Stiletto Diaries

Being down with a cold makes for a slow week on the writing front.  Allow me a brief update of some recent happenings.

On Wednesday night V and I had some drinks, slipped into something comfortable, got out the scissors, and chopped off my dreadlocks.

It was time for them to go.  After sporting them for a year and a half I began to long for brushable hair.

“Wait until it’s a craving” V advised, to help deter me from doing something I might later regret.

Two months passed, and finally I was ready.  Jack was gone on business this week, which gave V and I ample time to cut them and then comb out whatever was left.  We put a bottle of sparkling wine on ice and gathered up everything we needed.

The cutting-off part didn’t take nearly as long as we expected, but the combing out nearly made us insane. It took three hours and nearly a whole bottle of conditioner. We laughed some, and came close to tears of frustration, but eventually every dreadlock nubbin had been detangled.

I was so relieved to get into the shower and rinse out all of the conditioner, even though my head was so sore I winced every time I touched it.

Early the next morning I had an appointment at a salon for a proper cut. V accompanied me, and I took a couple of images to show the stylist, to give her a clear idea of what I wanted. She seemed really cool and progressive, which was reassuring, especially since I’ve never really had a good experience at a salon (my aunt has always cut my hair).

I was thrilled with the cut when she was finished. She left it longer on top so that I can spike it or fauxhawk it, and then much shorter on the sides. She was really impressed with how much length we were able to keep after cutting my dreads off.

I decided not to get it colored that particular day, but when I go back for a trim in six weeks I plan to have her do something fun with it.

My head felt WAY lighter after we cut the dreads off. It was a really strange sensation. It’s been an adjustment, but I got tons of compliments on the new cut over the weekend.

I also got to cross something off of my list. I held a spider. It was a very tiny spider, but it still counts and yes it was still a scary experience.

3. Hold a spider (of the non-poisonous variety)

I may have forgotten to mention that I also quit chewing my nails some time back, which was especially exciting since it was the very first thing on my list.

1. Stop biting my nails

Photos of my new toys and other details from the weekend will have to wait until tomorrow.  Jack is coming home this evening and I can’t wait to see him!  I hope everyone had a great weekend

I’ve been to some really fabulous play parties as of late.  Unfortunately, blogging about such parties and the happenings therein is generally frowned on upon in the kink community at large. As it were, I can’t give out TOO many details, but I will say that much fun was had by V and myself.

At the Halloween party I had the unique experience of being topped by both Deja and V. At first it was a little…strange, having V there, but once she got down to business with a riding crop I stopped giggling. It was a really good, although intense scene. My head went to a strange space and I felt emotional, and I sort of wanted to cry. Not from the pain, it was deeper than that. I was surprised and not entirely sure how to handle it. Fortunately V and Deja were there to coddle and love me and it passed as quickly as it had arrived.

My ass was sore for days after, as you can imagine from these photos, which were taken three days after the party.

Playing with Deja was a lot of fun, and I look forward to scening with her again, perhaps this weekend at the next play party I am going to.

On Saturday Jack and Nia and I went to Fet Fair in Guelph, which is like a craft/trade show for all things kink. I like it because it supports the local community, and the people who hand make all manner of fabulous toys.

It was a really great event! I got to introduce Jack to a number of my friends in the community, and he bought me a couple of new toys.

The bondage belt was of particular interest to Jack, especially as the man who made it buckled it under my breasts and demonstrated how my hands could be fastened at my sides, leaving the o-ring free for leading me about, or tying me to things, etc. Jack was sold on it! The wonderful salesman also threw in a wooden massager (pictured above, top right) which is lovely for sensation play.

Then there was the quirt, which is an easy-to-use alternative to other styles of whip. It may look small, but that thing packs a LOT of sting.

We were entranced by a demo of this portable suspension rig, and I’m rather hopeful that I might entice Jack to purchase one for me eventually (maybe for our anniversary *cough cough*).  I’d be happy with the cross at the very least, but if we had the suspension frame, we could use it for our sex swing as well.

On our way out of the fair, I stopped to enter the raffle draw they were having, which offered several really great prize packages.  Imagine my thrill and surprise when they called me some time later to tell me that I’d won second prize!

In the picture full of assorted implements you can see most of my winnings.  Here are individual photos of some of my favorites.  Although I forgot to get a shot of the whippy rattan cane that was in there and which has proven quite a lovely toy.

That evening V and Nia accompanied me to a play party, at which we had a fabulous time.  Deja was unable to attend but I did run into another Domme friend of mine who beckoned me to play.  The results of which can be clearly seen below (ass photos courtesy of V).

Notice the older bruises on the outsides of the thighs and hips?  Those were leftovers from the Halloween party, still looking rather nasty even a week later.

All of us had a marvelous time, and I’m looking forward to yet another play party this Saturday.  Unfortunately I don’t think it’s going to work out that V can attend, since Jack will be out of town on business, but Deja is going so I won’t be totally on my own (not that I would mind at this point).  It’s been wonderful getting out more in the community.  I seem to make new friends every time I go to an event.

I finally feel as though I’ve caught up on all the recent happenings, despite the lack of explicit detail (not my doing, those are just the rules).  I should have some more gratuitous ass shots to show off after this weekend, but in the mean time, here’s some boobies.  Happy Monday!

October has been a great month for sexy fun. I’ve been well-beaten and bruised several times over, each incident better than the last!

It mostly began Thanksgiving weekend, after we’d had our fill of turkey. Deja got out her violet wand and used it on Jack, and then let Jack use it on me, which he seemed to enjoy a great deal.

Then it was time for some cupping! I’d never tried cupping before, and Jack seemed very interested. I stripped down and Deja coated my back in massage oil. She applied the first cup and I was caught off-guard by how painful it was. I hadn’t expected it to hurt so intensely. She used the type of cups which are made from plastic, with a one-way valve at the top. You attach a handle to said valve and use it to suck the air from the cup, creating a vacuum that draws the skin into the cup, pulling blood to the surface and creating very deep bruising. There are other cupping sets available which are glass globes, you wipe the inside with alcohol, light it on fire, and then quickly apply the cup to the back. The fire burns up the oxygen, creating a vacuum that is less severe than the manual pump cups.

She encouraged Jack to give it a try. He quite giddily applied cups to my ass and lower back, getting FAR more enjoyment from the experience than I was.

Then Deja did the most horrifying thing ever. She wiggled one of the cups and then slid it across my skin, making me howl with pain. It felt like she’d sliced me open, and then the pain was in a new spot. There aren’t any photos of it, but there were ‘trail’ marks on my back from where she had moved the cups.

It didn’t take me long to hit my limit, and I begged for them to remove the cups. Deja obliged, grudgingly, but not before she slid a few more of them around for good measure.

Jack was thrilled, and now insists that if I want a violet wand, he must also have a cupping set.

Things were quiet for a couple of weeks, until The Everything To Do With Sex Show last Saturday. Jack and I had plans to go on Saturday evening, and I had offered to ’stunt bottom’ to Deja in the dungeon for a while.

I loath going to the show on weekends, because it’s always packed with people! This year was no exception. It was crowded, and I found it difficult to really look at anything.

Since I’ll use any excuse to dress up, I wore a long PVC skirt, which has slits up to mid-thigh on both side. I paired that with a pair of knee high boots and a blue silky top that looks like lingerie. I also wore a pair of cuffs, but didn’t bother with any panties.

Jack and I looked around for a while, browsing past most of the traditional sex toy booths, since we have plenty of that stuff around here. I did find a couple of really hot bras at Maximum Woman (which is where you have to shop when you have ‘plus sized’ breasts). Jack insisted I get them for myself, and I am glad he did, since I am short on attractive bras.

Since I needed to wear panties for the dungeon demo, I also picked up a couple of pairs of those, including these, which I thought were too cute.

Aside from the underwear, the only toy I bought at the show was this whippy crop, which I hope will get some use in the very near future.

Once we’d seen everything we wanted to see, I met up with Deja in the dungeon. I was giddy, but nervous, especially since there was a considerable crowd in there (at least 50 people). She knew that I was feeling a bit awkward, and assured me that she would blindfold me to help with the stripping down in public like that.

We were setting up to play on the cross, which was situated close to a speaker, so I wouldn’t be able to hear anything going on behind us. I was grateful for that as I wriggled out of my skirt, took off my top and bra, and stood beside the cross in my boots and panties. She clipped me to the rings and then started warming me up. I did my best not to think about all of the people watching me. I really wanted it to be a good scene.

I don’t clearly remember the order of things. It wasn’t an especially hard scene, although it must have lasted at least half an hour. There were points where I hollered, where she flogged me so hard it took my breath away, and where I yelped in pain. It was our first ‘real’ scene together, and she was wonderful about checking in with me (especially since she wouldn’t have heard me safeword over the pounding music). She ran her nails over me, many times, and pulled my hair.

Meanwhile Jack was watching from the audience. During the flogging a girl in front of him remarked to her friend “There is no way she is enjoying that” to which Jack volunteered “Oh trust me, she’s enjoying it very much.” The girls looked at him with some confusion, so he explained that I was his wife and that I did indeed like being beaten on.

Deja informed me that the climax of the scene was about to begin, and then she laid into me with two floggers at once. I grunted and strained against the cross. Before I really got my wits about me, it was over and Deja was unhooking me and cursing herself for not having brought a blanket. I wanted to suggest that she ask Jack for his coat, but my brain and my mouth couldn’t seem to get coordinated enough for the effort. She forced me to sit down and then allowed me to get dressed while I pulled myself together. I had some water and exchanged looks with Jack, feeling very happy with how the scene had gone.

When finally I felt steady I went to the rope which seperated the crowd from the equipment and gave Jack a kiss. A man standing nearby, who had been watching with interest, asked me if I was alright. I said that I was, and then he asked if it had hurt. It did, I told him, but in a good way. Obviously, since I was grinning like an idiot.

I thanked Deja for the scene, gave her a hug and a kiss, and then Jack and I wandered over to the foodcourt to grab something to eat.  He told me how very proud he was of me for being so brave.  He knows how I have struggled for years with body issues and insecurity.  It was a serious stretch for me, but I think I am finally starting to find my way into feeling more comfortable in my own skin.

My tank top did nothing to hide the welts that Deja had raised on my back with a particularly stingy flogger of hers.

After another look around I picked up a couple of chocolate penis’ for V and I, as is our Sex Show tradition. Then, tired but satisfied, we headed home. I had V snap a pic of the welts on my rear end before bed.

It was a good show this year. Better than the one V and I went to last year here in Toronto. Maybe that’s just because I got to play this year ;)  The goodie bags left something to be desired (unlike last year, which was great) and as I said, the crowds made me crazy, but all in all, a good time was had.

Before I regale you with delicious tales of nudity, debauchery, and hot midnight fucking, I’m going to conclude the photo/list series regarding the visit from my friend.  I know, I know, you want the sex, but these posts are more or less for my own benefit, so that years from now I can look back fondly and remember the fun we had while she was here.

One of the days she was here found us in downtown Toronto on a land and water tour courtesy of The Hippo, which is an amphibious bus designed to give you a unique look at the city.

We had a really good time on the tour, the guide was casual yet informative, and I learned some new things about Toronto.  Going into the water was a lot of fun, and I think we both enjoyed the experience very much.

474. Take a guided tour of Toronto

Once we’d finished the Hippo Tour, we grabbed a sandwich at Richtree Market, and then sauntered over to Queen Street to do a little shopping.  I found a really nice pair of earrings, locally made, out of aluminum no less, and my friend got a pendant that she’d been hunting for.

We also happened across a portion of Canada’s Walk Of Fame, on our way back to the truck.  I snapped a few pics for Jack, whom hadn’t been by there before.  If we hadn’t been in a hurry we probably would have walked all the way around the building to see the rest of it.

We also toured the country extensively, and spent some time out at Elora Gorge taking photos of leaves and birds and of course, the water falls.

477. Visit the Elora Gorge

Upon seeing the swans in the photo above, in the exact pose shown, my daughter remarked “Oh look! They make a heart! That must mean that they are in love.” It was adorable.

I was so glad to have my friend here for a week, even though she’s vanilla. It was a blast to play tour guide and a great excuse to give my camera a workout and capture some of the beauty of Ontario in autumn.

*Title Courtesy Of My Spam Folder

Some weeks ago I had the pleasure of hosting a good friend of mine from Calgary for several days, and taking her to see some of the sights in and around the GTA.

The second day she was here, we spent a good part of the day searching for relatives of hers in a nearby cemetary (some of her family is from the area) and I had the good sense to bring my camera.  It was a lovely day, and a great opportunity to take some autumn photos.

During her visit I was able to work in a few of my list items as well, such as visiting the famous St. Jacobs Market.  We were both enamoured with the market and the amazing selection of meats, cheeses, and fresh produce available.  I stocked up on peppers, strawberries, pie pumpkins, and squash.  It was impossible to see everything in the time we had, so I hope to go back again and see the rest of what the market has to offer.

476. Go to St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market

After spending the morning at the market, we made our way down to Niagara On The Lake to visit some wineries and tour historic downtown. The red wine grapes were heavy on the vines, waiting for the late harvest, and we took in four wineries and I brought home half a case of different varieties, along with a wine journal since Jack had mentioned wanting one.

Once we’d seen what we wanted to see in Niagara On The Lake, we drove over to Niagara Falls, as the day was coming to a close. My friend had never been there, and it’s quite a sight when you’ve not seen it before. We lingered for some time, snapping photos and wandering down the wall that overlooks the falls and the river.

It was starting to get quite dark, so we grabbed supper at an Italian place and then went home to spend the evening with Jack and drinking wine.

*Howard Waldrop

Has anyone seen my writing mojo??? I’m considering putting up some ‘Missing’ posters and offering a reward.

I’m still Twittering actively, and recently I’ve started using TwitPic to share photos. Take a look here to see the boots I got over the weekend, the fire wands I made, and a shot of my boobs from above.

Life has been…full, and wonderful, and busy! Deja stayed with us all weekend. She and I went to a shoe party and I got a fabulous and sexy pair of boots. We also put together our costume for Halloween and plotted out our plans for the coming weekend. Jack and I are going to The Sex Show on Saturday, and I have volunteered to bottom for Deja in the dungeon for a little while, so that she can do some demonstrations on me. Then she’s staying the night at our place and we’re going to a kinky Halloween party on Sunday.

V got home yesterday, and it’s been wonderful having her back. We missed her terribly. She and I watched Run Fat Boy Run last night, and what a really great movie. We laughed really hard, and it was very inspiring.

I’m hopeful that I can pick up my laptop today, and then I think I’ll just put up a summary of the time my friend was here, along with some photos and leave it at that. I hate it when I feel as though too much time has passed between an event and blogging about it. At any rate, there WILL be posts and there will be pictures. Of course I’ll get to that after I’ve spent at least an hour cuddling my laptop and apologizing for all of the times I took it for granted or went to bed angry after taking out my frustration on it’s delicate keyboard.

I’ve decided to participate in NaNoWriMo, although on my own terms and not necessarily those set forth by the official website. I’m crap at writing fiction, so rather I plan to pound out 2,000 words of non-fiction per day, every day in the month of November. At the end I will have a rough draft of the book I’ve been talking about writing for ages. Likely I shall post the odd excerpt here on my blog for your perusal during the writing process.

With all of the play parties and kink events happening over the next three weeks, I am certain I shall have plenty of fun and sexy stories to share. Plus I’ll have a proper laptop on which to write them

My regular laptop is in the shop having it’s LCD screen replaced, and I’ve been lacking the patience to pick my way through a blog post on the tiny keyboard of my Asus Eee PC.  However, I figured I’d better put something up here before I lost all of my readers, heh.

The friend from Alberta whom was out for a visit left on Tuesday night.  We had a really good time together and I was sorry to see her go.  I really hope she’ll come out again, and she invited me to stay with her the next time I go back to Calgary for a weekend to see my friends, which I appreciate.

I do have lots of photos and adventures to share, once my laptop comes home, since this tiny thing will not support my camera software nor allow me to upload any pictures from it.  That will have to wait.  Besides, I feel as though I am still recovering from the whirl-wind week that she was here, so having a few days to gather my thoughts isn’t the most unfortunate circumstance.

Yesterday I spent the afternoon with Nia.  We went shopping for Thanksgiving/Halloween decorations and then she came over for a late lunch and coffee.  It was so nice spending some time with her, we have a lot of similarities when it comes to depression and OCD, and so she can relate to me on that level, which is just what I needed.  We had a really good conversation and I feel so lucky to have both her to talk to.

Today Jack and I had our weekly lunch date.  I am really happy that we are able to meet during the day and spend some time together, just talking.  Often, even at home after the kids are in bed, we are so worn out that we just cuddle up and relax.  When we meet for lunch we’re both more energetic and we have no distractions like laundry or dishes or bills.  I know that I really look forward to having lunches with him, and he’s told me that it’s the highlight of his week, so I’m glad we decided to start having weekly dates.  It also gives me an opportunity to ask him questions about how things are going at work, and to listen to all of the issues and people he’s dealing with.  I genuinely enjoy getting a glimpse into that part of his life, and his work can be fascinating if you’re interested in such things, which I am.  Naturally he also wants to hear all about whatever I want to share, generally getting him caught up on the kids school-related things and whatever grandiose idea I’ve got stewing.

Tomorrow I begin serious preparations for Thanksgiving.  I’m doing a turkey and trimmings and the whole nine yards.  I actually bought pie pumpkins so that I could make one from scratch, LOL.  Yes, there are special pumpkins for pie-making, not just any old pumpkin will do.

Deja is joining us for Thanksgiving dinner, and I’ve invited Nia and one of her boyfriends, if they end up wanting to join us (HINT HINT Nia, ditch the ‘rents and come over here for tofurkey and homemade honest-to-god-not-from-a-can pumpkin pie).  I’m also baking some autumn themed cookies for the kids to take to school next week, and also as a treat for some of my pals at the kink munch on Tuesday.  I’m already having fantasies of Varick asking me if I have cookies for him and then saying “NO!” while rolling my eyes.  I’m going to make up some little packages of cookies for my most favorite people and he certainly isn’t one of them.

Once I get my laptop back we’ll be back to regular posting.  Hope you can wait around until then

We had a fairly quiet weekend here at Chez Gibson.  On Saturday morning V was so kind as to watch the children so that Jack and I could go out for brunch.  We decided to drive to Mississuga to have dim sum at one of our favorite places.  The food was great, we both had a good night sleep so we felt fantastic, it was a really wonderful way to get the weekend started.

After trying almost a dozen different dishes, we’d had our fill.  The restaurant is located in an Asian mall, so we went next door to look for Vietnamese coffee filters.  I’ve been trying to find some for weeks, and wouldn’t you know it, we found them in the Asian grocery store, so I bought two, along with chicory coffee and some sweetened condensed milk.

We made a stop at Lowe’s on our way out of the city to pick up some bins for my arts and crafts room, which is finally starting to come together, hopefully in time for Christmas so that V and the kids and I have a place to make Christmas cards and gifts.  I do a lot of crafty type things: scrap-booking, quilting, sewing, etc, so we are using one of the bedrooms exclusively for my projects and supplies, and it’s one of the last rooms in the house that needs to be properly set up.

A package of rubber-tipped, plastic clothes pins was also aquired ;)  More on those some other day perhaps!

After we arrived at home, V and I decided to try out the new coffee filters.  She was the one who introduced me to Vietnamese coffee some years ago, so we were pretty pumped to be able to make it at home!

We got everything set up, filled the filters with the chicory coffee, poured a few tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk into our cups, and then poured hot water into the little brewers.

Vietnamese coffee is most commonly served over ice, although you can drink it hot if you prefer.  I got out two big mugs and filled them with ice cubes and once our coffee was done brewing, we stirred it up with the milk and poured it into the mugs of ice.

It was pretty good for our first attempt, although a little on the strong side.  Next time I’ll use a little less coffee to the same amount of water.

402. Make Vietnamese coffee

Speaking of list items, I only have 14 more things to do in 2008!  You might remember some months back I created a mini-list of 50 things I wanted to cross off before the end of this year, and now I’m well over half way there.

Over the weekend I also managed to finish reading one of the books on my list.  Different Loving is a wonderful book for people who are curious about kink and different fetishes and why people are attracted to aspects of the lifestyle.  This is not a ‘How To’ book, but a more objective look at the varieties of play that fall under the BDSM umbrella, and the appeal of each kind.  It’s heavy on the personal anecdotes, and each chapter includes several interviews with people who practice fetishism and kink.

361. Read Different Loving by William Brame & Gloria Brame

Saturday evening was spent relaxing, drinking wine, and watching movies together.  We drank three bottles between us, and then V and I shared a fourth bottle after Jack went to bed, so needless to say we were pretty far gone.  It was a lot of fun, although neither of us felt very spectacular on Sunday morning, LOL.

Jack let me sleep late, and once I got up and had some coffee, he and I went to work on his office.  We finished putting together the second filing cabinet in there and then sat down to tackle the mountain of papers which needed to be sorted and filed.

We got rid of our old desk and filing cabinet when we moved from Ontario, and since then we’ve totally reconstructed our filing methods, but all of our old papers (which were cleaned out of the former filing cabinet) hadn’t been sorted into the new system yet.  There were also piles of old bills and other paper work which needed to be shredded, since we only keep 5 years of records on hand and then shred the previous years as we have the time.

After supper Jack decided he’d had enough of the office, and V ran out to rent a movie and bring us ice cream (she’s such a sweetie!) so we all settled in to watch Made Of Honor.  Since I was still feeling motivated I hauled a whole pile of arts and crafts stuff down to the living room so that I could sort and reorganize it.  Most of those things haven’t been touched in nearly three years, since I never did get my hobby room set up in the last house, which we’d only just moved into around the time that this blog was started.

It felt really good to be so productive, and by the time the movie was over (which was really great, if you like chick flicks) I was finished shorting a good deal of my craft supplies.

My friend from Alberta is arriving on Thursday and I can hardly wait for her to get here!  We have a lot of plans for her visit, and I can’t wait to show her the house and take her on a tour of Toronto.  I’ve been looking forward to her visit for months, since we’ve been planning it since the spring time!

I have to take my laptop in this week as well, since the monitor is starting to go.  I’m hoping it’s just a loose connection or something.  As much as I would love to buy a new laptop right now, I can think of a lot of better ways to spend that much money.  So far everyone I have asked is urging me to get a MacBook, but I don’t think that MSN Messenger is compatible, and I’m not sure how it will work with some of the other programs I use, so I’m still not settled on what exactly to get.  Thoughts?  I currently have a Toshiba Satellite, it’s my second Toshiba laptop and overall I am happy with it, since I really don’t need anything fancy.  I don’t do much with my computer besides blogging, chatting, and photo management, so my requirements are that it be fast online, support MSN messenger, and have some good photo editing software available.  I have an external hard drive, so it doesn’t need to have a ton of memory included.  Help!

Also, congratulations to Jupiter, whom I selected at random to recieve the bottle of lubricant as well as some other fun goodies.  Keep an eye out for other give-aways in the near future

*Title Courtesy Of My Spam Folder

I don’t know about all of you, but I had a really great weekend!

On Friday night Jack and I drove down to Hamilton to see The Blue Man Group preform there. We were thrilled to get out for a date, and we’ve both wanted to see these guys preform for years.

We had fairly good seats, and we really enjoyed the opening performer, David Garibaldi, who paints portraits to music. He did the most amazing paintings of Bono, Jimi Hendrix, The Blue Man Group, and Mick Jagger. You can see what I mean by checking out the Performance Videos here. The paintings he did were for sale after the show, which Jack and I considered purchasing because they were just so awesome. I wanted the Blue Man Group one, or the Jimi Hendrix painting, but at the moment we couldn’t really justify dropping $1500 on a piece of art when we don’t even have a place to hang it yet. When we do have a place, I’d like to buy this painting, if it’s still available.

The Blue Man Group is almost indescribable. Their sense of discovery and child-like curiosity is completely enchanting, and they are certainly some of the best and most innovative musicians I have ever seen. Their show is entertaining for all ages, but they tossed in some subtle adult humor which made me laugh so hard I nearly peed. It was without a doubt the best live show I’ve ever been to, and I will gladly buy tickets for their next tour when they come around this way again.

Sadly, no photos, since I forgot to bring my little PowerShot and instead grabbed the big SLR camera, which was not allowed in. They didn’t search my purse, so I am sure I could have gotten away with it, but I didn’t want to risk missing part of the show just to run my camera all the way back to the parkade, so I left it in the car. I did attempt a couple of shots with my Blackberry, but they are just awful. Oh well

Here’s some official video of the Megastar Tour. Click the link and then select the ‘Your Attention’ video.

222. See the Blue Man Group perform live

We drove home with throats sore from yelling, feeling totally elated by the entire experience. Honestly, GO SEE THEM if you possibly have the means.

On Saturday we spent most of the day relaxing. The kids played outdoors with the neighbourhood children and we did a bot of tidying and organizing in the house. It was nice to take it easy and spend some time as a family.

After the kids were in bed, we opened a bottle of wine and sat down for our regular family meeting. We have family meetings once or twice a month in order to touch base with each other, express our feelings, and brainstorm ideas for keeping the household running smoothly. This particular meeting was a great success, and we all felt great after hashing things out and coming up with a plan of attack for finishing things up in the house.

While I’d been rooting through boxes that day, I’d come across a box of cigars that Jack had been given as a gift some time ago. Since smoking a cigar WAS on my list, and we were already into our second or third bottle of wine, I decided to open one of these up and have a go.

It was an interesting experience. Not really like smoking a cigarette, but something to try at least once I suppose. V and I shared it on the deck, under the stars, while we sipped our wine. Not sure what I’ll do with the rest of this box, LOL, but I was glad to find it and cross something else off the list.

450. Smoke a cigar

Jack had to call it a night sometime after the third bottle had been emptied, so V and I ended up drinking until around 5am. V invited me to spend the night at ‘her place’ in the basement, since we haven’t had any sleepovers for a while. We drug ourselves into bed and passed out almost instantly.

On Sunday morning a phone call from Nia roused me from bed just in time for me to start getting ready for the gathering she had invited me to later that day. I got showered and dressed and pulled together a dish for the pot luck and headed over to her place.

She and her friends were kind enough to invite me to be a part of their fall ritual, to celebrate the second harvest, say goodbye to summer, and welcome autumn. It was really wonderful to spend an afternoon in the company of such welcoming and friendly people. I had a great time, and I hope to attend other such gatherings in the near future. Thank you SO much Nia for letting me join you guys. It was a really special experience, and I was so glad to be allowed to celebrate with you guys.

288. Participate in a Pagan celebration/ritual

After I got home from my outing V and I dashed over to Staples to pick up some supplies for making the house and our schedules run more smoothly. We bought a big office-style calendar and different colored markers for each of us. We also bought notebooks for the correspondence courses we are starting next month in preparation for University. I also picked up items to make a reward chart for the children so that they can earn TV time, outings, and other treats. The system has worked very well for us in the past, and now that they are old enough to understand rules and such a lot better, we are sure this is going to go over well.

Before supper Jack and I went grocery shopping while V took the kiddos to the park. Jack and I really enjoy going grocery shopping together. With three adults and two rapidly growing kids in the house, we generally have to restock the fridge, freezer, and pantry once a week. I’m becoming very into meal planning and eating as healthy as possible. At least 2/3 of our groceries are fresh items which only last us the week anyway, and we hardly eat anything processed.

By the time we got home the kids had eaten supper and were almost ready for bed. I grilled up steaks for Jack and I, and then he had to run to his office to pick up some paperwork before his trip out east this week.

While he was out V and I sat down with the calendars and laid out all of our upcoming events and ‘To Do’ items. It can be very precarious with Jack working and now I work some, and V is getting a job, and then she and I are taking these classes and will have a lot of homework, and the older kid has homework…it’s mind-boggling after a while. Now that we have it all down on paper, it seems far more manageable, and it’s easier to schedule date nights for Jack and I, and outing for V and I, and family things.

Jack left this morning for a business trip, which is lucky for him since I started my period late last night, LOL. I didn’t have hardly any PMS, and only a few cramps on Friday night after we got home from Blue Man. Periods have been SO much easier since I’ve started eating right and exercising more.

At least now that V is here, I don’t have to sleep alone while Jack is away

One of the most unfortunate aspects of blogging, at least for me, is during periods when I have little going on, there is always plenty of time for writing.  When my life is filled with excitement and adventure, I generally lack time and inclination for blogging completely.

Recently, I’ve only been able to schedule myself snippets of time, early in the morning, in which to write.  Sadly, I often end up staring blankly at this ‘Write Post’ screen, searching for the right inspiration.

I’ve always blogged when I felt the desire to do so.  In the past I could be potentially found tapping out words on my laptop at any time in a 24 hour period.  I’ve written in the middle of the night, on airplanes, at picnic tables in the middle of nowhere, during sunrise, and sunset, and every hour between.

Lately though, I just haven’t had the time.  There just seems to be so much going on, so many interesting things to do, I don’t feel like sitting in front of my computer for hours.  Not only the blog has been lacking, but my online friendships have too.  I’ve reduced or completely eliminated regular communication with most of the people I keep in touch with via the internet.  It’s unfortunate, but I’m just really enjoying being more active, working on getting my house set up exactly the way I want it, and spending time with my kids, my husband, and my friends.

Speaking of the house, it’s coming along marvelously.  V has been helping me sort through everything we had ’stored’ in the basement and in the garage, which was basically everything that hasn’t been vital to survival during the past year.  We’ve uncovered boxes of memorabilia from high school, containers of toys we forgot that we had (much to the delight of the young ones) and every manner of knick knack and oddity you can imagine.

Thankfully there is a yahoo community called FreeCycle here, which allows you to post unwanted items, for free, so that other people can take them.  It’s the most wonderful service ever!  We gave our crib away to a young couple who are expecting a somewhat unplanned babe, and it felt really, really good to know that they love that crib just as much as we did.  They really needed it, and I was happy to give it to them.  People take all sorts of things that you would never imagine them wanting!  I’ve freecycled a box of random cleaning supplies, used bike helmets, a well-loved gerbil cage, a hideious chair, and even cardboard boxes.  Seriously, if you have stuff to get rid of, look for a FreeCycle group in your area!

We’ve also been putting a lot of effort into eating better and exercising.  The bike that Jack bought me for my birthday already has more than a few miles on it, and our fridge looks like we shop exclusively at farmer’s markets.  V and I have been experimenting with recipes and cooking to keep things interesting, so we don’t get bored of all the vegetables.  We bike ride as often as we can (before the weather gets too cold) or we workout together in the basement.

There is the most beautiful bike path, not far from my house, which we rode down just the other day.  I didn’t bring my good camera, so I had to use the Blackberry to snap a few pictures, but these should give you an idea anyway.

The sunlight was filtering through the leaves of the trees, and it was a warm day, perfect for bike riding.  I plan to take a walk down there once the leaves are really turning, with my camera, so that I can get some autumn photos of all those gorgeous trees.

Now that both of my kids are in school (one of them every day and the other 2-3 days a week) Jack and I have decided to have regular lunch dates during the week, in order to take advantage of my kid-free time.  He works some distance away, but there are plenty of great restaurants in the area, so I can drive over and meet him in the middle of the day, and we can spend some time together.

I have company coming out from Alberta at the beginning of October for almost a week.  I haven’t seen this particular friend since April, so I’m greatly anticipating her visit, and the opportunity to show her around the GTA.  She’s not in-the-know about our lifestyle, so it will be all vanilla activities, but it doesn’t matter to me, I love a good wine tasting and touring Niagara Falls, etc.

Tomorrow night is Blue Man Group with Jack, and we may end up going to the Toronto Zoo this weekend before fall really sets in.  The Great Barrier Reef has exhibits set up right now, and touching a sting-ray is on my list, so I am hoping to manage that one during our visit.

I have no plans to stop blogging any time in the foreseeable future, but I do need to continue devoting more time to actually living my life rather than writing about it.