30 April 2009

Stop Eating my Friends!

Dear Pig Friends,

For a long time now I see you pass by in trucks that carry you to be slaughtered and every time a tear falls on my cheek as I wonder how senseless it is to take your defenseless sweet pink body and slaughter it to oblivion for some pulled pork sandwiches. The rotten flesh to be carted back down the highway for recycling and poured into some dog food creation or god knows what.

Well, hello. Now all of a sudden it has become apparent that pigs carry disease. A virus that is deadly to humans and now people everywhere don't want to eat you, be near you or even think about you. Good. Things happen on this planet for a reason. I'm not going to give you poor little piggies the God speech. You'll read my blog and be able to tell that I don't always capitalize the word god (see above) and sometimes I do believe *Steve* when he says that aliens planted life on the planet and come back to visit every so often for an anal probe or too to even up the score. See, this earth planet of ours is a closed system, it is finite. What we do here stays here and it never disappears. When we get decide to act carelessly on this planet and treat the world as if it were infinite pumping piggy poop out left, right and centre, we get what we deserve. A swine flu.

If you care enough to read more about my piggy friends and want to make a difference by limiting your bacon intake for a little while or longer, please read about this Factory Hog farm in Tewksbury, Delaware. No relation to our fine Olympic swimmer, Mark Tewksbury, who now hosts "How Things are Made" on the Discovery Channel and once shook my mother's hand.
signed, the willow

28 April 2009

But our beaches are free from Swine Flu








It may not be the balmiest weather and the water may contain a few dead seagulls, a couple thousand plastic water bottles, a few hundred million shards of broken beer bottle glass....but after all we aren't the origin of the swine flu. Now, thanks to hundreds of Canadians who have decided that our weather sucks and wanted some warmer weather, our beaches will contain their fecal matter and their swine flu that they will bring to us from their sunny vacation in Mexico! Just another germ to add to the list that have come home from Kindergarten this year. Oh hell's bells, if *Steve* and I can survive SARS, that we brought home from Terminal 3 at Pearson International into the depths of Antarctic Hell (aka Winnipeg in January) we can survive swine flu.
signed, the willow

23 April 2009

The Earthly Shade of Blue


When you look at the globe, an atlas, or a map of the world, what colour do you see? Yeah. Blue. Yesterday was Earth Day and I did promise another post but things happen, like papier maché. *Mila* picked out her outfit the night before and decided that since it was Earth Day she would wear an entirely blue outfit (in case you just tuned in, that is not her in the picture). Now, being a grown-up I would associate the colour green with Earth Day. Now, wait a minute, she did have a point. Sky blue. Ocean blue. Periwinkle blue. All shades of blue found in nature on our planet. After all, why do we use a BLUE box to be kind to our planet? Maybe we really should listen to children. These kids in *Mila's* class really felt that yesterday was the Earth's Birthday and we should celebrate that. They had to guess how old the earth is and *Mila* told me that her teacher said she gave the right answer when she said it was 105 years old. Wonder where that 115 year old lady was living before she came to the blue planet?


While on the dangling thought of oceans, on my PVR is the Cousteau "Call of the Killer Whale" episode from PBS yesterday.

Now, go do some good for your planet, would ya?

signed, the willow

22 April 2009

Womanizer

Lately we've been listening to the Top 40 songs on the radio. I'm in love with Lily Allen, who is not played enough. Nope, instead the radio loves to play Lady Gaga and her "Disco Stick" song. Britney Spears has made me explain what a "Womanizer" is to my 5 year old daughter. Do I really want to even touch Lady Gaga's topic in her "Love Games" with a ten foot long disco stick? No thanks Lady GAGA. Her name says it all.
Earth Day post to follow....
signed, the willow

21 April 2009

My Newest Internet Fixation

You will rarely hear me talk about music. I'm out of the loop and find that Britney Spears is the newest artist on the block, next to New Kids on The Block or NKOTB to you youngings.

Funny thing is I am addicted to iPod commercials. Yeah, I know! I don't even own a &*(^%&$&$%'ing iPod. Mostly because my dear husband, *Steve* took me to Bargain Basement for Cheapos one weekend and bought me a virus infested 2 GB mp3 player for $9.99 (Canadian dollars). I have that stashed in a bin now and I'd like to resurface it and fill it up with some latest hits. One I am particularly fond of is by Yves Klein Blue called "Polka".
What I love most about Yves Klein Blue is the way they go the name for their band. Yves Klein was an artist who invented a paint colour IKB, a blue paint that looks freshly painted ALWAYS and never loses its brilliance! They anticipate that their music will never fade with age. I just love a good little story like that. Go ahead and click on their website. You might just love their tune.

And what is happening in Winnipeg?

signed, the willow

20 April 2009

Personalized

For a long time I've admired the Before & After. Anyone can appreciate what Colin & Justin have done here. Who doesn't want some wall decor flower petals from Umbra on their wall? Unica home carries the Tord Boontje light shade that I so desire. For 2 new living room chairs, how about these Barcelona chairs? One slight problem, Polly Pocket is the only one who will be sitting in these 5" tall chairs.
signed, the willow

18 April 2009

Uh Miss-us-uh-Wiggins Could You Come in Here?

*Mila*: "I want to watch old fashioned songs on You Tube."

Me: "Like from the 80's? Because I know that's old fashioned for you."

*Mila*: "Yeah, really old old fashioned songs."

Me: " What would my grandmothers say? Okay, let's see what we get when we search for old fashioned songs? I know, how about 'I Love Lucy'?"

Was I born inside a television set? She clearly said songs, not tv shows!

*Steve*: "She clearly said 'old fashioned songs' so give her what she wants."

And I'm the one letting her have everything she wants?

Me: "Okay, I'll be putting my conductor hat away now."

*Steve*: "How about Gene Kelly in 'An American in Paris'?"

This would be where *Steve* tries to appease both of us, knowing full well that AAIP is my all time favourite movie and besides who doesn't enjoy a little Gene Kelly singing and dancing in the faux streets of Paris or in the rain?

*Mila*: "Yeah, like Gene Kelly!"

- Interlude with "I Got Rhythm" goes here. Hum the tune in your head. -

*Steve*: "Maybe she'd like to see some old episodes of the 'Carol Burnett Show'?"

Me: "Oh, Mr. Tudball! Do you re..."

*Steve*: "And Miss-us-uh-Wiggins?"

- canned laughter goes here -

signed, the willow

16 April 2009

Yo! Crazy Russian Guy!

On the way to the park today *Mila* and I met up with a nice little girl, her sister, their broken-legged brother and their au pair. The au pair was Russian and he reminded me of a Crazy Russian Guy (CRG) who once resided in a basement apartment of a house I went to peruse while I was looking for a house in Winnipeg. It would seem that this CRG was renting the basement apartment in this huge house. The upstairs was sparse and filled with vinyl flooring. The basement was filled with newspapers and was holed in. It was as if the CRG didn't leave the house...EVER! So, the real estate agent said "Let's look in the basement". Since it had a separate entrance we knocked. Good thing we did. This CRG answered this door peeking thru a crack that he managed to create by pushing aside stacks of Winnipeg Free Presses. His one right eye was glaring at us. After the real estate agent explained that we were looking at the house, CRG asked "Why you looking at the house?" And that was when it all began.

Agent: "The house is for sale and I'm the agent showing this young lady through the house."

CRG: "The house is for sale? Who's selling my house?"

YO! Crazy Russian Guy! There is a Re/Max sign on your lawn that says "FOR SALE". To sum it up, both of us being scared by the human pitbull, we scampered out of there as fast as a 210 lb real estate agent and a prospective buyer can run.

signed, the willow

15 April 2009

Oh Great, My Earth Day Bitching Has Begun!

In walking home through the mailbox jungle this morning after a windy, but relaxing, walk with Suma I have to say thank you to the kind and considerate neighbours who cleaned up the brush, the garbage, the slew of Timmy's cups and made a beautiful path fashioned of stepping stones and crushed rock. Think to yourself that if something is continually driving you crazy, how can you make it better? Guess they did and "If you can't beat 'em join 'em".

Now, what can we do about the lazy man on the corner with 2 newspapers in his driveway, a pile of trash on his boulevard responsibility and that darn plastic bag stuck in his tree. It is not a flag, buddy. Take it down!

signed, the willow

14 April 2009

Big Bugs & Bad Water

While I didn't get any of my own photos of the big backyard monsters at the RBG, I can say that *Mila* got her fill running around with her playdate at the RBG. If for some reason you are visiting my blog and the Backyard Monster link is now defunct, I encourage you to visit the www.rbg.ca website. Read about Project Paradise: restoring a freshwater marsh back to its natural self-sustaining ability. Very inspiring.
On the topic of water, nature, and a clean planet, I have to bring up No-Impact Man's blog post yesterday. I have to say that these images of cruddy oceans filled with bits of plastic are really burning into my brain. I was up last night tossing and turning worrying about what we (really, plastic consumers) have done to our planet with plastic. I made *Mila* touch kitchen items made from plastic. OK, so I am getting off topic. His post is more about the issue of bottled water and the new documentary "Tapped". Cannot wait to see this film. My parents are scared of what they might see on Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth", this may make them really tremble. The saddest part of it all, plastic can save an economy and destroy a planet. Someone said to me that their mother always said "Plastic will ruin us". That mother was ahead of her time. It is destroying us.
signed, the willow

12 April 2009

A Visit to the Royal Ontario Museum



When we head into Toronto, it is important for us to dress up like "glamourous movie stars".




And him? He's merely believing that that sandwich ad behind him will come to life and he will meet meat again.




The face? He's so proud. She's so tired. Oh boy, we just got here!










First we admired this.









Then we began our posing sessions.



I bet we convinced some people that we are in fact genuine, glamorous movie stars.



T-Rex was there.


This is how I am going to set up my living room. I've always wanted to have opposing chair conversations. It was fun until *Mila* had to sit in each and every chair with all possible configurations of her parents.



I made her pose beside the Signy Eaton sign, as Signy is a distant Icelandic-Canadian cousin of ours.



*Mila* was too petrified to rub Timmy Eaton's brass shoe. He was rather daunting, hiding in the corner of the basement of the museum.





We soon grew tired. So we threw ourselves on the subway to catch that GO train home. We became more glamorous and mysterious on the train ride home.



Oh, and ponylicious.

signed, the willow



10 April 2009

Moving Right Along

I absolutely love and adore to read one of my more favourite blogs: Fussy.org. If you're not a chick or you haven't spawned any offspring yet, it really won't matter because you'll love her too. Fussy can write right. She provides you with the imagery that visual people like me need in order to read more than a sentence.

Tuesday I checked her blog which had been updated in the past hour of me checking it. I love a good fresh blog post. I'm not entirely "in tune" with Fussy's life yet. She finds her home in L.A. (a place so relaxed and calm that they have time to put dots in between the two letters "L" and "A", unlike TO) and I found it difficult to think of wearing a tee shirt in April this past Tuesday in suburban Southern Ontario (even if parts of Southern Ontario are situated at the same latitude as Northern California).
But we can all relate to this, loss. At some point in our lives we have all lost a pet, a relative, a captured insect in a jar, or a fellow blogger (and artist) and Fussy pointed this out. This is the part where I "met" Sara of MOVING RIGHT ALONG. Sadly, Sara lost her battle with that "world-famous-life-sucking cancer diet" as she called it. We all connect through our sadness, loss, and the fact that cancer sucks. I'm very sorry to Sara's family, friends and blogging fans. Sara, know that you had a purpose on this planet and in the blog-i-verse. You served your purpose well.
signed, the willow

09 April 2009

Snow Snow Valvoline Man



Don't ask. I just was intrigued with the colour of this Valvoline truck sitting out back. Question: Did he go to get himself a Starbucks? Did he run into the BMO to get a $20 for the road? Is he behind this truck having a wizz? Do I have too much time on my hands?


signed, the willow

08 April 2009

Splitsville

My mother is now lying on the floor in a catatonic fit believing that *Steve* and I are splitsville. No, never. But *Mila* did make this lovely banana split.

signed, the willow

07 April 2009

Just Minding my Own Business when....


...all of a sudden some babe threw some lemons in my face. Okay, don't take me so literally. Not real lemons. It's a metaphor. This time I'm going to make lemonade from my lemons.
Hey! Why are there vacuum cleaner parts in the background of all my pictures? If you're really observant you will notice my vacuum sleeps on the couch so that my dog doesn't.
signed, the willow

06 April 2009

A shovel's worth of snow

There she stands at the patio doors with my blog post for the day. She's 5 and has one paltry little plastic shovel worth of snow. We had our first and last snowfall for the month of April today. Yes, I do realize that it is only April 6th.
I thought I would google "Sioux Lookout" and see a few feet of the creamy white stuff. But, I didn't. I found people who were once born in Sioux Lookout that have since moved away to become beauty queens, fashion designers, hockey players, and many more important things.
But now, I must go and rescue *Mila* from riding her shovel like a sled off our deck to the dog poo below!
signed, the willow

04 April 2009

The Esophagus Choker Turns 50!

Fisher Price Little People are turning 50! Go and have a look at how easily they slid down your esophagus in the 60s. It's amazing how no one sued the company then for choking their child. But by the 90s all of a sudden these extremely large creatures were sliding down all sorts of throats. Maybe they were too big? Or maybe parents assumed their kids were being watched by the daycare workers of the new generation, as opposed to being watched by an older careless sibling in the 60s or the family dog in the 70s?
Speaking of Little People. Check out this blog: Little People - a tiny street art project. Oooh la la, I think every little kid I know wants to play I Spy with the Little People in the City book.

signed, the willow

03 April 2009

Why Little Girls need Dads

I just read an article about how children, and my brain is telling me that especially little girls, need to play rough with their dads. The reason these experts say dads are better at this than moms, is because moms are less likely to toss babies into the air and more likely to wipe their runny noses and brush the knots from their golden locks. Women are nurturing. Men are the fun-makers. Women clean. Men can mess freely. It just works somehow.
It is the father who tosses that baby into the air. They teach their children to take risks, calculated ones hopefully. It is all for their emerging identities and self-esteem. So, when you see a baby being tossed into the air, I hope it is by one heck of a loving Dad!

signed, the willow

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