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Number 20: My life is...

...an unfinished novel, with many interesting and adventurous chapters so far.

Number 19: One thing people don't know about me is...

...I miss being in a relationship.

I miss sharing my life in a meaningful way with someone who wants to love me and be loved by me.

Number 18: The one thing I can live without is...

...war and conflict.

The senseless distruction of life infuriates me. Men wanting more power and money instead of content, happy and healthy people.

Number 17: I think that _________ is beautiful.

LOVE.


The many different kinds of love. The love of a caring man, the love for your own child, the love of a great book, the love of meaningful music, the love of your family, the love of your cherished friends, the love of life.

Number 16: When I look at someone. the first thing I see is...

...their smile.

I like to think that I can bring a smile to almost anyone's face. From there I go onto their eyes to see if the smile is genuine.

Number 15: My guilty pleasure is...

…Galaxy Chocolate.

I love the way it melts in my mouth if I just leave it on my tongue, it is so creamy. Fortunately or unfortunately I don’t have easy access to it here in Canada. It is very expensive so I don’t buy it here. My family back home know my love for it and will send me some at Christmas time. The only other way I get it is if I take a trip to England and pick up lots of very large bars!

Number 14:My worst habit is...

…spending too much time on the computer!

I will turn on the computer just to check my email, and there are always links that I need to check out. Then before I know it, 2 hours have passed.

Number 13: The Town I live in is .....

...Toronto.

It is place filled with people from all over the world therefore rich in its culture, its food, its acceptance, its entertainment, its heritage, its way of life.

Number 12: To relax, I like to...

...make a scrapbook page or two.

I have been scrapping for over 5 years now and it has become a passion. I just spent the weekend in Michigan visiting with some people who are also into scrapbooking. We spent many hours in scrapbook stores buying some amazing stuff. Now I must sit down and do a few layouts before school starts again.

Number 11: My favourite material possession is...

...my digital camera.

I carry it everywhere and can snap a picture whenever I want to. And to have the instant results just show up on my computer is so rewarding. This is my third digital camera.

Mothers Day

My Mum died in 2004 and this Mothers Day I wanted to make a tribute to her life. This is the layout I came up with.
The journaling says:
Dear Mum,
You are so beautiful in this picture as a bridesmaid. I can't help but wonder if you had any idea back then of how your future life would be. You have accomplished so much and have touched so many lives.

I bet you didn't know back then you would:

Leave South Africa
Marry a soldier
Become a nurse
Have four children
Take student in from all over the world
Have eight grandchildren
Travel the world and exotic places
Knit sweaters for African children
Donate money to buy goats for African families
Volunteer with seniors

On the tag:

Of all your accomplishments I am so glad you decided to be my mum.
You are not only a wonderful Mother but a wonderful friend

Number 10: My eyes are....

much better now than 25 years ago! I had lasik surgery a few years ago and now I see 20/20. However I still need to wear reading glasses. I have often had compliments on my eyes, but to me they are the first thing to react to allergies! They itch and tear up, and many a day has been spent with them being swollen half shut. Fortunately though I can see, therefore I am very grateful to my eyes for allowing to see all things everywhere.

Number 9: My favourite mode of transportation is...

...the streetcar. Sometimes I use the bus or the subway train, but I love the streetcar. I usually take 2 streetcars to get to work, and to get home during the week. I get a monthly TTC Metropass sent to me and it is good for buses, trains and streetcars.

However once the warmer weather appears I like to ride my bike. It is a great way for me to get exercise, and it costs little to run and maintain. The annual tune up and a can of oil is really all you need.

Number 8: On Monday morning you can find me...

...drinking tea on my way to work, from my Thermos(C) mug.

Being English, of course I love my tea! However, as you see pictured here it is just a Canadian tea bag. I LOVE it when someone from back home sends me a box of English tea. There is such a difference.

Number 7: I am at my happiest when ....

...I talk to my sister, Lorna.

It's funny that as we were growing up, we didn't like each other very much. Now as adults we are best friends. And since our mother died in 2004 we have become even closer. Lorna has a laugh like no other. My mum used to call it common, but to me it is music to my ears!

Number 6: Something I always do...

Every day I come home from work the first thing that I always do is to turn on my computer to check my email. Having my family in other parts of the world I wonder if I will hear from my son in Korea, my sisters and brother in England, my cousins in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand or South Africa. I also have friends in Thailand, Malta, Spain, and the United States of America.

Number 5: I always carry...

....my camera. You never know when the right picture will present itself, so it is always best to be prepared!

Actually today I am off to buy a new camera. This one no longer works properly, the flash just won't work. So I am using money I received for my birthday to buy a new one.

Number 4: The Most important thing in my life is ...

...my family.

I lost George to meningitus in 1997 and more recently my mum to cancer in 2004. I hold all my family members close to my heart. Not living in the same country as them makes them even dearer to me. I am alone in a country with no family members, so the next most important thing in my life are my friends.

Number 3: How old am I?

I have always been young at heart.

My friend Beatriz says I have a young spirit. It helps when you work with children. Next month, February I will turn 50 or if you consider that I was born February 29th then I will be turning 12 1/2!

Number 2: Who knows me best?

My son knows me best.

I would like to say I know him best, but that wouldn't be true, his friends know him best.

Number 1: Who am I?

I am a teacher of children, a devoted mother, a beloved daughter, a loving sister, an caring aunt, a grateful friend, an artistic crafter and a lover of life.

Take 20 Questions And Answer Them By Taking A Photograph

1. Who am I?
2. Who knows me best?
3. How old am I? (or how old do I feel?)
4. The most important thing in my life is...
5. I always carry...
6. Something I always do...
7. I'm at my happiest when...
8. On Monday morning you can find me...
9. My favourite mode of transportation...
10. My eyes are...
11. My favourite material possession is
12. To relax, I like to...
13. The town I live in is....
14. My worst habit is...
15. My guilty pleasure is ...
16. When I look at someone, the first thing I see is...
17. I think ..................... is beautiful.
18. One thing I can live without is...
19. One thing people don't know about me
20. My life is...

There is a possible scrapbook about me here. It is a challenge that I will try to complete this year, 2006.

The Circus

In the early 80's I used to run my own home daycare centre. I took 4 of my 5 kids to the circus one night, with the help of one of the parents. We had a great time, due partly to the fact I took lots of food to eat! Ages of the children in this picture ranged from 1 to 4 years.

This is one of my early layouts. The colours are vibrant and show the mood of the event.

Dress up

This layout was as much fun creating as it was dressing my youngest sister up in these clothes! She loved having her picture taken, so was the perfect model!

Here I am!

This is my most favourite picture of my son. He is standing at the bottom of the garden in my parents home. He is standing there as if he has staked his territory. I really didn't do this picture justice with this layout, so perhaps in the future I might redo it.

Sleep

I just finished this one today. It was a challenge from a web group I belong to. I had to do a sleep layout.
The poem at the top left is:

"Golden slumbers kiss your eyes
Smiles awake you when you rise
Sleep pretty baby
Do not cry
And I will sing a lullaby"

The journaling at the bottom right says:
"On returning from a walk along the beach at Mersea, before even taking off his snowsuit, Thomas and Fluffy fell fast asleep on Grandma's couch.
"He was probably dreaming of the waves rolling in and out, the wind blowing in his face and Fluffy running along side him."

The Many faces of Mum and Dad

Mum and Dad came to visit me in 1997 a few months after George's death. It was great to have their support and feel their comfort for that very difficult time. It was harder to say good bye at the airport this time.

Optical Illusion

10 years old and so strong! At the Canadian National Exhibition.

Wall Climb

My son climbing a wall for the first time at the annual "Ex" He was 10 at the time, and he thought it was amazing. 

Maternal Grandparents

My grandparents followed my mum over from South Africa in the 50's. I loved going to visit them in Southampton. My Grandfather spent a lot of time with me during my childhood.

Mum's Memorial

My mum died suddenly from complications during surgery in July 2004. We whipped up these cards that everyone could take away with them.
In Loving Memory of
Eileen Hicken
16:08:29 - 21:07:04
Beloved Wife
Devoted Mother
Much Loved Grandmother
Loving Sister
Thoughtful Mother0in-law
Caring Friend

Our Hearts Ache With Sadness
But Memories Of You Will Comfort Us

Shaving

My parents came to visit one year and during that time my dad decided he wanted to shave off the beard he had for over 30 years. My mum was horrified at the thought, saying that they wouldn't let him on the plane because he wouldn't look like his passport picture! But I encouraged him. Of course the event had to be caught on film, so I snapped a few shots. My son is in the background cheering him on!

Grandpa and Son

My son and his Grandpa.
I chose to use this nusery rhyme because it was the one Grandpa sang to him while Thomas was sitting on his knee.
"Horsey, horsey, don't you stop.
Just let you hooves go hippety hop.
You tail goes swish,
and the wheels go round.
Giddy-up,
We're homeward bound."

Daddy O

This is one of my favourite 8 1/2 x 11 layouts. It is my dad, whose nickname is Chick, and my mum sometime in the 60's.