Saturday, August 28, 2004

Welcome Luna

Allow us to introduce our newest family member, our new puppy,

Luna.




Luna (latin for Moon) was born on March 21 of this year in Thailand. She is a Blue Heeler cross with black and white markings (the Queensland Blue Heeler is a Border Collie/Dingo Worrigal hybrid). Luna came to Canada sometime in July of this year, and found her way to us through Dawn, who brought Luna down to us after the funeral on the 27th - the night of the full moon.

I wanted her to have a name that was unique and reflected her connection with the Island. Luna's name is derived from/after the (now famous) Killer Whale Luna, who has adopted a small First Nations community near Gold River, Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

The Mowachaht-Muchalaht believe Luna to be the reincarnation of Chief Ambrose Maquinna, who before his death declared that his spirit would return to his people as Kakaawin (a Killer Whale). Three days after he died, Luna appeared, stayed and has lived there for over three years. His traditional name is Tsuux-iit.

LUNA ON DOGSTER!

Wow. A few links there for you to click on (the ones in orange). And after you are finished surfing, make sure to drop me some helpful hints on house training adorable puppies who forget to pee outside!

Friday, August 27, 2004

Good Night Sweetheart, Good Night



R.I.P. Christopher John Perkins

Till we meet tomorrow, Good night sweetheart,
Sleep will banish sorrow.
Tears and parting may make us forlorn,
But with the dawn a new day is born,
So I'll say Good night, sweetheart,
Tho' I'm not beside you, Good night, sweetheart,
Still my love will guide you
Dreams enfold you, in each one I'll hold you,

Good night, sweetheart, good night
.


Chris's memorial went well today. It was comforting to see and hear the many things that those that knew him remebered most about him. I enjoyed hearing their kind words and came away knwing my brother a little more than I did before. I especially want to thank the people who helped me pull it together; Duncan, who graciously did the introduction and summation, Geoff (my brother's best friend) who said the Eulogy in a truly touching and heartwarming manner, Wesley (my son) who read one of my favourite poems; and Nikki (my long time friend who declared "I knew Chris when he was melting GI Joe guys") gave out the flowers bulbs we gave away in rememberance. It was a nice (and quick) ceremony and I was happy to see everyone again, albeit next time I hope it to be under different circumstances...

Tuesday, August 24, 2004

Today is the big day...

WE GOT A PUPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday, August 23, 2004

Life is just what happens to you while you're busy making other plans

Out on the ocean, ship sailing away
I can hardly wait To see you come of age
But I guess we'll just have to be patient
Cause it's a long way to go, a hard row to hoe
Yes it's a long way to go, but in the meantime,

Before you cross the street, take my hand,
Life is just what happens to you
while you're busy making other plans,

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful Boy.

What's in a name?

Thinking up puppy names... Heres what I have dreamt up so far, let me know what you think:

Sasha; Sariah; Paris; Indianna (Indy); Iggy; Willow; Marley; Karma; Reese; Milo; Kyra; Sage; Mieko; Asia; Froddo; Bilbo; Kaida; Lilo; Gimli; Rohan; Arwen; Bailey; Joey.

Suggestions?

Sunday, August 22, 2004

Love Actually



"When I get gloomy with the state of the world I think of the Arrival's Gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there. Fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the twin towers, as far as I know, none of the messages from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge, they were all messages of love. And if you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love, actually, is all around."

Ahhh. Romantic Comedies. There's been a couple recently that we have enjoyed, Love Actually and 50 First Dates. There is nothing like a romantic comedy for sending the kids to bed early, cuddling up together under a blanket on the love seat, giggling and holding hands for a good couple of hours. I'd recommend both movies, especially if you have a desire to be distracted from the demands of mundane life for a little while.

Friday, August 20, 2004

Good News all round!

CATHY IS HAVING A BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay for Babies!

Motto to live by

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Champagne in one hand, strawberries in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO - what a ride!"

Thursday, August 19, 2004

Wednesday, August 18, 2004

Recently I have been trying to take just one day at a time...

But today it seems that several of them stuck up and hit me all at once. What a long day I had today. I feel like I was on the phone forever; I'm tired and I have a headache. But hopefully by tomorrow evening I will be able to declare that my brother's arrangements are in place and that we have a memorial to go to.

Duncan brought me back a box of photo's from my Mom when he was in Calgary that I just finished scanning and making picture disks for people. Interestingly enough, one of those pictures was a cute little picture of my brother wearing my frilly nightgown on Christmas morning when he was six. This picture was often the source of embarrassment for him, which ofcourse (being a fine and upstanding sister) I capitalized on as much as possible. When I first scanned this picture in, the file showed up blank. It was just a white picture. That made me smile. I figured if my brother really didn't want me to include that picture on his photodisk then the same would be repeated when I scanned it the second time as well (then that really would constitute a sign).



Isn't that cute? I almost forgot he was also wearing my pink housecoat. He would so kick my ass if he was here...

Tuesday, August 17, 2004

120.00 Later...

... and kid's school supplies are done. Well, not including indoor shoes, school clothes, hair cuts, school lunch stuff, lunch room fees and the supplementary school supply lists that the kids will come home with in the first week of school.

But at the very least I can say they are excited to be going back. That's worth something.

On the morning show today

Rod Kurtz and Allie Wojtaszek, CBC Radio Edmonton, (CBX-AM) 740 AM on the dial.

Sunday, August 15, 2004

On the edge of something much too deep...

Remember all the good times that we had
Let them slip away from us when things got bad
Clearly I first saw you, smiling in the sun
I want to feel your warmth upon me,
I want to be the one

I will remember you
Will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories

I'm so tired,I can't sleep
Standin' on the edge of something much too deep
It's funny how we feel so much
but we cannot say a word
We are screaming inside, we can't be heard

I'm so afraid to love you, but more afraid to lose
Clinging to a past that doesn't let me choose...

I will remember you
Will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories

Sarah McLachlan

Something's are nice to hear

Nice to know I am someone's hero right now...

Thanks Joel!

Saturday, August 14, 2004

Only Time...

Who can say where the road goes,
Where the day flows?
Only time...

And who can say if your love grows,
As your heart chose?
Only time...

Who can say why your heart sighs,
As your love flies?
Only time...

And who can say why your heart cries,
When your love dies?
Only time...

Who can say when the roads meet,
That love might be,
In your heart.

And who can say when the day sleeps,
If the night keeps all your heart?
Night keeps all your heart...

Enya

Friday, August 13, 2004

I believe...

I believe
That imagination is stronger than knowledge.
That myth is more potent than history.
That dreams are more powerful than facts.
That hope always triumphs over experience.
That laughter is the only cure for grief.
And I believe that love is stronger than death.

Robert Fulghum

Thursday, August 12, 2004

Dear Editor's;

My brother, Chris Perkins, was killed on the Lion’s Gate Bridge August 8th. He was trying to direct cars around a stalled vehicle that was blocking traffic over the bridge. He was hit by a speeding vehicle from behind, thrown more than 10 feet, and killed instantly. He had just turned 30 years old.

This year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) designated road safety as a global public health issue, stating that road traffic deaths ranked second only to HIV/AIDS in leading causes of death for people aged 15–44. Each year, many more than 1 million people are killed on roads, and 50 million more are injured in some way.

It does seem to be an unavoidable fact that accidents happen, but by their very nature they are almost always preventable. Admittedly, few drivers set out to kill anyone, but this detail rarely eases the pain of the road bereaved.

The reality is that road safety is not an accident. It is up to each one of us to take the actions necessary to limit traffic related injuries and fatalities, regardless of how we are using the roadway.

Slow down. Speed is a factor in many road accidents, and it can turn any situation into a fatal one in just a few seconds.

Look where you're going. When driving, maintain an accurate perception of what is going on around you so you always have time to react appropriately.

Be considerate of other road-users, and try to keep a safe zone in mind when passing an emergency situation on the road. You never know when someone is going to be suddenly in front of you.

And for pedestrians; remember, the only thing that can stop a car is the driver. Be careful of how much trust with which you step out onto a road, you never know when or how that driver might be distracted. Some mistakes can’t be fixed.

My brother was somebody important and, like everyone else, he had dreams and a life to live, a life that ended much too soon. I only had one brother. Please slow down.

Allie Wojtaszek
Edmonton, Alberta

Tuesday, August 10, 2004

Today, 1978 seems so long ago.

Monday, August 09, 2004

How is it that a life can be reduced to this?


It's weird when you spend your time reading about other people's misfortunes in the news to suddenly be faced with seeing your own with such candidacy. For everyone looking at this story, that's just a body of someone they didn't know, someone who tried to help, who tried to do what was right as they saw fit, someone they are easily distanced from, or worse yet, even just another headline. It's odd to try to see this from that point of view.

For me, that's my brother under that blanket. His name is Chris Perkins and he turned 30 in July. That's the last image I will ever see of him. Sometimes Life really bites you in the ass. This has been a really bad year for that.

If my head wasn't screwed on...

I am faced with a day of being jabbed by sharp pointy objects intended to drain my crucial body fluids by our trusted health care professionals. I'd rather be at the beach.

Oh yeah, go Wild Fire!

Saturday, August 07, 2004

Don't Run. We are your Friends.

Tonight we were treated to a wonderfully roasted dinner at Quynn's house where we also had a treat to celebrate our one month wedding anniversary - we watched both Spaceballs and Mars Attacks! I'd never seen them before and laughed my way through them both.

I have almost finished updating my home page since the last name and marital staus change, including a page for our ceremony and vows as well. Feel free to visit, there's no charge. And (drum roll please) there's more to come!

Happy one month anniversary baby!

Friday, August 06, 2004

Aug. 6, 1945: Birth of the Atomic Age



ter·ror·ism: The use, or threatened use, of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons. The act of terrorizing, or state of being terrorized; a mode of government by terror or intimidation. The calculated use of violence (or threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature; this is done through intimidation or coercion or instilling fear [syn: act of terrorism, terrorist act]


The Eternal Question

Why does sex make you so hungry afterwards?

Thursday, August 05, 2004

Best. Quote. Ever.



View my Bushism collection at My Bush is Better Than Your Bush.

Oh yeah, and Duncan sent me this. I just had it on my blog before he did.

Wednesday, August 04, 2004

Working for the CAUS

Looking good Duncan!

Monday, August 02, 2004

"I fear for your safety before that of all others..."

Duncan and I saw M. Night Shyamalan's newest hit this weekend, The Village. I enjoyed it very much, and remain a loyal student of his artful suspense and story telling. People who see fit to deride this movie have missed it's subtler points.



Set in rural Pennsylvania circa 1897/1997, this is the tale of a small, isolated village menaced by, what would be fairly labelled, the bogey man. At first glance, this tiny village seems near picture perfect, but never forget that Shyamalan is the master of the twist ending, so beware idyllic perchance as he winds through this story. Just don't look so hard for what he is trying to do that you miss it entirely.

Above all, this story is, at all levels, a love story. There is sometimes a fine line between what is love, and what is fear; what is bravery and what is denial. This story is as much as story of boundaries and crossing them as it is the story of the human yearning to secure a safe place in which to prosper.

If your worst fears had painfully come true, how far would you go to protect your family? How much would you sacrifice to make a perfect world beyond the horrors that had ripped your heart open, a place where the only crimes you fear can never occur?

In the search for such a life, driven by the desperate need humans have to protect that which they love at all costs, a small group of resourceful people have based the fabric of their existence upon the very best of intentions. But not all good intentions have the best results, and they soon learn that life remains full of sufferring and pain regardless of what they do to hide from it.

I am a sucker for love and films about it are no exception, especially when the theme is so intricately woven through the plot. This story is dependant on all manners and understandings of love, and as they say... true love is blind.




M. Night Shyamalan has said he always wanted to write the line "the world moves before love and kneels before it in awe" into a movie. And now he has.

Sunday, August 01, 2004

The pursuit of pleasure is life itself

HEDONISM: he·don·ism.
Pronunciation: 'hEd-on-iz-om

Pursuit of or devotion to pleasure, especially to the pleasures of the senses; the ethical doctrine holding that only what is pleasant or has pleasant consequences is intrinsically good; the doctrine holding that behavior is motivated by the desire for pleasure and the avoidance of pain.

A Special Thanks To ME!

I don't think I can get tired of seeing my new name in print!

I had a blast helping my friend Ingrid with her Works Festival Project in Edmonton. Check out her page ... North Saskatchewan River Project: Edmonton

Matter of fact, check out her whole site, her art is as amazing as she is!

Oh, and by the way... could anyone who took some good pictures at our wedding please send them to us?!?! Thanks!