loose ends…

I have been super-busy trying to tie-up all my loose ends before leaving on Saturday.  With school over I thought I’d have lots of time, but it’s just crazy how quickly the time has flown by.

I have been working on a bunch of freelancing jobs since I finished exams, one of them is for the company that I worked with until January. It  has really made me realize how much I loved being there.  I’ve had my share of crap jobs, but that organization was truly a great one to work for.  It makes me a little sad that I don’t see them more often. 

say it ain’t so

have you ever noticed how the last thing you eat before getting sick seems to stick in your mind, associated with the sickness?

I was very sick yesterday. Not to get into too many details, I had a stomach bug. Unfortunately for me, the last thing I ate was a cupcake (three, actually…and the frosting from one of huzband’s). I could throw-up just thinking about it.

This is so very unfortunate…

the one where she trades in her apartment for a gypsy caravan…

my horoscope for 2008 said that I would spend the year traveling.  No kidding.  I spent new years eve in a snow bank outside of Fredericton, remember…

So life has brought me to a point where I have to decide if I should stay or go.  Huzband and I are leaving in three weeks to head to Romania (I know that doesn’t sound very romantic, but seriously, if you’ve ever been there you will understand my love for the god-forsaken place, if not…I’m afraid you will just have to take my word for it!)

We go back there to take possession of a vineyard that we started the buying process on two and a half years ago.  I have to give you some background: Huzband’s grandfather had a small vineyard in a tiny village in what is essentially wine country.  After the war ended, communism took hold in their country; Huzband’s grandfather refused to join the system and decided to resist.  That wasn’t such a good thing for him, in that every time he built his house the government would tear it down. After harvest, the government would take his crops; so this went for many years. Eventually, realizing that he would not give in, the government took away his land and gave him the worst land in the village. 

Huzband, a young boy at the time, promised his grandfather that one day he would take the vineyard back.  On summer breaks during his university years he worked to save enough money make his promise a reality.  Eventually he saved enough to buy back most of the land, but his grandfather died before that happened.

Two years ago when we went to Romania we bought the final piece of the puzzle, as it were.  Essentially it was the hill and valley that joined the pieces of land that he had slowly collected, and with this final piece, Huzband’s grandfather’s vineyard would be restored.  We bought it for about $5000 Canadian. 

Two years later the paperwork is finally complete. Apparently it takes that long to trace land that has been stolen, sold and resold. It is a beautiful piece of land bordered by cyprus trees, and in the summer, filled with sunflowers.  Seriously, Frances Mayes could not have written a prettier landscape.  With this land comes a tiny house that is just over 200 years old.  It is this little house that will be my home base for the month of May.  We will be spending the month re-planning the vineyard (we have hired two helpers, and we will be planting about a thousand organic vines) and I’m going to learn how to keep bees! I’m very excited. Oh yeah, and there are about 200 litres of last year’s wine waiting for us there!

Once we return from Europe we start our nomadic life in Canada travelling from East to West visiting with friends, and trying to figure out just where we will settle for the next year (until I finish school.)

This brings me back to where I trade my apartment for a gypsy caravan…a sparkly pink one at that;) There is something so exciting about not knowing exactly what the future holds.  Of course, I know what some of it holds…the control freak in me could never let me fly by the seat of my pants; but that being said, the idea of not being quite sure what is coming at a specific point in time is a very exciting concept for me right now. I don’t know exactly where I will end up, but I’m pretty sure it’s going to be one hell of a ride!

 

baby steps, but still steps in the right direction

I just thought this was share-worthy: Huzband has officially been a non-meat eater for, are you ready for this?

Seven. Days.

This is no small feat.  His favourite vegetable was ham, remember?

 

the one where she joins an online support group to kick her internet addiction…

Blogging is like a crack addiction.  I’ve been away for over a month, back one day and already I’ve spent more time online today that I did All. Last. Week.

Yeah, how quickly they slip back into the habit.  So I’ve decided to join other online addicts in taking one night a week off.  Like, as in completely unplugged.

I’ve been spending way too much time online lately, and if there’s one thing taking this time off has taught me is that there’s this crazy thing happening outside (no, not the constant snow storms), it’s this thing called life.  It’s the coolest thing, you can do all sorts of things: go to yoga classes, drinks with friends, read books, make jewellery…the possibilities are endless. 

During my 52 unplugged nights I’d like to learn how to play chess, take lots of yoga classes, take photos - with film (they still make film, right?), and be completely open to new opportunities.  There will be no television, no computer, no cell phone - no screens of any kind (not even evening news, George Strombolopous & Daily Show before sleep). Actually, I think I might build on last weekend’s earth hour idea and try to unplug altogether for the evening (we’ll see about that one, though.)

If you’re interested in living 52 nights unplugged for yourself, check out the group.

moving…er, sort of

Hi there,

I haven’t written in over a month.  The break has got me wondering if the whole 2.0 thing is dying out.  I’ve noticed a definite trend toward unplugging lately, and as far as I can tell, it’s only going to continue.  Seems that people are rediscovering that thing called life.  I know I did. 

My break has enabled me to refocus a little bit.  That said, I’m slowly making my way back to the blogosphere.  I’ve had some issues with privacy in the past, which is what drove me to step away for a while.  While I was away I discovered that there are things about my life that I really don’t want strangers to know.  I also realized that I miss the interaction with other like-minded individuals (and even some not-so-like-minded ones!) and there are things that I really do want to share.

When I started this blog last year I didn’t have any of the connections that I now have.  Locally, I have connected with some amazing bloggers (check out my links to see them), outside of Ottawa I found ‘friends’ from all over the globe (Annie, you have no idea how much I’d love to chat with you over drinks!)  It has been fantastic chatting back and forth with them as well. As I said, it was this interaction that I missed most. 

 So I’m going to make my way back.  A little more focused, but also a little more me (not sure if that makes sense right now).

Now that I’ve said all that, about my moving.  Well, I registered a domain last year and never set it up.  I’m in the process of moving over to my own web space, but I’m a complete idiot with all this stuff (I’ve been soooo out of practice).

Is there anyone who can give me a few quick pointers on getting it all set-up? I’d really appreciate it.