Puzzle Me Complete ... Believer, Mother, Teacher, Writer.

May this month be peaceful and give you the chance to enjoy the memories experienced this Christmas season.  Enjoy!

"Oh dear... he is smoking... I should move to the other side of the room." "Please do not light that cigarette around me." "I can smell the smoke on you." These are all very familiar sentences running through people's head whenever there is a smoker nearby. I can relate because this is how I react whenever I smelt the remnants for cigarettes. In fact I use to break people's cigarettes just before they lit it because I thought it was my way of saving people. That was also before I became aware of all the other factors that caused cancer.  For me cancer is a very personal and serious issue. My father died from lung cancer when I was 23. He was a smoker and though he was aware of the dangers smoking caused, his addiction was stronger than his will to keep himself healthy. When he passed I hated to see anyone smoking around me. Even to this day I look at smokers and I am amazed that they actually light a cigarette and put it to their mouth, inh...

This post really moved me. It is raw, honest and something everyone can relate to. Natasja's last paragraph says it all and leave me questioning myself and the path I have taken in life... the decisions I have made and the trust I have placed in others. " You open yourself wide to another knowing full well that the other may rip out your HEART ….you go into relationships with the full knowledge of the probability of being hurt. And you go in with your defence’s lowered, and your HEART, which has been put together again and again, fully vulnerable." Thanks for sharing this and I what I think is most important it ... you cannot go through life without experiencing love. It ignites you... it drives you ... sometimes it will even hurt you .... but it is all worth it in the end. For anyone who is interested ... this is really a good read ... http://cocreateinspirit.com/2014/11/13/forces-of-though-love/ I choose to LOVE. How important is love to you?

Do you like to scare? Do you like to lurk? Do you like walking in the night? What do you like to bite? When we think of Halloween what usually comes to mind are the scary monster costumes, the creepy crawly insects, to frightful pumpkin heads and the endless flow of candy to eat. This year I wanted to add a little twist to the famous images we associate Halloween with. This year I got my Primary 3 students to create motivational badges that look something like this. As much as they enjoyed creating it on the computer, the fun really began when they got to print and add colour to it. This is a nice activity to do at home or in your classrooms. I hope you enjoy it. Happy Trick or Treating Everyone...  

Hello All, I would like to share a poem I wrote about my grandmother in honor of her life and the struggles she overcame to provide a better life for herself and her family. The decisions she made in her life not only affect her children but every generation that will come afterwards. I feel very special to have known such a strong and loving woman and she will always have a very special place in my heart. I hope you enjoy it. Manuela’s Transition through Life and Time. In her days, the colour of your skin was more important than language. In her days, who you married was more important than love. In her days, children were a requirement or obligation to carry on a bloodline. In her day… woman was a tool of trade. The families that lived here were not born here but came. The families that came here took land and cultivated. The families that came here sought to gain wealth through agriculture and industry. She was a part of those families. ...

Go guess what ... if you have not figured it out ... I am tickled pink to let everyone know ... one of my books is going to be PUBLISHED!!!! WOW ... is the first thing I have to say ... the second thing is, it has been a long road to get here but I have finally succeeded in achieving one of my most personal goals. I can honestly say it is an outer body experience, a little overwhelming at times, but the most excited period of my life. It is a children's novel called Dragon Boyz and it was inspired by my son, who has the most creative and intense mind. He is also the reason why I pursued publishing it when I had completed writing it, because his confidence in me was all I needed to take the next step. I love to write and have been writing for many years. I have some poetry published, and have collaborated with other in literary pieces, but this book is my baby. It is my first and definitely not my last. I do feel very blessed and there are a lot of people who I am very gratef...

The one thing I enjoy is reading. But it is not just reading that I enjoy ... it is being able to just put life's hectic demands aside and make time for myself. It puts me in a good mood and it allows me the chance to see the world or different worlds through someone else's eyes.  When you have a chance, take up a book and read. Even better... read with your child ... it is amazing to see how their little eyes light up because you are sharing something special with them. Let them see their their own imaginary world can come to life with words. Inspire them.  Have a great day everyone.  Jillian

This was a line I heard from the Sound of Music, and it has walked with me through all the stages of my life. At the time I first heard it, I obviously did not know the meaning... I was a kid just falling in love with Julie Andrews ... who wasn't.  However now it carries... so much more meaning. Now I see it as a window to understand change. I see it is an opportunity to believe that something better is coming. It is the keyhole to a positive outlook. It means that life will go on, no matter what, (even if at the time, every bone in your body believed it has just ended).  So my life has changed .... and it has taken me a long time to get to this point. It took all this time for me to face change and accept it... and see it as a window for better things ... and in a way it has become much better.  So I start by sharing that I went through some emotional changes ... Not going into details because I am no longer dwelling on it ... but it did not mean what I experienced...