Tis' the Season

Well it's weird being away at school, I no longer get to put up the lights or put the christmas tree up. When I get home everything will be done, I'm not sure how I feel about that. I've tried my best to get into the christmas spirit by drinking egg nog, listening to christmas music and watching chrsitmas movie but it still doesn't seem the same. I think the one thing that is missing is my family. I miss them.

Here is a picture of one of the things Imiss most about the holiday season. When I come home for the holidays I am going to the festival of lights in Niagara Falls.

Finally I'm Back.

Hello fellow bloggers,

I am final back on the web. I must say I have been busy for the past few weeks. I am hoping to start blogging more often now. It's hard to say now though because I am in Univeristy and tehre is just so much work all the time.

I am finally adapting to the change. I am not really homesick but I do miss my brother.

A few friends from university and I went out costume shopping tonight. I have decided to be mother nature. We are going to an all ages not at a local night club. I am pretty excited! I hope my costume turns out good.

Well I should go and finish studying.

Peace. <3

A New Beginning

So... university is just around the corner. Seven days exactly. I am not really sure what to think at the moment. I'm alittle excited/nervous/sad/scared. So many mixed emotions. I would like to believe that I am ready to leave but I don't think I am. I do not cope well with change and this is alot of change all at once. Yes... in way I guess its good to do it all at once but really it just makes it THAT much harder to deal with. It will be my first time going to university, living on my own, cooking on my own, creating my own rules and staying on top of things. I will not have my mother keeping me on track and making sure I am doing what I need to be doing. I am an adult now. It is so hard to imagine myself as an adult. I CAN make my own decisions. I CAN take on responsiblities. I CAN live in a house without a parent figure. I am an adult.

I need to realize that it is time to move on in my life and that things do change. Time does not stop just because you are not ready. You just need to get up and go with it. I need to know that everything will work out and that I WILL stay in touch with the friends I was meant to stay in touch with. I need to remember that everything happens for a reason, even if you don't know that reason at that exact moment.

As much as I would love to stay in high school, I need to move on with my life and have my head held high. I need to look at the positive side of things. University is just another part of my life, it is a new beginning.

Odyssey

Hayley Westenra

"Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing way that you feel
As every fairy tale comes real
I've looked at love that way"

Dear Ashley Jensen

Hilarious.
Sophisticated.
Amazing.

How is she such a good actress?

"Music is your own experience, your thoughts, your wisedom.
If you don't llive it, it won't come out your horn."
- Jazz Legend Charlie Parker.

.

Don't Vote in Afghanistan?

I'm not sure if I completely undertsand the article I just read on CBC News "Don't Vote Afghan Public Warned"

Apparently there is an election soon approaching in Afghanistan however there are "enemies" which is how they are referred to in the article who are trying to stop this election from happening. They have threatened the people of Afghanistan by saying: "If you help the election take place, let your house be used as a polling station, rent your truck out to carry ballot boxes, you risk violent retaliation in the weeks to come"

This is not fair. The people of Afghanstan should be able to vote without putting their life on the line. It is a person's right to vote. They should not be threatened for voicing their opinion. Why has the world come to this?

We need to give peace a chance.

Chubby Monkey.

Lately, I've been cutting pictures and quotes out of magazines. I have a big stack of pictures that I cut out and have no idea what to do with them. It all started when I opened my closest with my bookshelf in it and a pile of magazines came tumbling down. Instead of putting them all back I decided that it's time to get rid of some. After 5 years of magazine subscriptions you create quite a collection. However before I throw them out I want to make sure that there is no pictures, or anything that I may use in the future. Each day I go through at least one magazine. I'm thinking of making a collage OR one of my faourite things to do is go to the dollarstore and buy magnets and then put the pictures on magnets and cut them out. This way I can get a magnet board and every so oftern change it up. I must say I probably had the coolest locker in high school. I would always have a huge collage on my locker door of just magazine pictures but they were all magnets. It looked awesome!

I made a sock monkey today. It took forever to sew but it turned out great. I love it.

A perfect ending to a long weekend!

Today, was a bit of a lazy day. I went over to my neighbors at 7:00am to let their dogs outside (I am dogsitting for a few days while they are on vacation) Then I fell back to sleep for a few more hours. It was pleasant. Eventually when I got up and out of bed I realized my family had decided to go out for the day and take Aaron to Memorial Park. I was a bit disappointed because I would have went.....they have swings there. Anyway, my grandmother called and asked me if I wanted to get a few things at the store with her. In the end we spent close to 150$ on supplies for next year. I am very happy, I am slowly able to check things off my list. After we were done shopping we decided to go out for dinner. We went to Happy Jack's. I haven't been there in ages, I don't eat chinese food so it never crosses my mind to eat there. However, they had a large selection of Canadian food. It was very nice, we sat outside on the Patio. We had a very nice view of the Peace Bridge and the boats going by. It was very relaxing and peaceful.

ciao.

Post House, here I come!!

Since the beginning of summer I have been trying to get all my stuff organized for September. Things to bring and things to buy. Here is my list so far:

Shampoo
Conditioner
brush
hairspray
hair straightner
blow dryer
face wash
vaseline
loofa
deodorant
toothpaste
qtips
perfume
toilet paper
toilet brush
toilet bowl cleaner
tampons/pads
bath matt
mouthwash
clothes drying rack
Pajama's
shaving cream
air freshener
make up/nail polish/remover
fabreeze
paper towel
garbage bags
measuring cups
strainer
pots/pans
sponges
cutting board
dish soap
plate/cups/bowls
dish drying rack
water pitcher (Brita)
more tupperware
tongs
whisk
spatula
wooden spoon
oven mitt
laundry- detergent, spray and wash, clothes drying rack
power bars/extension cords/ethernet cable
first aid kit
pillows
bedding/blankets
desk lamp
desk chair
storage containers for underneath bed
hangers
clothes hamper
computer
printer
TV and TV Stand
utensils
toaster
microwave
blender
coffee pot
can opener
scissors
kitchen hand towels/wash cloths
shower curtain
hand soap
hand/ shower towels
toilet paper
window fan
plants
floor length mirror
school supplies
3M Hooks

This list is more for my own personal use. As the month goes on I will be able to highlight which items I have already gotten. Only 35 days to go..
Oh boy, I'm scared.

Henna + Fireworks + Chicken Souvlaki = <3

Tonight I went to Canal Days with Sam and Abby. When we got there we met up with Rob and Melissa. This was EXTREMELY AWKWARD. I have never really been around them since they started dating, I wasn't sure if I could handle it. Anyway other then the sole fact of it be awkward, the fireworks were AMAZING. This was one of the best firework displays I have seen in a while. After the fireworks were over I raced through the crowd to the Henna booth before it closed. Yes you guessed it.. I got a peace sign on the inside of my wrist. Here is a picture, its not done yet though, right now it is orange by tomorrow it should be dark brown.

After I got my tattoo I ran into Miss Aliberti and Miss Arsenault. I was very happy to see them both. It was nice to say a final goodbye personally to Miss Arsenault seeing as she is leaving for Moscow, Russia very soon. Goodbyes are the worst. I am sure we will cross paths again... plus there's always facebook. After we said our goodbyes..... we bought chicken Souvlaki, it was delish. It was overall a great night.


bye for now.

Every Little Bit Helps!

The other day I got an email from Development and Peace. It's odd because I'm not even a subscriber. However, when I opened the email, I was amazed. This is what it said:

"There is no security on earth, but there are always opportunities to help one another.."
Burma One Year Later

One year since Cylcone Nargis took the lives of more than 140,000 people and left more than 2 million people without homes, Development and Peace, along with other partners, continue to support those affected. 91,145 families received relief assistance: food aid, water and other household items. 80 communities have safe drinking water: 26 ponds were cleared of debris, repaired, desalinated or constructed and 97 tube wells and storage tanks were constructed. 4,471 people were treated at mobile clinics, including 1,053 children under 5 years of age. 9,800 families received materials to repair their houses or construct tempory shelters. 1,343 families received new, permanent houses. 11 schools have been rebuilt. After reading the email, it just goes to show that EVERYONE can make a difference especially when we work together. We need more organizations like this to help make our world an even better place. For Pictures of everything Development and Peace have accomplished go to their website: http://www.devp.org/devpme/eng/international/burma-eng.html

I urge you to go to this website. It was quite an eyeopener for me....

I need to live on the edge.

Okay so I have decided that I need to expand my horizons. The clothing I buy is simple and bright. If I walk into a store like Forever 21 it is so weird, crazy, funky. I hate it. I cannot stand all the patterns, designs etc etc. Since then, I have decided that I need to buy more stuff from stores like that. I need to pick things up that I would normally walk past. Perhaps if I try something new on there is a chance I will like it. I have to step out of my comfort zone and live on the edge.

On that note, yesterday I went shopping at Forever 21 and bought a shirt that I normally would walk right past. It was alittle bit on the pricey side but it fit well and it's a start to this new style I am forming for myself. I am not saying that I want alot of graphic tees but I want some funky and unique clothing items. I do not want to look childish but sophisticated and elegant with a bit of a twist. I am getting bored of my simple and bright wardrobe.


bye for now.

A strange Urge...

Okay, so I have this strange urge to get a tattoo. I want the word "peace." or a peace sign on the insde of my wrist. Kind of tiny. I'm not sure why I want it all of sudden. I always swore to myself that I would never scar my body like that but for some reason I REALLY want it. I would be able to cover it up for work, with jewellery or a watch. I'm going to think about it. I wonder what my mom would say....?

So today at work my friend Anna wrote in Permenant Marker on my wrist. I told her how I've been contemplating the thought of a tattoo. She told me: "Randi your skin is a canvas, do whatever you want with it because you will eventually die anyways."

"Peace begins with a Smile"- Mother Teresa

peace.

Martin Luther King Jr.

"If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well"

Birthday, Birthday, Birthday

Yesterday was my Golden birthday. I turned 18 on July 18th. That's once in a lifetime. I woke up and rushed to my brother's soccer game. After the game Blake and I went to the bookstore and to coffee culture. He bought me my most favourite drink of all times, the "London Fog". Later, I played hide and go seek with Aaron for about 2 hours... actually. After dinner Kate and Dave came down to pick me up. We drove to Niagara-on-the-lake for a ghost tour. It was alot of fun. I was hoping that we might see something interesting but nothing happened. We saw the Old Angel Inn, Fort George, Clock Tower etc etc. Our tour guide, Korrina was very funny. It was a great birthday. I really enjoyed myself. Thanks everyone!

Sarah Jessica Parker.

"Every once in awhile, a girl has to indulge herself.”

Dear Kate,

We have not know eachother for very long but you have encouraged me in everything I have done. You are always there for me. I appreciate everything you do for me. We have had so many great memories and it's only the beginning. Whether it's staying up all night during Relay for life, going for coffee and breakfast sandwiches or just simply going for a walk down the canal. You are an awesome person. You have helped shape the person I am today and for that I am grateful. Thank you so much for everything.

“A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow.”-
William Shakespeare

peace and love,
randi.

Life as we know it.

Be Realistic, do the impossible Understand your mission is to make history while you are here.
Live well, laugh often, love much.
There is no shortcut to any place worth going.
Be adventurous.
We are the sum of our moments.
Be spontaneous.
The destination means nothing without the journey.
Everything happens for a reason.
Forget your troubles and dance.
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.
Dream BIG.
Explore....

Life as we know it. So many paths;so many choices.
Photo taken by my friend Amber.

Byng Island

Today we took the kids to Byng Campground in Dunnville.We spent the day in their oversized pool. I do not like Byng for many reasons:

1. They do not have enough lifegaurds for their capacity. There are 1,200 people allowed in their pool and they only have about 4-5 lifegaurds on deck, if that.

2. There is nothing there other then the pool; their playground is sketch.

3. It takes us close to 1 hour to get there on the bus. There are way closer public pools then Byng.

4. The pool is ALWAYS cold so the kids get out after swimming for an hour.


peace.

Just the Beginning

Bonjour!

I have never had a blog before so you will have to be patient with me. I will have to figure out how everything works. It is rather late so I am signing off.

Farewell.