Rehearsal

I'm rehearsing for a bunch of things right now, a contemporary opera at the end of March, a musical theatre fundraiser/competition and an opera vocal competition.

Tonight we rehearsed for the second one, Showtunes Showdown which is held annually and organized by Tone Cluster. I'm a member of the Orpheus Musical Theatre team.

It felt like a great rehearsal tonight. The numbers are coming together slowly but surely. And I recorded a couple of our songs and they sound pretty awesome.

There is still a ton more work on learning the harmonies, but they sound like we know what we're doing, which is a nice accomplishment.

I love the learning and the rehearsal process...it makes me want to audition for a full show again. I just worry that I'd be taking on too much.

More to come regarding the rehearsing, performances and competitions :)

With Love
~sarah~

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Location:Jackson Ct,Ottawa,Canada

Quinoa (pronounced Key-nuah)

I know...weird topic...but it really does make me happy!

Last week I went to see a naturopath. One of the recommendations she made was to increase my protein intake at breakfast and at lunch. When I was concerned about how to add extra protein every day, my naturopath recommended Quinia. More than that he gave me a list of homework, and one of the items was "experiment with quinoa".

And I have.

And I like it.

Quinoa is a natural grain, reminds me o a round brown rice but has a good deal of protein (for a grain). It's easy to work with and quite versatile.

I whipped some up for dinner tonight using homemade vegetable stock (haha) and then fried it up with some diced veggies in garlic olive oil; onions, peppers, mushrooms and zucchini. Then threw it all on top of a garden salad with homemade oil and vinegar dressing.

Totally versatile and I'm kinda hooked on quinoa! :)

With Love
~sarah~

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Location:Jackson Ct,Ottawa,Canada

Cultural Cafe

What a wonderful event! What a wonderful evening! What a fabulous turnout!

Tonight our school hosted a "Cultural Cafe" for all of the families. It was a potluck, multicultural show and fundraiser. We had some of the students from the local high school perform some traditional dances. All the families who attended paid a small fee and everyone brought food to eat.

Students and families alike were encouraged to wear traditional dress, so many beautiful outfits, countries represented in bright and gorgeous colours. I wore my Stewart dress tartan sash with a rosette that I received on my wedding day.

There was tons food...from pierogies to many varieties of rice dishes...to hummus and salads to pastas and dips. And the desserts, which being off dairy I stayed away, looked glorious!

The thing that I loved the most about the evening...no sorry...it wasn't the food. It was all of these families, these cultures, these differences, all in one place. Our school has so much diversity and tonight it was so beautiful. To see such a great turnout and so much happiness, respect and love from this large school family. It made me very proud to be part of this event and mostly to be a part of this school!

I look forward to more of these events :)

With Love
~sarah~

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Location:Jackson Ct,Ottawa,Canada

Wedding Bells

WooHoo!!!

My baby brother proposed!!!! A wedding is on the way!!!! And his fiancé is awesome...and I get a new sister.

I am truly blessed with such an awesome family, and that awesome family just keeps growing.

My brother actually called me at work yesterday morning from Whistler, BC. I held off this post, because they hadn't announced on Facebook yet, and I was respecting their online privacy (what a world we live in!).

So he called me at work yesterday morning. I almost didn't answer because it was a long distance call and I didn't recognize the area code. Am I ever glad I answered :)

Of course I offered huge congratulations...but me...I'm all about the parties...there's the engagement party, shower, staguette, possibly a stag'n'doe, the rehearsal dinner, and then the big day (and I'm sure I can throw in another reason or two for more parties). My gawd I LOVE weddings and everything about them!!!

I think I love them more now that I've gone through the process myself...I consider myself a pro...and my goodness did I ever love my wedding and all those details.

So...basically...YAY!!!! how can happiness, and love, and weddings not be something to be happy about?!?!? ;)

WooHoo!!! :)

With Love
~sarah~

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Location:Jackson Ct,Ottawa,Canada

Bed

It's such a wonderful feeling to be tucked all cozy into bed. Covers pulled up to the chin. Teeth brushed, face washed, contacts out, radio set and only dreamland laying ahead of you on the horizon. A little moment of heaven. Bedtime. :)

Goodnight. Sweet dreams.

With Love
~sarah~

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Location:Jackson Ct,Ottawa,Canada

A Clean House

Now don't get me wrong...we don't live like slobs...but every so often it's easy for a house this size to kind of get out of control, even if we're only two people. It doesn't take much.

Last week was a very busy and stressful week for me. Weeks like that, not everything gets picked up or put away or thrown out. And it's not so much dirty, as it is disheveled.

We're rushing and need a bandaid, so the first aid basket comes out of the bathroom closet and left on the counter, along with the band aid box left open. And Ian was packing today, so there were his shoes on the bed. And the shoes from my competition are on the kitchen chair. I've got pots soaking in the sink and all the pillows piled up on my throne (part of our couch that I call my throne).

Everything is just in disarray. So we straightened up this afternoon, and I finished up when I got home this evening. And although Ian is out of town on business for a couple of days...and I'm lonely...it's a nice feeling of being in a tidy home.

I look forward to the sleep of the comfortable, a person who knows there's nothing to do (except for the pile of work on my desk!) :)

With Love
~sarah~

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Location:Jackson Ct,Ottawa,Canada

Inventing

Yup, it's basically another blog about the kitchen. Less than 2 full months and this is the third time I've blogged about the kitchen! But I really do love working in the kitchen.

But today's blog is about inventing in the kitchen...inventing and experimenting.

I made cookies for the band's bake sale tomorrow, full of shortening and white floor and white sugar. I didn't have chocolate chips, so I raided my mother's house (for less than 1/2 a cup of chips and then hit Macs milk for some M&Ms...Family Day today, grocery stores closed).

But after I made the unhealthy cookies to raise funds...I wanted to make something healthy. I tried to make healthy cookies...whole wheat flour, brown sugar, rolled oats, applesauce and honey...no fat, no oil, no eggs. They were doughy little piles of delicious...but not really cookies. I had only made a dozen and had a ton of batter left so I sprayed my muffin tins and turned them into muffins instead of cookies.

I have yet to create a healthy cookie...but I've come to the conclusion that if it's healthy, it's probably not a cookie. :). I think I can keep my muffins healthy and my cookies...well...cookies.

After the cookies and muffins, I whipped up a batch of broccoli soup w/ some of my homemade vegetable stock, and a huge pot of quinoa with onions and carrots, for my lunch for the week.

With Love
~sarah~

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Location:Shaw Ct,Ottawa,Canada