Tuesday, I am grateful...

...for going home for a little holiday.

I miss my family and old friends. I miss seeing the stars at night and the occasional northern lights. I miss the sunsets of the prairies and how the sky and land makes me feel free.

I hate leaving my dog. I know he is in good hands but I still don't like being apart from him. It makes me terribly sad. Toshio has certainly made Montreal feel much more like HOME.

I probably won't have the time or internet connection to post gratitude entries. Unless my parents' neighbors have their wireless not very secure or I make my way to the library. We shall see. Don't be alarmed if there are no posts! It just means that I'm having a lovely time and don't want to spend it in front of a computer!

Monday, I am grateful...

...for spending the day with my two favorite people in the world.

Sunday, I am grateful...

...for having the bed to myself on a lazy Sunday morning. Here's to sleeping like a starfish!

Saturday, I am grateful...

In lieu of photograph, today I will be posting a link to a website I found on Saturday.

As I was surfing the internet with help of Firefox's StumbleUpon, I came across a wonderful non-profit organization called The Mother Bear Project.

The Mother Bear Project invites knitters and crocheters to create a teddy bear (you can buy the pattern off their website) for children from struggling nations who have HIV/AIDS. I was very touched by this idea - the comfort of a teddy bear for a child - and ordered the pattern right away. I will admit, my knitting skills are not that great but I'll make a trial run at it and see what happens.

Please, crafty friends, go to the website now!

Friday, I am grateful...

...for tea with new friends.

Nope, I do not have a photo of my tea set. Or even a mug. Note to self - upload photos soon!

Thursday, I am grateful...

...for finally getting my chance to see my favorite musician of all time - Mr. Leonard Cohen.

Yes, this post has been a long time coming. I saw him in June so it might be old news to some of you. However, I am still grateful for seeing him even after a few months. All I could say is "le sigh"!

Of course, if I could go back in time, I would prefer to have seen Leonard Cohen back in the late 60's or 70's. I ended up getting into Leonard Cohen after his last show in Winnipeg - my guess would be back in 1993. I always said, if ever I get the chance to see him it would have to be in his hometown of Montreal. Who would have thought I would end up living in his hometown! It worked out perfectly.

The night was lovely. It was something else, something magical, to finally hear his voice and see him sing right before my very eyes. It sent shivers across my skin. I didn't care too much for his back-up musicians but the man himself was wonderful! It was a perfect summer night, as well. People were out celebrating the beginnings of the Jazz Fest. He was very humble on stage and you could tell that he was very happy to play in his home city. Outside of the theatre, there were spotlights shining on all the buildings around the venue - one of young Leonard's face, one of him now, and another that had his lyrics written on the wall of the building. It was wonderful. Simply wonderful!

Wednesday, I am grateful...

...for my absolutely delightful dog Toshio, who makes me laugh even when I am feeling under the weather.

This would have been a more appropriate picture for Friday's cheesecake post. I took this photo right after it arrived, as Toshio was licking his chops under the (very messy) table.

Toshio is such a strange dog but he makes me laugh. He's become fond of the mailman and other such delivery people (unless I am home alone as he gets overprotective of me and shows his scary bark). When the mailman or courier is dropping off a package, he gets excited and yips at the door. The mailman recognizes him now and breaks the news to him, "it's not for you, Fido", in a rough French accent and a laugh. He'll poke his nose at the box until you open it. He'll sit like an angel, expecting there to be treats or toys for him in the package. My mom's gift packages usually contain something of that nature for her furry grandchild. Somehow, he got the idea in his head that every package must contain a toy and a treat. It must!

Needless to say, he totally thought the cheesecake was for him!