So far the holidays have been goodly on this end. Matthew, and I are still dieting so we had a low-fat Christmas dinner, that was delicious, and we pigged out on. I got some really nice presents, and got to spend time with some loved ones. Hope your holidays are going equally as well or at the very least you are enjoying them.

Looking back 2009 was a very stressful year for me. I had a massive radiation treatment for the Graves disease in March that took a lot out of me, and my closest family, physically, emotionally, mentally, and financially (I'm not working full-time anymore) and just as I started to feel a bit better my Mom was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in July, and passed away on August 15th.

A lot of people I know, and care about have had a tough past year from job losses to health problems, and I for one am not sorry to see the backside of 2009 (don't let the door hit you in the arse on the way out) along with quite a few other people.

I say bring on 2010 - Year of the Tiger and wish you all the best in the new year....let us all hope it is a much better one than the last.

Happy New Years!

Image Credit: BBC

1. My daughters find satisfaction, and a sense of pride in both work, and school throughout this upcoming year. I am very proud of all three.

2. Matthew and I will finally get to take a real vacation together in 2010 or at the very least we get a nice summer since we barely had one in 2009.

3. My friends who are sick or in pain have their health restored, and find peace, and happiness within their lives.

4. A larger zoo for my fur babies ...ok and us humans too!

5. That sanity will prevail, and that people will start taking climate change seriously despite the failure of Copenhagen. If people would only remember this Native saying, "We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors....we borrow it from our children," we would be in much better shape.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas (if you celebrate), and a Happy Prosperous New Year!

Yesterday afternoon we checked out the Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario here in Toronto.

The Kiddo and I outside of the AGO underneath a giant Anubis.

The exhibit itself was breathtaking! And it was a lot of fun to be led through giant doors made to look like the opening of the tomb itself. Unfortunately no photography is allowed once you're inside, so I have scanned a few images from postcards to give you a taste of some of the fascinating pieces that have been included. The mummy, and death mask are not included.

This is a lid of one of the canopic jars used for Tut's vital organs.

These are part of an assortment of Shabtis that were found in the tomb.

This gorgeous piece of jewelry is an earring!

This is part of the colossal statue of Tutankhamun. Colossal is almost an understatement to describe this figure, which is simply gigantic, and neck straining to look up at.

This is a cosmetic jar that has a cartouche containing the King's name.

There are thousands of pieces that include other Dynasty's and Pharaohs tombs to look at. The exhibit is definitely worth checking out (runs to April 2010) in my opinion, and who knows when or if they will ever come back to Toronto. The last time a King Tut exhibit was in town was in 1979 when Matthew and I were both 12 years old.

The only disappointments were the prices on most of the items in the special gift shop area for the exhibit itself. You would be far better off checking out the Egyptian stalls at the Canadian National Exhibition in August located in the International pavilion where last year I bought gorgeous statuettes of Horus, Bastet, and Anubis for $30 bux a piece. To be fair the prices in the main AGO gift shop especially for art prints is fantastic in comparison, and we did buy a few.

Also an overzealous security guard shouted at us when Matthew was simply pointing at a symbol on a cat's sarcophagus. He was explaining something to the kiddo when the security guard started shouting (as opposed to simply coming over and talking with us) and when Matthew stated he did not touch the object the security guard actually had the nerve to say "Yes, you did!" despite another patron who was standing right beside Matthew that he (the security guard) was mistaken, and that Matthew had not touched the object at all. The security guard was very rude to both us, and the other guest, and being an older, middle aged fellow I can only assume is possibly a failed cop. You know the type. Otherwise the other AGO staffers particularly in the ticket area were very helpful, and friendly.

Overall an excellent once-in-a-lifetime experience, and the ticket price includes admission to all the other exhibits within the gallery so you can make it a full day.

Marty tagged me into this over on Facebook, and since I'm a good sport I'll play along....over here on my own domain.

1. What time did you get up this morning?
5:55 am.

2. How do you like your steak?
I don't eat red meat

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Pirates Of The Caribbean

4. What is your favorite TV show?
Doctor Who

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
Canada will always be home.

6. What did you have for breakfast?
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal muffin

7. What is your favorite cuisine?
Indian

8. What foods do you dislike?
Turnip

9. Favorite Place to Eat?
My dining room - Matthew is an awesome chef!!

10. Favorite dressing?
Italian

11. What kind of vehicle do you drive?
I don't own a vehicle

12. What are your favorite clothes?
Pyjamas

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance?
Egypt, Romania, Ukraine, Russia, Hungary, England

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?
Depends on the day

15. Where would you want to retire?
Canada

16. Favorite time of day?
Morning

17. Where were you born?
Toronto

18. What is your favorite sport to watch?
I don't watch sports.

19. Who do you think will not tag you back?
I'm not tagging anyone.

20. Person you expect to tag you back first?
See the last answer

21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this?
See last answer

22. Bird watcher?
Yes.

23. Are you a morning person or a night person?
Both.

24. Do you have any pets?
Two dogs, three cats, one bunny, one fish.

25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share?
Lots of new UFO and ghost reports added to the PSICAN website.

26. What did you want to be when you were little?
An astronaut

27. What is your best childhood memory?
Playing on the beach in Miami with my Mom or stargazing with my Dad, and sister.

28. Are you a cat or dog person?
Both

29. Are you married?
I'm engaged to my partner.

30. Always wear your seat belt?
Yes.

31. Been in a car accident?
Yes

32. Any pet peeves?
Paranormal wanna-be celebrities who are more interested in trying to be reality stars than the topics they claim to have an interest or knowledge in.

33. Favorite Pizza Toppings?
Broccoli, and peppers.

34. Favorite Flower?
Carnations

35. Favorite ice cream?
French Vanilla frozen yoghurt

36. Favorite fast food restaurant?
Ew!

37. How many times did you fail your driver's test?
Never.

38. From whom did you get your last email?
Lynn Tucker

39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
I don't use credit cards

40. Do anything spontaneous lately?
I almost always think things over carefully before doing them.

41. Like your job?
Yes

42. Broccoli?
Absolutely!!! Best food in the world!

43. What was your favorite vacation?
I LOVE the beach

44. Last person you went out to dinner with?
Matthew

45. What are you listening to right now?
Tiger Lillies

46. What is your favorite color?
Blue

47. How many tattoos do you have?
None

48. How many are you tagging for this quiz?
No one

49. What time did you finish this quiz?
1:29 pm, Monday, December 14, 2009

50. Coffee Drinker?
Hell Yes.

Her Majesty, Queen Mary, all curled up with her blankie on a cold, wintery night. She tends to hide behind her big, fluffy tail when the temperatures drop.

I had a good long talk with my Step Dad this morning. I called him because we are in the midst of our first winter storm, and he tends to over-do it when it comes to shoveling, salting etc. Not only will he do his own walkway, and the public sidewalk, but he'll do the neighbours driveways as well...which is nice, but he is 75 years old!

Sure enough when he picked up the phone he was out of breath from shoveling what has amounted to slush.

After lecturing him (like my Mom would have) not to do too much, and to come in when he feels tired I asked him how he has been keeping.

The last time we got together was in November in order to pack away my Mom's clothes, and personal belongings. Needless to say it was hard, and we were all very emotional. I was not certain how he'd been doing emotionally since, and it was nice to hear my Step Dad sounding in good spirits despite being tired from cleaning up the driveway.

We talked about how he just learned to make homemade soup for the very first time (he is quite proud of himself, as he should be) and how he has finally got the hang of laundry.

He told me he has been keeping busy including taking long walks to the lake and back. My Mom loved walking along the boardwalk, so I think he finds some sense of peace or Zen if you will from doing this hike on a weekly basis. Sometimes his brother goes with him, or he'll go with the neighbour and a toddler she babysits, and other times he goes alone.

He then chatted me up about his favourite tv shows, which includes Desperate Housewives, CSI Miami, and how he keeps up on my Mom's favourite soap opera the Young & Restless.

I did not bring up my Mom, and when he did, we did not speak of her too much, but he did confide in me that when he starts to miss her a lot, and the sadness gets bad he tells himself "she is on a long trip." In fact that is how he is getting through this, by pretending she is simply away on an extended vacation.

When my Mom died, my sister, and I worried that our Step Dad would die soon afterwards as he and our Mother were constant companions who were never apart for 30 years. His heart was shattered when she became sick, and passed away in their home as was her last wish, only 3 weeks after being diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. We thought that the devastation of her loss may prove to be too much for him, and in the first few weeks afterwards it seemed to be.

I had read before that many widows, and widowers get through their grief by pretending their deceased partner was merely away shopping, or visiting etc, and that this was normal, and healthy. I didn't get into that with him though....I just told him that what he was doing was perfectly ok and then we started talking about the upcoming holidays, and present ideas. I think he is going to get through this. And that is a very good thing!

I do not pretend she is alive, but I often forget my Mom is gone if that makes any sense. I do know that wherever she is she would want all of us to do whatever it takes to work through our grief, and I think we are all doing that at our own pace including my Step Dad.

Pic of last year's tree with "shiny guts" on top

Christmas cards are filled out, and stamped, wreath is hanging on the front door, stockings, and presents have been started, the tree, and decorations including skeleton garland coming out of storage tonight.....this year I'm early.....

Will be missing my Mom, and Dad. However, I'll be keeping some of our family traditions alive, so it will be ok, and I'm certain happy for the most part looking forward.

In honour of the American Thanksgiving Day holiday, and because I consider myself an amateur historian (who especially appreciates the absurd) I thought I would share with you my favourite Yankee loon of all time....Joshua Abraham Norton, first and only Emperor of the United States of America!

He was born in England in the early years of the nineteenth century. Joshua A. Norton was a successful businessman in both South Africa and The USA. An unfortunate turn in the rice market bankrupted him in 1854. This is when Joshua's life took a most interesting and unusual turn.......

On September 17, 1859 Joshua quite publicly declared that he was very upset with the political situation in the United States of America. In fact there was only one person in his mind that could fix the situation and that was Norton I, Emperor of the USA (himself of course).

Norton I, Emperor of the USA spent his days parading about the streets of San Francisco (his hometown) attired in a uniform of royal blue with gold epaulets, beaver hat, and umbrella, writing up all sorts of declarations (ignored by US Congress) and releasing them in the press. He would inspect the city's streets, buildings, and even police force with regularity.

Joshua had his supporters as well (eccentric as he was) and was much beloved by the locals who would refer to him as His Imperial Majesty. The currency he issued was even accepted by local businesses that he patronized.

The good Norton I, first and only Emperor of the USA passed away January 8, 1880.

And furthermore in honour of HIS memory I have decided to proclaim myself on this American holiday HRH Sue Empress of the Universe, you may send me your offerings, and prezzies post haste!

Happy Thanksgiving Day To All Of My American Friends & Family!

I was going through my Mom's things, and came across this news clipping from 1961. My Mom is Toni Demeter, and I like the answer that she gave to the reporter.

How would you answer? I think my own answer would be similar to my Mom's with the exception that I would like to have the money that some very famous people have accumulated.

Sorting through old photos, and my Mom's personal files have actually helped in my coping with her recent death this past August. I feel closer to her, and my thoughts are turning more to happy memories, instead of the intense pain that I felt since her diagnosis, and her death from complications of pancreatic cancer.

Recently (just this past year) through some genealogical sleuthing I have learned that one of my Transylvanian great grandmother's (Maria) was a Roma aka of Gypsy origin. I was actually a bit shocked because it seems that this was covered up to a degree.

I had always known that Gypsy people were looked down upon in Europe, but I needed to learn more about them, and why other Europeans held such a strong negative attitude towards them. I picked up a copy of David Crowe's book A History Of The Gypsies of Eastern Europe which to date is the definitive resource on the subject that I could find, and learned a lot about the plight of these people....possibly (1/8th at least) my own people.

Discrimination, and hatred towards Gypsies is very prevalent in Hungary, and Romania, it is nothing new, but quite shocking considering this is the 21st century not the 17th for christ sakes! We are supposed to be far more enlightened, and culturally tolerant than we were 300 years ago!

In a recent Romanian concert Madonna was booed by her own fans for speaking out against violence, and prejudice towards Gypsy people. Good on Madonna! Hopefully at least some of her fans took the time to consider what she was saying.

After reading the book, and looking into recent news items on Gypsies in Europe I now have little doubt why my Great Grandmother's heritage was mostly covered up, and it is very sad indeed.

Gypsies as a whole have had a troubled existence, but if we look to history, and attitudes towards them we can see why this current state of affairs is the case, and what has led up to it.

I am no expert, but I hope that perhaps with tolerance, and some understanding the problems that face Gypsy people across Europe such as crime, including child crime, higher rates of alcoholism, lack of education, lack of decent employment, can begin to be overcome. At least this is what I hope for as I cannot stand to see any one group of human beings singled out, and targeted through hatred and prejudice.

That is my girl Mary. We rescued her from the local shelter six years ago. She is named after the Scottish Queen. And believe me her personality lives up to her historical namesake!

Here she is asleep on my computer case seemingly snuggled up with my Sasquatch stuffed doll. Some people think of him as a Yeti, but I call him Sasquatch.

Here is a closer view.

It is certainly warm up there, and I enjoy her quiet presence as I type.

Tonight I'm up late, catching up on a few things, and as usual Mary is keeping me good company as the quiet, and darkness settle in around us.

For those of you who don't follow our Paranormal Blog I recently posted an entry entitled Occasionally There Is An Actual Hit. It is about a friend who told me of a dream that later on seemed to indicate a very eerie prediction of sorts.

This blog entry is not about the occasional "psychic" hit that seems to defy probability ...no, this is about an epic whale of a fail....

As Matthew and I get set to celebrate our 8th anniversary as a couple we had to have a wee giggle at the memory of a self proclaimed psychic who very early on in our relationship took it upon herself to phone Matthew and give him a dire warning that our relationship was doomed at the get go, and would not survive 2 months. I'm not kidding.

94 months later we decided to mathematically calculate out this would-be psychic's failure rate on this most nasty prediction, which is roughly 470%....I would call that an epic fail, and not a very good indication of any psychic ability at all.

LOL!

Members of the Eccentric Club of London at their annual Friday the 13th lunch in 1936 – surrounded by objects that are connected with superstitions.

Friday the 13th has never bothered me in fact my own parents were married on a Friday the thirteenth, but they liked to break with tradition as a rule.

Whilst the day and/or number has never troubled me personally, it does cause some real issues for certain people suffering paraskevidekatriaphobia (say that three times fast) or a morbid, and irrational fear of Friday the 13th, as coined by Dr. Donald Dossey. According to a 2000 survey conducted by American Demographics 13% of Americans suffer this fear. Interesting coincidence with that number 13, and I sincerely hope that you gentle readers are not afflicted with this.

The history of where this fear originated seems lost within the mists of time itself, but here are a few theories put forward by others:

Christ is thought to have been crucified on a Friday, which was execution day among the Romans. Friday's were also traditionally execution day in Britain. The number 13 ties in as it was believed to bring bad luck because there were 13 people at The Last Supper.

People have suggested that Friday was the day God threw Adam and Eve out of the garden of Eden, which would be a lucky guess as the concept of Friday hadn't been invented yet.

Thirteen is an unlucky or bad number in Norse mythology as well. Loki, the most mischievous of the Norse gods, went uninvited to a party for 12 at Valhalla, a banquet hall of the gods. And whilst there he caused the death of Balder, the god of light, joy, and reconciliation.

On Friday, October 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France ordered the arrests of Jaques de Molay, Grand Master of the Knights Templars and sixty of his senior knights in Paris. Thousands of others were arrested elsewhere in the country. After utilising torture techniques to force the Templars to "confess" to wrongdoing, most were eventually executed and sympathizers of the Templars condemned Friday the 13th as an evil day.

Chaucer alluded to Friday as a day on which bad things seemed to happen in the Canterbury Tales during the late 14th century, "And on a Friday fell all this mischance." Perhaps with the plight of the Templars in mind?

In my opinion it was probably a combination of all of the above, and much more that led to the superstition, and belief that Friday the 13th is somehow an unlucky day.

How do you feel about Friday the 13th? Will you be doing anything different today because of it? Or do you believe it to be a silly superstition only?

Further Reading:

A World Of Luck - Friday The 13th

Friday the 13th - Unlucky No. 13 combines Christian and pagan beliefs

Image credit: Getty Images

1. Leaves changing colours
2. Shorter days
3. Longer nights
4. Cooler weather
5. Raking leaves
6. Kids jumping into piles of leaves
7. Smell of wood burning fireplaces
8. Pumpkins
9. Maize or Indian corn
10. Halloween (Samhain)
11. Hot Apple Cider and/or fresh apple butter
12. Pressing pretty leaves with wax paper
13. Thanksgiving feast

I love the Fall season.

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In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

- Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae

I was very fortunate to have parents that instilled a sense of acceptance, and tolerance of all peoples, beliefs, and cultures in us, and I was reminded of this the other day when coming across a blog where the blogger decided to use a popular meme to push their own anti-Muslim agenda.

It was really awful, with this blogger "making fun" of Muslim names, and how the average American does not name their baby Mohamed according to some highly questionable statistics they dragged up. No, sadly I'm not kidding. And for what purpose? To spread hate by any means possible?

My niece, her husband, and their daughter, and newborn son are Muslim, and you can bet this blogger has offended me. And oh yes, am I ever grateful for Canadian anti-hate laws.

My parents thankfully taught us to be accepting, and that acceptance even extends to this unfortunate, and obviously ignorant blogger, and includes my pity for his obvious hate filled world. (And no, I will not be visiting that nasty blog again).

Thanks to the wisdom and blessing of my Mom and Dad I don't have to share in that hateful existence.

Yep, that is an Atari 2600 pictured above, which should give you an idea of how long I've been a gaming addict. Here is a list of my 13 fave video games of all-time for different gaming systems.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
2. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
3. Super Mario 64
4. Pac-Man
5. Space Invaders
6. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
7. Castlevania
8. Animal Crossing
9. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
10. Super Mario Sunshine
11. Mortal Kombat
12. Super Mario World
13. Star Fox

And yes, there are sooo many more. It was not easy sticking to just thirteen. Can you add to my list?

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It has been two and half months since my Mom passed away from pancreatic cancer, and I still can't believe she is gone. My sister, stepdad, and I spent most of yesterday sorting through her belongings, deciding what we wanted to keep for remembrance, and what should be donated to charity. It was a very bittersweet experience as we reminisced about some things, shared some tears, and a couple of laughs too.

My Mom's dearest friend, and neighbour came over to see us, and was surprised at how Diane, and I divided things up without any squabbling. I cannot say I was shocked by her thoughts as I have seen siblings go at each other's throats when the time comes to divide a parent's estate. Yet, for Diane and I, we both know that no one material object could ever bring back our Mom or take away the good memories we will always hold in our hearts. To quote my sister "we already have had the very best of our Mother."

I do feel accomplished today, and I feel like the healing of my own broken heart has begun. I also miss my Mom like crazy right now as I want to pick up the phone, and tell her all about how the day went.....

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,

As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber
door.

"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber
door;

Only this, and nothing more."

- Edgar Allen Poe, The Raven

These are my favourite holidays, during my favourite time of year! Hope you all have a terrific weekend. See ya Monday!

The following is a listing of my 13 favourite non-Dr Who monsters. I could fill a listing, and half with those. Maybe next week

1. Baba Yaga in Slavic mythology, the wild old woman; the witch; and mistress of magic. She is also seen as a forest spirit, leading hosts of spirits. My mother would tell me stories of her when I was a child that chilled me to the bone. Disney could not make a movie out of her!

2. Bluebeard is the title character in a famous fairy tale about a violent nobleman and his over-curious wife. It was written by Charles Perrault and first published in 1697. The story of this fictitious mass murderer was also a childhood favourite!

3. Nosferatu the silent film, by F.W. Murnau is a classic, and Nosferatu the closest you will come to the vampires of Slavic lore. They are gruesome in appearance, and horrifying. Nothing like the romanticized version of vampires at all.

4. Jack The Ripper is an alias given to an unidentified serial killer (or killers) active in the largely impoverished Whitechapel area and adjacent districts of London, England in the latter half of 1888. The name is taken from a letter to the Central News Agency by someone claiming to be the murderer, published at the time of the killings. Whoever, he, she, they were, Jack the Ripper has always fascinated me, and provided a mystery for the ages. And yes, I do qualify certain humans as monsters.

5. Sasquatch is a figure prominent in North American Native folklore, and said to inhabit remote forests, mainly in the Pacific NorthWest region of the United States, and the Canadian province of British Columbia. Sasquatch is also reported in my home province Ontario.

6. Wendigo sometimes is confused with Sasquatch. They are nothing alike. Wendigo is a malevolent, cannibalistic, spirit into which humans could transform, or which could possess humans, appearing in Algonquian mythology. Humans who indulged in cannibalism were at particular risk, and the legend appears to reinforce this practice as taboo. Stories of Wendigo are particularly unnerving around a campfire.

7. Mothman My dear friend Robin grew up in Point Pleasant Virginia, and as a child believes she witnessed him/her/it. Robin now gives lectures on Mothman including the big Mothman fest in West Virginia. Mothman was the name given to a strange creature reported in the Charleston and Point Pleasant areas of West Virginia between November 1966 and December 1967. The creature was sporadically reported to be seen before and after those dates, with some sightings as recent as 2006. You may have read the book or seen the film with actor Richard Gere.

8. Godzilla I LOVE HIM!!!! Godzilla is a fictional monster featured in Japanese films and has become one of the world's most recognized movie characters. I was not too happy with the remake though.

9. Nessie or The Loch Ness Monster is a cryptid, claimed to inhabit Scotland's Loch Ness, the most voluminous freshwater lake in Great Britain. She is the most famous of all the lake monsters! I would love to go on an expedition looking for her!

10. The Beast of Bodmin Moor is a black panther like creature that is believed to inhabit Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, England. When we visit Nicola I will try to seek it out!

11. El Chupacabra the name translates literally from the Spanish as "goat sucker." It comes from the creature's reported habit of attacking and drinking the blood of livestock, especially goats. It is mostly reported in Spanish speaking communities, and very creepy!

12. Spring Heeled Jack is a Satanic, Superman-like character from English folklore said to have existed during the Victorian era and able to jump extraordinarily high. The mystery of who or what was Spring Heeled Jack has never been resolved!

13. And last, but in no way least, Frankenstein's Monster who according to author Mary Shelley's book, was sensitive, intelligent, and wholly sympathetic...unlike the film adaptations of her story.

Thank you for stopping by, and allowing me to share my Thirteen Favourite Monsters with you. Please do leave a comment, and have a terrific rest of the week! Happy Thursday!

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Photo of me (the tallish gangly legged one) circa 1977 with my little Sis Dee

1. I believe in ghosts. Boo!

2. An astrologer once told me I would be married twice. Once very young, and then again in middle age. Looks like he was correct.

3. Same astrologer predicted three girls...and yep I have three girls. I only lament that he did not give me the 649 winning lotto numbers!

4. My fave colours are blue, and silver.

5. I worship the sun, seriously I'm resurrecting the sun cult.

6. I seek immortality through artificial intelligence.

7. I am building a robot to house the AI.

8. My hubby is my best friend.

9. Twice I have witnessed what I believe were UFOs once in 1990, and again once in 2001.

10. I am the webmaster of six websites.

11. When I was a teenager I volunteered at the Metro Zoo.

12. I live with two dogs, three cats, a bunny, and a fish.

13. I love going to garage sales, yard sales, thrift stores, and flea markets.

14. Usually I am reading two to three books at the same time.

15. We own approx. 500 + books on ghosts, and hauntings, UFOs, Fortean etc.

16. My favourite tv programs are documentaries, although I also love Sc-Fi.

17. I believe there are parallel worlds, and Michio Kaku is my hero.

18. Another hero of mine is American physicist Hugh Everett III who first proposed the many-worlds interpretation (MWI) of quantum physics, which he called his "relative state" formulation.

19. Through some genealogy work I have found out that I am probably 1/8 Gypsy

20. My Father's family including my Dad were from Transylvania, and Hungary, and my Mother's family were Ukrainian.

21. I am a first generation Canadian, and am strongly drawn to my Eastern roots.

22. I would like to travel to England, Egypt, and India in the next decade.

23. I collect skeletons, angels, Dr Who figures, and rocks from reportedly haunted locations, amongst other stuff.

24. I like to resurrect dead house plants, and I am often successful! I pick these up at flower shops, and sometimes out of the garbage.

25. I am a Nintendo junkie, and I love playing video games. My faves include the Zelda series, and Castlevania.

I had fun yesterday morning hanging out with my friend Robin Bellamy, and her Toronto District School Board ghost research class. We visited the Swansea Fire Hall, and spoke to the fireman about their ghostly encounters in this historic west Toronto building.

I took a bunch of interior pics, and will be updating the Toronto Ghosts & Hauntings Research Society website with them, and the firefighters reports later this upcoming week.

Does anyone else remember this really cute 1970's, British, children's tv show? It was called The Ghosts Of Motley Hall, and was about a group of rather friendly, but still very much creepy ghosts from various eras that were haunting this fictitious English manor home.

I was delighted to find out that the entire series is available on DVD. I miss the days when tv was more about good writing, and talented acting, as opposed to the "reality" schlock we are bombarded with now, especially when it comes to the paranormal.

When I do watch tv for the most part it is either well written Sci Fi like Doctor Who, and Torchwood, Dexter (another brilliant show) and documentaries or classic DVDs.

With Halloween almost upon us I look forward to re-visiting all three series of the Ghosts Of Motley Hall. Definitely the season for it!

I love a good mystery......which is why I chase after UFO's, Ghosties, and other strange beasties....in conversation with Matthew the other day I had the opportunity to remember, and relate a strange experience from my childhood, which may have in turn been the impetus for my deep interest in the paranormal.

My encounter with the "Impossible Little Man" is from way back, 1973 to be exact, and I was 5-6 years old.

Make of this what you will.....

In '73 my Mom was pregnant with my younger sister and my parents were looking to upgrade their home. Often they would take me out with their real-estate agent looking at houses.

One house in particular was in the Bridle Path. Torontonians will know it, but click on the link for the wiki entry if you are unfamiliar, and would like to learn more.

The house was brand new at the time, and therefore never lived in.

Being a kid I was itching to explore, and seeing it was unoccupied I was given free reign. And I did explore on my own bottom to top.

I came to one bedroom that was just too cool!!! It had skylights, and I said to myself this is soooo going to be my bedroom!!!!!

I whirled around intending to run down the stairs and tell my parents, and the realty lady that I picked MY room ...

And that when I saw him ....

He was standing in the corner of the bedroom. A little man, slightly smaller than myself at age 5-6. He was wearing non-descriptive clothing, looked rather stern and was staring directly at me.

I remember being shocked. I remember blinking, looking away, and back again and he was still there. I was probably scared, that I can't really recall, but I do remember knowing he was "wrong" ... not supposed to be there, not "real" ...

I have no idea how much time passed, but eventually I heard my parents and the realtor outside of the door. I looked at my mom in the door frame, and gingerly made my way past the little man who had kept his eyes fixed to my own the entire time.

I said nothing .....

But I loathed the house from that point. My father put a deposit it on it, but the deal fell through ... and I was relieved ...... we eventually moved elsewhere.

Many years later I told both parents about that day. My father was a scientist and both were atheists ... yet they always accepted what I said at face value, and never insulted my intelligence....in other words if I said it happened it happened.

My mother claimed to have recalled that day, and how my demeanor did do a 180, but she just wrote it off ... naturally I said nothing to her at the time.

So there you have it, what, who, why I can't say.....beyond he was solid, and looked very real ... yet somewhere in my child's mind I knew he was "impossible" ....... maybe even a ghost......or some bleed through from another space, and time....I'd like to think so.

1. First thing you wash in the shower?
A. My face

2. What color is your favorite hoodie?
A. White

3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?
A. Yes

4. Do you plan outfits?
A. Sometimes I do.

5. How are you feeling RIGHT now?
A. I'm tired, but otherwise ok

6. Whats the closest thing to you that's red?
A. My hair....also Skelly's hat - See above photo

7. Tell me about the last dream you remember having?
A. I was moving into a very large older mansion (probably haunted too)

8. Did you meet anybody new today?
A. No

9. What are you craving right now?
A. Sleep

10. Do you floss?
A. Yes

11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage?
A. Rolls

12. Are you emotional?
A. Not at the moment

13. Have you ever counted to 1,000?
A. Yes.

14. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it?
A. Both

15. Do you like your hair?
A. Yes

16. Do you like yourself?
A. For the most part

17. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush?
A. No

18. What are you listening to right now?
A. Matthew typing

19. Are your parents strict?
A. No they were not

20. Would you go sky diving?
A. No freakin' way

21. Do you like cottage cheese?
A. No

22. Have you ever met a celebrity?
A. Yes.

23. Do you rent movies often?
A. Rarely

24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you’re in?
A. Many things

25. How many countries have you visited?
A. Four

26. Have you made a prank phone call?
A. Yes

27. Ever been on a train?
A. Yes

28. Brown or white eggs?
A. White

29. Do you have a cell-phone?
A. Yes

30. Do you use chap stick?
A. Yes

31. Do you own a gun?
A. No

32. Can you use chopsticks?
A. Not really

33.Who are you going to be with tonight?
A. Matthew, the kiddo, and furbabies

34. Are you too forgiving?
A. Depends on what it is

35. Ever been in love?
A. Yes

36. What is your best friend(s) doing tomorrow?
A. Working

37. Ever have cream puffs?
A. Yes

38. Last time you cried?
A. Yesterday

39. What was the last question you asked?
A. Are you going out after school?

40. Favorite time of the year?
A. Fall

41. Do you have any tattoos?
A. No

42. Are you sarcastic?
A. Rarely

43. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect?
A. No.

44. Ever walked into a wall?
A. Yes

45. Favorite color?
A. Blue

46. Have you ever slapped someone?
A. Yes

47. Is your hair curly?
A. No

48. What was the last CD you bought?
A. NIN Ghosts

49. Do looks matter?
A. Only if you are playing a role on reality tv. And, no of course not.

50. Could you ever forgive a cheater?
A. No

51. Is your phone bill sky high?
A. No.

52. Do you like your life right now?
A. Yes

53. Do you sleep with the TV on?
A. Sometimes

54. Can you handle the truth?
A. I'd rather the truth than be lied to

55. Do you have good vision?
A. I wear glasses

56. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people?
A. Yes.

57. How often do you talk on the phone?
A. Rarely

58. The last person you held hands with?
A. Matthew

59. What are you wearing?
A. Pjs

60. What is your favorite animal?
A. I prefer them to people

61. Where was your default picture taken?
A. My livingroom

62. Can you hula hoop?
A. Yes

63. Do you have a job?
A. Many

64. What was the most recent thing you bought?
A. Pizza

65. Have you ever crawled through a window?
A. Yes.

When we see a child or young person do mean-spirited, thoughtless, immature or stupid things it is easy to take a look at the parents, and to assign blame to those parents who are obviously lacking in parenting skills.

We all encounter them...dreadful kids that either make us think I hope my kids will not turn out to do such things or if that were my child I'd be very embarrassed at the least.

As people age, and gain life experience they tend to mature, and mellow out, at least that has been my observation with only a few exceptions. I have met, and know several people from horrific family circumstances that grew up to be nice, thoughtful, and decent people.

So I guess my question is based around when should this naturally occur? At what point should people have to take responsibility for their own actions, and not hide behind the poor me, look at my bad upbringing excuse for their own bad behavior?

And if they cannot see how their own lack of compassion, maturity, and empathy affects others at what point do we say this person is just a jerk that seemingly does not care a wit for anyone else's feelings beyond their own no matter what their upbringing?

This past Sunday morning Matthew, two of the kiddos, my sister, and I volunteered at the Toronto Marathon. We were part of the Hemophilia Ontario team pictured above.

Matthew, and I manned one of the water tables, which is set up for the runners. It is a pretty fast paced job!

We also cheered on the runners to the point where my voice was still a little rough the next day.

My eldest daughter (pictured middle) was the team lead for our group, and did an excellent job of keeping us organized, and motivated!

Go team Hemophilia Ontario!!!

While the event went great the drive home took almost three hours from downtown T.O to the west end.....I'm not exaggerating. Between road closures, construction, and a couple of accidents it was brutal. Next year we are definitely taking the TTC.

I happened to be in Roncesvalles Village the the other day, and snapped this pic of the construction currently going on. Vast sections of the street are torn up at the moment, and apparently construction will not be completed until January 2010.

This can't be too good for business for the cute shops, and restaurants that make up this fun street.

Definitely a great area to shop in, just don't attempt to drive around there until the construction has been completed.

Urban decay

A sad, broken building

Another view

What makes abandoned, and ruined places such as these even sadder in my opinion is how they sit empty, and decaying while we have 1000s of homeless people, and those awaiting some sort of affordable housing in this city.

I got this tropical flowering plant several years ago from my grandmother's funeral. It was part of a large basket of planets, and my uncle gave it to me. When the initial flowers fell off a couple of weeks after the funeral they never grew back. No matter what I tried including moving its location, special plant food, etc, nothing seemed to work in getting it to flower.

Then in a weird bit of coincidence guess what I saw on the morning of Christmas eve last year.

It may seem a bit silly, but it is wee little things such as these flowers spontaneously blooming that keep me positive, and hopeful.

I thought I would share some of the last few Fall flowers that are blooming quite nicely in my neighbourhood, and that I enjoy during my early morning walks.

To be honest I do not really have a green thumb for flowers or outdoor gardens so I'm not even sure of the names of these beauties, but I do admire them.

When I was a small child I often would pick flowers right out of people's gardens! My Mom would always give me heck, but I was still compelled to do it. These days I take photographs, instead of the flowers themselves. I'm certain much to the happiness of the gardeners as well.

Late in 2007 I was diagnosed with Graves Disease, which is an autoimmune disorder. Part of dealing with it involves frequent trips to the hospital for blood tests, something I'm getting pretty sick, and tired of having to do.

I opted for the atomic solution (radioactive iodine) back in the Spring, and finally my thyroid numbers are leveling out (Graves attacks the thyroid, and really screws up the chemistry of a body). Hopefully this means less trips to the lab, and far less track marks. Ew! and yeah...Ouch!

Welcome to my new blog, and domain! Please excuse the dust, and general mess as I fix the place up. You may be wondering.....Why The Name Change? Read on.....

Most of the people who will surf through here, at least initially, will have known me as a Darroch. And for two decades my married name was Darroch. When my first marriage ended amicably in 2000 I decide to hang onto the Darroch name for a time so that my children, and I would share a surname, and because it would be a hassle to have all of my ID changed back to my maiden name.

So here we are 9+ years later....two of my kids are adults, and the baby of the family is a teenager. Time for a name change!

I was considering going back to my maiden surname, which is Demeter, but realised a few years ago that when Matthew and I decided to make our relationship "official" I would probably change my name again anyway. It was at this point that I decided that what I really wanted was a "name" for my own... one that I loved, had meaning, and one I could live and die with.

So over the last year, and after much discussion with both Matthew, and my daughters I decided to legally change my last name to St. Clair which, oddly enough, is and is not Matthew's mother's maiden name.

Matthew's Mom was born to her father, James St. Clair-Hughes, and while working at Bell Canada many, many years ago, she was approached by the RCMP and questioned as to why she was using an "assumed name!" Apparently this shocked her greatly as she had no idea why the police were questioning her last name, but after a couple of phone calls and some in-depth family discussion the truth was finally revealed.

It ends up her father was using an "assumed" name ... but only because HIS father did......

To make a somewhat long story short Matthew's Great Grandfather (maternal) was actually just a "Hughes"... but after becoming a sailor, and going off to sea, and apparently learning to do magic, and joining a Masonic lodge, he came back from his journeys and promptly became a "St. Clair."

He advertised himself in his magic act as "Professor St. Clair".

The Professor did quite well as a professional magician... even performing for royalty.

He later married a woman with a flair for business and of all things bicycles, and he settled down. Their children were all "St. Clairs" until The Professor's parents passed away... then, in what was probably a bit of guilt, he started hyphenating the kids to "St. Clair-Hughes"... but it really wasn't legal (his children had no knowledge of this until much later on in their lives) and Matthew's mother was "called out" so to speak on it by the Mounties. It was soon explained and understood... and (I assume) she was no longer deemed a threat to society because she was allowed to return to her job.

Matthew and I learned the whole story through his sister Jody's fantastic genealogy research that led her to the The St. Clair Story as remembered by Ernest St Clair circa 1978, and later transcribed during the 1990's by L.W. St Clair. Click on the link to The St Clair Story to read the story, and view an ad including testimonials of Professor St. Clair's work.

Anyway the whole "Professor St. Clair" odyssey stirred my imagination and I became quite enamoured of his story, and that is how I decided that it was the name for me... a little adventuresome, a little "comfortable family", a little magic, and has a strong if not odd connection to my husband, and it can be all mine... much like The Professor's only properly legal.

And that is the story behind Susan St. Clair......and it does have a nice ring to it if I do say so myself!

Welcome to my new blog! This blog better reflects the recent changes within my own life including the new name (explanation coming shortly) and I am feeling energized just getting it started.

More soonly!

If you would like to zombify yourself you can check out the app located here.

Cheers!