Howdy everyone, remember me? I'm baaaaaaccckkkkk! I've completed another season of taxes. I'm going away tomorrow until Sunday with 40 ladies to the Scrappin' Cabin. To a few clients I said I was going to a seminar....well I might learn something so that wasn't a complete fib. I am so looking forward to this weekend, we have a lot of fun planned. The theme is Roaring Through the Ages, Your Family Heritage...we picked the 50's to play with, music, costume and contests. I'm scrapping the two uteruses book once again...it's getting done a layout at a time, and if I don't say myself, it's taking a long time....I'll be sure to post pictures when I get back.

In the middle of April I was off to a weekend with a different group of scrappers. We had a good time, brought some old friends to meet new. The weekend as it was organized was lovely, our group in the kitchen had a blast....laughed so hard my back hurt...can't say much for the rest of the gang though. No idea what they did in their room. We didn't mix much. I'm not used to that. I much prefer a big group where eveyrone is kind and considerate of each other. Myself along with Claudia, the organizer, were glad that weekend was over....it's supposed to be fun. We had our own fun though. Checkout the crazy broads in the picture above!

Other than work work work, I don't have much to talk about. I look forward to visiting with you all. I can't wait to get to my list I've been making the whole month of April. Can you imagine how long it is? I'm looking forward to some lunches with my friends in the next few weeks. And visiting with Hiba and Layla too. I'd like to plan a day to hang out.

Thanks to my family for their patience and to my friends for keeping me real in the most dreaded month of all, April.

Love to all, Mech

"To tax-deductible charity organizations"

Well, it's tax season. Need I say more. I'm tired and under alot of pressure to finish all the files on time. Our deadline is April 30th and I have alot of work to finish before then. I always enjoy the first few weeks of May, soaking up the sun and sitting outside once all the pressure is off.

I'm preparing to go away with the girls this weekend to Claudia's Cropping Camp in Crieff. It's just south of Guelph. There will be 13 of us and I'm going to work on the Two Uteruses book once again. Soon it will be finished...soon like 4 months soon. We've got some great meals planned and are all looking forward to spending the time together.

And two weeks after that it's the semi-annual Scrappin' Cabin. I never used to go to the April Cabin because of the tax season but have the last couple of years. That weekend shaves a few work days out of April for me and that's danger. I've never gone away twice at this time of year...so I'm nervous. I can't work til all hours of the night like I used to.

I'm off to clean up my desk for tomorrow.....

signed...the blogger who doesn't update often enough...

"Drinkin' man listens to the voice he hears"

You have to check out this link my sister sent me....it's a freakin' hoot!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1lDBx1gBww

"I can't help it if I'm lucky"

I can't believe I won something! Last Saturday my girlfriend Claudia and I went to a Stamp Camp sponsored by a group of Stampin' Up consultants. It was a fun day even though I had a wicked headache all day. And I won one of the draws! I just finished having a conversation with Jennifer at our table about how I never win anything and the only thing I've ever won was bowling balls with my name inscribed on them...she laughed and said she never wins anything either. So you can imagine my surprise when they called my ticket number. I even remember my number, it was 0705106. I won a stamp set which I love. Later on that day Jennifer had to leave and when she was gone she won a draw also...so we both won. I'm sure she will be so surprised. The power of The Secret!

Today I got a phone call from 570 News and I won 2 tickets to The Music of Led Zepplin playing at the Centre In The Square, Kitchener tomorrow night. How cool is that? I should go and buy a lottery ticket :-)

After the Stamp Camp Rick and I went downtown to Roy Thomson Hall to see George Carlin with my brother Jimi and his girlfriend Lynn. It was a good show, very funny and I don't think he is nearly as crude as he was back in the day. But very very funny!

Rick and Bryan repainted my basement on Sunday, I absolutely love the colour this time :-) Hopefully we'll get it all done for this weekend. Layla is doing wonderful and gets cuter by the second. We had a nice dinner, Hiba Bryan Rick and I.

Have a great week!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

to two lovely ladies in my life....

Happy 30th Birthday Amanda! Amanda is my stepdaughter, living in Windsor, Nova Scotia. Hope you have a wonderful day and you don't feel too 'old'. (Wait til you get our age)

Happy Birthday Bonnie! Bonnie is my exsisterinlawsisterfriend.....hope your day is amazing and you get to spend it with all the kids.

Love ya both, Mich

"waiting for spring to come"

Spring has sprung finally!

I walked around the house yesterday after work and look what I saw! I was so surprised because these flowers weren't here the day before. I love this time of year.

Lots of things going on here in Wellesley lately. I'm working like mad on tax files, I want to keep up although it's hard to do when I'm the only worker :-0 My tailbone becomes very very sore when I sit for long periods of time but I have to get through it. I have the MRI that was scheduled in 2006 coming up in May.

Layla is good, cute as a button. We take pictures each time we see her and ohmigawd, she gets more beautiful each day. And she loves sleeping in my arms. Rick just wants to gobble her up.

Spring makes my mind go crazy...I want to do so much...move the bbq, which means getting the gas man in, cleaning all the gardens...I have over 500 feet of garden so that's a huge job, wash all the windows, this house is a cape cod style with windows all around, so that's a big job...wash the siding, it's a light cream colour so that's a big job....are there any volunteer helpers out there? We serve beer :-) and food too :-)

Been real busy with getting ready for two scrapbooking retreats in April, another reason why I have to keep up with my tax files. Looking forward to both of those as is Rick to get the house to himself without the List Lady following him around. Heehee...

Well I won't make this too long, I tend to do that because I don't update very often....I'll get on that too.

Happy Spring everyone!!!

I am....

....50
....a wife
....a mother
....a stepmother
....a mother-in-law
....an aunt
....a sister
....a sister-in-law
....a grandmother
....a friend
....a Bob Dylan fan (or should I say fanatic)
....a TV watcher now
....addicted to scrapbooking
....a shopper
....addicted to shoes
....overweight
....an entrepreneur
....a camper
....very sensitive
....bored to death with my job
....a good housekeeper
....a good cook
....great at organizing
....happy at dinner parties
....Canadian
....not a snorer
....a redhead
....an orphan
....a cry baby
....an Internet junkie
....an email addict
....a party planner
....an overreacter
....an honest person
....planning to repaint the basement
....looking with Rick for a flat screen LCD tv
....shopping for new rec room furniture
....broke (or soon will be)
....busy all the time
....petrified of needles
....booked every weekend til the 2nd weekend in May
....very happy my dream last night was only a dream (Bryan don't go on a bus)
....in love with the colour orange and lime green
....very happy
....missing seeing my family as often as I used to
....behind on all my work
....in a rut with getting my but in gear to get to work
....getting blood work done on Thursday
....sick of the snow
....in love
....me

"On her twenty-second birthday"

Well not really her 22nd birthday but she can always dream! I went to celebrate Fran's 50th birthday on the weekend. Her daughter held a surprise party for her. She was so surprised. Her two brothers came too, Nick from Vancouver and Mitch from Prince Edward Island. Two brothers from opposite coasts of the country. It was great to see them, it's been awhile.

The party was a lot of fun, lots of friends there. Some I hadn't seen in a long time and some people I didn't know!!! Rick ended up stuck downtown Toronto working and didn't make it. He was supposed to be finished around 7 pm and make his way to Woodbridge. Unfortunately, we both met back home around 1 a.m. with Rick arriving almost the same time I did. It was a really long day but it was a memorable one.

Happy 50th Birthday ya old bag and welcome to the Fossil Club! I love you.

"For five days straight"

We went to see Layla last night, she was 5 days old yesterday. She was quite fussy and cried when I held her. There will be plenty of visits to come, I'm sure she'll make up for this one :-)

I took these pictures last night.

"I met a young girl, she gave me a rainbow"

We're Grandparents!

Well Rick has been for awhile but this is my first :-) Bryan and Hiba had a baby girl yesterday, March 7th. Her name is Layla Paris Simpson, weighing in at 8 lbs 11 ozs. Mommy and baby are doing perfect!

I cried uncontrollably when Bryan gave me the news while I was stuck in traffic on the 401, on the way. Oh didn't I wish I had the ability to push in on my belly button and fly over all the traffic just like I did in my dreams as a little girl. And I cried when I got to the hospital, and I cried when Rick got to the hospital and I cried when I left the hospital and I cried when I called my girlfriend Deb. It was great to be there with Rick and Shane too. Pictures to follow!

The first girl, I'm soooooo excited and happy. She's so beautiful.