How Great

How great is Jennifer Davis? I'll let you decide for yourself. But I think she's pretty darn fabulous.

signed, the willow

"I Scream Because I Caaaaaaaaannnnnn..."

signed, the willow

Rockett Man

If you don't adore what they've got going on at Rockett St George, then I guess it is true: "You just don't get it".

signed, the willow

Forest Friends

Meet 'Mishkyn and Boris'. Well, that's what I've decided to call them. They are the forest friends I have been waiting for. Talented artist Kitty Empire was kind enough to conjure this messenger bag up and send it to Ontario. Most amazing to my 5-year old daughter that she could sew this. "Your 'passenger' bag is handmade? That's just amazing. How did she make it? ... She sewed it? How? I just can't believe that she sewed that 'passenger' bag for you mom!"

Handcrafted of vinyl, so it survived today's downpour and killed no forest friends. And Kitty Empire was kind enough to donate 5% of this month's sales to Rabbit and Guinea Pig Welfare. How cool is that? Since Mishkyn was a bunny I had as a little girl that unfortunately was taken too soon from us by a nasty skunk. Okay. Moving on.

Mishkyn and Boris welcome to your new home.

Let me just enter the secret code. No peeking.

Try not to trip over all the toys that *Mila* left on the floor this morning. This will happen quite often. Also, expect to be sniffed quite readily by a canine. She's harmless, but she is convinced she's part beagle. Just go with it.

Thanks for coming grocery shopping with me. Even though I lost my list (from my pocket, silly) I'm pretty sure we picked up everything we need and we by-passed the junk food aisles.

If you haven't noticed yet, we will be taking you on many a shopping excursion. *Mila* had to stop and make her Dad a Father's Day card at Old Navy. While they don't sell ties, they put them on their cards (? Yeah, I know).




So we did pick up a tie. Shhh! and a pink basketball. How cute will it be when we're outside watching *Mila* and *Steve* shoot hoops?

When we go to IKEA, we'll find a whole bunch of things that we won't need. But they are so cute and you'll love them too.

Let's not forget your very cute partner that I picked up for *Mila*, Fawnzelle (thanks Dooce). Check out those size 13 shoes she picked out for herself and this great Canada Day tee. If you can't make it out: heart + (:)) = maple leaf. Love plus happy people equals Canada. Or Big Sugar + Stompin' Tom = Canadian.

Occasionally, Boris and Mishkyn, you will be asked to plantsit.

The beast known as Suma will surely cuddle with you, even if harbor no sausages.

Join us for some "home-schooling" that we do for pure fun. We draw our own flags and then memorize them. See the Iceland one? Good, get used to that topic of conversation.

*Mila* will take you up and down the stairs for breakfast, lunch and dinner with her. She'll ask you to pass her the sugar. Don't fall for it!

Maybe I'll ask you to carry Dooce's book "it sucked and then I cried" around. Don't worry, it's not that heavy.

Mimzy and Emma (part deux) are the faux forest friends that live with *Mila*. At night they'll want your contents.

I'll show you my outfits and ask you for your opinions. Be honest, but not brutally honest.

Put your head on my pillow if you like.

And say goodnight.

Goodnight.

signed, the willow

Waiting

I am waiting very patiently to receive my messenger bag that I ordered on Etsy from Kitty Empire. While I sit here waiting (at the mailbox), go have a look at what I have purchased. It really would be such a treat to see it tomorrow....

signed, the willow

Centre Island Adventure

Toe tapping on the train.



"How much longer?"When we arrived on Centre Island there was a whole lot of this going on.

And then there was this....

Finally, after a big rocket popsicle we took some posed pictures beside Toronto's big rocket in the sky. That would be hair on *Steve's* lower lip and popsicle dripping from my nose, chin, lips, ears, etc. *Mila* was the cleanest of us all.signed, the willow

The Field Guide to beat all Field Guides

This book (which *Mila* placed a blue "GOOD" sticker on) carried me through University and through my hikes after University. Thanks to the internet, things have come a long way. Check out this Ontario Wildflower website. Totally Awesome DUDE!

signed, the willow

She's bringing SEXY back

As far as I knew, sexy and nuclear didn't mix. But, what do I know?

To sum things up, here's what happened. A federal Natural Resources Minister (that's politics talk up here in Canada, eh?) was all talking sexy talk about radioactive isotopes. She said "But it's sexy. Radioactive leaks. Cancer."

Just how did the Canadian public learn of her sexy talk? Well, her lovely aide, Ms. MacDonnell accidentally left a tape recorder on in a car ride. Then she accidentally left it in the washroom. Then a reporter with the Halifax Chronicle Herald accidentally found it and accidentally went public with it. Just like cancer and radioactive leaks are accidentally sexy? Huh.

signed, the willow

Guess the flower

signed, the willow

Reality Bites

Meet Deanna Pappas. She was going to marry this dude (and I do mean dude, as in snowboarding dude). She chose him when she was the Bachelorette on ABC. But he met another girl who was on a different season of 'The Bachelor' and ditched Deanna. Are you still with me?

This was the guy Deanna didn't choose. Jason. He's a real piece of work (or at least ABC made him seem that way). He became the Bachelor after Deanna ditched him for Surfer Dude above. He picked one girl whom he led on and then he dumped her for another girl, named Molly. It was inevitable. The third from last girl he picked was Jillian.

Meet Jillian. She's Canadian. Wonder how she got roped into all this American Bachelorette drama? So now she's the new Bachelorette. Her hometown was somewhere like...Peace River in Alberta. But she goes by Vancouver as her home. I can relate to that. For years I told everyone my home was Winnipeg as no one would know where Sioux Lookout was. Nor would they care.

She can pick this guy. His name is Mike. Personally, I think he deserves a more exotic name and I think I dated him. No, never mind.

This is Tanner P. He's so creepy. Let me begin with the fact that he has NO CHIN! Men need shoulders and chins. When they lack these two characteristics and become fixated on sucking on women's toes, it is just a recipe for disaster.

This is Jealous David. He has this thing for Juan. Just a shot in the dark, but perhaps David is gay and loves Juan. He's so jealous of him and almost killed Juan for not taking a shot of booze and pretending to do so.

Juan, Juan, Juan. There is something very underhanded in that boyish grin. I am sure that Juan is not going to make it all the way. Unless David and Juan kiss and make up.

Wes is here to promote his new country album.

Robby. Robert. Rob. Jillian might keep him around for a while longer than Juan.

There is Ed. Ed seems good. I think Ed is going to make it to 2nd place. Or first. No, wait, probably just second. Because Jillian is going to find out that Ed is really....

....Ed from the Barenaked Ladies.








Jillian is going to have Ed and Kiptyn (below) sweating bullets in their limos as they pull up to propose to her in an exotic location.

That's just my humble opinion and not based on any psychic revelations.

signed, the willow

A little outdoor adventure

Bronte Creek - Half Moon Valley Trail

Identify the wildflowers

Skip down the trail

See your entire life before your eyes (this is what *Mila* told me at this moment)

One of my most favourite places to be in Ontario, the creek at Bronte Creek



Strut your stuff Mr. Peacock

So many trees to climb

Bessie the cow wanted my affection

*Steve* we snapped a few of Mr. Rooster and his hens for you xoxoxoxo



signed, the willow

Girls You Don't Want In Your House

While my life is currently interrupting my blog time, I have to be brief.

Here are some girls you don't want in your house.

Take her for example. She left the house with her sleeve uncoloured. And her hand is spilling out of itself. Also, I'd be a little unsure about whether that is red lipstick or not. Don't even get me started on her boots!

Oh sure! Invite her in why don't you. Miss Thing with her multi-coloured do and her uncoloured body no less. No thank you!

This one here. We have names for girls that wear their hair outside of the lines. Also, that pool she was swimming in must have been awfully cold. Check out HER lip colour.

She may seem harmless and one of the Polly Pocket gang. With that twinkle in her eye. But does this young lass sport purple chest hair? Uh, yeah! Stay away. Lady boy is what she's known as.

These two with their cute little outfits and their rainbow hair. Seem completely innocent until you realize that they are colouring book vampires. No normal colouring book girls wander around in broad daylight this uncoloured.

Now this one here is no vampire. But she lives next door to dot-to-dot girl and she's trying to pretend she's harmless by letting the butterfly land on her hand. Until she chomps it into tiny pieces.

Faux tan and swirly backgrounds? This spells trouble with a capital T. She's smart and cunning this one. One minute she's in your house stealing your husband and the next minute you are left with all her swirls and fake tan on your floor. Yuck!

Now normally I would say that this one is a nice girl. But upon closer inspection I see that she has painted her fingernails. Except she has no fingernails and she has simply painted her hands to look that way. Like an old Granny who is missing a toenail, she just paints it on.

PETA alert. They will try to convince you that the fur they are wearing is polyester and no colouring book animals were harmed in any way to make their hats and vests. Then why do they stink of hamburgers and have blood dripping from their lips. Carnivores!

Again. Shall I call PETA on this one too?

A list of their names. Either my 5 year old daughter watches too much America's Next Top Model to hear these made up names or she's the original inventor of made up names. Please do not find your child's name on this list (with the exception of Alexis, Jane, Emma and I'll throw in Alena and Janit too):

Bureter

Rondelea

Corel (not as in the software),

Jrakiclfosel,

Mutoonya,

Alexis,

Janit (not the everyday variety with an "E"),

Jane,

Korcy,

Jnesa,

Amey,

Emma,

Kashdine,

Alena,

Patride,

Afeky.




signed, the willow