They're on their Way!!!

I'm so excited for Tracie and Rick, Olivia and Madeline! They're the wonderful family I met at MBC earlier this summer. They received their referral of Maia Ruby just 35 days ago (July 27th!) and are already winging their way to China! Now that's fast!!!

In just 4 days (Monday, September 4th) Maia will be in their arms for the very first time! I'm so excited for this precious family and the gift of Maia that God has given them. Praising God with Tracie, Rick, Olivia and Madeline!

I've added them to my 'Currently in China' links so that you can follow their journey too!

Everyone Loved Marineland!

Ok...everyone sing! If you live anywhere near Niagara Falls or have cable that shoots their commercials to you, I'm playing off their theme song. It's been the same for as long as I can remember and has one of those singable tunes. Not too sure of some of the words but, 'Everyone loves Marineland!'

Our trip to Niagara Falls was a huge success and a great time was had by all!

We arrived Saturday night and checked into the hotel. It was about 8:00 but, 'I not be tired!' Our hotel was conveniently located only a couple of blocks from the falls so we decided to introduce the girls to the falls and all their beauty at night! We were not disappointed!

The lights on the falls were white for the majority of the time we were there which accented their amazing beauty. I am so thankful to live so close to this beautiful wonder that God created!

Highly contrasted to the natural beauty of the falls is the tourist portion of the city. Lit up much as I imagine Las Vegas is, it's crowded with tourist traps! Wax museums, arcades, candy stores and enough neon lights to give Vegas a run for it's money! Such a contrast in opposites, just blocks from the natural beauty of the falls. For me, I'll stick to the falls...and ummmm, the fudge at the candy store!

Saturday the girls slept until 8:00 then we headed to Denny's for breakfast. By 10:00 we were at Marineland and the fun began! It was an overcast day which seemed to threaten rain although it didn't rain a drop! The nice part was, it probably kept the crowds down. The girls were able to go on ride after ride without having to wait at all! This was great with the exception that Auntie Cathy's stomach ain't quite what it used to be so the twirlly, rocking ship that Victoria really liked left me with wobbly sea legs and spinning stomach for a minute or two afterwards. Oh well, it's all worth it in the name of fun and pssst...it was fun!

Rebecca is more timid when it comes to rides but she really enjoyed wandering amongst the deer in the deer petting area. I learned the hard way
last time that buying food to feed these cute little creatures should be left to either the very, very brave child or very tall adult! If these cute little guys even think you might have food you're quickly surrounded by 20 of them which can be quite intimidating to a child who meets them at eye level!

After a fun day of going on rides and watching shows we headed to the Rainforest Cafe for supper. We had a great table, right beside the elephants. Each half hour as the rainforest came to life with a thunderstorm, the elephants ears would wave, their eyes would blink, the larger elephants would move their trunks and their cries would ring out! The girls would tease and call to one another, 'Take cover' as they scooted for safety behind Grandma's chair! If you haven't been to a, 'Rainforest Cafe' it's a fun experience.

We ended our busy day with a couple of hours relaxing (yah...right!) beside the pool. The girls had a blast together! Rebecca had taught herself how to swin last year and Victoria was oh so close. It was amazing to see how much she inproved in just those 2 short hours and how her confidence grew. Before we left she was able to swim about 8 feet without putting her feet down! Sharon and I joined them part way through the evening so that we could take them into the deeper area where the dragon slide was. About 50 trips down the slide later we called it a night, hit the hot tub for a few minutes then headed back to the room.

Victoria had brought along some of her favourite DVD's so we plugged in the protable player, put in, 'Because of Winn Dixie' and relaxed out of sheer exhaustion, for the rest of the evening. At 10:00 we were jolted out of bed by the fireworks above the falls! We quickly hit the balcony and enjoyed watching them through the trees.

Monday the girls slept until almost 9:00! Guess we tuckered them out the day before. After breakfast at Tim's we hit the road on our way home. A stop at, 'Staples' to buy school supplies then drop off.

What a great weekend!!! Next adventure...Apple Picking Sleepover! Until then, Auntie Cathy rests up for our next weekend together.

Marineland Video Clips

Dolphin Show


Whale Splshing (we stood in the dry section and laughed at those getting soaked!)


Whale jumping - what amazing beauty!!!

Funshine #1 is here...AND...Funshine #2!!!

I'm thrilled to share with you that Mary-Mia and Rod are parents to 2 beautiful baby girls! TWINS - Rose and Marie!!! If you heard a party coming from California today it was probably M3 and Rod celebrating! What an exciting day in their home! Guess there's shopping to be done now...a double stroller, 2nd carseat and so much more!

Congratulations Mary-Mia and Rod!!!
Salsa for everyone!

I-Just-Can't-Do-It!

It's referral time again! Doing the happy dance for friends who received their referrals yesterday (Christi), and excitied that Monday it will be Mary-Mia's turn! Funshine's referral will be here!

I called this post, 'I-just-can't-do-it' for a specific reason. What can't I do? I can't for one single itty bitty second be upset with CCAA that only 9 days of files were placed. They're doing the very best that they can folks! I try to think of those dear people in China who are working for CCAA. Yes working...probably 6 days a week and I'm guessing it's no 9-5 commitment either. Yes the rumours say they've just had a rotational vacation. Guess what...so have most of us! They deserve vacations too! These people work diligently to place children with families that are anxiously awaiting them and sadly for every excited referral I've read in the past 24 hours I've read posts from 3 people who are outwardly showing their disappointment in some way with CCAA, naming them by name. Come on guys...that's not fair! I believe with 100% of my heart that they are doing the very best job they can. Placing babies as quickly as they can so for us to say anything negative at all about them is just unfair.

Can we be sad? Yes. Sad because we long to hold our babies in our arms and right now we just don't know when that will be. But angry, disappointed with CCAA? Not me.

My hope in writing this post was that we would try to see things from a different perspective. Try to put ourselves in the view of the CCAA worker who has just worked hard to place many babies with new families. If I was them and could read the blogs and message boards here it would break my heart and be so discouraging. That's not fair! These are the people of the country who are allowing us to bring one of their children home with us. How can we for one second say anything negative about them?

OK - stepping off my soapbox. If I've offended you, I'm sorry. That was not my intent. Just trying to see things from a different slant.

And, I'm human so if in the future you see me slide this slippery slope, give me a gentle (or not so gentle!) kick in the pants and point me back towards this post!

Thank you CCAA! You're doing a great job and I am one person of many who are very, very thankful for all that you do!

Niagara Falls...Here We Come!

We live only two hours from the falls but sadly rarely go. It's just that little bit too far to make an easy day trip out of it. 2 years ago I took my niece Rebecca (on the right, then 5) and her friend Victoria (6) and we headed to Marineland for the day. What fun we had!! It rained on and off but oh well, we didn't care. We had rain coats to keep the top of us dry and ummmm...soaked feet from puddle jumpin'! You see, when you go puddle jumpin' it's much more fun to land in the middle of the puddle rather than jump over it!

We watched the shows, rode the rides and visited the balugas. I was so excited when this picture turned out! Wow! Took lots that day but this one was by far my favourite one of the whales.

Today we're off to Niagara Falls once again but this time we're making a mini-vacation out of it! My friend Sharon (Victoria's grandma) and I decided it would be fun to take the girls for more than just a day so we've booked a hotel for a couple of nights. Swimming, visiting the falls, Marineland and whatever else tickles our fancy is on our agenda for this weekend.

See you when we get back! (And by then FUNSHINE's referral will be here!!! Yeah!!!!!!!!)

Chinese Lantern Festival in Toronto!

Wow! What a sight to see this was! Absolutely beautiful!

Last night Sharon (middle), Barbara and I headed into Toronto to see for ourselves what we'd heard so much about. We were not disappointed! When we arrived at 7:00 it was still light out and we hadn't had supper so that was first on the agenda as we waited for the display to open at 8:00. There was Chinese food available but we opted for pizza, hamburger and hot dog. Oh yah...we're adventurous!

At 8:00 we went to the Imax theatre and watched, 'The First Emperor of China' which is the story of Ying Zheng, who declared himself to be 'Qin Shihuan', the first emperor of China. It was so interesting! Ying Zheng was also instrumental in the completion of the great wall!

The second Imax movie we watched was, 'China - The Panda Adventure.' Oh man are those pandas cute! It was based on the true story of Ruth Harnkenss, a fiercely independent American woman who went to China in 1936 to find out the truth about her late husband's demise. Instead, she discovers more than she expected as she learns of the Giant Pandas. She was instrumental in bringing the western world its first sight of this beautiful, gentle animal. The movie was great and the scenery breathtaking! Viewing the beauty of China on a 6 story screen almost made us feel like we'd been to China!

When we exited the theatre night had fallen and the beautiful light displays were glowing everywhere! Here are another couple of my favourites:
If you live in the Toronto area or will be visiting before October 1st, this is something you'll want to experience!

Warming Tiny Toes - Would You Like To Help?

I've decided to begin a collection for Hannah's orphanage. Baby socks! When it comes to purchasing clothing we have been encouraged to wait and do so in China if we want to donate clothes. Another option my travel group will have is to go together and make a financial donation directly to the orphanage. When we get to know one another this may be something we as thankful parents decide to do to show our appreciation to those that have so lovingly cared for our children. The money will be used to purchase larger items such as air conditioners, microwave ovens or washing machines.

That being said, I still would like to do something now so have decided to begin collecting baby socks to take with me and donate to the orphanage. Many of the provinces are located in colder winter climates that don't have central heating. The temperatures go below freezing so bundling the babies warmly in many layers of clothing is how the caring nannies keep them warm.

I realize many of my readers are fellow adopting families so please do not feel I'm asking you for a donation. This option is for my local family and friends who may want to do something tangible to help out babies in China. Please feel no pressure to participate in this, it's just something I'm doing and thought I'd open up the option for others to particpate too.

5th LID Anniversary!!!

Woohoo! Today my file has been logged with CCAA for 5 whole months! Celebrating another month of waiting. As time goes by my file slowly moves it's way along in the loooong line of dossiers in China. It may not be moving too quickly but ya know what? It's moving and that's all that matters!

Celebrating being 1 month closer to Hannah!

Thank You for Praying!!!

I'd like you to welcome beautiful baby Liam into the world!

This is the precious baby boy that many of you prayed for last week. He made his grand entrance into the world on Tuesday, August 15th. Weighing in as a featherweight at just 2 lbs. 3 oz. he's doing really well! He's already off the ventilator and breathing on his own! Wow!!! That's a miracle!

Thank you so much for all your prayers! I know that Mommy, Daddy and Liam all appreciate your care for him.

Orthodox Jewish Wedding - Amazing!

Last evening Deb (left), Rose (right) and I had the privelege of attending Pari's (2nd from left) daughter's wedding! What a wonderful experience!!!

The evening began with the women staying upstairs and greeting the bride while the men (including Deb's husband Dan) accompanied the men downstairs to partake of some 'beverages of a sociable nature.' :o)

The whole evening was fun and happy. Such a celebration!!! Prior to beginning the ceremony the men danced the groom upstairs where he looked under the bride's veil to ensure that he was marrying the correct woman.

In the synagogue, the men sat on one side and the women on the other. As the ceremony under the chuppah neared the end there was the traditional breaking of the glass which symbolizes the last time the husband can put his foot down. As the glass broke, the synagogue once again broke into song, dancing, clapping and celebration!



The reception was a wonderful mixture of many cultures as you could easily see by the beautiful variety of dress at the wedding! There were saris, Chinese silk jackets as well as more traditional clothing. After dinner the bride and groom changed into traditional East Indian clothing and the bride was carried in on a chair high above our heads, wearing a beautiful white and gold sari.

After dinner was completed the dancing began...again! The entire evening was filled with song and dance and a time of celebration! Following traditional Jewish custom the men danced together and on the other side of the wall the women danced together. The men were amazing and had such fun! What a neat experience to see them just celebrating and having a great time together!

This next video you'll have to turn your head to the left to watch but I wanted to post it anyway. It's the women lifting Shaby into the air during the dance so that she can 'look over the wall' and see her husband Evan who is also being lifted! The music you hear playing is a live band and they played at this tempo and with this enthusiasm for over an hour and a half and never stopped for a moment!



Pari, thank you for inviting us to share this wonderful day with you! We had the best time and were so happy to celebrate Shaby and Evan's wedding with you!

New and GREATLY Improved!

Wow Connie! You're the best! I love the new look of the blog! So bright and cheery.

Thank you for all the hard work you put into giving his old gal a facelift!

Ooo...So Excited!

My dear friend Connie is overhauling my blog for me! Soon you won't recognize it. It's going to be beautiful!!! She gave me a sneak peek at the banner tonight and it took my breath away! That's all I'll say as I want it to be a surprise to all of you too!

THANK YOU CONNIE!!! Take it away my friend and work your magic!

Helpful Hint...Preparing a Coconut

A few years ago when 'Survivor' became all the rage, my friends and I decided to host a Survivor Finale Party. We had fun creating themed food so you know it included coconuts and rice.

The trouble was, we didn't know how to open a coconut. After much work we were able to hack our way into the coconut and eat some of the great fruit inside. But man...was it work!

After that, we decided there had to be an easier way to get into a coconut so we surfed the net and found the perfect recipe!

I made a quick stop at the grocery store tonight and a coconut caught my eye. (sad when it's a coconut that catches your eye on a Saturday night!) I brought it home, prepared it and yummm...enjoyed some of it! If you'd like to know the perfect way to open a coconut, read on!

1. Using a hammer and nail, drill holes into the 'eyes' of the coconut to create small openings.

2. Drain coconut milk via holes created in step 1.

3. Place coconut in a preheated 400oF oven for 6 mins.

4. Remove coconut from oven. I wrap mine loosely in a tea towel as sometimes it cracks and pops so I don't want' any pieces flying!

5. After cooling for at least 10 mins. place coconut in a couple of plastic bags.

6. Grab that hammer once again and take out all your frustrations about referral delays! ;o)

7. Using a knife, pry the coconut from the shell. It should pop off fairly easily.

8. Rinse and enjoy! Yummmm!

PS - Anyone know when the next season of Survivor starts? My other vice Amazing Race begins on Sunday, September 17th at 8:30.

Weekend Project...Evening Update

Material cut - check

Ribbon cut - check
Pinning started - check

I must admit I've done some other much needed projects around the house today (read: napped and practiced my couch potato skills) while working on these but, they're on their way. I love working with all the bright colours and when working in assembly line format they come together easily.

It's also fun knowing that others are working on projects too. My friend Connie is taking on the daunting job of painting her house this weekend. (Painting is not my thing. Love the look...not too fond of the work it takes.) How's it going Connie?

Weekend Project...Before

Today's the day when this fun group of ribbons and fabric become 'loveys' for babies around the world! It's a cheery project to work on on an overcast day and I'm looking forward to it!

How does one prepare for such a mission? By eating chocolate of course! Yummmm... thanks again Jakey!

Mary-Mia's Wish from Sunny California!

Mary-Mia and I created this layout together. She provided the blessing and I put the layout together to match what she'd created.

I'm so thankful for her friendship! Mary-Mia is one of the extra special bloggie friends that I've made during this adoption process. In all her busyness of preparing for Funshine's referral...in only 12 short days!....she found time to put something together for Hannah! Thanks M3...you're the best!

I look forward to the day when we finally meet in person. Hmmm...Summit II...Adoptive Mommies Set Loose in CA?

Praying for you. It won't be long now!

Available to You!

Babies love these! You buy them a cute little stuffed animal and what interests them? The tag! Would you like a blankie for your baby? After reading your responses to my post earlier this week I decided to make more of these and offer them to you!
I appreciated the comment someone made that it would be a nice as a small comfort item that could easily be carried by a child and fit into a diaper bag. I changed the size so that the flannel portion is approx. 12" x 12" and the loops extend to make the final size approx. 15" x 15".

There are 2 colour combos available: Primary Fun and

Pastel Princess.

The price is $15.00CDN or $15.00US which includes shipping.

If you have any questions or would like to place an order, please email me.

They make wonderful comfort lovies for your baby, your newly adopted child or a great shower gift for a Mommy-to-be!

Ladybug Hunters Extrordinaire!

These 2 great kids are Katie and Jacob. They're the children of my friends Carol and David and are 2 super kids! They're both really excited about Hannah and I becoming a family and while we wait they have become 'Ladybug Hunters Extrordinaire!'

These pictures of the kids were taken on a recent family trip to the east coast with the beautiful Atlantic Ocean in the background. When Katie and Jacob returned from vacation they were excited to give me a cute little ladybug rock with a magnet on it! A couple of weeks ago Carol and I were shopping at the SuperStore when they excitedly found us and gave me the magnet. It now holds a prime spot on the front of my fridge!

Shortly after returning home from work Monday, there was a little knock on the front door. Who was it? Jake! He and his Mom had been out shopping this afternoon when he spotted this (yummy!) chocolate ladybug so they picked it up for me. What a great surprise to answer the door to this adorable little redhead holding out a ladybug to me! What a thoughtful kid he is!

I'd like to say that both of these ladybugs will still be around when Hannah comes but let's be honest folks! The magnet...yes! The chocolate? I'm guessing it won't survive until bedtime tonight! I'll save the wrapper though and keep it as a reminder that Miss Hannah is coming and 2 special kids are excited about her arrival!

Aren't These Cute?

I think they're absolutely adorable!

To help pass the time in waiting for Hannah I've become actively involved with the March DTC group, the Marching Pandas. It's great to spend time hanging out online with other families who are waiting the same amount of time I am. Guess you could call it an 'Online Lamaze Class!' We understand each others pain as the wait for baby gets longer....and longer...and....well, enough about that! We also celebrate the small steps together. Each month our files are logged in China is one under our belt and reason for celebration!!!

I've recently signed up for a new swap. A hair accessory swap! Do you know how long it's been that I've wanted to buy bows and ribbons? (Just ask Rebecca. Every Disney trip she'd kinda roll her eyes as I pulled out new and exciting (to me) hair accessories!)

In this exchange we'll send coloured hair accessories to a different person for 6 months. Each month has a colour theme. I was so excited a couple of weeks ago when I found these fun hair bows on Stacey's website! She makes and sells these adorable hair bows so I bought enough for the whole exchange. And yes, I bought a full set for Hannah too! They arrived in the mail yesterday and were such a cheery welcome on a rainy afternoon.

Thanks Stacey for making these so quickly! They're adorable and will look perfect in Hannah's jet-black hair....ummm, for the 30 seconds she keeps them in!

Please Pray

Update: It's now 24 hours later and we have not heard any more information. Please continue to pray. Thank you.

*****

A friend at work is in labour but the baby is only 28 weeks and 2 days gestation. Complications began 20 days ago and we're praising God for the extra 20 days He kept this baby boy safe inside his Mommy but labour has started and she should be delivering today or tomorrow. Please lift this precious couple, their unborn son and the doctors up in prayer. Trusting God to care for all of them.

Thank you for praying.

A Blanket for Hannah!

I've heard that babies often like textures. With that in mind I decided to make a blanket for Hannah. It was fun going to Wal-Mart and buying all kinds of ribbons. Wide ribbons. Narrow ribbons. Shiny, smooth ribbons and ribbons with more texture. With the wide assortment of colours included in the ribbon I figured the best choice for fabric would be soft, white flannel. Ok...it may coordinate with the ribbon colours but really how practical it is is still to be determined! (Hmmm....better stock up on 'Amaze' before travelling to China!)
I'm hoping that someday this blanket will be a comfort item to Hannah and plan on taking it with me to China. That's my plan but from what I hear her comfort item might end up being a plastic cup, a small stuffed animal or something I can't even imagine! Whatever she chooses won't be important. It was fun making this while praying for and dreaming of my baby girl.

Dear Lord,

Until it is Your perfect time to place Hannah in my arms, I pray that you will comfort her and also provide her with someone extra special in her life that she will bond to and will know loves her. Thank you Lord. Amen

An Evening with Friends

Thursday night I got together with some old friends and we had a great time! Deb and I attended Bible college together and have remained great friends ever since. We currently live over 6 hours apart from one another but that doesn't matter to our friendship. Whenever we chat on the phone or get together it's like time has stood still and we pick up just where we left off. Now that's a great friend!

We started off the eveing by having supper at East Side Mario's with her husband Bob and kids Caleb and Hannah. Such wonderful, polite kids! Caleb is already working towards becoming a pilot so was excited to share with us his adventures while spending the day watching planes at Pearson International Airport in Toronto. Hannah and Mom had shopped for school clothes while Bob attended the Summit Leadership Conference I mentioned Wednesday.

After a yummy Italian supper that involved lots of catching up on everyone's lives, Deb and I headed to the show to see, 'World Trade Center.' We both really enjoyed it and if it's the type of movie you think you'd like to see, I'd recommend you go.

Deb and I found out we're both going to be attending the Just Give Me Jesus conference in Toronto the end of September so hopefully we'll be able to connect while there.

Thanking God for Deb and her frienship!

A Blessing from Ohio!

This fun, bright layout was created by my new friend Connie who lives in Ohio! She's also a single lady waiting for her daughter from China and her LID is just 1 month ahead of mine! It will be fun celebrating... sometime...Connie's referral of Jadyn and know that Hannah's referral should be next! When that will happen we don't know but we're getting ready!


Thanks Connie for this beautiful layout!

Neat Experience!

Tonight, 5 of us from our small group experienced something really neat! We went to a conference hosted by Willow Creek Community Church out of Chicago, IL. This conference was broadcasted live to 68 satelite locations across North America! When we were praising and worshiping God here in Ajax, ON, thousands of others all across across North America were doing the same! To think that our God was listening to each and every person praise Him together was amazing! We serve such an awesome God! Each and every one of us is imporant to Him!

Getting Caught Up on Hannah's Blessings

With the busyness of summer I'm sorry to say I got behind with posting the beautiful layouts received for Hannah's Blessings Book.

This bright, beautiful layout came all the way from Stockholm, Sweden! Thank you Emma! (I'm sorry it took me so long to post this!)

This layout is number 20! I am so thankful for each and every one of them! This cute layout is from Jill of Dover AFB Delaware. Jill and her family are waiting for a handsome boy to join their family from China!

If you would like to create a layout for Hannah's book it's never too late! Please send me an email and I'll happily help you out! Thanks!

Blogging With A View!

Ahh... long summer weekends! Not even sure why we had a long weekend this week but I'm just glad we did! The weather was perfect...hot and sunny with little humidity so you couldn't ask for more! I hopped in my car after work Friday night and headed north once again. Destination MBC!

This weekend we had our annual 'Mega Book Sale' which is a huge fundraiser for the camp. A whole team of people worked tirelessly for the past couple of weeks receiving, labeling and setting up the large sale in the gym. As you can see from this picture it's no easy task. JoAnne and Beth started planning this sale months ago and worked countless hours determining what to order and the best way to display the items. I helped out with the sale Saturday and Sunday and it appeared to be a great success! Headed home late last night, anticipating a day ahead which included such important 'to do's' as sleeping in, reading in the morning sunshine, cleaning and ummm...napping! Let's just say I was successful at 3/4! You can figure out which one was only minimally achieved! ;o)

On Saturday night as I was catching up with my emails and blog reading I realized the beauty that surrounded me. Ya know how sometimes something has always just been there so you kinda take it for granted? I was that way when I was reading my mail until the sun shone brightly through the window and caused me to look up and once again appreciate God's beauty. This is the amazing view I have when blogging at MBC. Sure beats the cluttered computer desk at home!
Taking time out from blogging to enjoy a tiny piece of God's handiwork!

Can't Pass Up a Summer Sale!

Wasn't it just 2 days ago that I was talking about not buying clothes for Hannah? Oops! Couldn't pass this little number up!

Carol and I were shopping at the Superstore last night and of course I had to check out the baby section. They're clearing out their summer stock and we came across this adorable little sundress with a matching hat and bloomers. It's size 24months so I figure it's a safe buy. Isn't it adorable? Love all the fun, bright colours!

PS - Dresses are so much more fun to buy than diapers which is my standard 'I-need-to-buy-something-for-Hannah' purchase.

Woohoo! It's Referral Time Again!

It was a close call for July but the referrals squeaked in and began to be announced on the 31st. Phew....almost had to post that July had zero referrals and that would have been awful!

With that being said, the referrals did come out and once again it's raining beautiful babies! Once again Mary-Mia has compiled a great list of referrals. If you want to find links to all these precious children click here and let the oooing and ahhhing begin!

Also, the babies are young again! Yeah! 7-11 months seems to be the norm. Praying this continues as it's a little easier on the children to adjust to their new family if they're that little bit younger. Ok...I won't hold you up any longer so that you can go see those sweet little faces!

Oops! Guess I Pushed It A Little Too Far!

If you know me, you know it was only a matter of time before this happened. Yup...ran out of gas on my way to scrapbooking at the church Monday night. I was driving up a hill and felt a little chug. My eyes immediately went to the gas gage but I was encouraged to see that the 'marker thingy' was still hovering over the empty line. Figured the heat of the day was just taxing my little car more than normal. Ummmm...nope!

As it chugged again and lurched a bit I quickly realized we were going nowhere fast. I aimed the car towards the curb which was no easy feat with the power steering gone. I ground to a halt, going up a hill, 4 feet from the curb and about 50' from a set of lights. Now what do I do? Call Dad! (What I think Dad can do from 20 mins. away is beside me but a daughter just has to call her Dad in a situation like this.) I tell him I'm pretty sure I'm out of gas and he offers to bring me some but I remember my CAA and put them into action. (I've only used their services a few times over the 7 years I've had it but it is ohhh so worth it in my books!) Before calling CAA...duh!...I tried calling my friend Carol to see if David could bring me some gas. Oh man....that would be swallowing a huge slice of humble pie as I know it would take forever....if ever...to live this one down! Thankfully they were not home and I remember CAA so call them. Phew....My pride was saved by Carol and David being at a soccer practice is my guess!

Next, as I begin to wait for CAA I survey the scene one more time. I quickly realize that I'm facing up a hill and I can use that hill to my advantage. Throwing the car into neutral I begin to coast back down the hill and curve the car towards the curb....once again realizing how thankful I am for power steering and now throwing in thanks for power brakes too as they're quite mushy when the car isn't running.

There...parked beside the curb, 4-ways flashing, windows open to try and catch some of the great cross breeze since it's almost 50oC with the humidity, and very thankful for the big tree that's casting a shadow across my entire car. If I had to run out of gas there couldn't be a more perfect place to do it!

Now what do I do? Sit here without doing anything? Oh no...that's just not me. My book was at home which is my normal companion even walking to work. (People often comment at how they see me walking and reading. It's really not too difficult and I have so little time to read that I like to take advantage of every moment!) I consider digging in my scrapbooking bag but what could I really do sitting in my car? As I sat there I was truly reminded that I was in the year 2006. It was 7:00 in the evening, the sun was out so it was bright. I was a woman stopped at the side of a fairly busy road (Ok, 19 cars per minute passed me...you know I counted!) and for 20 mins. not 1 single person stopped to offer assistance. But you know what, in the year 2006 I wouldn't have either. It's a sad state that our country/world is in but these days we second guess our own safety if we stop to help someone else. In the day of cell phones it's safer to allow someone to call for help then to stop and offer assistance. How sad but also, how true.

After saying that though, I had the sweetest thing happen! Just prior to CAA showing up, a gentleman at the house across the street came out with an ice cold bottle of water for me because he'd noticed me sitting there for a bit! My faith in kind people was given a boost! The water was a blessing and I was oh so thankful!

About 25mins after the incident began my knight in shining armour rode up on a white stallion....errr...a guy in blue shorts and shirt drove up in a red, white and blue CAA truck and, saved the day. He put some gas in my tank, smiled for the picture and waited while my car roared to life with the juices it needed!

Yes, it was only a matter of time before I'd pushed it just a little too far. With the cost of gas so high I'd ignored the warning light that had gone on the previous afternoon as I knew Monday nights the price of gas often dropped. Not sure what I thought had happened in my gas tank. Even though Monday night the line was above empty, Sunday afternoon it was hanging on for dear life to the bottom of the empty line. No 'loaves and fishes' miracles in this gas tank! Just a wonky gage!

I made my way to the church, shared my tale with the girls then headed straight to the gas station after scrapbooking. Truth be told though, there was a small pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. As I limped my car into the gas station at 9:30 Monday night the price of gas had dropped by over $0.10/litre from the day before! Yeah....saved over $5.00! (And created a fun blog entry to boot!)