun with some of these, if so inclined! Have at it!!!
*sigh* In one hour, the airport shuttle arrives to pick us up. I haven't slept at all tonight--why bother, really? I'd be too excited, anyway...
In a little over 12 hours, I'll be seeing my brother and sister in Halifax! Mom and Dad arrive the next day...and a couple days after that, Andy and I break away to PEI while they head to Cape Breton. Then we all meet up again in Halifax.
It's the 100th anniversary of the publication of Anne of Green Gables--I couldn't miss heading to PEI! I've been re-reading (for the thousandth time) all my Anne books...and I made Andy sit down and watch the Kevin Sullivan production of AOGG. He says it's so good, it's ruined every movie for him. ;) At least he didn't laugh when Matthew died, like Braden does.
I have promised Andy that this will be a somewhat relaxing vacation. He says after he's come back from a "vacation" with me, he needs an extra few days to rest and recharge. I'm a little Type A...especially on vacation. No sleep!!! Come on, let's go, have to do this, go there, see this!!!!!! So I've told him that while we're on PEI, yes there are some things I MUST see and do (even if I already have!), but I just want to get in the car and go for long drives...or bike rides...or walks...and stop when we find something pretty or interesting. Which should be about every 50 feet or so. ;)
In Nova Scotia, Braden and Erin will be working for part of it, so we'll probably just tool around a little bit with Mom and Dad, here and there. Definitely visiting with Erin's folks--can't wait for Andy to meet them! And we're having Bad Movie Night, with Hard Rock Zombies (seriously the world's worst--check it out) and that old beach one with Keanu Reeves and The Swayz.
Anyway...I guess I'd better finish getting ready. But first, I need an opinion:
For my first high school's 90s-decade reunion in the middle of June! It's a family dinner--the grown-ups get a pub crawl the night before. :) But for the dinner, I wanted to be nice but not super-sexy. But still look adorable and maybe a little hot. ;) I can't help it, it's a reunion!!! I'm kind of partial to the first one, myself... does anyone have some crinolines I could borrow?
Okay, I'm off, people!!!
"Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive--it's such an interesting world. It wouldn't be half so interesting if we know all about everything, would it? There'd be no scope for imagination then, would there?" ~Anne Shirley
Ye gads! I know I've done it again--allowed the beast to come out of the cave! Will I ever learn?
I've been so worried all night long...most of the meeting was spent worrying about losing my friends! I sincerely apologize for my last blog. It was NOT about anyone in particular. I seriously just needed to vent. I should have done it in my journal or talked to Andy...but I guess I didn't want to put it "out there.'" Even though it is, and having something on the internet is far worse than speaking something aloud. I'm pretty sure the Gods and Goddesses of Good and Bad Juju have figured out the world wide web. ;)
And to be fair:
~ I tend to dawdle after get-togethers just as much as Andy. I do it after shows a lot. :)
~ I've been in incestuous theatre groups. Kind of. It happens.
~ I have a car. I am able to drive it. I have money for the upkeep--barely! Volvos are great, but *whew* So, even though I hate driving and traffic makes me insane, it's all good.
~ I need to be better about phone calls. Not everyone checks their email several times a day, as I do. Or has multiple email accounts. It's easier for me, but not necessarily anyone else. I'm trying to be better at the phone, though. :)
~ I am still damn ready for that vacation. Hoo-loady! 8 days and counting!
(For those of you who didn't want to join until after Jane Austen...I'm still sending this to you so you can register and vote on what we read next! And some of you may not even know about it, but I thought you'd be interested...) Book 'Em, Dan-o!
NO www
It's not finished, but it's taken us a long time to do what's already up there! And if Andy's not here, I forget how to do stuff. :)
I think the most time was spent choosing pictures for the top. That's all me, though...Andy would have been content with none. :) Please note the army men coming out of the book! I chose non-girly pictures on purpose. (Except the girl in yellow. I figured you wouldn't mind too much...) And I'm so glad I found that Edward Gorey drawing--I love his stuff!
Anyway. I thought I'd let you all know, so you can visit and register...get to know it a bit. The forum and the chat are up and running.
All Booked Up-- What we've read and will read in future. I have to put a little bit of something for each one in order for them to show up, though. So if anyone wants to write a blurb for any of the novels, send it to me!
The Reading Nook-- What we're reading now.
Shakespeare & Co...that's us! But you can't access this info unless you're a member.
The Bard's Bookshelf-- web links. Find something interesting, send it along! Please!
The Round Table-- our nifty forum. :) We're not quite finished adding categories...got any ideas? I don't know if anyone can add stuff, or if it's just admin.
The chat is the "shout box" located to the right. Andy and I have already started...tee-hee!
Only registered users can use the forum and chat...that way we don't get a bunch of crazies joining us or accessing any of our information.
There's a poll somewhere around there...I figure we can use it to vote on upcoming books. And just general fun...poll us on whatever you want! Although if you don't include pictures, I can't tell you what shoes to wear today.
If you can think of anything else to add to the menu, let us know. We're still adding content to everything...it's a work in progress, but I thought you guys would like to start registering and getting used to the site. There will be information about the club on the home page...and I'm also going to include a section for guidelines and what-not. Anybody want a mission statement? "To read lots" sounds about right. ;)
Please forward this along to anyone who was interested in joining. Remember, ALL GENRES will be read...nothing is off-limits. Well, I'm thinking porn, maybe not so much...
We're currently reading Sense and Sensibility. Which reminds me...I won't be here for our meeting at the end of May. We'll be on vacation--woo-hoo! So you'll have to talk amongst yourselves and figure out when to have the chat, or if you just want to do it in the forum...or whatever.
We'd love your thoughts, suggestions, critiques, whatever you got... (be kind, though...we're not professionals!) For now, Andy and I are the 2 admins (read: I ask Andy what the heck is going on). Do you think we should have one more? And if so, any volunteers?
Don't worry...the title will make sense in a bit. I know it doesn't always, except to me. ;)
So, one of my latest blogs was a sort-of description of the newest adventure in my life. Yes, I still work part-time at UBS. Yes, I still try to pursue acting (though in film rather than Denver theatre). But I've added a second part-time job with Premier Designs.
I hosted a jewelry party about a month ago, and we had a lot of fun. The hostess benefits are amazing, so I got A LOT of free jewelry out of it! My husband talked to Chris a little bit about what she does, and he suggested it to me. I thought about it for a couple weeks, talked with Chris, talked with Andy...and we decided to do it.
We didn't come to this decision lightly. I did Mary Kay 5 years ago, and that was enough to never get into that kind of stuff before. But the more I learned about Premier, the more I fell in love with it. On the outside, it may look exactly like MK or Avon or something similar, but it's not at all.
One thing that bothered me at first, though, is something that would probably draw most people in: It's a Christian company. Founded on Biblical principles, a strong focus on serving others, and honouring God.
As you probably know, I've been trying to get in touch with my spiritual side lately. I can't say for sure "what" I am...and I don't really like that I have to define it. It's not Christianity that I'm upset with, it's what has become of it in the States. Not everyone is like that, though, and I know that from experience. But I'm leaning toward Celtic Christianity right now...as I still believe in Christianity and what it stands for, but would like a different path.
So this bothered me at first. I had a monthly meeting last Monday that ended in prayer, and it bothered me. At first. This used to be a usual occurrence in my life. I started out by looking around, kind of bowing my head and thinking my own thoughts. And then I thought, "How incredibly rude." If this had been any other religion, I would have jumped in, wanting to experience it, learn more about it, etc. But because it's Christianity and something I'm very familiar with, I'm not willing to open my mind and show them the same respect? I bowed my head, closed my eyes, and my head and heart joined in the prayer.
Did I have some sort of enlightenment? An uplifting moment? No. But I felt better for keeping my mind, and my heart, open.
Their philosophy is a good one, whether or not one is a Christian. (Unless you're an atheist!) ~We believe God created every person with value. ~We believe life priorities should be God, Family, and then Career. ~We believe in America and the Free Enterprise System. ~We believe that people are our most important asset.
That hasn't changed since 1986, when the company was founded.
And I got to meet the founders on Sunday! They came to Denver (a rare occurrence!) and we all went to The Brown Palace for the Royal Crown Event. Andy and Joan Horner are in their 80s...have been married 62 years. Andy came from Ireland, on the boat, and moved to Canada. They currently live in Texas. Dallas, I think. Andy's an amazing guy--very funny. And he made sure to let me know that lying is totally different than Blarney. And don't I know it! For haven't I also kissed the Blarney Stone? (You have to say that with an accent. Much better that way!) He put on his Irish accent for me, as well. Fun guy. One good thing about that huge four-hour-event was that only about 25 minutes was spent on recognition. Not because they don't like to award people for what they've done, but because we don't have quotas or goals or anything like that. They don't push us to do anything. But they will recognize hard work!
God is very obviously in all that they and the company do. It's kind of reassuring to me.
They even have a prayer department. :) (Ah, there it is!) One that will call you out of the blue if they've heard something's been going on, or think you could use a prayer.
Now, for the record, I will very rarely tell someone that "I'm praying for" them. You may have noticed this. I don't tell them that because it won't be true. They will be in my thoughts and I will talk about those thoughts and put them out there in the universe. But I don't pray, and I feel that I shouldn't lie about it. So now you know that if I say I'm praying for you, I will actually say a prayer or two.
But having a prayer department for a big company like this is kind of cool.
Other cool things? I make 50% on everything I sell. Any jewelry I buy are considered samples, and I can wear all of them! It's tax-deductible...I'll even be able to write off *parts* of my trip to Canada next month. :) It also has a heck of a hostess plan: 30% of the total retail in free jewelry, up to $100 in free jewelry, and 4-8 pieces half off. Not too shabby, that's for sure. (You should see all I got!) Catalog shows are 20% and one item half-off. Though I'm pretty sure jewelers give their catalog hostesses more than that. Why not, right?
That's not all the cool things, but I feel like I'm giving a huge spiel here, so I'm going to stop! I just wnated to explain some of the reasons for my becoming a jeweler.
My training show is next Wednesday. My sponsor,Chris, will be doing the whole show, but I get both the hostess benefits and the jeweler benefits. That's the way a training show goes! I'm going to try for the double-quick start, which is hosting 6-9 shows in my first 45 days. I'm a bit nervous for that, but I can really build up my business. So if you want to help me out and host a show, I'd be ever-so-grateful!!!! (I can host shows anywhere, by the way!!! When Chris goes back to England to visit with family, she always does 1-2 shows.)
Anyway. That's one of the things going on.
Another is the book club. I think we're trying to decide between All Booked Up or Book 'Em, Dan-o as our name. Our first "meeting" will be this Wednesday, but I think we'll be doing it forum-style, rather than chat, since a few of us are super-busy that evening (me included). But Andy and I will be working on creating the book club on our website, mclauthlin.com, with a forum and a chat room and all that good stuff. Sense and Sensibilty is next, if you want to get a head-start! We will be reading ALL genres, but are starting with Jane's first 6 novels. :)
Something else...and this just happened today!!! I'm going to be my cousin's bridesmaid! I'm not sure if she wants a whole bunch of info out there, so I won't mention names or details. :) But we've become pretty close these past 4 or 5 years, and I've really been enjoying it. When she asked me to be her bridesmaid, I was pleasantly surprised--and I'm SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!! I've been singing "Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Bride" from I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change. (If you haven't heard that show--do so now! You will not regret it!)
Ugh. What else? New fridge for the kitchen. Going to be painting the kitchen. Still doing Cannon Fodder. Have found a few pagan/Celtic groups that I will visit within the next couple of months. Pretty excited about that. It's one thing to read about it, it's quite another to experience it for yourself and be with like-minded people! Or people who may not be so like-minded, but who you can still learn from. :) I'm pretty sure paganism is not for me, but I rather like a lot of it and can't wait to delve more into it. (And pagans are not Satanists, in case you were wondering!)
What else? We leave for Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island in a month. Get to visit with my brother and sister, my sister's family, AND my folks are coming up, as well! Fun times! Plus, it's the 100th anniversary of the publication of Anne of Green Gables--my absolute FAVOURITE book. I told you this last year, though, so you already knew. Right?! ;) Good thing I went red...I can look more like Anne now. :) Just call me Carrots. Unless you don't want a slate smashed over your head.
Two weeks after we get back, my first high school is having their 90s-decade reunion here in Denver. I'm so bloody excited for that!!! Can't wait to see everyone again! Friday night will be a pub crawl--how fitting for a high school in England, right? Must get new clothes for all the events. Just another excuse to shop! (But I hafta look hot, right?!)
I turn 31 in mid-June. Oh, joy. I guess it could be worse, though!
Vegas trip sometime in August.
And all the usual stuff. :)
As Walter Cronkite always said, "And that's the way it is."
P.S. Hey! What happened to the "What are you reading/watching/listening to?" deal-io?
