Some Things I Believe

I believe people come into your life when you need them. And it works in reverse, you are put into others' lives for a reason.

Sheila here. Teachers are some of those people. I am so fortunate to have learned from first grade through college from very smart, very kind, and inspiring teachers. I caught up with one of them recently. Steve Weadock was my Civics teacher my senior year at Sidney High School. Sometime during that year, my classmates and I dubbed him Wead, and most of us still call him by that nickname to this day.

Wead had one of those smiles that would light up a room. He also had passion for his subject. He didn't just teach us about government, he was involved in it. He was the president of the teachers' union for many years, and he is still involved in the democratic party in his hometown. He made learning about politics and government interesting and fun, and what I learned from him is part of the education foundation I use today in my job as a journalist. Wead also cared deeply for his students, and many of them remain friends with him today. He has 1,110 friends on Facebook!

I also believe true friends are never really apart. Things they bring to your life stay with you over distance and time. Wead said it best the other day after we spent an hour catching up without a second's lapse in the conversation. He said, "this is the mark of a true friend, when years go by, and you can sit and talk as if you were never apart."

Wead fought a big bout with cancer a few years ago, and he won. It changed the way he looks at life. He is more grateful now, and I get the impression he enjoys things a lot more. Unfortunately, the cancer is back. I was a little worried about what I would find when I went to visit him, but he looks amazingly good for a man who's going through chemotherapy. He's pretty thin, but that smile, that welcoming, amazing smile is still there.

My teacher is still teaching. A minister asked him not long ago whether he was "good with eternity." Steve told him, "I'm fine with eternity, but I'm not ready to give up my friends and my stuff!" So he's doing some renovating around the house, he drives half an hour away to take care of his 93-year old mother, he still goes to political functions and writes letters to the editor, and he keeps up his friendships. He's not giving up.

I also believe in the power of prayer. I'm not going to go all religious here. Suffice it say, in my work as an interviewer and in my personal life, I've seen prayer work miracles. When he wrote on his Facebook page that the cancer was back, his friends started posting and sending up prayers.

Wead doesn't do sappy. Hearing a lot of sentiment about how much he means to people makes him uncomfortable, so I hope he won't think my thoughts here are too sappy. I'll just end with a request. If you get a minute, and you are so inclined, send up a prayer for Wead. He still has so much to teach us.

baby bloomer bump update: 9 months {almost there}

Well I'm a week late with this update, but here it is! My last Baby Bloomer bump photo...well at least let's hope that it's the last one, and that the final photo has a baby in it! Things are getting pretty tight and heavy, my feet have swollen to elephant proportions and I'm getting a bit tired of strangers asking if there are twins in there. Nope! Just a really large baby girl. For those of you who don't know me, I'm a pretty tiny person - so I'm not sure how I cooked this baby so big! The doctor thinks she will be at least 8 or 9 pounds. But I am just happy she is doing well and she continues to entertain me with her squirming and by poking out her little elbows, knees and feeties.

The Baby Bloomer {also known as Peanut and Lil Miss Pixie} is almost here! Can't wait to meet her! Can't wait to into introduce her to you!

all gussied up for g20!

Toronto certainly pulled out all the stops prettying up the streets for their world wide debut! Nothing screams out "Come Visit T.O.!!" like plywood shopfronts! I especially like the taped garbage and recycling bags to all the poles along the streets. Not sure who thought there would be throngs of people carrying an excess of garbage. Must be for the world leaders. Actually feels pretty ghosty out there...kinda cool...but kinda eerie. Like it can't decide if something big is about to happen or if this is just it! I hope this is just it.

Friday flowers, welcome home edition

The laundry is not done, forcing me to wear gym clothes to work this week. The apartment is a mild to moderate disaster. There is still minimal food in the house.

But there are flowers.

{peonies, etc}

Big, crumpled petal peonies. Blowsier and more show offy than garden roses, which is a bit of a feat. If they were around all year, I don't think I could handle them. But a bit of over the top exuberance is perfect, in its own season.

{peonies, crumpled}

There is one more Greece recap for next week and then more regular posting will resume. Possibly even posts with actual recipes and photographs and everything.

Tennis Inspired + Wimbledon

Have you heard of the recent match this week between Isner and Mahut that was the longest tennis match in Wimbledon history? Wow, could you imagine playing 182 games lasting 11 hours and five minutes? Yikes. (read more about it here.)

All this tennis frenzy, got me thinking about the playful tennis fashion show and line that Jean Paul Gaultier put on for Hermes in the Spring 2010 -- what a fun show that was. How many of you play tennis?



Top photo by Maria Valentino-For The Washington Post
Fashion images by Monica Feudi from Style.com

Greece - Nafplio

D and I knew we had to arrange a side trip to Nafplio, which is only a couple hours outside Athens. It's an old port town, not ancient, but fabulous. Teeny little streets with beautiful balconies, some fun antique shops, and a fairly quiet port.

{nafplio port at sunset}

We ended up renting a car and driving. I was super nervous, because driving in Athens can be insane, so we took the metro to the airport, picked the car up there and then got right on the highway. And it was fine.

{driving, greece - not the highway}

On the smaller roads you run into some sticky passing situations. Brave drivers pass in all sorts of places that you would think impossible (i.e. blind curves, on a mountain) but we avoided this.

{little hyundai}

Apparently, picturesque Nafplio did not get much camera time. I was too busy relaxing. D took the family out to Mycennae, which is only 30 minutes away and is a must see if you haven't been before (I have, several times). The site is ridiculously wonderful. We all went to Epidavrus, which is as stunning as I remember and they've added a cute (if overpriced) cafe.

{theater at epidavrus}

{museum at epidavrus}

We stayed at the Pension Andromeda, and it was a great (accidental) find. I have major issues with hotel duvet covers (I know, weird) and was so happy to walk in and find an actual blanket on our bed, in a totally modern bright orange shade.

{pension andromeda - good bedspread}

The only downside was that the little guy stepped on a sea urchin and I had no idea how to handle it (after a failed attempt at pulling the spines out with my tweezers). He was super brave, even though we ended up having to take a trip to the hospital, where we were given a prescription for antibiotics and instructed to rub warm olive oil on it. Bases covered. Was sorely tempted to take photos of us in the hospital but managed to restrain myself, out of some notion of appropriateness. The foot recovered enough for him to enjoy the old fortress the next day.

{nafplio - palamidi}

Nafplio was a lot easier on the kid, because it's small and quiet and because it was swarming with Greek children (I'm thinking they must have been on a field trip). And it has a serious fort and some amazing gelato. Hard to beat.

purdy picnics

When shopping at the Superstore last week I noticed these adorable portable BBQ's by PC Home. I want one, I want one!! They made me want a picnic really badly...just a fun picnic party with a few people...or just me! So here are some other cute ideas to make a picnic a little more enticing than just a paper bag and a blanket...not that there is anything wrong with a paper bag and a blanket!

Leave it to Martha to be the mecca of picnic craft ideas! She even makes a paper plate dessert tower! And believe it or not you can also fashion a picnic basket out of a dishcloth. Oh Martha...

These sandwich papers are so adorable! I want to eat a sandwich like this everyday. Perhaps I'll find a way to wrap other foods in such papers...you could wrap a banana for your work lunch, your water bottle...the possibilities are endless! Found via The Sweetest Occasion.

Crafty fabric oilcloth placemats add nice patterns and colours. Found via Craftzine.com.

I like this colourful set-up that is kinda like a mini event! No space is too small to decorate...and why shouldn't you have your own personal string of lights or lanterns! Found via The Party Dress.