Thursday, September 1, 2011

About Mary

I immigrated to Ontario, Canada from Virginia in December of 2010 to be with my Canadian husband. We met online in April 2002, and I first came to live with him in 2008. For years I had been dreaming of Trevor before I ever met him online, and I had had a burning desire urging me to go north. This desperate urge never ceased until I first came here... and suddenly, it was appeased. Silenced. I don't believe in coincidences.


I lived a very sheltered, overprotected, paranoid and isolated life. First in western New York, then in north-central Kentucky, then in southwest Virginia. Always semi-rural. Always homeschooled. Always kept under lock and key. I was never really able to form a decent relationship with my biological mother, who was my mom's daughter! When I came to Canada, I was able to do things I'd never done before in my life. I saw everything with awe and pleasure, and I still do.


I'm random, unconventional, quizzical, and silly. I'm a self-taught know it all (but I know that I don't really know everything!). I'm learning to not tolerate BS. I'm a wife, mama to five cats and additional foster kittens, novice gardener, crafter, and writer. I love to cook and bake. I'm obsessed with zebra-print and the colour pink. I love glitter and shine. One side of me embraces femininity, while the other is still the tomboy that I was throughout my childhood. I am just as happy in lace and skirts as I am in jeans and skater shoes. I'm learning how to outwardly express what is inside me. It's kind of hard to describe me. Ten years ago I was a stuffy, close-minded girl who was old before her time. Now I'm as open-minded as I can be.


I'm amassing a collection of ebooks before I even get an ereader! I write, and I've been writing since I knew the alphabet but didn't quite know how to form proper sentences on paper. I've drawn since that same early time. I love crafts, DIY projects, and various art mediums. I've started doing custom faceups on dolls and I LOVE it! I'm a coffee fanatic, a city girl, and Canada's passionate lover. I have severe depression and anxiety disorder, but I'm learning how to battle it and live more happily than ever before.


I have been married to my beloved for nearly four years now. We have survived some pretty bad times, only to come out on top. He lets me be the true, crazy me, and he loves me no matter how much I weigh or how moody I get. I firmly believe that he is my soul mate and that we have simply picked up from where we left off in our last lives together.


I also believe that I knew my biological mother in my last life or lives. Probably all of my siblings as well, especially my youngest.


I was raised Christian, although not in any particular denomination. My parents had been raised as strict Catholics. Mom, being of a much older generation, was always much more conservative and staunch in her viewpoints and mindset. However, she had always had a keen interest in Edgar Cayce, aliens, crystals, the existence of Atlantis, and astrology. She firmly believed in reincarnation. She and I used to have the most awesome talks about stuff like that! :)


At this stage of my life, I identify as a Christian Spiritualist who participates in both Unity and Brethren of Christ fellowship, which believe in simple faith and (in the case of the former), healing energies and a Christ-consciousness. I have my biological mother to thank to exposing me to Unity and Christian Spiritualism in 2009. I began a new chapter of my spiritual journey, and at this time I am also somewhat practicing Paganism. I easily get drained by electronic devices; I don't own a mobile and I'm trying to cut down my computer time. I feel my best after recharging and grounding in moonlight or by any large body of water. I love walking in forests and feeling the subtle consciousness of trees.


Lots of people think I'm crazy, sure. Lots of people probably want me to go to hell. Lots of people are probably pissed off that I'm sullying the Old Faiths. But this journey is exciting me to no end. It's what my heart is pulling me to. As a fellow blogger, Aoibheal, stated on her own About page: "I fully believe that spirituality comes from within, not from whatever is impressed and engraved upon you by others."


So that's me in a nutshell :) I hope I haven't scared you off and that you come along with me on my life's winding path!




Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Wee Bit of Me... but it's almost Thursday.



{one} when was the last time you used a pay phone (if ever)?
December 18th of last year. I was flying to Canada to land as a resident, and I missed my connecting flight to Toronto from Dulles Intl. Airport. I freaked out and, after booking the flight for the next morning, went to the pay phone to try and call my husband to tell him what was happening. He had already left, and I couldn't remember the cell phone numbers of our friends that were taking him to the airport, so I called my mom and sister and told them what had happened and that they needed to contact my husband.

{two} did you ever fail a subject in school?
I was homeschooled, so I couldn't fail ANYTHING. But I came close to failing math quite a few times through the years. I HATE HATE HATE math!

{three} where do you go to get your favorite hamburger/cheeseburger?
I'll say the Golden Star, a family-owned restaurant that's pretty famous here in Thornhill.

{four} have you ever served jury duty?
Nope, thank goodness.

{five} how old were you when you moved out of your parents’ house?
Well, I moved out when I was 23, had to move back in when I left Canada, and I officially moved out at 26.

{six} what is your favorite color to wear?
Greys or various shades of pink.

{seven} do you have a pair of shoes that you wear all the time?
I have black sneakers with hot pink details, pink and white soles, and lime green laces. I love them!

{eight} do you enjoy talk radio?
Ugh. Not really.

{nine} if you could turn one unhealthy food into a healthy one, what food would it be?
Why do I have to choose just one?! Ugh... pizza, BK Whoppers, KFC food... I can't choose, simple as that :P

{ten} who is the best speaker you’ve ever heard in person?
I'm really not sure. I've not heard very many in person before.

My First Book Review!

I got it in my head to start doing book reviews! They're not going to be long, nor will they be eloquent. My book reviews will be short, straight to the point, and honest. I try not to include spoilers. I WILL say if I did not like the book.


My Rating System:
1 - Horrible!!
2 - Don't bother with this one.
3 - I feel like I wasted my time on this one.
4 - It was okay. Not horrible, but not good either.
5 - Neutral opinion. I could take it or leave it.
6 - Liked it, but didn't love it.
7 - Good
8 - Very good!
9 - Loved it!!!
10 - LOVED IT!!! Nothing wrong with it that I could see!

Now, on to the book.....


Eternal Kiss of Darkness


Book Details...
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Pages: Paperback, 384 pages
Publish Date: July 27, 2010
Publisher: Avon
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Night Huntress World #2
Tags: Vampires, Ghouls

Book Blurb:
Chicago private investigator Kira Graceling should have just kept on walking. But her sense of duty refused to let her ignore the moans of pain coming from inside a warehouse just before dawn. Suddenly she finds herself in a world she's only imagined in her worst nightmares.

At the center is Mencheres, a breathtaking Master vampire who thought he'd seen it all. Then Kira appears -- this fearless, beautiful... human who braved death to rescue him. Though he burns for her, keeping Kira in his world means risking her life. Yet sending her away is unthinkable.

But with danger closing in, Mencheres must choose either the woman he craves, or embracing the darkest magic to defeat an enemy bent on his eternal desctruction.

First Sentence:
Mencheres smelled blood even before he caught the earthy scent of ghouls clustered on the ground floor of the decrepit warehouse.

Verdict:
This novel was fairly fast-paced and stuck to the plot at hand. That being said, I felt something lacking between Mencheres and Kira. I got the insatiable lust, the attraction, but I felt the later "I love you"'s to be very empty and meaningless. The ending was also abrupt, which was a minor annoyance. It was still an entertaining read and I would like to continue reading Frost's novels!

Liked: The characters and fact-paced storyline
Disliked: Lack of emotional love between Mencheres and Kira.
Favorite Character: Mencheres
Least Favorite Character: Radje (because he's the bad guy!)
Book Cover: 7/10
Writing: 7/10
Characters: 7/10
Plot: 7/10
Ending: 7/10
Overall Rating: 7

Friday, April 29, 2011

Ontario Spring

Wow! Sorry I have been so lax with updating, my friends. We've been getting some crazy weather lately, but I think it's finally warming up for good. It hit 24*C the other day! We had a pretty nasty line of thunderstorms that produced tornadoes move through on the same day. Here are some pics!







Right after I took this pic, my vision was filled with blinding white. I was back indoors before the crack of thunder even happened, LOL


This was after I went back down into our apartment. It was actually beginning to lighten up, here! The wind got up to 110km/h and scared me for a little while as I stared outside. But fortunately we didn't get the worst of it, and the storm moved on after a few minutes.

In other news, I FINALLY got the bank statement I was waiting for. Now I can finally go apply for OHIP and be able to find a doctor :) I'm trying to start up a Scrap 4 Hire business, which will be soon detailed on my digiscrapping blog, and we're fostering a litter of four kittens. Exciting times in the life of a new immigrant, eh? :)

Have a great weekend! Hopefully next weekend I'll have a bit of a review for the Brittania Pub & Grill here in Thornhill, so stay tuned!

Mary

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Toronto Adventures Part 2

Here's the continuation of yesterday's post. I hope you enjoy the photos! They range from Harbourfront and the Queen's Quay shopping centre, the falafel I ate at the food court, Union Station, Dundas Square, and one of the levels of the Eaton Centre.

























Today I did a pretty huge thing. When Trevor left for work, I walked alone to the library and then to Tim Hortons. It was the first time I done either of these things without Trevor, and I didn't feel at all helpless or anxious. My hands were shaking as I paid the girl at Timmies, but as I was walking home with my new books and my delicious double double, I was euphoric. Take that, anxiety disorder!!!

Mary

Monday, April 11, 2011

Toronto Adventures Part 1

Yesterday Trevor, myself, his mom, and her boyfriend went to the ComiCON Annual Fan Appreciation Day convention in downtown Toronto. It was held in the Metro Convention Centre and was supposed to be a small taste of what August's Fan Expo will be like. I had never been to a convention before, and I really enjoyed it! I saw lots of folks (including children) dressed up as various characters, such as anime girls and guys, Doctor Who, Darth Maul, The Flash, Catwoman, etc. I browsed the artist tables several times, watching them draw and trying to decide if I should buy a print or not. I finally ended up buying this one while Trevor bought a really cool Transformers print.

After a couple hours, Trevor's mom and her boyfriend decided to go celebrate their one-year anniversary by going to Lonestar to eat. Wanting to give them some time alone, Trevor declined the offer for us to accompany them, and we went our separate ways. Trevor and I left the building, discovering that the severe thunderstorm weather of that morning had drifted eastward. The air smelled salty and fresh, almost like the ocean. As the clouds cleared and the sun burst forth with blue skies, the temp quickly rose to something like 18*C.

Trevor guided me around, showing me the historic railyard area and letting me take as many photos as I wanted. Then he decided to show me Harbourfront and later Dundas Square, neither of which I had seen before with my own eyes.

I was so excited, I was practically shaking. I felt like a kid being taken to new places. As much as I love Toronto, I've seen so little of it, and there's nothing like spontaneous adventures to get me going. People probably tagged me as a tourist just by how giddy I was! LOL

After we explored Harbourfront, Trevor guided me into the Queen's Quay where we rode a glass elevator to an upper floor to the food court. We sat at a series of big windows overlooking the lake and the boats while we ate gyros and falafel. Then it was off to the subway to go see Dundas Square and the Eaton Centre, both of which I was highly impressed by!

I can't say enough how grateful I am to my husband. He is so sweet... sometimes TOO sweet to me. I wasn't particularly feeling well after the convention because of my anxiety disorder, and Trevor picked up on that and decided to "fix" it. He knew how badly I'd been wanting to explore downtown. Of course, that was just a taste of it and we will explore MUCH more this spring and summer, but we went home with me feeling incredibly satiated and wonderful.

Here are some of the photos I took!

Part of Union Station that connects to the Sky Walk.







































Tomorrow I'll post the rest of the photos from Harbourfront and Dundas Square :)