I'm sleeping under the dining room table... I've only banged my head a couple of times...
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Salem
Johann and I went a journeying to Salem today. Salem as in witches of. A friend of Johann's, Carly, and her two dogs, Tucker and Lilly, gave us a tour of the town. Carly does the wardrobe for the cirque de soleil, and she grew up near Salem so has the whole history in her head.
Anyway, Salem is fascinating. There were 19 people hanged for witchery in 1692, over 200 were accused, one was pressed to death with stones for refusing to recognise the authority of the court, four died in prison and the youngest person imprisoned was four years old, she was released at the old age of six, but spent the rest of her life in institutions as she went mad as a hatter from the experience. The trials stopped because someone accused the Governor's wife of being a witch. The governor allowed the trial, however no spectral evidence (hearsay and "I had a dream and it was the devil" style stuff) was allowed so of course there were no more hangings due to there being no evidence. Interestingly, after that the governor passed a law ensuring the separation of church and state and the disallowment of spectral evidence in trials - this was later used in writing the bill of rights when the USA was created. All so very interesting. Sorry, I really enjoyed the history of Salem.
It was also a major shipping port without a navy, so there were numerous pirates. The third famous thing about Salem is the author Nathaniel Hawthorne (the direct descendent of the hanging judge in the witch trials - neat hey?) who wrote "the scarlett letter" and "the house of seven gables". So, witches, pirates and literature. Oh yeah, I loved Salem.
We went past a few of the more famous sites, including the harbour where there are tunnels that used to be used for smuggling, the old cemetary with graves from the 17th century, and the old prison which was only shut down in the 1980's due to crimes against humanity. That place was seriously creepy, you wouldn't have been able to convince me to go inside that building for love or money.
Yes, so Salem. Most cool - go there.
Sarah
Anyway, Salem is fascinating. There were 19 people hanged for witchery in 1692, over 200 were accused, one was pressed to death with stones for refusing to recognise the authority of the court, four died in prison and the youngest person imprisoned was four years old, she was released at the old age of six, but spent the rest of her life in institutions as she went mad as a hatter from the experience. The trials stopped because someone accused the Governor's wife of being a witch. The governor allowed the trial, however no spectral evidence (hearsay and "I had a dream and it was the devil" style stuff) was allowed so of course there were no more hangings due to there being no evidence. Interestingly, after that the governor passed a law ensuring the separation of church and state and the disallowment of spectral evidence in trials - this was later used in writing the bill of rights when the USA was created. All so very interesting. Sorry, I really enjoyed the history of Salem.
It was also a major shipping port without a navy, so there were numerous pirates. The third famous thing about Salem is the author Nathaniel Hawthorne (the direct descendent of the hanging judge in the witch trials - neat hey?) who wrote "the scarlett letter" and "the house of seven gables". So, witches, pirates and literature. Oh yeah, I loved Salem.
We went past a few of the more famous sites, including the harbour where there are tunnels that used to be used for smuggling, the old cemetary with graves from the 17th century, and the old prison which was only shut down in the 1980's due to crimes against humanity. That place was seriously creepy, you wouldn't have been able to convince me to go inside that building for love or money.
Yes, so Salem. Most cool - go there.
Sarah
Photos - Canada
Lizz & Me!
Adrian & Me
Me & Lizz' brother, Ben
Ryan & Lizz
The horse and buggy warning sign
Me & Marg
Oh Canada
Right now is probably not the right moment for me to be writing this as I have finally succumbed to the illness my brother Stephen and then Lizz were trying to infect me with. Yay for Johann who gets to put up with sick Sarah...
So, Canada. It is big, it is pretty. Only I didn't leave southern Ontario...
My flight out of LA was delayed by three hours (I can assure you, LA airport really loses it's appeal after a few hours) but I made friends with a lady at the bar, and tried not to laugh at the outrageous American accents I could hear around me (I'd just come off a twelve hour flight with no sleep - my political correctness skills were somewhat lacking I fear...).
Lizz and her mate Ryan collected me at the airport in Toronto and I made illogical and often un-interpretable comments from the back seat on the drive back to Kitchener (Lizz' home town, that's really a city but town sounds so much cuter). Lizz woke me up at 1pm the next day, I think I needed a bit of a sleep...
I joined Lizz while she looked after the twins, Ben and Alex. They are adorable. We played dinosaur monopoly and danced to funky music (well, the boys danced, I watched) while Lizz did laundry.
As Lizz was working I had much fun wandering around Kitchener taking photos of the outrageously cute houses! I want to move here, this place is spectacular. Lizz works at a theatre called Theatre & Company, and I went to see a show on Friday night - "Barefoot in the Park" by Neil Simon. Adrian (another house guest at Lizz' place who bakes (yay!) and taught me how to do cryptic crosswords - thanks Adrian!) played the male lead and it was all very entertaining. Oh, I got to have some more Sleeman's Honey Brown that I'd been craving ever since I left Canada four years ago!
This is a bit haphazard, apologies. I also went and saw another show with Lizz that her friend Ryan was in - he did a magic act! I haven't seen magic in years, I was most entertained. We saw some old order Menonites in their horse and buggies too. I was a bit too embarrassed to take a photo though so I got a photo of the warning sign that there are horse and buggies about...
Lizz is wonderful, I had a marvellous time in Canada and thanks! Much love to Lizz, her Mum Marg, her siblings Ben and Bek and of course to my cryptic crossword champion, Adrian. Take care all!
Love Sarah
Ah, almost forgot! Lizz gave me my first ever manicure... I feel most girly and pretty...
So, Canada. It is big, it is pretty. Only I didn't leave southern Ontario...
My flight out of LA was delayed by three hours (I can assure you, LA airport really loses it's appeal after a few hours) but I made friends with a lady at the bar, and tried not to laugh at the outrageous American accents I could hear around me (I'd just come off a twelve hour flight with no sleep - my political correctness skills were somewhat lacking I fear...).
Lizz and her mate Ryan collected me at the airport in Toronto and I made illogical and often un-interpretable comments from the back seat on the drive back to Kitchener (Lizz' home town, that's really a city but town sounds so much cuter). Lizz woke me up at 1pm the next day, I think I needed a bit of a sleep...
I joined Lizz while she looked after the twins, Ben and Alex. They are adorable. We played dinosaur monopoly and danced to funky music (well, the boys danced, I watched) while Lizz did laundry.
As Lizz was working I had much fun wandering around Kitchener taking photos of the outrageously cute houses! I want to move here, this place is spectacular. Lizz works at a theatre called Theatre & Company, and I went to see a show on Friday night - "Barefoot in the Park" by Neil Simon. Adrian (another house guest at Lizz' place who bakes (yay!) and taught me how to do cryptic crosswords - thanks Adrian!) played the male lead and it was all very entertaining. Oh, I got to have some more Sleeman's Honey Brown that I'd been craving ever since I left Canada four years ago!
This is a bit haphazard, apologies. I also went and saw another show with Lizz that her friend Ryan was in - he did a magic act! I haven't seen magic in years, I was most entertained. We saw some old order Menonites in their horse and buggies too. I was a bit too embarrassed to take a photo though so I got a photo of the warning sign that there are horse and buggies about...
Lizz is wonderful, I had a marvellous time in Canada and thanks! Much love to Lizz, her Mum Marg, her siblings Ben and Bek and of course to my cryptic crossword champion, Adrian. Take care all!
Love Sarah
Ah, almost forgot! Lizz gave me my first ever manicure... I feel most girly and pretty...
Friday, September 22, 2006
Photos from NZ - North Island
Robert (my older brother) and his girlfriend Kimmi in Auckland.
Stephen, Lyn (Mum's sister), Nana and Gerry (Lyn's husband) after dinner at the RSA.
Steve balancing six-month old Ethan on his lap (Ethan is our cousin Toni Pawson's baby)
Stephen demonstrating how much taller he is than Nana.
Tina's boys and their chickens - Jack, Jarrod and Andy
Stephen scared the lambs away... I had nothing to do with it, I swear!
All the cousins - Jack, Stephen, Andy, Jarrod, me and baby Amy
Cousin Tina with her daughter Amy and Stephen in the background.
My lovely cousins Fiona and Toni (not the one with the baby, don't stress). Oh, and girls, one of the boys over here in Canada was complaining that he wants good looking cousins like mine!
The gang. Back row: Stephen, Grandad, Nana Peggy, me, Fiona. Front Row: Toby the man hating dog, Toni, Jack the overly excited dog, Sharyn and her baby, Hamish.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Photos from NZ - South Island
Lovely family - Shelley, Andy, Sam and Jack
The family portrait - Uncle Ray, me, Stephen and Uncle Frank (did I mention that they're actually great-uncles? My dad's father is the middle brother)
While we were staying with Ray & Linda. L-R Stephen, Peter (Ray & Linda's grandson, therefore my second cousin), Aunt Linda, me and Uncle Ray.
Stephen's salmon looks a lot like Stephen...
Andy's 7.5 pound trout, hard won prize. Stephen helped by netting it - all most exciting
My salmon - it was kind of icky to hold it - and incidentally, salmon have fascinating teeth.
Shelley proudly displaying her rainbow trout
Saturday, September 16, 2006
New Zealand
Dear All,
I hope you're all well, enjoying work and all that... I'm enjoying being on holidays - I really do recommend it! (hehehe).
I've been in New Zealand for the last week with my younger brother, Stephen. Strangely I didn't get pulled aside and strip searched when we arrived in Christchurch - every other time I've entered this country I've been searched (once I had to take my shoes off...). We went down to Lake Benmore on the first weekend and my uncle took us fishing. The south island of New Zealand is so incredibly spectacular! I just cannot get over how much there is down here - I reckon we should plan a top to bottom trek of the south island some time - I reckon we could fit in some skiing and some ridiculous acts of insane activity (like bungee jumping).. okay, this is supposed to be what Sarah has done, not what Sarah wants to do...
So, Andy and Shelley took us to Lake Benmore and we went fishing. I caught a fish! I know, who'd have thunk it? Stephen caught two - oh, and we went on three separate outings in the boat, the only one the womble did not accompany us on we didn't catch any fish. Andy reckons that if they catch no fish next time they go out, I should send him a part of the womble for luck - don't worry Dan, I won't amputate anything from the womble!!
In Christchurch we stayed with our great aunt and uncle, Ray and Linda - who are lovely. We managed to catch up with a healthy serving of family on the south island, including two other great uncles and one great aunt. We also had Andy's boys, Jack and Sam around to Ray and Linda's for dinner on the Tuesday night - only so they could spend the evening with the womble of course. Jack finally beat me at cards (grumble grumble) but I think I still have more wins overall (muwahahaha!). Does that seem strange, me being so competitive against a nine year old boy?
Anyway, we've done more family visiting in Auckland - I finally met my older brother's girlfriend, Kimmi, who is lovely. Nana is so wonderful and little! Stephen did some gardening for her - we need to catch up for living in another country you see.
Down to Hamilton to see Dad's sister's family and our other grandparents. It was marvellous to catch up with everyone - and I still insist that Sharyn is the bad influence on me, I'd never drink that much gin and tonic on my own... Oh, and Fiona (my cousin) is a bad influence on Stephen, however he now knows the rhyme: Whisky after beer is risky... lesson learned hey steve?
Okay, so, back in Auckland and at the airport, about to set off to Canada. Hope you're all well and healthy and the sun is shining in a most friendly manner.
Take care!
Love Sarah
I hope you're all well, enjoying work and all that... I'm enjoying being on holidays - I really do recommend it! (hehehe).
I've been in New Zealand for the last week with my younger brother, Stephen. Strangely I didn't get pulled aside and strip searched when we arrived in Christchurch - every other time I've entered this country I've been searched (once I had to take my shoes off...). We went down to Lake Benmore on the first weekend and my uncle took us fishing. The south island of New Zealand is so incredibly spectacular! I just cannot get over how much there is down here - I reckon we should plan a top to bottom trek of the south island some time - I reckon we could fit in some skiing and some ridiculous acts of insane activity (like bungee jumping).. okay, this is supposed to be what Sarah has done, not what Sarah wants to do...
So, Andy and Shelley took us to Lake Benmore and we went fishing. I caught a fish! I know, who'd have thunk it? Stephen caught two - oh, and we went on three separate outings in the boat, the only one the womble did not accompany us on we didn't catch any fish. Andy reckons that if they catch no fish next time they go out, I should send him a part of the womble for luck - don't worry Dan, I won't amputate anything from the womble!!
In Christchurch we stayed with our great aunt and uncle, Ray and Linda - who are lovely. We managed to catch up with a healthy serving of family on the south island, including two other great uncles and one great aunt. We also had Andy's boys, Jack and Sam around to Ray and Linda's for dinner on the Tuesday night - only so they could spend the evening with the womble of course. Jack finally beat me at cards (grumble grumble) but I think I still have more wins overall (muwahahaha!). Does that seem strange, me being so competitive against a nine year old boy?
Anyway, we've done more family visiting in Auckland - I finally met my older brother's girlfriend, Kimmi, who is lovely. Nana is so wonderful and little! Stephen did some gardening for her - we need to catch up for living in another country you see.
Down to Hamilton to see Dad's sister's family and our other grandparents. It was marvellous to catch up with everyone - and I still insist that Sharyn is the bad influence on me, I'd never drink that much gin and tonic on my own... Oh, and Fiona (my cousin) is a bad influence on Stephen, however he now knows the rhyme: Whisky after beer is risky... lesson learned hey steve?
Okay, so, back in Auckland and at the airport, about to set off to Canada. Hope you're all well and healthy and the sun is shining in a most friendly manner.
Take care!
Love Sarah
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
6 days in
Quick post... possibly.
In Auckland, fished at Lake Benmore, caught a salmon, didn`t eat it but the extended family did... no more time, will post soon! Sarah
In Auckland, fished at Lake Benmore, caught a salmon, didn`t eat it but the extended family did... no more time, will post soon! Sarah
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Monday, September 04, 2006
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