Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Sites Books Have Made Me Want To Visit

I've been lax in my blogging lately, but today's topic was a fun one, so I'm linking up with Top Ten Tuesday at The Broke and the Bookish to discuss places that books have made me want to visit.  I just love how books can transport me to someplace new and different.  Here's my list:

Fictional
1.  Hogwarts:  I'm slightly in denial that Hogwarts isn't real, actually... :)

2.  Narnia:  Oh how marvelous it would be to stroll the halls at Cair Paravel and meet Reepicheep, and of course Aslan.

3.  Rivendell:  I'm not sure I'd want to visit all of Middle Earth, since some areas are kind of scary and the inhabitants aren't the most welcoming, but Rivendell sounds pretty amazing.  I'd probably swing by the Shire on my way.

Reality:

4.  Prague:  When I was in high school, I developed an obsession with Milan Kundera and was just dying to see Prague.  I actually did make it there in university while I was living abroad, and it was gorgeous.  Sadly, I had an atrocious migraine during one of my three days there, so while I loved Prague, I'm not sure it loved me all that much.

5.  Derbyshire:  Because Elizabeth's aunt Gardiner is certain that Derbyshire is the most beautiful county.  I love me some Pride and Prejudice.

6.  Tahiti:  I'm pretty sure most of us would be happy to visit Tahiti, but earlier this year, I read a book called All Good Things by Sarah Turnbull, which really brought the area to life and made me want to hop on the next plane to visit.

7.  Malaysia's Cameron Highlands:  I already want to see Malaysia because my in-laws are there, but The Garden of Evening Mists painted such a beautiful picture of the scenery that it made me want to see the Cameron Highlands specifically.

8.  Cornwall:  The Shell Seekers made Cornwall out to be a quaint and beautiful area, full of beaches and pretty scenery.  I'm there.

9.  Prince Edward Island:  I grew up reading the Anne of Green Gables series, and as devotees can tell by my blog name, I still love them.  I therefore spent many years wishing I could walk the lanes where Anne walked, and in 2007, I got my wish.

Me at Green Gables, 2007

10.  Monterrey:  John Steinbeck's books brought this area to life and now a visit there is on my bucket list.

I've Got the Fever....

...WM Fieber that is!  I love this German term, which translates as "World Cup Fever".  I am a World Cup junkie, and have been for well over a decade.  International soccer is my drug of choice, and I am unashamedly addicted.

Why do I love World Cup so much?
1.  I love the sport of soccer.  I am amazed by the athleticism of these men, who can run in terrible heat for 90+ minutes: The quick bursts of speed when the match is almost over, the shots with perfect accuracy that sail past several players to hit the back of the net, and the perfect passing.  These are part of what made me fall in love with it.

2.  I love the atmosphere.  Here in Toronto, we have people from all over the world, and I have been seeing flags decked out in flags from so many different countries.  I love the kinship I have when I ask the couriers who come by our work about their teams, and they realize that I am one of them.  I enjoy seeing the crazy fans with their costumes and face paint.  There was a US fan the other day who was sitting in the hot Brazilian sun wearing an eagle head over his face.  I can't imagine how uncomfortable he must have been, but he sure was a fan. 

Fun Spanish fan in Gdansk

3.  It brings back memories.  I've mentioned this before, but the 2002 World Cup was a huge deal for me and my friends when I lived abroad, and I can't sit through a Germany game without wanting to email my old friends and reminisce.  Likewise, Gil and I really cemented our relationship when we went to South Africa for the 2010 cup and had the pleasure of going to Poland for Euro 2012 when we were still hapless newlyweds.

With friends following the 2002 World Cup final.  Yes, we deliberately coordinated our shirts. :)

4.  I love sharing soccer with my husband.  He told me once that before we met, he was talking to a his friend's mom, who he considers kind of a second mother, and he lamented that he wished he could meet a girl who would watch sports with him.  I love that a love of the 'beautiful game' is something we share.  Over the past week, we have spent some lovely days hanging out at home, watching games, and I will miss that when the tournament is over.

If you've been following along here, it's no secret that I've been having a rough time this year.  Somehow, pouring myself into the World Cup has been like a balm for my soul, giving me at least one thing that makes me crazy happy, and reminding me of wonderful experiences in the past.  Have you been watching?  What's your team?  And of course, LOS GEHT'S DEUTSHCLAND!

Life Update

It occurred to me that lately, I've posted a lot of book lists, along with some broody thoughts on fertility, but not too much about what's actually happening in our life, so here's a bit of an update.

In February, I posted that we were desperately in need of a vacation and were headed to Dominican Republic.  Well, we were gone for a week last month, and it was pretty darn amazing.  We stayed at an adults-only resort and spent seven blissful days taking dips in the sea, eating delicious food, and heading into the pool after the midday rush.  I read several books and Gil got a lot of rest.  Despite my husband getting an ear infection and hurting his ankle two days before we left, it was a good time and I wish we could go back again soon.

In December, I posted about PCOS.  I don't want to go into a lot of detail about my health issues on this blog as it's very personal, but as you can gather from my last post, it hasn't been the easiest journey thus far.  I've been undergoing a slew of really fun (NOT) tests, and will hopefully find out if there's anything else wrong with me and then we'll figure out where we go from here.

In terms of family, I have an adorable new nephew, Luke, who was born on March 5, while we were on vacation.  I can't post a photo as his parents are adamantly against any photos on social media.  I also have another niece or nephew coming in September as my step-sister is pregnant too, so my parents will double the number of grandchildren in 2014.  My mom also won an award for her fabulous contributions to serving in her community, so a couple of weeks ago, we had a family celebration. 

Work-wise, it's kind of same-old, same-old.  I am pondering a big change, but as it's not definite, I don't want to say anything concrete yet.  I honestly thought we would have kids by now and I would be a SAHM, but since that's not happening, it's forced me to pray and consider what else God might have for me, since I can't answer phones forever.

For the most part, life is good.  The piles of snow are finally gone from our driveway, and I've seen enough robins in the last week to know that spring is really and truly here.  Gil and I have had our struggles, but we are still finding ways to enjoy each other and laugh, and to remember that God is good.

Happy Spring!!

Medical Monday: We Need A Break

It's another Medical Monday.  I missed out last month, so this time I'm jumping back in.  This month's link-up is hosted by Jane at From a Doctor's Wife, Emma at Your Doctor's Wife, and MJ at MD School Mrs.

It's been cold and snowy here in Toronto, so I'm looking forward to warmer days.  February has never been a favourite month of mine.  Until I met Gil, Valentine's Day was pretty much a downer, and winter is long here, so it still feels like ages until the spring thaw.  This year has been kicking my butt so far.  We've had more snow that I can remember.  My husband worked overnight on new year's eve, came home sick, and spent the first 10 days of January with the flu (which he lovingly passed on to me).  Then yesterday, Gil was feeling sick AGAIN.  It feels like it's just been one thing after another since before Christmas.

I've been seriously in need of a pick me up and here it is:
We're going to Punta Cana!  Miracle of miracles, after a month of putting off discussion, my husband actually worked out the dates and we booked a trip for the end of the month.

This coming vacation is indicative of one major change in me since getting married.  When I was single, my travels always involved doing stuff:  Museums, bike trips, renting cars and driving around Oahu, I wanted to be make the very most of my travels.

Since I've married into this crazy thing called medicine, I just want to slow down.  All I want is a beach, a good book, a fruity drink, and my husband.  I see him wearing himself down day after day, and I just want him to have a rest.  Do any of you feel the same way?  How has marriage changed your habits and preferences?

Happy February, everyone!  Hope you are all staying warm and dry!

Christmas and All That Jazz

Gil and I are on a short trip to Chicago this weekend.  He's attending a conference, and I'm tagging along to do some sightseeing.

I've flown through Chicago a dozen times, and have even spent a few days just outside the city to see family, but have never actually visited Chicago.  After two days here, I have to say it's a great city.  The Christmas decorations are lovely, the buildings in the downtown are SO cool, and there are a lot of interesting museums as well.

Being here has re-awakened my Christmas spirit.  This year, I've found it really difficult to get into the holiday mood.  I've had Christmas music on my car radio since November, I put the tree up weeks ago, and I have enjoyed a few festive parties thus far, but I haven't felt my usual joy this season.  Gil is working all next week, and it feels like another year is ending while I haven't accomplished anything yet.  Bah humbug.  :-)

Enter Chicago.  Having a few days in a lovely city without the pressure of working or buying gifts has allowed me to just enjoy the lights, the carols, the Salvation Army bell ringers, and get happy.  Today, I visited the Moody Church and there was a children's choir practicing in the sanctuary.  On Thursday morning, when I went down to the hotel lobby, there were four people in 1800s clothes singing "Carol of the Bells'.  I'm starting to feel Christmas creeping into my mood.

To make matters even better, I've found what is pretty much the holy grail to me at holiday time:  A genuine German Christkindlmarkt (Christmas market).  We have one in Toronto, but I checked it out recently and was disappointed.  The Chicago market, however, seems to have been transported here by elves straight from my dearest Deutschland.  It has German ornaments and candy, and all the Bratwurst, Pfeffernuesse, Kaesespaetzle, and Gluehwein you can ask for.  I loved it so much that after visiting on Thursday, I had to hightail it back on Friday for a Bratwurst.  (Okay, true confession:  I was tempted to go back again today, but it was the exact opposite direction from my intended destination.)

Anyway readers, I hope you're getting into the holiday spirit and enjoying the season.  Frohe Weihnachten! :-)

Rediscovering My Inner Music Geek

I have a confession:  I love musical theatre.  When I was a kid, my dad would take me to a show at least once a year.  We saw Cats, The Secret Garden, Showboat, and several other shows.  I was full-on obsessed with Phantom of the Opera and Les Mis for several years.  I played the saxophone in band and went to music camp.  In fact, I even joined the marching band in university and played in parades all through the Christmas season.  Yes, I was that girl.

As an adult, though, music ceased to be a hobby any more.  Without a band to play with, I rarely picked up my saxophone, and going to the theatre was too expensive to do regularly.  I didn't even realize how much I missed it except in rare moments when I would hear a show tune and immediately break into chorus.

Recently, however, it seems I've re-discovered my inner music geek.  In August, Gil surprised me with tickets to The Wizard of Oz as an early birthday present.  There was even a real live dog playing Toto!  Then I went to New York City to meet up with friends and we ended up getting half-price tickets to Rock of Ages.  For my birthday last month, my sister-in-law promised to take me to see Les Mis (yes, it's BACK!) and my mom bought opera tickets for the two of us.

As my musical theatre interests have re-emerged, so has my appreciation for classical music.  I've found myself listening to the classical station while driving, which seems to calm my frustration with slower or less cautious drivers.  :-)  On the flip side, I'm starting to feel much older than 33 as this radio station features product spots for Viagra, constipation relief, and nursing homes.

All this to say, I'm enjoying how the move back home has awakened interests that I'd forgotten.  So readers, are you theatre geeks too?  What's your favourite musical?

Lessons from Newfoundland: Being a Neighbour

I've been a terrible blogger this summer.  My sincerest apologies to you all.  If you have any advice on how to keep regularly writing, I'd love to hear it.

Today's post is something I've been thinking about for the last month.  I wrote recently about our trip to Newfoundland, but ever since then, I've been pondering the things I learned on the journey.  Newfoundlanders are different from the people I meet every day.  Who knows whether it's the environment or genetics that makes the difference, but they inspired me to work on my own attitude.

When you mention Newfoundland to other Canadians, they often respond with phrases like, "Friendliest folks on earth".  Canadian shows like 22 Minutes poke light-hearted fun at Newfie hospitality.  It may be a stereotype, but it's based in fact.  Even when we were sitting on the plane in Toronto, waiting for take-off, people were greeting one another and finding personal connections, when typically travelers are glued to their iPhones or in-flight magazines.

Once we got to Newfoundland, the friendliness continued.  We were invited to have lunch at the mother of one of Gil's colleagues, someone we'd never met before.  When we visited friends, they repeatedly said we should eat whatever we liked and feel at home, and one woman went out of their way to make all of Gil's favourite foods, even though she was busy with her only son's wedding that week.

I came away from the experience feeling like a cold-hearted city person.  In Toronto, I consider myself a reasonably friendly person; I smile at other peoples' babies and have a great relationship with one of the clerks at the local FedEx.  The truth is, however, that I rarely go out of my way to be helpful or friendly.  I like the idea of hospitality, but it's only a few times a year that I actually invite people over because I'm embarrassed about the mess and my limited cooking skills.  We've lived in this house for a year and only know the names of one set of neighbours.

How does one cultivate friendliness in a culture that is not conducive to it?  How do I work on being friendly without scaring others away?  These are the questions I took away from my trip and hope to work on in the future.  I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Travel Tales

A few weeks ago, I had my first trip to the beautiful province of Newfoundland and Labrador.  What a wonderful place!  We were gone for five days and were able to do some sightseeing and attend a wedding, so I thought I'd share a bit of our trip.

On our first full day, we drove up the western coast and I discovered my wonderful husband had arranged for us to take a boat trip in Gros Morne.   We saw some unbelievable sights and I even saw a moose at close range.  Afterwards we headed further north to our home-away-from-home on the northern tip of the island.

The following day, I visited the home of Sir Wilfrid Grenfell, a medical missionary.  As a young man, Dr Grenfell was inspired by hearing the American evangelist D.L. Moody, and decided to serve overseas.  He traveled to Labrador and spent some time providing medical share to people in isolated fishing communities, several of whom had never had a visit from a doctor before.  Over the course of his life, he founded five hospitals in Labrador and northern Newfoundland, as well as several nursing stations and orphanages.  If you have an e-reader, you can pick up his autobiography here.

Later that day, we visited L'Anse aux Meadows, the site of a former Viking colony.  They have a mock-up of a Viking village set up, and then you can see where the actual buildings were.  So interesting!

Gil did some work during the mornings while we were away, so I took the opportunity of doing touristy things on my own.  One morning I went on a whale watching trip where I learned a lesson about the value of wearing long pants at sea.  Thankfully the cold was worth it and I saw loads of porpoises as well as one humpback whale.

On our last day, Gil surprised me by taking me to a restaurant that had amazing and fresh seafood, so I gorged myself on enjoyed local mussels and scallops.  Before we left, another couple approached to tell us there was an iceberg nearby; we had been told the icebergs were all gone as it was too late in the season.  We drove around and finally managed to catch a glimpse of it.

If you've seen the television commercials, Newfoundland looks pretty relaxed and slow-paced.  Of course, people there watch cable TV and check their smart phones obsessively just like they do in my 'hood, but I was surprised at the little things that seemed like remnants of a simpler time.  For example, on our first day, we took a short taxi ride and the driver took note of all his fares in a spiral notebook.  There was no radio dispatcher; it was just one guy in his taxi.  At the airport in Deer Lake, the parking lot had individual meters for each spot and they seemed to be cash only.  It seemed bizarre at first, but also refreshing to be someplace where technology hadn't permeated everything.  And I never saw a single Starbucks or McDonald's or Starbucks the whole time I was there, but don't worry; you can get yourself a good moose burger instead!

Summer Updates

Summer.  It's almost here.  Tomorrow marks the official start of summer and you know what that means:  long weekends, barbecues, cottages, travel, etc.  This year, I've felt a bit ambivalent about summer starting.  In my old life, the hot season always meant a slowing down; ministries at church took a pause and work was less busy.  Still, summer for me is always defined by fun weekends, like taking picnics and day trips, going to amusement parks, etc.. My work will probably be a bit quieter over July and August, but since so much of my life pace revolves around my husband's crazy hospital schedule, I don't anticipate summer having much affect on our life.   Maybe I need to corner my husband and make him promise me a couple of Saturday outings?  :-)

Anyway, despite my ambivalence, I am looking forward to some summer traveling.  As mentioned earlier this week, we are off to western Newfoundland in just over a month.  Gil has been telling me stories about his time in "The Rock" ever since we met, so I'm super-excited to experience it for myself.  I'm looking forward to seeing icebergs and whales, Viking settlements and lots and lots of water.  I dare you to watch some of the commercials on Newfoundland and Labrador and see if you don't want to go there too!

This is also the year in nearly a decade when summer doesn't equal wedding season.  We have only one wedding this year, and it'll be in Newfoundland.  I guess this means the bulk of my friends have moved on to the next stage of life, since I know at least 11 people expecting babies by the end of the year!

What are your summer plans?

Refreshed

We got back late Saturday night from our trip to the sunny south.  What a great vacation!  We enjoyed perfect warm, sunny weather and hours of poolside lounging.  More importantly, Gil and I were able to really spend time together, rather than just grabbing an hour or two after a long work day.

I've noticed since being married that my concept of downtime has changed.  When I was on my own, I never craved a beach vacation.  Even though my life was busier, I had no desire to go away just so I could sit and read poolside; after all, I could read on my own at home.  When I did travel, I subscribed to a "go big or go home" philosophy. With Gil, however, his free time is so limited that it is worth it to fly far away just so that both of us can relax together and we don't have to field incessant work-related calls.  We do still enjoy active vacations with cultural sites, etc., but I'm finding it's important to find time to get away and just zone out sometimes.

The one downside to our trip was that my camera took a nosedive into the Caribbean Sea on day 3, only to drift onto the beach covered in sand and seaweed.  Its prognosis does not look too good.  Thankfully, the memory card is fine, so I didn't lose the photos from our first few days away, so here are some shots of our wonderful trip.

My favourite way to relax!

Welcome to Mexico!

All By My Lonesome

This week I'm all on my own, friends, while Gil is off to Newfoundland again.  He does this fairly regularly, traveling over there to visit friends as well as to see some patients in the community where he used to live.  I knew before we married that this was a priority for him, and I'm proud that he keeps it up, even though it pains me a little to have him gone so long.

This week I'm trying to make some plans to make this week count.  I'd like to use the time well, but also to do some little things to make our house more home-y.  I know I could do this while he's here (seeing as I am at home a lot while he works), but it's a bit more fun to do it while he's gone so I can surprise him.

So far, my big plans for the next five days are:
1)  Have a mini-spiritual retreat.  I'm trying to "fast" from television and secular music for a few days and get back in the habit of journaling during my quiet time. 
2) Study Chinese.  Like, a lot.  My teacher wants me to write another big exam in 5 weeks, so I need to get myself in gear ASAP.
3)  Hang pictures up around the house.  There are some that will have to wait until we get a new couch, but there are other areas that I've been meaning to decorate,
4)  Organize my closets and my clothes.  I'd like to get my fall and winter stuff ready, as well as giving away clothes that I no longer need.  I realized last winter that my years in Ottawa have left me with way more hats/toques/mitts than I will need in Toronto, especially as I no longer have to wait for a bus in the early morning hours!
5)  Potentially set up some autumn decor.  I'm thinking a wreath may be in order...

One thing I have noticed in our 11 months of marriage is that when Gil is away, my sleep habits change.  I've become used to going to bed around 10:30-11:00 and getting up when he does most mornings.  As soon as he's gone, my body shifts into my "natural" pattern of bedtime around midnight.  When I was on my own and working, I found that during vacations, I would gravitate towards a midnight bedtime.  Isn't it weird how our bodies have these natural tendencies?  Even years of getting up at 6 a.m. for work couldn't shake the night owl out of me!

Do you do anything fun while your spouse is away?  Do your habits change at all?  I'm curious, so let me know!

Hitting the Road

Hi friends!


I'll be on hiatus for the next week or so.  In just a few hours, I'll be off to Ottawa, where I will meet up with my excellent friend Joy, and then we are hopping in the car to go here:

We'll spend a few days staying with my friends in Brooklyn, and then we will make our way to Washington, DC, and then back home over the weekend.  Did I mention that I'm super-excited??

Some Things I'm Excited About

Since my last post was a little negative, I thought I would brighten things up today.  That is especially needed since it's COLD!  We were mega-spoiled by 20+ degree weather earlier this month, so now anything close to zero seems unbearable.  (It doesn't help that our building cranked up the fans during the warm weather, and has not bothered turning them off.) 

I am a book hoarder, and any efforts to counter this seem to be in vain.  This past summer, I tried to make a serious attempt to get rid of books that I was unlikely to ever read again.  I forced myself to actually read the books I had bought on sale ages ago, so that I could decide whether I really wanted them.  Shortly thereafter, my best friends threw me a bridal shower and instructed all my guests to give me a book!  So, I guess all that purging was to make room for the new books, right?  Anyway, here are some more new books that I am really excited about, and why:

1)  I am excited for my new kitchen  It actually allows for more than one person to stand in it.  It has more than one cupboard, and space in the drawers for our cutlery.  I really looking forward to baking there, so I bought the Joy the Baker Cookbook.  If you don't know about Joy, you should.  This is her blog.  Every recipe that I've tried has been fantastic.

2)  I am excited for summer vacation!  We are just in the process of finalizing details to go to Gdansk, Poland this summer.  I have a lifelong interest in Central and Eastern European culture and history, so I am so looking forward to this trip.  I also thought I could use some basic Polish skills, so I bought this book.  Now to tackle the pronunciation of words like "wszystko" (everything) and "przepraszam" (excuse me).  Really, this is just feeding into the obsessions with a) books; and b) language learning aids.

3)  I am excited about my Chinese lessons!  For the first couple of months, we were focused on pronunciation and vocabulary, but now I've started learning to read and write.  It's hard... but it's worth it.  Last week at Bible study, I noticed one woman had a dual-language English-Chinese Bible, so I asked her where she bought it.  This week, she brought a new Bible for me!  She said she had some extras at home and was happy to hear I was learning Chinese.  I find it easiest to practice reading when I'm already familiar with the text.

4)  I am excited to spend some time with Gil this weekend!  After the craziness of the last few weeks, I told him that we have to go out and have some fun this weekend.  We are not sure yet what we'll do, but we really need some time to build into our marriage.

5)  I am excited for road tripping with a good friend next week!  But more on that later.  :-)

So now it's your turn:  What are you excited about??