When Winter Waltzes In…A Horrible Attempt at Free Verse

When winter waltzes in

It's never subtle

However hard it tries to be. 

Sneakily swiping degrees 

And minutes of daylight 

From our warm lovely summers.
Slowly choking life
And colour
Away from the leaves 
That so graciously
Dress our maples. 
Suffocating them 
So viciously 
That they turn red 
From lack of oxygen…
Or so it seems. 
When winter waltzes in
Crickets go to sleep
And flower petals fall
Pink
Yellow
Blue
Against the earth. 
The geese leave for the tropics 
Honking
As they pass in the grey sky above us. 
The nipping winter wind 
Whistles by
Slow and steady
And then stronger
Chilling our bones 
Like ice.
By November 
Summer is forgotten 
Winter is all we can think of.
Ice
Cold
Wind. 
Hot cocoa becomes our only comfort. 
The smooth
Warm 
Silky taste 
Of chocolate. 
The fire in the hearth 
Glows orange 
Red
And yellow.
The crackling embers 
Sparkling 
Flickering
Against the coal.
Thick grey wool socks
Burgundy track pants 
Green fleece sweatshirts 
The fresh smell of pine 
Balsam
And the luminescent light 
From candles in the room. 
When winter waltzes in
These things keep us cozy. 
Protecting us from the cold
That has taken over outside. 
When we look out 
Our windows
That shield us from the air 
We struggle
To see 
A single speck of life. 
Winter has robbed 
Our world of its beauty
The only thing remaining
The baby pink petals 
Of a single
Closing
Primrose
And soon 
Not even this will remain. 
When Winter Waltzes in
And the trees are naked
Marshmallow fluff clouds 
Cover our dark sky
As the wind starts to howl
Against the crimson brick 
That is holding up our houses. 
Tea brewing 
Branches shaking
Dark settling
Street lights glowing.
Flakes start to fall
Gracefully landing 
And shimmering
Sparkling.
When winter waltzes in. 

The Puppet in All of Us...a Point

Being someone's puppet doesn't necessarily mean that you're a prisoner unable of  escaping punishment, tied to 

unbreakable strings binding you forever. A lot of the time we are other people's puppets without even realizing it, 

enjoying our performance and applause so much that we are oblivious to the fact that we are being controlled. Held up by someone else and basing our identity in what our puppeteers deem to be acceptable.

We're afraid, sometimes terrified, to resist the tugging on our wires for even a minute in case we make a fool of ourselves 

in front of other people and receive their negative judgement. And so, we go through our lives doing as we're told and 

expected, and nothing more. It might be boring, monotonous, and probably doesn't even go along with what our beliefs 

are, but we don't care. We care more about our puppeteers affirmation and the sense of false security that comes with it, 

than we do about our own ideology.

The truth is simple:

Wake up.

A life spent pleasing other people isn't a life at all; it's a pointless desert wander. 

We need to stop being lemmings that jump off of cliffs because someone says the word, and be like eagles instead, soaring through our journeys.

Take charge of your own life and do what you believe in.

Grow up, cut your strings and walk away. 

Christmas Cards Galore

It's almost December, which means that for most people it's time to start writing and sending Christmas cards…and let's admit it, it's the one time of year that we actually use the 'snail mail' system. 
The hardest part about sending cards is typically not labelling the envelopes-although that takes a lot of time-but instead finding the cards themselves. People want to send greetings that are cute, sentimental, and of course reasonably priced, but it's hard to find that in your run of the mill department store. Most places sell packs of twenty for a minimum of $8.00, and unless you've found the bargain of the season, they're typically nothing special. No glitter, no sparkles and no pizzazz.  
If you can relate to this, then I am glad to present the perfect solution:

Original water colour Christmas cards with a variety of pictures available to chose from, and the opportunity to write your own custom messages inside. 

Glenn Farrell is a local Grimsby, Ontario artist with a passion for painting. Currently he has an interest in snowmen, capturing their character and whimsical charm with his brushstrokes. His cards are available through Fine Art America on his website. 
For more info, artwork and cards, visit the link below!

Glenn Farrell Art 

Heineken...a Pearl I'll Always Treasure

I have recently realized that in my almost two years of blogging I have never written an entry about my little lager...Heineken the gerbil. 
Three years ago I brought home my first fury little pet. A tan and cream, 2 month old gerbil not much bigger than my index finger. I had researched gerbils for years with the hope of someday getting one, but I never imagined that Heineken would be anywhere near as much fun as he has been. 

The epitome of cuteness and the most snuggly rodent I've ever known, he has always loved being held and stroked until he falls asleep close to my chest, as well as cuddling with a sock like a baby with a blanket while I watch tv. Because of how tame he has always been, people have often called me "The Gerbil Whisperer" but I think the majority of credit should go to Heineken and his unique characteristics. 

As cute and calm as he is, he's also a bundle of energy! When he was little, I trained him to jump out of large containers and run through mazes set up with books, although till this day he has never quite figured out how to run in a ball. His bravery when it comes to heights however, makes up for his lack of running. Since he was little, he has had the courage to jump from heights that should typically be unfathomable for such a small rodent. Recently he tackled six feet by jumping out of my friend's hands...still without getting hurt. I'd say he's quite the daredevil.  

Alongside being a package of fun, he is also the second pickiest gerbil in existence-other than his brother Remie. Changing his favourite seeds almost every week and only eating almonds with the tops already bitten off, I used to joke that he would only eat
 vegetables that were crinkle cut 3/4" thick. Who knew a gerbil could be so picky? 

Heineken is definitely the tamest, cuddliest, cutest, most amazing gerbil to ever live. From falling asleep in my lap, to challenging the cat, wrestling with his brother and playing hide and seek with me, he is truly an incredible animal. I'm proud to say that for the past three years he has been my companion, friend and snuggle buddy and I look forward to many more days with him and praise the Lord for him every day. 
Time with him is something I'll always treasure.

Writing...Revising...Rewriting

I'm very proud to say that I've finally, officially submitted my entry into the Fresh Ink 2013 contest!
It was a painful process that took a lot of editing...revising...rewriting and more editing, but with the help of my wonderful mother and friends, I was able to complete a short story that not only complies with the required word count, but  also has plot! 

For my entry this year, I decided to sway away from the short story I previously mentioned about Acamar the Turkey Vulture, and submit an older creation of mine that some of you may be familiar with. When I originally published Lilac Lane on my blog last year, it was full of typos and was in need of some serious reshaping. Today, completely reworked, it has been entered into Fresh Ink 2013 with my high hopes that someone will enjoy it. 
Due to contest rules and the possibility of plagiarism, I unfortunately can't post the entry right away, but I will soon. 
I hope that those of you who end up reading it find it interesting...and maybe even that it leaves you hungry for more!

All the best!
~a very happy girl

Fresh Ink 2013

     With July 31st fast approaching, I've been hard at work on my entry for this year's Fresh Ink writing contest. Remembering the last minute rush I went through to submit my entry last year, I've been determined to complete my short story in advance to give lots of room for editing and critiquing. 

    Although I have a few things up for entry consideration this year, the piece that I find myself focusing on is a short story that I wrote while planning to enter another local contest this past March. All writers were required to create an original piece that tied in with the theme "Raptorfest," an annual springtime event where various birds of prey migrate through the Niagara Region. Entrants had to write a short story or poem from the point of view of a bird of prey on how they see their environment, and I did exactly that. My bird of choice was an unusual one, but I picked the Turkey Vulture with the intention to hopefully spark some interest.


     Just shy of 1000 words, my story took place inside the typical day of a young Turkey Vulture named Acamar. I packed in as much information about the bird and its environment as I could while trying to keep it intriguing at the same time, but as you can imagine, that can be challenging to do with such a small restricted word count. Unfortunately, I didn't get the opportunity to submit my entry due to the fact that we went away for the Easter Weekend when the contest closed. However, I've been planning to submit it into Fresh Ink 2013 this month with some slight adjustments considering the fact that the word count for this contest is a minimum of 1000 words!

     Unless I have a miracle brainstorm within the next week or so, I'll be submitting Acamar the Turkey Vulture into Fresh Ink 2013 by the end of this month with climbing levels of anticipation and excitement! 

Crimson Beauty

     I walk down the sidewalk that boarders our property line. Past the maples and the mailbox. The cloud coverage that was existent all day is finally clearing and I can see the warm rays of the sun starting to set. They cast a petal pink evening glow across the neighbourhood and show the shadows at their strongest. 

     I casually make my way along the sidewalk, pausing at the bike path that leads down to the park and listening to some shouts and giggles coming from the playground. I decide to change my path of direction and take a stroll through here instead, along the rolling hill. 

     The breeze gently kisses my cheeks as I pass under the evergreens, and it's still warm enough that I feel comfortable in my shorts and amaranth t-shirt. I can hear the distinct whistle of robins and blue jays starting to settle down for the night, and smell the distant scent of barbecue coming from a neighbour's backyard.

     I shield my eyes from the last bit of sunlight that tries to blind me as I come around the loop of the park, and continue on the sidewalk again. It's quiet here, and there's a certain serenity that makes me want to freeze time and simply indulge. There's a quiet ticking off to my left side, the result of a sprinkler watering the grass, and as I continue on my walk I see a few people meticulously mowing their lawns. Passing a few people with dogs and strollers are the only encounters I make. 

     Finally I see it. The highlight of my trip always lies around the corner of the bike path. On the edge of a huge property is a cedar rail fence and trellis stretching at least thirty feet and adorned in crimson roses. I've never been entirely sure who owns the property, but it's always been my favourite place in the neighbourhood because of the copious amount of roses that are in full bloom this time of year. The way that the sun rays illuminate the blossoms makes it feel like one of the most pleasant places in the city to be, and the fragrance that the flowers give off is almost saccharine. The purpose of my walk complete, I decide to stay here for a while marvelling over the bright carmine colours and taking in the scent and sight of the Crimson Beauty on Evergreens Drive. 



 

 

Summer Fun...Pearls

Where to begin? 
School has been out for officially two weeks and I'm absolutely loving it!!! 
My new goal is to try to blog at least once a day...emphasis on try. Fingers crossed I'll find something new to write about every day. 

For now however, I plan on summarizing what the beautiful summer has brought me so far!

The past few weeks have delivered me screams, tears, baskets of giggles and tasty treats! A Toronto Trip to Taylor Swift left me in awe, while a superb Sunday swimming at the city pool kept me smiling. A classy creation of clam chowder last night was my addition to our dinner, and that being one of my favourite soups, I was quite pleased with myself! Last Thursday gifted me clear contact lenses and I was ecstatic when I realized that up to that point, I had never been able to look into the mirror and see myself without glasses-I've had glasses my entire life. I was entirely blown away, and my little sister's joke about me being able to see myself for the first time in fifteen years almost made me sad. That took care of the tears I mentioned earlier. 

Afternoon visits with friends and family have made my heart melt with joy at the realization of how blessed I am, and the result and rave of my edible project last night put me in a good mood! For those of you that don't know, I seem to have a love affair with baking things. Usually I stick to simple cookies, but last night as a treat for some friends, I tried my skill at a batch of scratch, maple bacon cupcakes with chocolate icing. Although I have to admit I was too lazy to make scratch icing and left it to Betty Crocker to save the day, as well the fact that I accidentally let the cocoa and brown sugar marinated bacon in the oven escape my mind...needless to say it was a little too crispy. In the end though, the silky, maple sweetened batter made up for it all, and as it would turn out, my cupcakes were quite a hit with our friends today! 

So far, that's about it! I sit here at the kitchen table, marvelling at the sunset shining through the window, recollecting on what an amazing year I've had, and looking forward to every single thing that awaits me from here on in...

A Poem Packed With Thoughts

When I wake up at morning, 

And I hear the robin's song, 

I can feel the cool spring breeze, 

Blowing steadily along. 

When I look out my window, 

And I see the new sunrise, 

The scene is picture perfect, 

Pinks and purples splash the skies. 

When I step onto the lawn, 

And my toes are soaked with dew, 

I can see the plants rejoice,

In every thing that they do. 

They tilt back their petalled heads, 

Smiling brightly at the sun, 

They're basking in the warm rays,

Cause a new day has begun. 

Every place I cast my eyes, 

I see brand new signs of life, 

No anger or frustration, 

And no agonizing strife. 

Just signs of new beginnings, 

They are present each new day, 

We just need to learn to look, 

In a different kind of way. 

To power off our iPods, 

Sounds crazy to you and me, 

But taking just a minute, 

Could help us to better see. 

To see beauty in the world, 

The way that God intended, 

Without alerts from Facebook, 

About people we've just friended. 

We'd see the world around us, 

Showing off its great beauty, 

Earth praising its creator 

For His splendid majesty.

And one thing we would notice, 

Is that everything that lives, 

Makes mistakes throughout each day, 

And with each day God forgives. 

If God gives life new chances, 

With every brand new day, 

I think we have the same chance, 

To make everything ok. 

To apologize for wrongs, 

And pull ourselves together, 

Cause there's no point in sulking, 

If we can live life better. 

We ask God for forgiveness, 

and we're guaranteed reply, 

When He died for you and me, 

He wiped our sinners stains dry.

When I go to bed at night, 

And I think of what I've done, 

I'm glad I can remember, 

God sent us His only son. 

Knowing He sees me perfect, 

Takes away all my sorrow, 

I know that He forgives me, 

And I look forward to tomorrow. 

When I wake up at morning, 

I know everything I see, 

Will have a different meaning, 

Especially to me. 

I'll see life's own true beauty

Remember His forgiveness, 

Celebrate every new day,

And know life has a purpose. 

Blondies...A Pearl

I've caught a sweet tooth...if that's something that is possible to catch...

     After a friend almost maliciously told me yesterday about some decadent, blueberry stuffed pastries that he was creating from scratch, my stomach seemed to go green with envy. I've been craving something sweet for the past few days, but have been satisfying my sugary craving with fruits; grapefruits, apples, oranges, papayas and mangos. I've even made a few shakes along the way. But after I was tempted with the thought of warm, homemade, blueberry pastries, I was hit with a wave of longing. 

After dinner tonight, I came downstairs from reading and with the thought of fresh, tart, blueberries in mind, I officially decided that I needed some sort of dessert...If only I hadn't lost my cookbook that contained endless possibilities. I didn't give up though, instead I grabbed my MacBook and resorted to the old adage; when in doubt, use the internet! 

During my adventures across the world wide web, I came across several ideas, but eventually discovered a simple recipe that was easy on my brain and forgiving on our pantry. I decided to try my baker's thumb at something foreign to me and bake a batch of blondies. For your enjoyment, I have provided you with the recipe for ooey gooey, melt in your mouth, chocolate chip blondies. This is only the second recipe I've posted so far, so if you dare to take on this challenge, let me know how it goes!

• Scant 1 and 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 and 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 or 1/2 cup chocolate chips

 Combine ingredients. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes in a greased "8x8" pan. Serve with a glass of milk and enjoy!

Chills and Squeals

I've officially decided that with all of the amazing trailers I've seen and books I've read, that I should make a list of my top ten, must see movies for the next year. Then, as I see them, I'll write and post reviews about them. The main idea of this is to keep me writing, but also to see if these movies turned out to be just as good as we thought they would be! Trust me, the more I looked at what movies are coming out the harder it was to only pick ten! However, this is what I could come up with, despite my wanting to put every movie down! 

Note: There is no particular order to the following. 

1. Catching Fire-November 22, 2013

2. Star Trek Into Darkness-May 17, 2013

3. Iron Man 3-May 3, 2013

4. Despicable Me 2-July 3, 2013

5. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters-August 7, 2013

6. Divergent-March 21, 2014

7. The Maze Runner-February 14, 2014

8. Thor: The Dark World-November 8, 2013

9. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1-November 21, 2014

10. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug-December 13. 2013

Keep checking back for updates and reviews. The first are to come shortly! 

Canada's Immigration...An essay type of point

Forward: The following is an original essay based on Canada's points system for immigrating into the country. The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and should not be taken in any other way.  Sources used are listed in the hyperlink below.  

    
      One of the major complaints about the Canadian point system is that our country seems to pose a double standard for individuals wanting to immigrate. The reality that we have a growing demand for skilled trades workers may not be entirely surprising for people to hear, but the rough estimate is that by 2020 we will need 320,000 new workers to fill that type of position. With the majority of our young population not willing to work for hard earned careers, it's understandable that one of the last things people want to do is to educate themselves to become skilled trades workers. As a country, it then seems that our simplest option would be to allow immigrants into the country to fill those jobs for us. However, the people educated to fill these positions cannot enter the country since their level of education does not award them enough points.

     It may be unknown to the majority of our population that Canada requires immigrants to have at least 80 hard earned points to enter the country. Even if an immigrant posseses the maximum amount of possible points in the four other categories, with only a certificate in skilled trades they can find themselves four points short of entering Canada, unless they are fluent in French or have arranged employment approved by HRDC. This is because for 15 years of full time study, immigrants only earn 20 points, whereas if you have a master’s and 17 years of full time study, you are awarded 25 points, something that still, if you are not proficient in English, can keep you out of the country.  

     What then, do we as a country do, if our need for skilled trades is slowly becoming desperate? It seems that the simplest option would be to slightly adjust the education category so that each level of education past high school is worth five more points than it currently is. With this set in place, it would make it slightly easier for immigrants to enter, while still requiring them to be proficient in English and the other categories. By only raising the education value by five, the same immigrants that have the maximum amount of points and a fifteen year education could find themselves at 81 points, just enough to let them into the country. It may also make it slightly easier for other immigrants to enter and possibly persuade them to go to school for an extra year so that not only will they become five points closer to entering the country, but also be more educated in the field of work that they plan to pursue in Canada.

     

       Having said this, in conclusion, research shows that as of January 2^nd, 2013 Minister Jason Kenney of immigration and multiculturalism launched the federal Skilled Trades Program to ensure that greater consideration is given to the skilled trades industry when processing immigrant applications, moving us a step forward.

Sources