I’m ending the week on a sweet note with these white honey pots.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Here are five things that have been on my mind this week.
1. Toronto
Of course Toronto has been on my mind. There’s no reason why we should ever associate people with “mowed down.” A tragedy. An awful tragedy that is too close to home. To learn more and to stay informed, I’ve been leaning toward reading articles from The Conversation, which is an academic source but written for a general audience. Articles like “Why he didn’t shoot?” and “The dark possible motive” are just two of the several that I read.
2. Babies
Congratulations to Daniela who gave birth to her second baby. Yay! A sweet girl has been welcomed into our family.
3. Music
This week I attended a house concert by Keenan Reimer-Watts who is a Kitchener-Waterloo musician. He created original music for the harpsichord and guitar, and it was quite the evening. I especially enjoyed how he explained his composition process. I was amazed by his talent. Also – this was the first time I had ever seen or heard the harpsichord. (FYI: It’s not a harp.)
Keenan also taught us about his organization Busking for Change. In this movement, buskers and audiences come together to support the environment.
4. Reading
The new edition of Toque has been released. This is a free magazine (yes, print) that features articles about local places and people. I enjoy reading it because I always learn something new about Waterloo region (and Guelph and Hamilton, too)!
5. Post-MBA Life
Well, it’s true. I’ve moved into post-MBA life, and it’s been pretty fabulous so far. I’ve seen lots of friends, read some books and magazines, and started to plan and book mini-vacations. I feel fortunate that I had the opportunity to complete another degree, and I enjoyed learning a ton over the last 4 years. But I’m now looking forward to having a bit of free time.
February was a wild month on my end. There were very happy days, of course, but there were also really sad days, too. Every week seemed to bring difficult news of one sort or another. Illness. Job stress. Relationship challenges. I hope March brings joy to my loved ones. I hope happiness finds its way into your homes, too, if you’ve been experiencing some trying times.
So, today, I’m taking a break from talking about renos and fashion and furniture to raise awareness about some important causes.
Mental Illness
A friend’s brother passed away last week due to mental illness. It’s devastating and awful. He was much too young. To donate or learn more about this disease, visit the Canadian Mental Health Association.
Prostate Cancer
Some people say that prostate cancer is a “normal” or “good” kind of cancer. How is cancer normal? How can it be good? To donate or learn more, visit Prostate Cancer Canada and the Movember Foundation.
Breast Cancer
My friend Lisa wrote a personal essay about how cancer changes the conversations you have with your partner. It was recently published in the Globe and Mail. There are several organizations you can donate to to improve awareness and research for breast cancer. I usually learn more or donate to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, Metastatic Breast Cancer Fund, or The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.
Ronald McDonald House
I heard of the much too early birth of twins of friends of a friend. I also learned of how the Ronald McDonald House Charities is supporting this family who needs to be close to their babies while they’re in intensive care.
Diabetes
Did you know that 11 million Canadians are living with diabetes or pre-diabetes? And about 50% of people with diabetes may experience kidney damage. To donate or learn more, visit Diabetes Canada or The Kidney Foundation of Canada.
My mind has been busy this week. Here’s what has been on it…
1. TD Canada Trust Wait Time
As soon as I noticed my credit card was compromised last weekend, I called TD Visa. There was no real rush, however, since I was on hold (hold!) for 45 minutes. Is this normal? I was expecting to be on hold for maximum 10 minutes. Not fun. It took about 5 minutes to resolve my issue.
2. Credit Card Theft
I’m 99% certain that my credit card info was stolen via an Uber transaction. Not cool. I can’t prove it though, but maybe TD can. What a pain. Saving credit card info online is super convenient at the time of purchase, but incredibly inconvenient when a theft happens. Time to start with a fresh card. And time to stop saving info in my account.
3. Doors
To be honest, I have found door purchasing intimidating. Tiles, fabric, furniture, I can do. But doors? I found it hard. Luckily, Metrie and Northfield Trim and Door (here in Waterloo) have been guiding me through this door makeover project. I’ll let you know how installation goes.
4. Heidi Klum on Ellen
I watched this clip so many times. It made me laugh so much!
5. Essie Nail Polish
Did you know that Essie has launched a new series of nail polish? I learned about this via Carly, and since the “True Love Color” polish was on sale, I picked up “Pinked to Perfection”. It’s an all-in-one nail strengthener and polish, so it’s just what I need. I’m weekend ready!
I’m really trying to hold on to summer, but with lower-than-10-degree weather, back to school week, and colour changing leaves (it’s happening!), it’s really hard. I’m sad to see summer go because it’s my favourite season. Not only that, but I know that once the cool weather arrives, it’s here to stay. For a while. A long while. And even though I try every year to like something about winter, I’m definitely opposed to it. But I digress.
The real point of this post is to feature some lovely squirrels. It seems as though I have some strong memories of this little, wild animal.
When my French exchange student came to live with me and my family when I was sixteen, one of the first things she commented on were the squirrels. She couldn’t believe how many were jumping and climbing around in my parents’ backyard. At the time, I didn’t even know the French word for squirrel (un écureuil). It was fun to watch her excitement about an animal I barely paid attention to.
Of my mom’s Swarovski collection, the squirrel has always been one my favourite figurines (see below). Its curvy tail got me!
And the other day, on my walk home from work, I saw the tiniest baby squirrel. I had never seen one so small before. I was too slow with my camera, so I wasn’t able to snap a photo, but, trust me, it was teeny! And it was moving pretty quickly!
squirrel dish, Urban Barn
squirrel match strike, Jonathan Adler
squirrel figurine, Swarovski
squirrel dish, 1st Dibs
squirrel dish, 1st Dibs
Are squirrels abundant where you live? Do they annoy you? Are you fond of them?
Have a great weekend, everyone!