Lots of people to thank today! Our newest members: mothergoose3 and the video, "He Caught it", and our other new member kattraxx. And finally, 2 more albums from our CHAMPION album maker Topspeed! So glad to have all of these new additions to Canada's West group. Cheers. Babbo

As Father’s Day rolls around every year, my thoughts naturally turn to my old man, who passed away more than a decade ago. Bill George--Billy to most--was the consummate father to me as I was growing up in the 60s and 70s.  Back then, a mother’s “place” was in the home and the father was the breadwinner--a role that suited Dad to a “T.”  He put in 35 years at Bell Canada--as an installer, repairman and foreman--and, more often than not, logged more overtime than my mother could handle. “I’m raising these kids alone,” was a common refrain my sisters and I would overhear upon Dad’s late-night return from handling the latest crisis in keeping Montreal’s phone lines humming. But as Mom appreciated (and we did, too), Dad’s work ethic and family-first mentality not only kept food on the table, clothes on our backs and a roof over our heads, they provided us with a whole range of extras such as a country place to spend our summers; an annual family road trip to great places such as ...

My husband enjoys listening to NPR (National Public Radio) and then telling me about some of the more interesting tidbits he hears. This week’s choice nugget had me laughing so hard I had to share it.There’s a book out called Sports from Hell by Rick Reilly, and I guarantee that you’ve never heard anything like this.I scrolled through a transcript of the interview on NPR and chose my top three favourite wacky sports. The first is called chess boxing. Chess boxing is exactly what it sounds like: Two guys get into the ring and begin boxing. At the bell, another guy brings in a waterproof chessboard. Each boxer removes one glove and makes their move as quickly they can, then they resume boxing. Of course as this continues the board becomes spattered with sweat and yes, blood. They also become so loopy they can’t remember which way the chess pieces move. My second choice is a single hole of golf in New Mexico, that is—wait for it—three miles long. You tee off the top of a mountain and appa...

Even though my team didn’t make it into the Stanley Cup finals, I ended up watching every game of the showdown between Philly and Chicago. Although the series will never, ever be remembered as a “classic,” it did provide for some compelling television viewing. Once they got going, those young guns on the Blackhawks were a joy to watch. And I’ve never seen a goaltending duel quite like the one put on display here.  It wasn’t a case of watching all the great saves being made, because those were few and far in between, it was more a morbid fascination with seeing how the puck would end up in the net this time.  More often than not, the game came down to a  case of “last shot wins.” Sheeesh. I also loved watching Pronger take a pounding at every turn; admittedly, he’s a solid defenceman, but, wow, what a cry baby! It wasn’t logging all that ice time, or absorbing so many bodychecks that wore Pronger down in the end--it was all his yapping at the ref. Loathe as I am to admit it, because of ...

Hazel Johnston, not an easy women to surprise; or so we thought.  Our Grandmother wanted to plan a simple little get together for her 75th birthday.  Little did she know my mother had already booked a hall and had started to plan a big bash for her.  We had to let grandma know that we were planning something.  We later found out she thought it would be just family at my brothers home... boy did we surprise her.Hazel was joined by nearly 100 people, including friends, family and acquaintances from over the years, many who travelled hundreds of kilometers from all over Ontario to celebrate this special day with her.The wonderful conversation, music, company and beautiful cake were enjoyed by all and gave my grandmother a birthday bash she will never forget.

Thanks to TopSpeed for his 2 new albums. Babbo

The FIFA World Cup being held in South Africa, begins today and will continue for an entire month. I don’t normally follow soccer (or football as it’s called in the rest of the world) but there’s something about this global spectacle—that only takes place every four years—that draws me in. Unlike other sporting events that call themselves “world championships” such as the World Series of baseball (that features all American and one Canadian team in the entire league) this event truly is international. And Canadians aren’t deterred from following the action, because even though we don’t have a national team of our own, most people simply embrace the country of their ancestors. Here in my hometown of Montreal, there will be more international flags then you can shake a stick (or a flagpole) at, flying from balconies and cars over the next few weeks: England, Italy, Portugal, France; the list goes on and on. In my house, we’ll be rooting for England (birthplace of my hubby) but across tow...

Thanks to TopSpeed for his latest album!

The gingham dog and the calico catSide by side on the table sat;'T was half-past twelve, and (what do you think!)Nor one nor t' other had slept a wink!      The old Dutch clock and the Chinese plate      Appeared to know as sure as fateThere was going to be a terrible spat.            (I was n't there; I simply state            What was told to me by the Chinese plate!)The gingham dog went "Bow-wow-wow!"And the calico cat replied "Mee-ow!"The air was littered, an hour or so,With bits of gingham and calico,      While the old Dutch clock in the chimney-place      Up with its hands before its face,For it always dreaded a family row!            (Now mind: I 'm only telling you         ...

Intrigue at the Salon“Life is an endless struggle full of frustrations and challenges, but eventually you find a hair stylist you like.”Like most women, I’m particular about my hair: cut, colour, general upkeep etc. and part of the deal is finding and keeping a good hairdresser. But what happens when the bloom is off the rose, and you become disillusioned with your hair-care provider? I had dinner with a girlfriend the other night and she’d recently had her hair done. When I commented on how nice I thought it looked, she lamented that the colour was too light and the stylist hadn’t cut enough off. As it turns out, she has two different girls at the same salon—one whom she lets colour but not cut her hair and the other whom she lets do the cut but not the colour. Being unhappy with their latest efforts she was thinking of switching their roles, but how to accomplish that without any blood being spilled? Overly dramatic you say? Read on.I had the same hairdresser for years, and was prett...