Six Things Meme

Leah Braemel tagged me for the Six Things Meme.

These are the rules:
Post them at the beginning. At the end of the post, tag 6 people and post their names, go to their blogs and leave a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

Onward, Ho...

This is somewhat similarish to the Five Things Meme I did last June. But I know there's at least six more things I can blog about.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?

In 1998 I was one year away from moving back home to Nova Scotia but didn't know it yet. Many, many Maritimers move to Toronto, miss Nova Scotia like mad and move home. It's just a thing Maritimers do. Nowadays we also head out to the oilfields of Alberta - probably more so than Toronto these days.

I was quite convinced I would not be among the home-agains. I loved my life in Toronto, and was used to my constant homesickness for the east coast by then. I had a whole new family (my in-laws) to love, a wonderful group of tried-and-true friends, the Big City vibe I love so much, subways to ride, people to watch, culture coming out my ears. I was in heaven.


But then we lost Brad's Grandma Smith.


This is a Christmas Day at the Smith's photo taken in the early 1990's in Toronto.


Back row L to R: my husband Brad, sister-in-law Anna (the painter), Brad's brother and Anna's husband Ken, Brad's mom Joan, his dad David, and David's sister Auntie Pat
Front row L to R: me, my sister Michelle (then also living in Toronto but now returned to Nova Scotia), Brad's brother Jeff (the guest poet), and Grandma Smith

Three Smiths from this photo have now passed on: Brad's dad, Auntie Pat and Grandma Smith. Missed every day and always in our hearts.

And the woman for whose daughter I'd been the nanny discovered her mother had cancer. Quite suddenly the call to go home couldn't be stilled. Brad and I moved in with my gram so we could help my mom take care of her.


And we had eight irreplaceable years together.



This is Brad, Mom, me and Gram at her final birthday, Nov. 1st, 2007.



Love you, Gram.


2. What are 5 things on my to-do list today?

- Try to gauge how I did on my interview yesterday by how the three managers on the interview panel behaved toward me today. No avoiding eye contact from anyone. That's got to be a good sign.

- Ask my co-worker whether or not we should ditch the empty bankers' boxes stashed under my desk. They make my manager squirrely. I was quite certain the answer would be 'no.'

The answer was 'no.'




- Boot it over to the theatre after work to buy a ticket for the ballet tomorrow. Hope they're not sold out...














- Watch episode 11 of BBC's Robin Hood, season 2. Ooo, can't wait, can't wait, can't wait.

- Post this meme.


3. Snacks I enjoy.

- Rolled Gold pretzels


- plain yogurt mixed with raspberries, blueberries and blackberries (super yum)





- Fig Newtons

- molasses cookies

- chocolate fudgsicles


4. Places I’ve lived, in no particular order.

- on a US Army base in Texas - born there, but my dad finished his active duty 3 months later.

- in Michigan, USA - my parents loaded up the white Volkswagen beetle they'd brought back from Germany and headed back to our families in Michigan, outside the Detroit area.

- in Nova Scotia, Canada - my parents decided to move back to Canada in 1971, where both families were actually from. Both sets of grandparents moved to Michigan in the 50's for work. But most of our family is Canadian. Returning to Nova Scotia actually returned me to the land of my Acadian ancestors.


- in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada - my first grown-up apartment in my brand-new, grown-up life. It was over a scuba diving shop, because my dad used to sell diving equipment to the owner, and when he dropped in to say hi, he found out they were renting the apartment upstairs. Talk about great timing.

This is a picture taken in 1986, my first year on my own, in my over-the-scuba-shop apartment. My cousin Julianne MacLean flew out to see me before I flew home for Christmas.

- in Toronto, Ontario, Canada - I moved in with the family I worked for as a nanny, and so began 13 fascinating and totally fulfilling years living in the Big City. Oh, how I loved it. Oh, how I miss it.

5. Things I would do if I were a billionaire.

- I already indulged my family in the Five Things Meme. So I would make sure my dream house had a dream home theatre, with squishy leather recliners in stadium seating.

- I would order every boxed DVD set I ever desired off the internet with my platinum credit card. Brad and I are currently a cash-only couple. Keeping life simple and interest-free - especially when there is no hope in heck that we could afford to keep a balance of over $20.00. Actually, this would be a dream-come-true for Brad, He Who Tracks Down Obscure Films. He could find them for me and I could kiss him when they arrived in the mail.

- I could attend the Cannes Film Festival, the Sundance Film Festival and Toronto's own International Film Festival. Oh and don't forget the Atlantic Film Festival here in Halifax. As an all-inclusive delegate, of course.


- I would buy my dream car. A black Jag XJ6.




- I could get my engagement and wedding rings redone, at long, long last.


6. Peeps I want to know more about.

Akelamalu
Dorothy
Miss Sniz
Robin
Sandy
Shelley Munro