What is it about snow….

Posted on December 14, 2013 by Charlotte Copper

What is it about snow? Most of us love it as kids and hate it as adults.
The difference? Work versus play.
As kids, snow is out there for us to play in…Toboggans, snow forts and snowball fights.
As adults, it means shovelling, crazy driving, and more shovelling.

The Toronto Romance Writers’ Christmas Social is today, and there have already been notices that some people will not make it.
Admittedly, I’m waiting to see what it looks like later, too.
The forecast? 10-15 centimetres by nightfall. (that’s 4-6 inches for my non-metric friends)
Four inches? As kids, we’d be wishing for more. A lot more.

So, in an effort to stay positive about the snow, I’ve attached a few cheerful winter photos.

Stay positive! I hear spring is only a few months away.

Happy Thanksgiving

Posted on November 28, 2013 by Charlotte Copper

As a Canadian, I celebrated my Thanksgiving in October. Today, November 28th, is Thanksgiving for our US friends and family.

From a Canadian perspective, the holiday is a lot more significant in the US. Not just as a day of Thanks but because it marks the countdown to Christmas and the start of some mega Christmas sales and shopping (Black Friday).

According to Wikipedia, Black Friday was originally used to describe the heavy and disruptive pedestrian and vehicle traffic which would occur on the day after Thanksgiving. An alternative explanation was made that retailers traditionally operated at a financial loss from January through November, and “Black Friday” indicates the point at which retailers begin to turn a profit, or “in the black”.

In the last few years, Black Friday sales have spread to Canada, and I for one have felt the pull and the need to start my Christmas shopping.

Whether you are celebrating Thanksgiving today, resting up to start your shopping tomorrow, or just waking up to another day of work and family…take time to be thankful. As a cancer survivor, mother and step-mother, I am thankful every day for my life and family.

Pardon my rant

Posted on November 22, 2013 by Charlotte Copper

I think most 9-5, Monday to Friday work people have one thing in common…we love Fridays and hate Mondays. (OK, maybe that’s two things.) So why did “someone” have to go and mess with my happy Friday?

First, I work in the computer industry, and a system that my job revolves around has been down for regular updates for the last few days. I have been building my “to do” pile for the last week, waiting for today. But, when I logged on this morning there was a note in my in basket…the system will not be up until 5pm today. Really? You think I’m logging on at 5pm or this weekend? Seriously people, you might as well keep it down until Monday morning.

Then I drove The (grumpy) Daughter to school. She had a school dance last night and claimed she was too tired to go to her first class. I told her she was going, but that I would at least drive her. That wasn’t the bad part. The bad part was finding out I have another mouse in my van!! I hate mice. I had one living in there in the summer which we killed. (Yes, killed! Sorry for all you catch & release folks.) I do NOT want a second mouse.

Then The Husband refused to set a trap…”I’ll do it later”. No, I want the trap set! NOW!! So I set it myself. But while trying to shimmy between my van and his car, I whacked my butt on the edge of my door, and I can feel the bruise growing there, minute by minute.

And finally, in an effort to cheer myself up, I decided at 9:30 am to cut into the chocolate fudge I made last night. Obviously I did something wrong, because it separated. Of course, at that point – and the fact that it is chocolate, period – I didn’t care, and I ate it anyway.

So my Friday didn’t start so well, but I refuse to let it get me down. I have a lot of stuff planned this weekend, including a live action Rocky Horror tonight and the eagerly anticipated viewing of Hunger Games – Catching Fire. So I’m rolling over the rest of my Friday and calling it “early Saturday”. And I’m wishing all of you a happy, mouse-free weekend.

P.S. if there is no mouse in that trap, I’m taking my husband’s car all weekend!