Jactopia 2016!

Can you believe we have been doing the "topia's" twice a year since 2004??!!??
I was super excited this year because Laura and Vicki were coming on Thursday night!!!! I always book the Thursday, Friday and Monday off work. Thursday usually for cleaning and preparation and Monday for recuperation!!!!! When I go to bed at 9-930 during the week.....staying up till 230-300 on the weekend certainly catches up to me by Monday.

I got the goodie bags all pack and ready to go with a little help...well maybe not so much help from Lincoln!

It was so fun to have a full house this year! I had Vicki, Laura, Jenn, Tami, Kim, Donna, Mum, Sharon, and Me!!!! And Jade and Joe made cameo appearances throughout the weekend as well. "Little" Joel didn't make it home though....not sure when I am going to see him again.....if he's reading this....it really should be sooner than later.........

I was happy to have Sharon join us this year! We try and get together and stamp whenever we can, but life gets in the way of the fun stuff sometimes. But she made it for a little while and she got to meet my girls! And I think she got a good start on her Christmas cards too!

We had a ton of food to eat and the only picture I took was the one of the baked spaghetti!!! 

We also had pork tenderloin, butternut squash, potato casserole and salad. Loads of bread, buns, meat and cheese for sandwiches for lunches with a side of my Bacon Potato Chowder. Tami made a delish cheese ball (mental note to self...make sure I share all the good looking recipes on Facebook with Tami cause she'll make them for me!!!!) Sharon brought a delicious light creamy dessert..it was soooo good! Chips, cheesies, cinnamon buns, chocolate, chocolate covered sponge toffee, jelly beans, ju jubes.....basically you name it...we had it ....oh and Wine..there was Wine..always Wine!
I did actually manage to get a card made!!! YES only one....I worked all bloody day on this other one that I just could not figure out...so I am going to tweak it the way I think it should be made! I did get the stuff coloured and cut out to make 7 more of these cards so that doesn't sound so bad!

It takes quite a while to stamp and then colour and then cut out all those little boots, and flowers and umbrellas and clouds. So just think...if you get one of these in the mail from me....you are pretty darn special!!! haha

When I went on my bus trip with Mum at the beginning of this month, we stopped at Crossroads in Elmira for lunch. They have this BEAUTIFUL gift shop in the building and I managed to find the perfect napkins for this weekend!!

We had a really full house considering when Jade moved back home she brought along her 3 cats and a fish. So along with my 2 cats and dog....we had quite the "crazy animal house" this weekend!!!
Believe it or not they were all very well behaved and wanted to be involved as much as possible.

We also had a little jewellery party..er social too!!! Vicki is a Magnolia and Vine consultant and Jennifer just recently signed up under her, so I figured I would help them out....and get some purdy jewellery at the same time. I love how you can just get a base piece of jewellery and then swap out the snaps to match your clothes or your mood or whatever you choose. Love this stuff!

 This is the satellite pendant base - which I will be getting very shortly!! I love it.

 This is another shot of a pretty necklace

 And another beautiful piece see how it looks different based on the snap you choose!!!!

 Here's Tami and Mum looking through the book!

 The girls sportin' some Magnolia and Vine!

 I'm getting this guy too!!!! The bottom ring is the base piece and the top ring is the piece with a snap!

There are also cute toques and finger less mitts you can add snaps to as well!

One year we were even lucky to have Diana join us for one of the topia's so we always keep her around in spirit.

We also missed these 3 this year. This nasty cold bug that has been going around, put these guys out of commission for a bit.

 

We always take a picture before everyone goes. I wish we had of done it on Saturday cause we would have got Sharon in the picture, but the weather was pretty crappy this weekend. It was a good weekend to be in the house!

I love my girls and am so very happy and blessed to have each and every one of them in my life.

Chow for now,

Jacqui

 

Marathon of Hope The Musical - The Terry Fox Story

Well done Drayton Entertainment and Alex Mustakas, well done.

The moment I saw this performance mentioned, I wanted to see it. Let's face it, it's about Terry Fox, so it immediately piqued my interest. Then I thought how are they going to do this as a musical. I was a little anxious as we entered the theatre. I didn't want to be disappointed. Well I certainly was NOT. My eyes were wet from the moment I started reading the program, and the performance hadn't even started yet. 

The flood of emotions this performance brought back remembering where I was when this happened and where I was when that happened was overwhelming.  The REAL van that Terry had for his marathon was in the production.

I walked out the door, got myself fairly composed, and headed to the bus to head home. As I sat in my seat one of the elderly ladies who was on the bus with us, leaned over to my Mom and said, "and I'm 90".....it just makes you think about how crazy this life is we live. How one young man can touch so many people and be taken away so young at the age of 22 and how others are blessed with 90+ years. 

Nathan Carroll did a fantastic job of portraying Terry. 

When the spotlight was in a certain spot and you saw his shadow on the highway, you would have sworn it was Terry. 
It was interesting to hear how the various towns in Canada did or did not in some cases, welcome Terry and support his dream.

If you have the chance to go and see this show.....GO...you will be so glad you did.
 
We are so very blessed to have the Drayton Entertainment group of theatres in our communities. They bring such wonderful productions and talent to us all. 

And I'll have to admit a little highlight of our day was seeing Alex Mustakas. 

He came up into the theatre along the Orchestra section where my mom and I were sitting, and my mom and I recognized him right away, so we said hello. He graciously said hello back, (but I bet he was thinking who were those sobbing women saying hello to me!) Well Alex, those sobbing women were two women who are so happy you have such vision and create such wonderful entertainment for us all. Thank you so much. (we should talk !!! I have an idea for a show!!!!!!)

Chow for now, 
Jacqui