Crystal Bloom

www.benetton.com

2011-10-11T12:23:00.001-04:00

I loved United Colors of Benetton when I was a teenager in the early 90s. Finding an advertisement in the newest copy of YM magazine, then carefully tearing it out to put on my bedroom wall was such a treat. I am excited that this brand is still alive and moving forward. I recently stopped in to the Rideau Center store and was thrilled with what I saw. I encourage you to check out their latest collection and blog.

Authenticity

2011-10-11T12:05:00.002-04:00

Random thoughts on a snowy morning in the Ottawa Valley...

2011-10-11T12:03:00.000-04:00

The kids no longer believe in Santa Claus and I was worried that this year might not be as fun as previous years. A lot of their questions have led me to believe that they needed assurances that we'll still be doing everything we did in previous years...stockings, gingerbread house, mini-tree decorating, baking etc. And neither of them have used this new knowledge to make a must have (as opposed to a wish) list. I'm relieved the Santa aspect of Christmas is over...it felt like lying and if I could do it all over again, I'm not sure I would introduce the character as real.

Oprah's Fav things was scaled down this year due to the economy....I liked the show, the ideas were great-I'm doing the hot chocolate cones for sure, but I have to wonder if Oprah feels bad knowing on one hand she was encouraging people to spend money they didn't have...and then sending Suze Orman to bite their heads off for it on the other!!!

Life + Times

2011-10-11T11:54:00.003-04:00

www.lifeandtimes.com

Rosie & Oprah

2011-10-11T09:49:00.000-04:00

I loved the new shows!!!!

2011-10-10T23:09:00.000-04:00

I love October. There is something inspiring that happens when our every day lives are injected with orange, red, yellow and brown hues. Thanksgiving allows us to pause and think about all that we truly have to be grateful for. Fall gets us out posing for pictures, capturing that perfect picture that ends up in a frame, reflected upon for years to come. This month my dear husband embarked on a new job in Ottawa. I admire his courage to walk away from a job he had for the last 12 years and travel the down the road not yet taken. Congrats sweetie! Kendra turns 14 on the 25th. She recently told me that she's "has a lot more depth to her" than I realize. LOL! Oh the places she'll go. And Thomas...every day he gets taller, wiser and more handsome. He promised me he would win more awards than his sister this year, and judging from the marks...I think he will. Go Thomas!

So Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy this wonderful month! Visit a pumpkin patch, or a farmer's market. Make Jack O Lanterns and luminaries out of pie pumpkins. Enjoy!

Reflections

2011-09-20T00:32:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday Caitlin Ashley Bloom

2011-08-05T10:33:00.000-04:00

I wanted to take a moment and wish my sister a HAPPY 20TH BIRTHDAY.

What's Your Story?

2011-08-01T13:11:00.000-04:00

Summer.

As a child I despised summer. Mostly because I was an only child and everyone seemed to disappear after the last day of school.

As an adult I absolutely love the time I get to spend with my children. I love the relaxing days spent on the beach, and the peaceful nights huddled around the fire pit.

I know this much though-the summer months go by faster as you get older. One second you're shovelling the last of the snow off the deck, and the next you're picking out pumpkins to display on it.

This is the summer before Kendra starts highschool. The summer before Thomas starts grade 7. Literally "The Summer Before....", as experienced by everyone and anyone. In honor of that I have filled my books to read list with great coming of age stories. I was excited to see the same idea happening over at Huff.

I can't help but remember how my summers were filled with yellow hardcover Nancy Drew books, and exclamation perfume(!!!!!). And then wonder how my children will look back and recall the memories of the moment. That's another thing I have learned recently....everyone has different memories. Separate moments that shape and define their lives. And it's never the memory you think it'll be.

Kendra's Graduation to Highschool

2011-07-02T12:43:00.000-04:00

My Beautiful Children

Kendra winning an award.

No One Sings About Zinnias

2011-05-27T00:57:00.000-04:00

I love Zinnias. They are by far my favorite flower. I love filling containers and lining my windows with every make and colour. Nurseries can be overwhelming and I have learned that you must have a game plan. I have to say though that as the years have passed, I have pretty much zeroed in on Zinnias only and the many wonderful combinations you can create. So I thought I'd share a few pics of my most favorite types.

Zinnia Peruviana

Raggedy Anne

Blue Point

Green Envy

Peppermint Stick

Swizzle

Benary's Giant

Lilliput

~Each flower is a soul blossoming out to nature~
Gerard De Nerval

Is there anything better than spending summer in Muskoka?

2011-05-24T10:35:00.000-04:00

Simple Abundance

2011-05-15T18:31:00.000-04:00

2011-05-14T20:23:00.002-04:00

It's been hard to feel creative and inspired this last little while. If you have toxic family members, I highly suggest going cold turkey and cutting them out of your life completely. Unfortunately they will try and try again like a bad drug to get back in but my remedy for that has been to sit in a room listening to old songs recalling bad memories so I can remember how it got to this in the first place. Despite all that I remain optimistic-I can thank my own family for that, but it does wear you down a bit.

So this weekend I will be as creative as I can, gardening, scrapbooking, and being with my children. Life thankfully moves on.

Patty Smyth and Scandal - The Warrior (HiQuality)

2011-01-07T18:47:00.000-05:00

Finding Answers Through repeats of The Wonder Years

2011-01-07T18:14:00.000-05:00

I never knew until that moment what it was like to lose something I never really had.

Love can tear and rip you apart. It can kill you. But if you’re lucky, it can put you back together.

Change is never easy. You fight to hold on. You fight to let go.

Growing up happens in a heartbeat. One day you’re in diapers, next you’re gone. But the memories of childhood stay with you for the long haul.

All our young lives we search for someone to love. Someone who makes us complete. We chose partners and change partners. We dance to a song of heartbreak and hope all the while, wondering if somewhere and somehow, there is someone searching for us.

Things in life can get lost without any certainty of finding them again.

You can’t go through life thinking someday people will let you down.

In your life you meet people. Some you never think about again. Some you wonder what happened to them. There are some that you wonder if they ever think about you. And then there are some you wish you never had to think about again; but you do.

The friends who grew up with you deserve a special respect. The ones who stuck by you shoulder to shoulder, in a time where nothing was certain, all life lay ahead, and every road led home.

I'm not sure how I did It, my memories begin with the crack of the bat, and the sight of the ball rising. Maybe that's not exactly what happened. But that's the way it should have happened, and that's the way I like to remember. And if dreams and memories sometimes get confused oh well... That is as it should be, because every kid deserves to be a hero... Every kid already is...

We think the stars are fixed in the sky, but they are not. I think sometimes we have to learn to give in to change, to the new things.

All we could do was close our eyes, and wish that the slow song would never end.

Growing up is full of big moments. Some of them you can see coming from a mile away; and some you can't see at all.

In love there’s no simple fix. Sometimes you have to just hang on... and lead with your heart.

I remember a place...a town, a house like a lot of other houses....a yard like a lot of other yards...a street like a lot of other streets. And the thing is....after all these years, I still look back...with wonder.

The Trews - Highway of Heroes

2010-11-11T11:28:00.000-05:00

Elton John - Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters

2010-10-13T00:27:00.002-04:00

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-10-12T22:56:00.001-04:00

To Share....

2010-10-12T14:05:00.001-04:00

www.pyrexlove.com

Bravo Lady Gaga! BRAVO!

2010-03-12T12:16:00.006-05:00

Lady Gaga's new video for Telephone is a tremendous injection of creativity into a dying medium. I think music videos could survive if the music channels got out of the hands of baby boomers and back into the hands of the generation who ushered them in as a way of distancing themselves from their parents. Lady Gaga proves that a good video with a great build up still works.

A sure fire way to impress me: One music video seasoned to taste with Tarantino references. The studies of having young impressionable children watch violent Tarantino films are in: They grow up really CREATIVE.

Kendra as Artist....Madonna as Marilyn

2010-02-16T23:01:00.003-05:00

Kendra asked me if she could borrow my Marilyn Monroe picture to draw this morning...."I don't have any pictures of Marilyn Monroe downstairs".....She ran to the basement only to return with a copy of a 1991 Rolling Stone with Madonna on the cover. "Oh that's not Marilyn it's Madonna"...."Really?"..."yup".

I'll post the drawing when it's done. But here's the gorgeous photo taken by Steven Meisel (I think, I should double check)

Pride

2010-02-16T22:52:00.000-05:00

Remember When The Days Were Long......

2010-02-05T11:26:00.004-05:00

The summer of 1989 I celebrated my 12th birthday. And ironically one of the video's Muchmusic played in heavy rotation that summer was "The End Of The Innocence" by Don Henley. A brilliant video directed by David Fincher....a piece of trivia I knew even then. I don't think I was ever more truly authentic than I was that summer. Cutting out pictures and making posters, recording hundreds of hours of tv on VHS, or walking to the library to read as much as I could about the death of JFK. It really was the last year before all hell broke loose. The fact that 20 years has gone by is another story.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FPEBWZ1EOY

2009-11-29T15:35:00.000-05:00

Literally from Rags To Riches....

2009-10-19T00:57:00.005-04:00

I spent most of 1986 and 1987 glued to my television set holding a ghetto blaster up to the speaker recording the songs from the show Rags To Riches. We didn't have the luxury of owning a VCR so it was my only chance to preserve the songs they sang so I could take them to my room and memorize every word. I still have the cassette tapes in my basement...however I no longer own a cassette player! The sound is bad and thankfully I found two people on Youtube who have spent the last three years posting clips of the shows I literally haven't seen since they aired.

Glee reminds me a lot of what I loved about Rags To Riches and I can't help but laugh at how readily available the music is from the show.

They really are the equivalent of the Ewell Family....

2009-08-17T16:00:00.001-04:00

And then there were two....

2009-08-11T17:37:00.002-04:00

I have a fascintation with the Kennedy family. It started when I was very young...so I was saddened to hear that Eunice Kennedy Shriver passed away today leaving two Kennedy siblings left.

Michael Jackson.

2009-06-29T23:43:00.004-04:00

I went to a random HMV store today and out of curiosity looked for a MJ cd...the slots were empty. Later on I found one lone copy of his number ones at a Walmart in Kanata...what I really want is the opportunity to open the Thriller album cover and slip the record out and hear it as I had heard 26 years ago.

I looked back on the blog I wrote about MJ in December...and I guess I got my answer. Only in death are we finally able to embrace and remember him the way only we could. We can take the legacy-free from anymore self induced scandal and pass it along in the same way it was given to us.

It's true you made a better day...

2009-06-27T23:54:00.003-04:00

Michael Jackson was a huge part of the soundtrack to my childhood...I can't believe he is gone. I hope he is finally at peace.

In A New York Minute....

2009-06-03T01:04:00.005-04:00

Experiencing New York through Movies and Television is one thing...being there for three days and living it is transcendent to me. I felt at home walking the notorious street intersections and shopping the flagship stores. I loved everything about New York and I can not wait to go back.

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”

2009-04-18T20:38:00.004-04:00

Wow! Summer is approaching quickly. I have a lot of things coming up in the next month and I am slightly stressed and excited about them all. New York trip in less than a month...I can't wait. I must have lived in New York in a past life because it almost feels like a homecoming for me. Thomas turns ten in two months and I had to stop and say that out loud this morning.

THOMAS IS GOING TO BE TEN...HE WILL START GRADE 5 IN SEPTEMBER.

I will have to throw him a big bash because he really is the coolest most handsome kid I know and he deserves it!

Bobby started a salt water aquarium and I have to say I'm really impressed. I married a Italian Star Wars loving, gamer addicting fish lover and it rocks!

And because Kendra loves to be mentioned...she got a new bike today. Actually a lot of kids got new bikes today! I only owned three bikes-the tricycle, the two wheeler with training wheels and the a mountain bike...and nothing beats the feeling of getting on a new bike-NOTHING!

Take Care,
CJB

It's the Little Things In Life...

2009-04-07T08:30:00.004-04:00

I'm leaving a link to a story that was published in The North Bay Nugget recently.

http://northbaynugget.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1510538

Dear Ashley, I just wanted to let you know that I read the article in the paper (online as I am in Pembroke, ON) and thrilled to see SJSH embrace Red Fridays. I graduated from SJSH in 1995 (in my opinion one of the best highschools in our province) and putting away the uniform and the green and gold for one a day a week for RED goes a long way to acknowledging the sacrifices of our soldiers. Living next to Base Petawawa makes the emotions and the loss that much more palpable. I will pray for your Father's safe return home and recovery from his injuries. And thank you for bringing Red Fridays to the home of the green and gold.

Crystal

Proud Bear

Proud Canadian

Ashley was kind enough to return my e-mail and her father is home and recovering. Way to go!

A Lazy Friday in the Valley...

2009-03-20T14:25:00.003-04:00

Thomas went for a sleepover the other night and didn't come home till 4 yesterday afternoon. He then proceeded to fall asleep until 6 this morning. Apparently they pulled an all nighter watching Jason/Freddy horror clips on Youtube. Thomas is very routine orientated...bed by 10 and up at the crack of dawn. It's hilarious that he of all people pulled an all nighter.

Thomas and I are waiting for Bobby and Kendra to get back from Ottawa...hopefully with a clown fish for the salt water aquarium Bobby started.

Checking in....

2009-03-19T14:00:00.002-04:00

I joined Twitter even though I have absolutely no clue what it is or it's purpose. All I know is that I enjoy Ashton Kutcher's updates.
I am so glad winter is nearing it's end...I'm prepared for one more big snowfall and then really I'm done. All the vitamins in the world can't replace fresh air and sunshine.
March break is non eventful in our house this year...whcih is perfect for me. Save up our energy and money for the summer.

Later!

Star Wars

2009-02-21T19:39:00.004-05:00

Thomas and I chase each other around the house with light sabers and other Star Wars related weaponry all the time. So during a snow storm over Christmas break I decided to give in and watch all six with my son.

I wasn't a total Star Wars virgin...I was aware of main characters, major plot lines and pop culture phrases that have seeped into my world on occassion. But I wasn't prepared for the many questions I would have...and the quick answers that would come when I asked them.

(Why would Padme regain consciousness just to give birth when the robot already said they would operate to deliver what turned out to be twins?)

When I was a little girl and playing with my cousin Jason I loved driving cars through sand, talking through the microphone on Snake Mountain, and battling Skeletor till I was sure I was the Master of The Universe....but whenever I would come across a (hang on I have to ask my son what it's called) a Imperial walker or what I now know is the Millenium Falcon I would just keep on going. Star Wars never made any sense to me...and it wasn't because I was a girl.

But here I am...31 and light saber in hand. Thomas doesn't care about He-Man...I tried. I really tried!

Finally!

2009-01-20T16:04:00.004-05:00

When Bush was sworn in 8 years ago I watched sadly as former President Clinton travelled to Andrews Air Force Base, give a speech and literally drive off into the sunset. Today I couldn't wait for Bush to board his helicopter and get the hell out of there. The minute the helicopter doors shut I was cheering in my living room...out with the old and in the with the new. It's too bad we can't get young Canadians engaged and excited about politics so we can make some serious changes to our tired old system. And speaking of the tired old system...I guess the next few weeks will be interesting as our politicians get back to work. Hopefully the youth of this country are paying attention...

My absolute fav part of today's inaugeration:

"....help us work for that day when black will not be asked to give back, when brown can stick around, when yellow will be mellow, when the red man can get ahead, man, and when white will embrace what is right."

Rev. Joseph Lowery

Cold.

2009-01-16T14:09:00.002-05:00

What does one write about when it's -35 degrees outside? All I can think about is how dry and itchy my skin feels and how thankful I am for Oil of Olay Quench with green tea extract!!! Oh and I guess I can say how exicted I am that Preisent-Elect Obama will be inaugurated in 3 days.

That's it. I'm in hibernation mode.

Winter Blues.

2009-01-09T17:07:00.005-05:00

Happy New Year! And just as I suspected I have the winter blues...it always happens, I try to be on top of it but it still kicks me off my feet...and I hate it.
So I take the extra vitamins and stare off into the sun through my window in order to kickstart my energy level, perhaps a tanning session or two and hopefully before I know it winter will be gone.
Why do our beds feel so much more comfortable this time of year anyway?

Blah. Blah. Blah.

On a sidenote I loved Patrick Swayze's interview with Babwa. Real. He's been hospitalized and I hope he gets better.

Wii are having a blast!

2008-12-28T12:22:00.003-05:00

Wow...the Wii is the greatest invention ever. I didn't even want another game console in the house...my way of fighting "planned obsolescence!". But I caved under the pressure and made Bobby promise it could go downstairs...out of sight, out of mind!. I doubt the Wii will even make it downstairs...it is way to much fun. Even Papa has enjoyed a game or two of bowling.

There is a lovely wind storm over The Ottawa Valley today...it's +7 C and the sky looks like it is about to fall. 2009 is fast approaching, and if I had to pick one word to describe our family's year I would choose...."progress".

Happy New Year Everyone!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-26T11:05:00.004-05:00

What a wonderful Christmas we shared in the Barbieri household this year! The only gift I wanted was my sister here...and she is. Merry Christmas Caitlin!

Haha!

2008-12-23T01:43:00.003-05:00

I just want to take a moment to tell my husband how great I think he is. Merry Christmas Baby!

:-)

Christmas Musings...

2008-12-17T16:42:00.004-05:00

8 days till Christmas...6 days of pure hustle & bustle, 1 day filled with preparing, cooking, cleaning and anticipation...and then The Big Day!!!

The years are just flying by to me right now. I've been trying really hard to live in the moment and slow things down...not think ahead too much. If I get ahead of myself, summer will arrive and I won't remember spring.

I want to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year. Don't let anything get you down...be in the moment with your children...that's what they'll remember the most when they think back to this period in their lives. The best Christmas memory I have as a child was a walk my Aunt Jackie took me and a few of my cousins on...we couldn't of been more than 5 years old. She taught us to spell the word bum...it made us giggle to the point where our stomach's hurt. There was never a far off look in her eyes when she was with us...she listened and participated in our childlike banter.

My Aunt Jackie died earlier this year. I miss her.

Papa

2008-12-16T00:18:00.002-05:00

Papa has arrived...

Papa is my father-in-law and you would really have to know him to fully understand how his arrival never ceases to disappoint!!!! He always walks in the door yelling expletives and without much effort hurls many insults my way...he puts away his garbage bag of vegetables-"they're cheaper down south"...looks me up and down and says "let's go for coffee". He is by far the funniest man I know...and he makes going through a Tim Horton's drive-thru a real event.

When Papa tells a story he starts in the middle...so you have to ask a lot of questions in order to understand him...he gets so mad when we tell him some people have a hard time understanding his accent (Italian)..."They don't understand me...I came to this country and didn't know any English...what the hell am I speaking now?".

He fell down our front door stairs today. He cut up his arm and did a little damage to his hip....he has informed me that he is going to tell everyone I pushed him.

I adore this man. My husband's father...my children's grandfather...and the grumpiest man I know!!!

It's here!

2008-12-12T21:12:00.000-05:00

The Christmas tree has arrived....

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year....

2008-12-11T12:50:00.004-05:00

Christmas 2007

Buying Christmas presents for my kids is hard this year. It's weird that I only needed two items from the toy isle this time...and boy do I miss it! I love the element of surprise, but I actually followed their lists to a tee, with Kendra even making a point of saying "stick to the list this year mom....please!". LOL! She knows I like to find rare obscure things that usually only I care about. Like the year I ordered Target exclusive My Little Ponies....or the Cabbage Patch Kid with the Italian name and a birthday in the same month as Kendra. I was still better than my Mother though....she would take the toys away from me, wrap them in plastic and hang them on my bedroom wall.

I still have to get a tree...I normally have it up by now, but the thought of vacuuming up pine needles this year doesn't excite me.

How many more days till Christmas?

Grey's Anatomy of a Clusterf&^%

2008-12-10T15:43:00.003-05:00

What a big disappointment Grey's is turning out to be. This show would have benefitted from being on HBO...where network interference doesn't exist. When I think back to the first 9 shows of season 1, and how superbley written they were...to the clusterf*&^ it is now, it's depressing.

So TR wants to leave...fine, just go already and please take Jeffrey Dean Morgan with you. Oh and the girl who plays Lexie too. Let's get on with it and make interesting things happen to these people again...PLEASE!

I watch one show on TV and it turns out to be the one plagued with the most problems....go figure. *Sigh*

More Canadian Political Satire please....

2008-12-09T16:14:00.003-05:00

Jon Stewart did a great piece on our Parliamentary crisis last night on The Daily Show. I think it's smart business when Stewart and Colbert mention our country....it acknowledges the big following they have here. And quite frankly it ticks me off when we're not mentioned...we're laugh worthy and relevant...right?

You can view the clip here: http://watch.thecomedynetwork.ca/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart/full-episodes/december-8-2008/#clip119658

I have a question though....why is Rick Mercer only on once a week???? And pre-taped? I found his blog here: http://www.rickmercer.com/ but he hasn't posted since December 3rd....it turns out I have an insatiable appetite for Canadian political satire.

What is NBC thinking?

2008-12-09T08:34:00.001-05:00

I don't think Jay Leno is funny. So when it comes to Leno vs Letterman....my big neon sign says "I Heart David". Hands down, no questions asked. I have to say though that when NBC announced Leno was out in May '09 I was shocked. I was under the impression that late night talk show hosts kept their position for many decades...and when they left it was on their terms, no one Else's Then NBC laid out their plan...Conan to do Tonight Show, Fallon to do Late Night(seriously?)...I should stop for a minute...Letterman was poised to do Leno's job back in the day. They were both friends and needless to say it ended badly, Letterman should be thanking the high heavens it all unfolded the way it did. (I have to wonder what Carson would have to say about all this! ) So now it's been announced Leno will stay on at NBC, only he will be on at 10 p.m. Carson had 30 years on The Tonight Show, and his last show was one of the most watched programs in history. And when he walked off the stage, he was done...for good. Leno got 19 years...and his last show won't even be a goodbye. It all seems unfitting, even if I'm not a Leno fan. NBC should be more worried about re-structuring their evening time slots then their late night one's. My children have resorted to watching old TVshows on Youtube...signs there are no good situation comedies on TV anymore.

K & T

2008-12-09T08:10:00.000-05:00

Musings

2008-12-09T01:49:00.002-05:00

Winter storm watch for The Ottawa Valley....which means another snow day for the kids is most likely. I love having them home...I miss the lazy days of summer. I brought up the prospect of spending Christmas in Florida next year and Thomas almost had a heart attack. He doesn't like change of any kind...even if it benefits him. He is a creature of habit just like his mother.
Kendra attended a "Say No to Drugs" presentation at school today. They were given a interactive DVD/book to bring home which we watched after school. Kendra is so logical and full of common sense, so there was no real questions from her-except "what's the point?" every time the commentator would list the drugs effects on the body. I want to record every moment of this age she is at because she is truly at her most authentic....there are no obstacles or limits to what she can do....I hope that never changes.

Children are remarkable for their intelligence and ardour, for their curiosity, their intolerance of shams, the clarity and ruthlessness of their vision.
- Aldous Huxley

Keep Safe.

2008-12-08T08:26:00.001-05:00

I can't stop thinking about the Hawkins family (http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/549939)
Bobby does heating and cooling for a living, he is actually on his way to do service on a customer's fireplace right now. Proper maintenance, carbon monoxide detectors, and education have to be the good that comes out of all this....because the loss of such a beautiful family is really too much to take.

My thoughts and prayers are with family and friends of The Hawkins Family.

Michael Jackson? No Comment.

2008-12-07T13:06:00.000-05:00

There was a moment in 1984, as I sat in the basement of Beth's house watching the making of "Thriller" VHS that I thought Michael Jackson was indeed the king of everything. I don't think that video tape left the VCR slot for months....

When younger people bring up Michael and generalize the freak show he's become I always avoid the conversation and laugh it off. I have to wonder if it is hard for everyone in my generation to talk about him....I mean we worshipped him. When he drank a Pepsi, we drank a Pepsi, when he sported one glove, so did we, when he made a hundred zippers on a jacket cool, we made our parents search up and down for a jacket in that likeness. Yet now we can't even mention his name without feeling shame and guilt. I believe the mourning process for our love of Michael Jackson will be long and arduous, because denial is a nice place to be in this instance. He didn't love himself at all...that's the point that sticks out the most to me, the unadulterated self-loathing that made him change his face to something we could no longer recognize.

How will history write this story in decades from now? I don't know...but if it's left up to us, we might not write anything at all.

Dominick Dunne

2008-12-05T18:38:00.000-05:00

I'm so happy Dominick Dunne blogged over at Vanity Fair today regarding OJ Simpson. Mr. Dunne is one of my favorite American writers and his knowledge of celebrity scandal is impressive. He has also over the years compiled an extensive archive of journal entries over at VF that are fascinating to read. Mr. Dunne covered the first Simpson trial and has followed every detail since. There was a brief moment today during OJ's emotional speech before being sentenced that I felt really sorry for him. Manipulation at it's finest and I love that Mr. Dunne articulated that so well here: http://www.vanityfair.com/online/culture/2008/12/05/dominick-dunne-oj-simpson-deserves-his-punishment.html

I can't wait to see the movie "After The Party".....http://www.dominickdunne.net/site/shop.cfm?region=row&associate=hbny
Mr. Dunne certainly knows how to tell a story and captivate an audience.

Apply directly to the forehead...

2008-12-04T15:43:00.001-05:00

Wow. Does your head hurt? Mine sure does. Canadian Parliament has been prorogued....I hope Stephen Harper went right to work on the budget he is putting forth in January. This country is in the hands of idiots....the only good thing about all the news coverage this morning was Justin Trudeau...(he has my confidence vote).

They're all whispering...

2008-12-04T08:24:00.000-05:00

CNN is finally reporting on our "Canadian Crisis"....one full day after the NYTimes did a piece that is really hard to find in their World section. We are not interesting to anybody but ourselves! And even that's a stretch!!
I watched the address to the nation this morning....sorry I listened to it. After he fake smiled and said good evening I vomited in my mouth, so I thought it better to turn the screen away. Listen I said he should remain PM because he was chosen by the people....I never said I liked the man.

Crystal Bloom

2008-12-04T02:21:00.000-05:00

Coup d'état....or Têtes à claques

2008-12-03T00:55:00.000-05:00

I didn't vote for Stephen Harper in the last election. I voted liberal because I have done so in every election since I was 18. I voted for a party I believe in even though they had a shitty leader running a shitty campaign. With that said, I believe Stephen Harper should remain Prime Minister of Canada as voted by the people 8 weeks ago.
I also feel that Stephen Harper should take a step back and re-evaluate how he leads this country. Maybe I've been to involved in American politics lately but President-Elect Barack Obama and his Change.Gov website and his weekly Youtube addresses speak volumes to me about a new way to govern. The Prime Minister's fall fiscal update was divisive...and he was wrong, and he should be doing everything in his power to fix this mess including a open forum with all of us. The so called "coalition" should retreat-an important point was clearly made...with troops overseas and the economy sucking so bad, stability and building confidence should be the goal for everyone.

"Society must take every means at its disposal to defend itself against the emergence of a parallel power which defies the elected power”-Pierre Trudeau

Wierd.

2008-12-01T09:42:00.001-05:00

I had the strangest dream the other day-I won't get into much detail but basically the two things that stuck out were.....a herd of black horses and a kettle.

From the dream moods dictionary online:

To see a black or dark horse in your dream, signifies mystery, wildness, and the unknown. You may be taking a chance or a gamble at some unknown area. To see a herd of wild horses in your dream, signifies a sense of freedom and lack of responsibilities/duties. Perhaps it may also indicated your uncontrolled emotions.

To see a kettle in your dream, symbolizes the mundane aspect of your life. Perhaps you are taking certain things for granted or overlooking something or someone.

I don't usually remember my dreams....but this one was so odd I had to look this crap up. Interesting needless to say!

I know you have a little life in you yet....

2008-11-30T23:53:00.000-05:00

I recently found the movie "She's Having A Baby" on Youtube. I honestly had not seen the movie in a good 15 years and I was never able to find a copy of it anywhere...thankfully the Youtube Gods heard my prayer!

So I watched it again, cried again, and questioned why this wasn't re-released this year on some commemorative anniversary DVD with added bonus material.

It is by far my favorite John Hughes film and if you haven't seen it, please do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3dnFmwQy04

2008-11-25T09:49:00.000-05:00

Inflation, deflation. Recession, depression. Gas goes up, gas goes down. I remember when B & I were starting out thinking that it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. He had a great job, I would stay home during the day and work occasional nights for extra spending money...life was good. But I think the realist in me always knew it wouldn't last...I was a teenager at the beginning of the 90s and saw first hand what a shitty economy can do a town, a neighbor, my own family. My teachers kept it real too, almost scary real for us-but I'm sure Bob Rae made it just as scary for them.

The fact is for this house we needed to totally overhaul our spending habits, eating habits and travelling habits. The high gas prices was an easy one to adjust to, but it's the food prices that we really have to watch. I am officially a coupon clipper...and gone are the days of going to Costco to stock up. The truth is nobody needs that much crap anyway. I shudder to think how much of it got tossed in the end. I purchased a $39 winter jacket this year from No Frills, even though I wanted the most amazing Columbia jacket I have ever seen....(I am a true Material Girl)! It's a good lesson for our children though...there have been a lot of complaints, but on the other hand we are spending so much more time together. I have been officially labelled cheap by them-which is funny as hell. Yes I am cheap...I work too hard not to be!

45 years ago...

2008-11-21T16:27:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow marks 45 years since "The shot heard round the world". I think I might make a trip to the library tomorrow and pick out a book about JFK to read. I am a huge fan of The Kennedy's....the family and the politics. Vanity fair did a piece today that I love: http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/11/jfk-at-91_slideshow200811?slide=1#globalNav

And here's a beautiful song that inspired me when I was 12 to learn about this family-there was no official music video , but this one captures the essence of the song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO6qrtSTkew

"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future"-JFK

2008-11-19T02:55:00.000-05:00

The kids have been doing a lot of "remember whens" lately. I guess their lives are officially long enough to warrant a trip (albeit a short one) down memory lane. Kendra brought up a doll she loved with a plastic head and a cotton body that ended up in a nursery school photo this morning. She was humoured by the fact that she could have been so attached to a toy...meanwhile I'm thinking that doesn't seem all that long ago! Thomas tends to remember trips and food, which is funny because most of our trips consist of the two of them fighting like cats and dogs...but when he shares his memories there is no mention of that at all. All in all it makes for some wonderful conversations to have...which is probabley one of the best things about them getting older.

Video Killed the Radio Star...and Youtube while Playing the Video, Killed the Music Channel

2008-11-17T13:26:00.001-05:00

TRL said their goodbyes last night with what looks like a lot of fanfare. Being from northern Ontario I can say for sure that I have never watched a single episode of the show. In 1989 my hometown's cable provider added Muchmusic to the programming and my life as I knew it had changed. There was only one reason to watch MTV and that was every September for the VMA's which was aired on Muchmusic anyway. TRL may have been a signature show to a generation south of the border...but it is that CHUM building on the corner of King and Queen that is ours. Long before MuchOnDemand (TRL owes you a thank-you!), and the craziness that is the MMVA's....there was one Muchmusic Channel that left no music genre out. In the course of an afternoon you could listen to the Coca-Cola Countdown, learn the origins of David Wilcox on the Labatt Blue Spotlight, see Terry David Mulligan interviewing The Red Hot Chili Peppers while lying down in a bed on City Limits...and hear the beautiful voice of KD Lang on Outlaws & Heroes. And I of course remember the very first MMVA's....on a train going from coast to coast, making stops along the way to hand out the awards. That year we celebrated Jeff Healy, Alannah Myles, Kim Mitchell and other wonderfully talented Canadian artists. In fact, if I remember correctly, no one from the international community attended.....which we all know now is the exact opposite (as it should be). The point is Muchmusic was a staple of my Canadian childhood....and it provided me with some of the best music of my 31 year old life so far....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJbnpOLNqs4

So video killed the radio star....and Youtube while playing the video, killed the music channel! And if the music channel wants to survive it should go back to the way it was. Smart and witty VJ's, quality programming, great journalism and one channel. I think it's sad that a show like TRL didn't survive...maybe it's because the videos got predictable and boring, or there's too many channels and no one has the time to flip through them all to find a song to listen to. Show me one ipod that lists 500 songs from the same genre. People have never and will never be able to be pigeon holed like that. So why broadcast it that way.

2008-11-14T15:22:00.000-05:00

Dear Rolling Stone Magazine,

I think it is time to retire the "Top 100, 500 hundred lists". Let Rock N Roll live and breathe for awhile before compiling it into something it isn't. While I agree that the artists you selected for the "Top 100 Greatest Singers of all time" issue deserve to be recognized...I question the validity of the rankings. I own the first issues you compiled in 1987. You had been in the business of publishing your great magazine for a quarter of a century. So wouldn't it be fitting to let another 25 years go by before a list of greatness is even thought about.

So here's the deal: In 2008 alone you used up three issues for: The Best of Rock 2008, (which you did in May????), 100 Greatest Guitar songs in June, and than the current issue mentioned above. I realize sales are in a slump, and these issues make for great additions to people's collections (mine included). But....I think it's time for *gasp* CHANGE!!!!!!!! The theme on every one's mind in 2008.

So what would I change? I'm a sucker for generational points of view. Hire some twenty somethings and send them out on the road. We get the significance of the 60s and the 70s....and from time to time it is important to give props to a album or a song that changed (there's that word again!) a generation...referencing them from time to time is mandatory even. But it is time to get relevant again. Not just on political and social issues...but on the subject of music especially.

So in 2009-no lists. In fact I think you should even get rid of the music chart section and focus solely on the part where you spotlight a music store and their sales trends and college radio....and last but not least....let's give Kurt Cobain a rest for awhile. It's pissing everyone off. Because you have worked so hard to secure his place in rock history, my generation hasn't had time to reflect back without it being a cliche. That sucks.

Love Crystal, an avid reader for 20 years and hopefully counting.

Hope

2008-11-12T15:59:00.001-05:00

I can not get enough of Barack Obama. From listening to his audio books to watching his speeches on Youtube. I am fired up about this man who isn't even my president. But you know JFK wasn't our parents president either, yet they remember where they were the day he died so tragically 45 years ago this month. I think I can fully understand now just how devastating that would have been to the world. A complete and total loss of hope. And thankful that although it took 45 years...hope is finally back.

And now for our top story...

2008-11-10T08:14:00.000-05:00

Thomas and I love to watch Youtube videos together. The other day we came upon some news footage of the Challenger as we were searching for space shuttle videos. "Is that how they used to do the news mom?"...."what do you mean Tom?"...."is that how they used to do the news, with a picture beside their head?".

I think it's safe to say.."it's not your parents news program anymore!"....and now thanks to the newest technologies, flat screen tvs, and magic maps...it's barely even mine! Changes I didn't really pay attention to until my 9 year old son pointed them out!

Happy Halloween...things are "a-changin" in this house

2008-10-31T20:26:00.000-04:00

I have been aware more than ever that we are no longer a young family. I like to refer to the four of us as "midde aged" and I am taking nothing for granted. Kendra just turned 11 and Thomas is 9-something I always forget when people ask me their ages. I still see them as their younger selves but every now and then they snap me back to the moment. Kendra did not trick or treat this year...instead opting to hand the candy out and rent horror movies. I was disappointed but I tried not to show it. Maybe this is why people have more children....I have definitely been feeling the urge to have a baby these last few months. But I won't. I had them when I was very young, devoted every ounce of my energy to them (I still do!) and I am really enjoying the freedom I have now. I think our transition to "middle age" is going somewhat smoothly...we have our moments, every family does. But I am enjoying being in the moment with them, listening to them and just living each day to its fullest.

2008-10-21T15:56:00.000-04:00

Kendra will be 11 in 4 days. I can't stop thinking about myself at that age. I was in complete rebellion mode...a phase I would stay in for many, many years. I really disliked my Mom at that point in the game and Kendra now gets embarrassed by me easily. There is a fine line between being "cool" and just downright "humiliating" before she rolls her eyes at me. The difference here is that when I pulled this attitude I was told I was "spoiled", "bad" and "ignorant". The truth is 11 year old girls can be snotty, moody, and even mean. I think if we could fight a war with a army of them we would win! Dealing with this age was always something I looked forward too....I wasn't a huge fan of the baby years (I require sleep to function as a human being) and I really feel like I have more than enough experience to handle whatever comes my way. I don't think my Mom was prepared for the wrath of a rebellious teen....and I don't think she has forgiven me. I think our roles became reversed and unfortunately we'll never be able to work on getting the relationship back to the way it is supposed to be. So here I am 20 years later....my daughter is growing up-she's smart, she's kind, she's compassionate., she's witty..and every now and than bitchy as hell. And that is perfectly okay with me.