My Secret Friend

For the past week the staff at work have been doing a "Secret Friend" (like secret Santa, but at Valentine's Day instead of Christmas). And all I have to say is...what fun!

It's nice because when you take part you both are a secret friend and you have a secret friend. Every day you give your secret friend a little something and then on the last day you get them something a little bigger.

I started off giving some yummy chocolate and sea salt covered caramels...while I received a scratch'n'win ticket and a great little plant...green with pink on the leaves...LOL perfect for me.

Day two I made mini-chocolate chip cookies which I put in a little heart tin, with some measuring spoons. I got an adorable frame surrounded in pearls...which I promptly printed one of my wedding photos and filled.

Day three, I made muffins...and gave them in a heart shaped basket, with some measuring cups (baking was a bit of a theme) and I received two champagne flutes, beautifully wrapped and filled with candy.

Day 4 I gave a little treasure box filled with silky cocoa covered truffles and I received a couple of chocolates and fizzy bath bomb.

Today was the last day and I gave a bottle of wine, and received one in turn.

All in all it was a wonderful week of fun gifts and gift giving. I LOVE baking, but hate having it in the house making me eat it all, so this was a great way to get some baking done with no eating problems.

I also baked a large batch of valentines smartie cookies for the office. :). They love my cookies.

To top off the perfect secret friend week, my husband surprised me with flowers and lunch and lovely new thermoses.

I love happiness :)

With Love
~sarah~

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Location:Jackson Ct,Ottawa,Canada

Connecting

Three couples, six friends got together tonight for the first time in a long time.

Short but sweet...it's been too long and having the six of us (plus one) get together was wonderful. I love when we're all able to get together and share food and laughter and love :)

It's a moment of pure joyousness ;) a reason for being. Thank you.

With Love
~sarah~

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Location:Jackson Ct,Ottawa,Canada

Life, the Universe, and Everything

Nope, I'm not talking about a Douglas Adams novel...I'm talking about the power, depth and joy that comes from an 8 hour discussion with one of my oldest and closest friends.

On Saturday night I stayed up until past the wee hours of the morning on Sunday having a heartfelt conversation with a friend with whom in the past few years I haven't spent much time.

We opened our minds and our hearts. We talked about things that meant a great deal to us, we challenged each other, we supported each other and I know I said things I haven't thought about in a long time.

We talked about love, family, friends, life and God. We both opened our hearts and connected on a spiritual level. I saw a side of my friend that I knew existed but had never had the pleasure of being a part.

I thank her for opening my heart and my head. And I thank God, the Universe and Everything :)

With Love
~sarah~

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Friends

Yes, of course friends will probably be a reoccurring theme here, seeing as they're always making me happy. :) That's what friends are for.

Last night was a bit of an emotionally rough time for me. Yup even I, the positive, happy, eternally optimistic, has bad times too. Last night was one of those moments.

And then dab smack in the middle of my blubbering my phone bings the high pitch tone of a text message coming through and there smiling up at me are the words and a happy face emoticon from a friend who hopes I'm doing alright. She's freaky-crazy like that. Her timing couldn't have been more perfect.

Don't get me wrong, Ian was with me an comforting me and saying all of the right things, but the text came in at just the right moment and in her wonderfully serious and silly way, she cheered me up, pretty much by distracting me, Which was exactly what I needed.

I am so very blessed to have so many wonderfully awesome girlfriends, I couldn't be luckier. :).

Thank you to all of my friends who I love so dearly for their love, support, laughter, tears, concern, attention, and just plain silliness!

And thank you Jamie...sorry for right f*ckin with your head! LOL :)

With Love
~sarah~

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Location:Kanata,Canada

Boardgames

I love playing boardgames! :)

I can't think of a boardgame that I've played that I didn't like or wouldn't play again. I love to learn new boardgames. I also love winning! :)

Tonight we played a favourite, Catan, and learned a new one, Funglish. Both are great games. I find Catan addictive and a ton of fun. Funglish was neat and makes you think.

The other great thing about boardgames is that you play them with people, friends. You laugh, make things up, tell jokes, create inside stories, share strategy.

Tonight we got together with an old friend and made a new friend, we ate a lot, played a little and laughed a lot.

Thank you boardgames for another fabulous and entertaining night!

With Love
~sarah~

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Location:Rue Laval,Hull,Canada

Deliciousness

This evening a friend of mine left her baby with our husbands and off we went seeking cheese, charcuterie and wine.

We ventured a walk through the Byward Market in Ottawa. It was an understandably quiet Saturday night with the cold and snow.

We ended at a lovely spot, at 1 York Street, called Play Food and Wine. The place was packed when we arrived, shortly after 8, and us without a reservation. No worries, there was room upstairs at the kitchen bar; comfortable bar chairs at a high bar like area over-looking the open concept kitchen. AWESOME!

It was very warm, but no complaints from me on a cold winter's night. Smiles were fired off by the kitchen staff as we sat down. The Sous-Chef was putting plates of delicious looking food along the edge and I jokingly asked if he would just keeping putting food up their for us to eat all evening? :) It all looked delicious.

Both of us already having eaten dinner decided it would be best to stick with charcuterie and cheeses. We ordered some wine and then for the next 3 hours sat and drank and talked.

What a fabulous way to spend a Saturday night and what an amazing place in which to do it! Watching and smelling the marvelous food all night while enjoying the company of a great friend, I couldn't have asked for a better time.

I could go on and on raving about the restaurant...but instead of wasting your time with my words...I suggest instead that you check it out yourself http://www.playfood.ca you won't regret it!

I look forward to heading back their soon with my husband, to try the myriad of wonderful dishes I watched come out of the kitchen! I hope they don't change the menu too soon...because I already know what I want to try! :)

With Love
~sarah~

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Being the It for Others

Last night at my Weight Watchers meeting I ran into someone I hadn't seen in 17 years, she was at the meeting with her sister. Not only had we known each other many years ago, but I discovered that she had also known my singing teacher many yeas ago. In talking with her and her sister I realized we knew a lot of people in common including the director of the local musical theatre production. Her sister mentioned how impressed and blown away the director was with the voice of one of the new singers when he'd first heard her at the audition. And my old friend talked about my singing teacher and the pleasure of all of their years working on the stage together.

Tonight at rehearsal I spoke with my singing teacher and upon mentioning her old friend, her face lit up. So happy that she had remembered her and how wonderful things had been back then. She was just so happy that I talked to her and had so many questions about how she's doing...I will be passing the love back at my meeting next week.

Then I was chatting with one of the other students during rehearsal. She was talking about the new musical production she was in, and how it was her first show with the company. She said she was a little nervous and really excited. When she told me the part she was playing I realized that she was the singer with whom the director had been so impressed. So I told her what I'd heard. She was just tickled pink and humble, almost bashful.

In a matter of moments I'd made two people very happy and in passing along that happiness in turn it made me very happy too :)

With Love
~sarah~

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Location:Ross Ave,Ottawa,Canada