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I giggled and stomped, but the cup just kept laughing!

There's so much happening around Ottawa that I think one can be forgiven for missing out on even something as fantastic as the NAC's Kinderconcert series. It seems this series is one well-kept secret; one that -- happily -- I have now stumbled upon! Here's what I found when I attended my first Kinderconcert, titled Giggle & Stomp ... Before the show: there were fun interactive activities and displays set up for the children to enjoy. My … [Read more...]

Tom Thomson knew a good thing when he found it

Jack Pine by Tom Thomson (1916), from National Gallery of Canada

The celebrated artist Tom Thomson and his comtemporaries in The Group of Seven spent a great deal of time in Algonquin Park. The Park was more rugged then, and more quiet I'm sure. But despite the changes over the years, this Park remains as inspiring as ever. Hubby and I have had a long-lasting love affair with this Park. So much so that I wanted to name our son or daughter Quin (short for Algonquin). We've spent countless hours alone in … [Read more...]

It’s official: spring is here!

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Why? Because the ducklings arrived yesterday morning!  … [Read more...]

Thinking aloud about envy (with Andrea)

Just as I happened to be reading an article titled "Envy at Work," my friend and fellow blogger Andrea at A Peek Inside the Fishbowl published a new post titled "Thinking aloud about envy." The article I was reading had initially intrigued me because envy isn't a common topic for Harvard Business Review, or business research in general for that matter. Also, I work in the area of organizational change management and I wondered if envy played a … [Read more...]

Confessions of a Former Gleek (part 2)

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In the first season of Glee, I found that Will (aka Mr. Shuester) shared many of my feelings of lingering doubt … Why did I never chase my dreams? What might have happened had I actually auditioned all those years ago? Now, let me tell you, I did not relish the thought of being like Mr. Shuester. Quite the contrary. He seemed like a loser. A wanna-be who just never made it ... [please click here to continue reading!] You won't want to miss … [Read more...]

Workin’ 9 to 5

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For a young woman in the 1980s, working in the business world meant typing and serving coffee for the boss. At least if Dolly Parton’s iconic movie “9 to 5” was any kind of reflection of the times. But I guess Elaine Nadeau must have missed that movie because instead she just “poured herself a cup of ambition” and opened her own business instead ... [to read more, please click here] Feel like singin' along with Dolly? Here's a sing-a-long … [Read more...]

Recipe for a Wonderful Evening

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1. Call up a good, true friend that you haven't seen lately because the mundate elements in life keep stealing all your time. 2. With only one day's notice, ask that she join you for an evening out. 3. As you step into the car pulled up at your driveway, you can already feel that the mad rush to get dinner and homework completed early was worth it. 4. Darkness starts to set-in fully as you drive from your outskirt homes to the city, all … [Read more...]

Confessions of a Former Gleek (part 1)

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I get an uncomfortable mix of emotions when I watch certain things. A ballet performance. A theatrical play. And the hit television series Glee. I imagine other former gleeks take pleasure in watching these things. But me? It teases out raw, bittersweet feelings... [please click to read more] … [Read more...]

Are you a Gleek?

You know your television show is a smash hit when its fans give themselves a name! Gleeks looooovvvee the show Glee! And it's easy to see why ... music, dancing, twisted humour -- that's a gold star combo in my books! It's returning tomorrow night! According to Fox Broadcasting, at 9:28/8:28c. (Strange time, but hey, it's a strange show.) If you missed last season, this recap video will catch you right up to speed. You can also watch full … [Read more...]

Personal style: Sacrificed at the altar of family

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Most of the folks in our circle started out strong. We wouldn't sacrifice our personal style just because we were starting a family. Hell no! Just because we'd be parents didn't mean we'd have to give up our sense of "cool." But, one by one, we've all slipped into family-dom. Some jumped in whole-heartedly, while others -- like my husband and I -- tried to hold on stubbornly to as much as we could. Here are some flashing signals that you … [Read more...]