I have already had inquiries as to when the next Weighted Veil Workshop will take place so I'm considering doing another in February 2007. This will give the classes a month to get going first. So, if your interested let me know because the more interest, the more likely I am to do more of these. Yes, I enjoyed it too.

Tracey came too, which was 'scary', as you might guess. For those who don't know this already, Tracey has been my main Belly Dance teacher since my first Belly Dance class in 2000 and is still my teacher today as I continue to learn, grow and develop. So, having us switch rolls was a little intimidating. I did get past it after the warm-up though. She is a good student and a quick learner :-)

Today I'm starting with some housework, a trip to Fabricland for the 50% off sale (and needed supplies) and finishes off with an evening out for food and a movie with a dear friend.

Tomorrow is the first Weighted Veil Workshop. By popular demand. I am so looking forward to this. It is at Routhier Community Centre and starts at noon.

The rest of the weekend will be filled in with sewing work on several projects. My own new costume is almost done and I've discovered an ingeneous way of holding a wide belt on my hips. I have 2 commissioned sewing projects on the go ($) and I'm making a belly dance costume for my 3 1/2 yr old niece (age appropriate design of course... and adjustable for the rapidly growing girl). Then there's the winter coat I've decided to make and bought the fabrics for.

Lots to do... first thing, shower.

NOVEMBER 26, 2006 12:00 - 2:00pm
Routhier Community Centre - Page Room
172 Guigues St, Ottawa (between Dalhousie and Cumberland)
Parking on site FREE (lot entrance on Cumberland between St. Patrick and Guigues)
Buses: #1 and #3 stop nearby
$20 per person in advance or $25 on the day of the workshop
(6 students minimum required to run the course)
Veils: bring your own if you have them. Some sets will be available for use during the workshop
You may purchase veils ready made from stock: small $30 per set; large $40 per set
You may order custom veils made from your fabric: small $30 per set; large $40 per set
Veils may also be ordered prior to the workshop and will be ready for pick up that day
To register or for more information please contact Zamira

Sorry to anyone whose comments I've missed and/or not responded to. The first half of October is just a blur. Actually, except for a few dyas of absolute, momentus events, I barely recall the summer. Phew!

Now that the Dancers' Bazaar has passed I'm on to mre projects. The Bazaar was a great lot of fun following 2 weeks of hectic activity to prepare for it. Thanks go out to Tracey (Halyma) for her excellent organizational skills and to her bevvy of volunteers who gave of themselves so generously. I think I speak for all the vendors when I say "A difficult job done with lovely grace".

Dancers' Bazaar was great. This was my first year as a vendor after a couple of years as a volunteer. Unfortunately, as a vendor, there was no time to really shop. Saved me lots of money ;-) There were so many things I missed out on seeing that I've heard about since :-( . I learned much about being a vendor and how to be better prepared next time. I felt, going into it, that I had been pretty much organized but when I got there... well there were a few things I'll do differently for February.

Thanks to all my students who came by to say hello. I hope you all found what you were looking for and maybe a few things you didn't know you needed :-)

Now for the Halloween costume. Witches Gathering will, once again, be my party of choice. Tracey and Tom are back on the judging panel this year. Sue is going to attend this year and I'm hoping to see many of you there. My idea for a costume may have to wait for next year and Michelle R. tells me it will be more in keeping with the plan for next year's theme. What I had planned would be a lot of work to make well (anyone who knows me will understand this means "as close to perfect as I can get"). So I may go with my second choice which I already have part of.

Hope to be more in touch from now on.

This is Animation Festival weekend. Saw Competition5 this evening and will see 3 more shows tomorrow. Must get to bed and sleep before tomorrow's hectic schedule.

Montreal and LaRonde next weekend!!

There were a few highlights which include:
the June Belly Dance Students Party where some of my students, from my first class (as teacher) , performed. They were great... I'm so proud of them and look forward to seeing them again this Autumn;
camping in Algonquin for 6 days and nights. Very relaxing and lots of fun;
picnic in the Arboretum with Tom followed by an afternoon of cycling fun. A very relaxing and enjoyable day;
friends getting married and all the fun and partying that goes with that;
hosting the July Clutch (stitch & bitch) which was the day after Canada Day;
and many more days spent with special friends and family.

Now for the BIG NEWS... I have launched a new business venture. The Veiled Eye (http://www.theveiledeye.com) is my new company. The focus is on my artworks (Gallereye), Belly Dance teaching/performance and Weighted Veils (poi). So please go visit the website for all the details. The website is still a work-in-progress but is up and running. I will be updating the Class Schedule soon.

So this will give everone a 'heads up' for the year ahead. I will also start taking on some sewing projects but would like to concentrate on costuming (dance, performance, special occassions) becuase it gives me the opportunity to create ART in clothing.

http://www.theveiledeye.com

It has been a very, very hectic couple of months since I last wrote an entry. My first Belly Dance teaching experience is completed... sort of. About half the class will be performing on 12 June at the end-of-session Student & Teachers' Class Party. So we will be having a dress rehearsal next week. I have to get my costume done too... but I will be dancing a solo, not with my class. I feel it is better for them and their learning experience, to "leave the nest" and fly on their own. So my costume from last year is way too big for me now (YEAH!!) which means re-building it.

Life has been and continues to be busy both socially and professionally. I am in the middle of launching a new business venture. The Veiled Eye will be a busy little company of one. Activities will include: Belly Dance teaching and performing (under the name Zamira); creating custom weighted veils (Zamira's Flying Veils); paintings, drawings and artworks by me; organizing small spaces for small business and living; consulting with small business to optimize oprations for future growth.

Yes, it is a lot and diverse. With good reason... the economy is volotile and I need to be prepared and flexible.

But right now I have to run. I have a busy day planned.

March has been a month of birthdays and birthday celebrations. Starting with Sue on the 4th, my brother Dave on the 8th, then Sara the 9th, Marijke's husband Peter was the 18th, Hazel was the 20th, Cathy the 24th (we'll have to celebrate it later though), Tom (Tracey's guy) is today, and on the 5th there was another event for my birthday. In the middle of all this I broke a tooth and had to get a temporary filling until I can afford the repair job (cap). We did the 2nd meeting of the Clutch, our Stitch&Bitch, on the 5th which I wrote all about on the 7th. And Belly Dance Superstars at the Casino too.

The 11th was Sara's Ensemble's debut concert in Montreal. I wish I could have been there. They had about 50 paid seats full and Sara says it went perfectly. Congratulations to Sara and her Ensemble on a successful premiere. Sara said that it was an excellent turnout for an early barocque music concert.

I attended the National Women's show on the 11th and 12th and did a couple or 4 hours volunteer work at Tracey's Belly Dancing for Fun booth. It was mucho fun. I bought a hair fall for Belly Dance performance. It will get its first public trial on 8 April when we perform a free show at a Cancer Fund Raiser. Afterwards, on the 12th, I attended Brigitte's 17th birthday celebration at Bern & Monique's house. Bern and I attended Algonquin College together many years ago (no I'm not telling!) and have remained friends on and off over the years.

Then came the weekend of the 18th. Sue and I met at the VIA Rail station in Ottawa at about 9:30 in the morning where we boarded the train to Montreal. What a great, fun weekend. When we arrived in Montreal we checked our luggage (so we would not have to haul it everywhere) and hopped the Metro to meet Sara at Place d'Armes. From there we walked into Vieux Montreal. As we strolled through the blistering cold winds towards the street where I once lived we passed the Mexican Restaurant, Casa de Mateo, that I loved so much. It is still there and still busy. We had lunch and a brew in there. Sue enjoyed the homemade salsa so much that she bought a huge tub of it ... for only $5!! She gave a bit to me because there was twice as much as she expected for $5.
Then we walked to my former dwelling so I could show the girls where I lived in Montreal, on rue-du-St-Sacrement. Then we shopped several stores before stopping at Chez Queux for dessert and tea. Sara and I shared a Chocolate Fondue made with pure Belgian chocolate and Sue had a butterscotch sundae that was HUGE! I don't know how she ate it all. So we had to go shopping some more to walk it off. Both Sara and Sue found tops to buy :-) When the stores closed we found another restaurant for supper, Le Bourlingueur on St-Paul O., and made a reservation to return in a couple of hours. After getting our luggage from the train station we Metro'd out to Sara's to drop the luggage, freshen up, pretty up and return for supper. Supper was superb! By the way, we found 4 perfect spots to eat and drink which made it a perfect day (except the bloody biting cold winds). Sara and I shared 1/2 litre of wine, Sue had a beer.

During supper we decided, by reviewing a Montreal Guide book, to go to the Pub St-Paul for beers and dancing/partying. What a great choice. We parked ourselves at a table beside the only pool table in the room, ordered beer and watched a group of guys playing pool. We each took a shot at the pool table. All lost to the guys ;-) The first guy to approach our table made a beeline for Sara and that set the tone of the evening. Sara was constantly surrounded by men all evening. Sue was not exactly starved for attention either. I spent all evening dancing... with every guy I found to take to the dance floor, with myself on and away from the dance floor, just constantly dancing. Occassionally I stopped long enough to guzzle another beer, of which I had a few. We all had a marvellous time. The band, KUZ, was fabulous and the DJ played excellent tunes during the breaks that kept people dancing. The band finished, the DJ finished for the night, the bar was closing so we decided we best be going home. We did leave a few people there so we did not close the pub.

The next morning we were moving less briskly but none the worse for wear. Sue and I packed our bags slowly, tidied up after ourselves and when we were all ready Sara took us across the street to a local diner serving cheap but good breakfast. I was ravenous and inhaled an omelet with all the trimmings. We said our goodbyes on the sidewalk, thanking Sara for allowing us to invade her life for a couple of days (but I think she enjoyed it as much as Sue & I did) and Sue and I hopped the Metro to the train station. After a short wait we were heading back to Ottawa.

Sunday the 26th was Tom's birthday brunch and there was a party at their place in the evening. Tom, Tracey and a few others spent the afternoon playing Lazer Quest. I did not partake... too much for this old body ;-} The Mexican potluck was fun. Always good food and good company.

I have spent the last few days preparing for this evening. I taught my first Belly Dance class. A Beginners' class out at the Orleans Complex. We had a good turnout of 8 including the organizer, Michelle. I was a bit nervous and forgot a couple of warm-up stretches but otherwise all went well. I will be teaching this class every Tuesday 6-7pm until May 16. I'm hoping we can do a short, simple choreography at Tracey's June class party. All the ladies seemed up for it so I'll start work on a choreography right away.

Well, that's it for now. I'm going to get some food into me now.

So let's start earlier in the week. Michele F. wrote to announce the birth of her first niece, Lucy Marie. Everyone is well and from the photos I've seen I am concluding that everyone is happy. Cheers to Michele's little sister for bringing this lovely child into existence... a job well done with only about 12 hours labour from first twitch to last push.

So I was feeding and visiting with Michele's feline Daniel while Michele went to Toronto to be with her sister, niece and family. First child, first grandchild and first niece/nephew. A big event. Congratulations go out to the whole family.

Thursday evening was Belly Dance class. Ooooo... I was moving very slowly and carefully. The ribs still hurting much from the previous Sunday's skiing mishap. But Friday they felt better so the exercise must have done them good.

Friday was a mini event for me. I went to the jeweler who is appraising my wedding rings set to pick up the rings and was able to see the appraisal-in-progress for the first time. It would be worth selling the rings but I'm told not to expect more than about 25% of the appraised value. So now I have to decide... design a new ring or new pendant to get made up, keep the rings as they are (not my first choice) or sell them at a loss. Tough decision but the new jewelery may win this one. Just have to find the cash (too many other things demanding my money though) to pay for the work. I'll wait for the final appraisal before making any decisions.

Saturday was Sue T's birthday. Happy Birthday Sue. We had a little celebration for her at Sunday brunch. During the week, last week, I decided what to get and do for her birthday celebration. My gift to her is a return train ticket to Montreal. So the weekend of the 18th Sue and I will travel to Montreal to celebrate her birthday with shopping in Vieux Montreal, supper, drinking and other entertainment (she has expressed a desire to attend a comedy club). We will be joined by Sara who has also generously offered her place for accommodation. Thank you Sara. Sue has requested and will get the full Montreal experience which includes walking and the Metro. Sara's car will stay in it's underground crib so that there are no restrictions on the levels of consumption (alcohol that is) by anyone. We are all quite excited about the whole thing. Party!!! Girls night out!!! Lock up your boys, Mamma, the cougars are coming to Montreal. Release the men ;-)

Sunday...
It started slowly enough with the usual brunch. Michele and I brought flowers for the birthday girls (Sue 4 March & Sara 9 March) but only Sue was there. Sara over slept and missed Ottawa all together. Poor girl is getting all excited about the Ensemble debut next weekend (if you don't know, Sara is the harpist in a newly formed Baroque ensemble) and suffered insomnia Saturday night. Let us send strengthening supportive energy to Sara so she will be well rested for the debut on Saturday evening. The concert will be brilliant and I wish I could be there.

After brunch we hung out at Patty's for a beer. Well I had one 1/2 beer but Sue, Tom, Alex and Craig stuck around. I had to leave at 12:30 to go to the Stitch & Bitch.

The S&B was hosted by Kim this month. She has her own mascot, Daisy (dog), who was a socialite supreme. For more about the S&B visit the Tribe.net site at http://tribes.tribe.net/theclutch?_click_path=Application%5Btribe%5D.Tribe%5B6dcd3dcf-9ff1-4bac-817c-d336eb2a93f3%5D
It was a great deal of fun. Lots of great food all of which was fattening... except the token veggie & dip plate. I filled up. And of course there were stitching projects of every sort. Michele's little quilted "Lucy" sign which needed beading help from Tracey. Jessica brought a finished project (from the previous S&B) and her latest crochet project. Mellisa was knitting (I think) and Kim was knitting too. Mellisa brought her friend Angle who was crochetting. Tracey helped Michele and then worked on a costume-in-need-of-repair for Kim. I had my cross-stitch project with me which I hope to be finishing soon. Also got to see Cheryl. She dropped in for a visit. She has been laying low lately due to the side effects of pregnancy. She says she is feeling much better now.

I had to run away from the S&B to go to Michelle V's place in Barrhaven. She, her daughter Madeleine and Debbie wanted to celebrate my birthday (which was over 3 weeks ago). I love spreading the birthday celebrations out over several weeks. Tom says he'll be avaialable in late March, as will I, for a belated celebration. Anyway, I arrived at Michelle's late (lost track of time and left the S&B late) but they were still happy to see me. More food was spread out and we immediately dove into the shrimp cocktail, munchies, cheeses and dips. We had tea with the chocolate chip cake w/chocolate frosting. I was so stuffed!!! Eat Eat Eat. I was given fabulous gifts. Thank you to Debbie, Michelle and Madeleine for all the great new jewelery, etc.

At about 5:30 I left Michelle's place to get home where I changed clothes into pretty glittery girlie evening wear and put on makeup. It was off to the Casino Lac Leamy for the Superstars of Belly Dance show. I met up with Tracey, Kim and Jessica at Najina's and we drove over to the Casino together. Many friends from the Belly Dance community were there along with many more familiar faces. The show was fabulous, very inspirational and at the same time educational. What did I learn, you ask?! Well, for starters... I have a lot to learn about Belly Dancing. Those women made me feel like an out of shape hack. Some of the moves they do with their abs must require thousands of hours of practice. Quite phenominal!!

So now we're into the boring week. I have much work to catch up on at home. Must do my taxes this week... next week at the latest. Still have to decide which method to use. And 6 or 8 other tasks to get done. This coming weekend is the National Women's Show. I will be going to it Saturday morning and volunteering at Tracey's booth in the afternoon (1-4pm). I have a free pass for a friend if anyone is interested in joining me in the morning. If you're interested, call soon.

Must go eat supper now. I'm famished.

I have to backup a bit to the 18th of February. For my birthday Cathy (a dear friend) took me to the NAC for the Black and White Opera Soiree. For those who have not heard about this event it is an annual fund raiser for Opera Lyra Ottawa and the NAC Orchestra. A great night of fancy dress-up, great music and song. The NAC Orchestra, the Opera Lyra Chorus and guest voalists, hosted by Colm Feore. Lots of the rich, famous and infamous of Ottawa and Canada along with several other dignitaries attend this event. It is a feast for the eyes with all the glitter and glam, tuxedos and fancy hairdos.

Well, it was a great evening. Cathy's friend Dan came too and all three of us really enjoyed it. Cathy is not an opera fan so was not certain about an evening of opera but I felt she would enjoy this. And I was right (I love when that happens). It is so much different than sitting through one whole opera... one composer, one style, one theme. The Opera Soiree is like an opera sampler, live. Several composers, styles, themes and combinations make a great variety. And of course Colm Feore (easy on the eyes ;-) introducing the pieces broke it up nicely. And then there's the rubbing elbows with the rich-folk ;-) and the checking out who's wearing who/what. Trust me... rich does not mean good taste :-}

This was a great birthday present... thank you so much Cathy. I really loved getting prettied up and going out to do something so elegant and classy. It also gives me a hit of opera that I really do enjoy. Oh, yes, and when they play the overture for the Barber of Seville I still can't get the image of Bugs and Elmer out of my head. Or, for that matter, Figaro and at least one other piece that were made popular by the Looney Tunes studios.

The very next day was the Dancer's Bazaar. This event is organised by Tracey and this was the third or fourth time I volunteered at it. For more details and info visit http://www.tav-creations.com. It was a great success and, as usual, lots of fun. This is an event where Belly Dancers gather to buy and sell pretty, shiny, fancy, girlie glitter. Costumes, veils, jewellery for all parts of the body, canes & swords, zills, shoes & slippers, hip scarves, head pieces, fabric& trim to make costumes, beads, etc., etc. And tarot readings too. Way too much to mention here. The one thing I've been saving up to buy was not there but Catherine is hunting it down for me. I'm looking for 4-6 inch amethyst bead fringe to trim an existing costume (some of you saw it at the Christmas party and show.) I need at least one yard or metre. If anyone finds it somewhere, please contact me. For my contact info go to http://www.gailene.com

After everything was cleared up and the last vendor cleared out a few of us went to DuBerry's Buffet for supper. I was so hungry that I attacked the buffet like a ravenous animal. Ended up eating too much too fast. Went home and passed out in front of the tube while watching a movie.

Last week my boss Poul and his wife Rosalyn went to Mexico for a week of R&R. There was much speculation during the preceding week about what might go wrong while they were gone. Every time either Poul or I take time off for vacation there is a mini-disaster at work (server crash, infrastructure outage, etc.) which has the person left behind scrambling to get everything working again. So you can understand my concern with Poul being out of touch for the entire week. Yes, I was very concerned. But I was not prepared for what happened. On Tuesday in the wee small hours I fell ill (no I'm not going to go into the long, boring details) and ended up in hospital. I was pronounced OK (mostly) at the Civic Hospital Urgent Care. And now I'm being treated for the problem that caused the concern. Not to worry, I'm fine. But that was a bit scary. And I broke a tooth on lunch on Friday. I blame Poul for going on vacation ;-)

On Wednesday night I attended a Life Mapping Workshop put on by Laura Young at the Crystal Dawn. Another tool for accessing the positive energy of the universe. I found this to be an eye-opening experience.

This past Saturday was a very productive and enjoyable one. It started slowly... slept in and lolled about the apartment until well after noon. Then Cathy and I went over to Gatineau to a furniture store I've been wanting to visit for a couple of months now... Vice Versa on rue Montcalm. I just loved this store. The best part is that I found exactly the furniture I have been envisioning for my home. It is designed by Normand Couture (Montreal) for Shermag. The design is called cameleon - Jelly Bean and I must have it. What blows me away is that this stuff is exactly what I had in my head and was all ready to start building because I never thought I'd find what I was looking for. Now I have to find other furniture stores that sell it to do some price comparisons. Check it out at http://www.shermag.com/eng/shermag.html

Following that great find we went to Cube Gallery to view some artworks. Very nice and relaxing thing to do while the snow blew wildly about outside. We decided to stop at Thyme & Again for soup so I could pick up food to take to a potluck later that day.

After going home and resting a bit I headed out to the SCUBA meetup potluck. Bev hosted, again. Thank you Bev for inviting us into your home. Art had his photos and video of his last cave diving trip to Florida which was the premise for the gathering. After lots of great conversation and watching Art's video we got to talking about downhill skiing. There were a couple of avid skiers there including Andy who is with the Ski Patrol. As a "Crazy Canuck" style skier from long ago (more than 25 years past) I was delighted to hear all the details about the hills in the area and the changes that have taken place over the years. Not to mention the huge changes in the technology of skiing and ski equipment. I had noticed the gradual changes over the years while watching Canada's great ski teams compete at various televised meets. Then out of nowhere Art says "Gailene, let's go skiing tomorrow. Come on!" It is very hard to say no to Art. His youthful enthusiasm is infectious. So after another "Come on. Let's do it" I said yes, sure OK. It was at that point that I realized how late it was getting and that I needed to get home to bed. After brunch, Art would be picking me up at 11:00 to go to SkiVorlage for the afternoon. During the drive home I did what any woman of my age does when she has not skied in over 25 years... I questioned my own sanity. Several times. But the prospect was exciting.

Apologies to Bev for running out so suddenly. I would have stayed to help with the clean up but I really did need the sleep before going skiing. Next time clean up is my job!

I awoke early Sunday to prepare myself and my clothes. It was blistering cold and windy despite the bright sun. It had snowed lightly overnight. Yes, near perfect ski day. I was pumped. I raced off to Patty's for brunch arriving ahead of everyone else (a first - except for that time switch thing last autumn ;-). I ordered my food even before anyone else got there because I had to leave at 10:30 to go home and get changed. Several layers would be needed to keep me warm on the hills.

Skiing again was great. I did a couple of warm-up runs on the lowest of the bunny hills then a couple of runs on the bigger green hill. Art skied with me for those first few runs just to make sure I was comfortable on my skis. Wow what a difference. The skis (rental gear) were about a foot shorter than the last pair I had, the boots higher on the leg and hinged at the ankles with a definate angling forward to force you to stay bent at the knees. The poles too are so much shorter. Even more so since the last 20 years I've been X-country skiing and am used to very long poles. The skis are quite curvatious too. So I had to get used to the difference in the way they acted.

Well, Art was very encouraging and patient with me. Once I felt fairly comfortable I sent him off to ski the big hills while I practiced a bit more. This was actually his first ski day this year and he only skied twice last year. Art is a young athletic guy and, though he hasn't skied alot, he is a quick learner and was anxious to get onto the black diamond runs. Ah, I remember that feeling. It took me back to my own wild ski youth. We met up for a quick food and bathroom break then went up on the big hills together. Art had scoped out a few of the blue runs that he felt I could handle and he had planned out a 'route' of sorts. On the very first one, at the very top of the hill before even starting the main run, I ran into a snow bank and went ass-over-teakettle. We were both laughing so hard. I struggled to get up on my feet (still laughing) while Art took photos. Yes, there are photos in Art's camera and I hope to get them soon :-))

The rest of the day went without any more butt to snow contact. I was feeling really good and really enjoying the day so did a few blue runs. But about 4:00 I was getting tired and decided to stop before I really hurt myself... which happens when you are tired. Trust me, I know, I've learned the hard way. So I returned to the lodge while Art went off to play on the black diamond runs and the tougher blue runs. He even did the double-diamond run a couple of times. The hill closed at 5:00 and I think Art was the last off the hill. A great day and I thank Art for suggesting it. I had lots of fun. Not bad for an old-broad, eh?

Well I woke up Monday with a pain in the ribs. No doubt strained connective tissues of the ribcage. Sneezing is quite painful and coughing hurts along with taking deep breaths. So I am avoiding these things. The sore rib is keeping my mind off all the other sore muscles though. A visit to the chiropractor might be needed. But with the meds for my chest and the dentist visit to fix the tooth I have to watch my pennies this week. Not many left and the rent is due tomorrow!

Well that is enough for now. It is late and I'm off to bed. Good night all.

It's important to note that these performances are fund raiser's. All the cast and crew are volunteers but are by no means amatuerish. Stellar performances by all... even the 2 senators. No, I won't tell. It's a surprise.

It all started Friday evening after a shopping trip on the way home. I bought myself a couple of treats (bargains of course) and then called Michele to join me for a bite to eat. Now this was not part of the celebrations but it was a good start to a busily fun weekend. We ate, drank beer and had a nice visit.

Then Saturday morning I was up early to get bundled up for a few hours of Winterlude activity. Sue and I met at the Rideau Centre then walked to Confederation Park to see if there was anything left of the Ice Sculptures. The big ones were looking pretty sad following the near record high temps and rain of the last 2 weeks but there were still several that were recognizable and in fairly decent shape... considering. We enjoyed a few minutes of watching the 2 hour ice sculpture challenge that was about 25 minutes gone when we arrived.

A short SnowBus ride over to the Snowflake Kingdom at Jacques Cartier Park and the real fun started. We started with the very adult activity of viewing the snow sculptures. These are gorgeous. Some really fantabulous work indeed. Then we toddled over to the sliding area. First up, or should I say down, was the inner tube slide... a nice long run down into the hay stacks. We then prceeded to each and every slide to try them all. What a hoot... 2 grown women. Old enough to know better and too old to care. There we were, amongst the 2-10 year olds, acting like a pair of 12 year olds and enjoying every moment. Thanks Sue. Definately a day to remember. But that's not all.

After that we walked back to Ottawa across the Alexandra Bridge so Sue could get some photos she has been wanting. Back in the Market we stppoed at The Brig where we were lucky enough (and early enough) to get that prime table right in front of the fireplace. Ooooo, so toasty. We had an excellent lunch and a couple of beers. Sue's treat. I felt so spoiled and honoured. Then a stop at Chile-Chillies where I purchased spicey chocolate (my personal favourite is the Lime Tequila Dark Chocolate) and Sue stocked up on spicey goodies. Then we stopped at the Expedition shop so I could pick up a stow-away nylon backpack like Sue's. She got it a few weeks ago and when I saw how good it worked for her I wanted one. But get this, she bought it for me. I am such a lucky woman!! Thank you Sue. You are truly a good friend.

So now you're thinking "that was a great day for Gailene" but that's not all.

I went home, took a shower, prettied myself up and the evening's entertainment began. Michele and Tracey met at my place which was our jumping off spot for the night. I was treated with gifts first. Michele had knitted a beautiful scarf for me that is now in use and Tracey's herbs are already in use in sachets, etc. Thank you Michele and Tracey for the great gifts! A taxi whisked us off to Absolute Comedy. The 3 of us had a nice supper (thank you Michele and Tracey for treating) and were joined after by Elizabeth and Peter. We got our seats upstairs, ordered up drinks (thank you Elizabeth and Peter for treating me to lots of brew) and laughed for the next 2 hours. It seemed that everyone enjoyed it. Elizabeth and Peter had to go home (too sad, but couldn't be helped) so the 3 girls headed back to the Market to Suite 34 for dancing. Not Michele's scene and since she isn't really into the dancing and Tracey and I are danceoholics, Michele said her good nights early. Tracey and I stayed to dance until it got too crowded to dance (the way we like to dance - you know, with lots of room) then just headed home. It was an early night but it had also been a long day. Thank you Michele for organizing everything and thanks to Tracey, Elizabeth and Peter for coming to make it even more fun. Again, I feel so lucky to have all of these wonderful people to call my friends. Truly blessed.

Sunday was actually my birthday. The usual Sunday brunch came with a couple of additional surprises. Sara and Linda were at brunch. We don't get to see them often lately and it was special to have them both there for my birthday. Sara gave me wine (always a good gift) and Linda gave me a pretty little crystal angel in a treasure chest. Thank you both for the great gifts. I received cards and many good wishes and felt very warm all over. I really like my friends!! Thank you all for being there. So nice and loving. I can't say this enough. I feel truly spoiled to have such generosity heaped upon me. Sara, Linda, Michele and I went off to Sunnyside Books so Sara could buy a copy of Diane Lanthier's book "On Lonliness - Angelic Wisdom to Comfort and Inspire" which was recommended by Tracey. Linda decided to get one for herself and I. Another birthday present. What a lovely surprise and quite a treat. Thank you again Linda.

Linda said her goodbyes and the remaining 3 girls dropped into Chrystal Dawn on the way home. Laura Young was there doing mini-readings so Sara decided to put her name down for one. We ran off to put things in her car and drop stuff at my place before going back for our readings. Yes, I decided to get a reading too. Laura really is good and this reading was right on as per usual. My third mini-reading from her over the past couple of years. Then I went home, saying my goodbyes to Sara along the way. I did a few chores and had a brief rest before getting ready to go to Mom's.

On the way to Mom's I bought a Winter Olympics hat at The Bay. I've been wanting one since the first time I saw them advertised and in the Bay displays. This is the first time I've liked Olympic clothing enough to spend money on it. It was my birthday present to myself. So a bus ride to Mom's for supper. When I got there Mom told me that the gang would be arriving later for desert. The whole gang (family) except Dave and his family. They were moving his father-in-law into a nursing home yesterday so were unable to attend. I was expecting to just spend the evening with Mom but got to see the family. An unexpected treat. My Grand-niece Cassandra is the centre of attention. At 2 1/2 years old, she is too cute and quite the little comedienne. She is quite bright and such a little princess too. But as the first of her generation in our little family she deserves all that attention.

So that was my busily enjoyable birthday weekend. It finished with a quiet bus ride home. I was the only passenger on the 18 from Scott St. to Centretown so I just read all the way. Now that is not the end of the birthday celebrations though. Cathy is giving me a night out at the NAC and has chosen my favourite, The Black and White Opera Soiree. This is especially generous as she is not even sure she'll enjoy it much. She says she's not a great opers fan. But I love this event because it is not just all one opera. So you get a sampling of composers, performers, styles and eras. It's like an opera sampler live and up close. AND we get to wear our fanciest dress-up clothes. I love dress-up! I have new pretty, sparkly, shiny clothes and accessories for the occassion. I've made a hair appointment too. Oooo. How exciting. I'll tell you all about it next week.

Then on 5 March "Les Girls" (Michelle V. & her daughter Madeleine, Debbie, Christine, et al) will gather at Michelle's place for another celebration. I am really dragging this out this year. This is a good thing. Party, party, party! Oh, and just for an extra nice treat... today's mail contained the cheque from my insurance company to pay for my glasses. Yes, glasses. Something new. I got my first ever pair of prescription lenses in early January. They are to correct astigmatism and night vision only but I do notice a big difference. Especially at night and when my eyes are tired after a long day at work in front of 2 monitors.

It's late and I'm done.

Sunday's Stitch and Bitch was excellent and I look forward to the next one. Michele was the perfect host and Daniel (cat) was very well behaved. He wandered around in total confussion... so many women to flirt with, laps to sit on (but he did not jump up) and ears/noses to snuffle. He seemed to like Jessica best. He came to the door to greet me and tell me all about the crowd in his livingroom.

For more details on the Stitch and Bitch check out Michele's website/blog at http://www.mishka.ca where there are links and photos and stuff.

My birthday (no I'm not telling) is on Sunday 12 February. Michele is organizing a night out at a local comedy club. I've already started getting e-cards. Thanks Julie.

Must run... errands to run.