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Other Interests
Laughter is DEFINITELY Number One - love that Comedy Network!
What else I love
My pets
My family consists of three furry
"children":
Tess, a cute and very affectionate 14-year old beagle cross
and "special needs" dog who thinks - no, knows
- she's human,
Tango, an adorable 15-year old cat with lots of attitude,
and Lucky, a handsome 14-year old lab/border collie cross who joined us
in January 2004, rescued from a home that didn't want him.
How do they get along, you ask??? Hmmm
.....
Actually, they're pretty good. They were all rescued from
desperate situations, and show their appreciation in their own ways.
My dear old lady Gioia, a beautiful 19-year old
collie mix whose gentleness and loyalty was always overwhelming, passed
away in November 2003. She is sorely missed, and forever remembered.
To read my tribute posted to her on the www.petloss.com website, please follow
this link (you might want to grab a kleenex first): My
Tribute to Gioia
As to what our dogs teach us about life, check
out the text of a terrific greeting card I received from a friend and her
seeing-eye dog companion:
All
I Need to Know About Life I Learned from Being a Dog Lover
Those of you who are blessed with canine companions
will understand totally!
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Music/theatre
Being a performer myself and a lover of the arts, my
favourite night out is one that includes live performances: a musical,
concert,
play, some jazz or blues. It's the next best thing to being up
there on stage myself! There is something magic about a live
performance - about real live people pouring out their energy and emotions to
all who are present.
CNIB Library/Recording Studio
The CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind)
does amazing work for the visually impaired of our country. One of their
foremost offerings is the many 'talking books' they provide for their clients.
These books are all made possible by the narrating and monitoring work of many
volunteers. I've been one of those volunteers for several years now, and
count myself fortunate to be a part of something so important.
For
anyone who is interested, you can find out more on CNIB's website (link
below). They audition each recording studio volunteer for acceptance,
and also require a minimum 2-year commitment to doing one regular shift each
week, given the time spent by their staff to train each new volunteer.
The orientation session presented by the CNIB for new volunteers in any area
is also highly beneficial towards understanding the challenges faced by the
visually impaired on a daily basis, and how those of us who are (supposedly)
more 'sighted' can help in positive ways. I learned a lot that day as I
was walked around the room while wearing special glasses that distorted my
vision and gave me a momentary glimpse into what life is like for those whose
vision is impaired, let alone those with no sight whatsoever. So helping
create 'talking books' for the CNIB Library is really a joy.
 Volunteering
at the CNIB
(link)
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Travel
Travel has always been a great source of enjoyment
for me - seeing new places, meeting new people, experiencing other cultures.
Some best-loved spots:
Vienna (my favourite city in the entire world)...
The spectacular Vienna Opera House
and the nearby Alpine areas of Austria, Germany and Switzerland...
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Anywhere in the tropics, with sandy beaches and crashing waves (like Mexico, St.
Lucia and the Bahamas) ... Have I mentioned how much I love swimming??
Australia - in particular the city of Sydney...
and the Great Barrier Reef...,
The Canadian Rockies and our beautiful West Coast (especially Vancouver
Island),
and our rugged East Coast, particularly Newfoundland.
And now having said all that, I must confess to being
pretty much a 'stay-at-home mom' with my pets these days. Good thing I
did all that traveling when I did!
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