Chris's 19th - Roger, Chris, & Jim - August 20, 2011

After tomorrow it is officially vacation for Roger and me:

Chris has to go to school and work and Jim has a still-new job clocking in 6 or 7 days a week–and a real-no-excuses boss. Fortunately, Jim had a trip back east my see his grandparents not too long ago. <3

Chris is flying into Buffalo, N.Y. –20 miles from the Falls– on Friday morning—leaving Sunday evening. My mom’s memorial is on Sunday August 28th …with folks coming in to the Haliburton Highlands so we decided to make it more vacation-y and stay overnight at a close to everything place in Niagara Falls. Three stars that my oldest son helped me very much in finding–for cheap–check out the topographic map of how easy it is to walk to the Falls! Excitement!

Niagara Falls Ontario--topographic & map view

… then the next morning at 11 a.m.–perfect-ish for a night owl like me…pick up Chris and do something by the Falls before heading back to Maple Lake  until Labour Day… is the plan.

PHOTOS: Chris’s birthday at Fridays’ tonight- He refused the singing. (boo):

Chris 19th birthday aug20-2011-fridays-schaumburg-il-by cyn-mccrackan

- Plus:  No one* takes my picture – further proof

*only me

August 19 2011 - Son's 19th birthday Fridays with entire nuclear family!

Some Friday's decor that made me nostalgic and I was already _in_ that frame of mind! * On another note: Was I the only chick that thought Linda Ronstadt was hot like 'this'--versus her hot pants-period (later)? I thought so. She's got really soulful eyes.

Happy 19th birthday, Christopher!

After dinner we saw this film:

It was just OK…not great. A couple of the science-based plot holes really distracted me from the film. Also, they wasted Frieda Pinto (sp?) other than as eye candy.

I Love Canada!!!!

Happy Canada Day!

Credit and thanks to the Haliburton Highlands Visitors Centre!!

 

I was born in Canada and despite moving to the United States as a kid, I will always be a Canadian (have the passport  to prove it). Part of the reason, probably a big part, is that I was raised by Canadians. My mother especially, was pretty hardcore Canadian. I’ll offer an example. I’d come home from elementary school after being taught American History. Mother would always remind me that there were two sides to the ‘history’ I was learning and I was being taught the ‘wrong’ side! Example phrasing: “It’s all lies.” A bit confusing, pretty much a guarantee that I wouldn’t exactly excel  in my history classes but her intent was pure–to help me stay true to my Canadian roots. I have to state that 1. It worked and two, in a slightly less adamant way (having struggled with American History, I wanted them to at least pass it!) I told both my kids the same thing– to at least to remember you should make up your own mind about what is true and what is not.

Second thing that kept me true to Canada was Maple Lake, Ontario. Spending  years, over time, on Maple Lake immersed in cottage country beauty, I knew that a little piece of heaven exsisted north of the border–one that I continue to savour to this day and plan to savour to my last.

Happy Canada Day!

Our front yard. Hostas rule as they love all the rain we've had--whether we want them to or not.

People use to say when we’d arrive at Maple Lake that we’d “brought the good weather” with us. Well, we have not had great weather here in the Chicago area, so I’m afraid this time that we are going to need to turn the tables and say that “It’s nice to have some pleasant weather, now that we are here at the Lake.” However your forecast for the immediate 2 weeks calls for temperatures that only reach “normal “on two days and the rest of the time are below normal. That is not thrilling, guys. Now understand, I’d rather be there than here in the summer, regardless of the weather but it would be nice if you could muster up a really nice week while we are there. No pressure though, OK? Thanks.

It is easy! From 8:30 – 9:30 local time turn off all lights and non-essential electrical appliances to support an increased awareness of environmental issues. See below for unique ways to mark Earth Hour 2009 with friends and family.

10 Ways to Mark Earth Hour

• Attend local Earth Hour events or organize one.
• Go outside and look at the stars.
• Find a great viewing spot to see your town or city go dark at 8:30 p.m.
• Take pictures and send them to Your Weather.
• Go for a lantern walk through a park.
• Patronize local restaurants and businesses taking part in Earth Hour.
• Gather your family or friends for a candle-lit dinner.
• Meet your neighbours at a street or block party.
• Have an acoustic music jam.
• Talk to your children about how much electricity your family uses. Brainstorm ways to reduce it.

Source: WWF-Canada
From the official video source: Official Earth Hour 2009 video. Earth Hour is on March 28th, 2009 at 8:30pm. More at http://www.earthhour.org

Support Earth Hour by making your own video and adding it to our Earth Hour Global group here:
http://www.youtube.com/group/earthhourglobal/

Earth Hour images can be downloaded and shared from our flickr photostream, including Shepard Fairey Vote Earth artwork: http://www.flickr.com/photos/earthhour_global/