Sunday, October 28, 2007

ChickenHead come, ChickenHead go....




Here are a couple of initial photos of Jean-Luc ChickenHead... two and a half more days to wait....


So, we took in a wee kitty last night. He was all alone by a gabage dumpster, crying and crying, so we called the local animal rescue and told them we'd take him home and they could pick him up the next day... today...
Sigh.
He was obviously on his own for awhile, malnourished, his poor ears almost solid with dirt and mites. Poor thing had a rather unfortunate gastro-intestinal response to his first decent food in some time (and looked so very sorry about it) but the second go around went much better. And he knows about the litter box, which is a blessing.
So Ian and I took him in, the kids called him ChickenHead, and we fell in love with him overnight.
Ian, pretending to be mister big gruff and tuff, says this mornng, as he was playing with the little orange darling (with a badly scarred up nose, I might add) "Well, if you and the kids want, if they can't find his home, we can adopt him."

See, we agreed, NO PETS, at least not for a long time.
Than along came a straggly little orange kitten named ChickenHead, and we're lost.
We have to wait five days, then we can adopt him, and of course he needs to see a vet.
Keep your fingers crossed that no one claims him...
I miss him already.
:(

Friday, October 19, 2007

my first Executive Director's Report

Though I hardly deserve to ask for feedback as I have been a most negligent blogger, this is my first Exec Dir report... I'm kind of nervous and am hoping it is all right. (I guess it will have to be, as I have already sent it to the graphic artist putting the thing together).
As I have been published more times than I can count, I've no idea why this one should make me nervous.
Here it be:

Franklin D. Roosevelt once said “We cannot always build our future for our youth, but we can build our youth for our future.”
I couldn’t agree more.
Our third annual An Evening With… fundraising gala has a new title as of this year: Paint The Future, which speaks not only to our adult community members helping keep vital programs like The Summit alive, but also to our youth taking an active part in ‘painting’ our future.
The days and years ahead will evolve according to how we prepare our youth for them, and we have many incredible youth in our midst who are adding their own distinctive flair to the canvas that is our community.
The Summit Youth Centre has become a constantly growing, positive force in our valley, and there are more changes to come in the next year. Forays in graphic design, a second annual youth empowerment camp and continued partnering with prevention programs at David Thompson Secondary School and the Family Resource Centre are just a few of the branches that have grown from our once small and fragile seedling.
But those changes, and all those before, cannot and would not have come about if not for the support of the community, both private and corporate.
While this is a thank you initially to the sponsors of our flagship gala fundraiser, it is also to thank the many others who have aided us in the past year:

The Windermere Oilmen’s Golf Tournament participants, most notably Keith MacPhail, Hank Swartout, Rafi Tahmazian, Grant Fagerheim, Paul Wanklyn, Rick Braund, Brett Wilson and Kevin Fleury
Fitz Flooring
John Fitzsimmons
Christine Wandzura
Yolanda Fries
The Par Three Participants
Copper Point Resort, Ron Mason and Dean Forbes
Copper Point Golf Course
FirstEnergy Capital Corporation
The British Columbia Gaming Commission
The Columbia Basin Trust
The Columbia Valley Community Foundation
The District of Invermere
Everyone who has ever purchased a hot dog, raffle ticket, cookie or pop at our barbeques
Every individual who has offered a cheque to us large or small, there just is not room to name you all.
And to every kind and encouraging word, in-kind donation, offer of assistance and volunteer hours, thank you.
If I have not listed you or your organization, please know it was not for lack of gratitude, accept my apologies and contact me at summityc@telus.net to ensure I have you on our detailed sponsors webpage.

To my outgoing board of directors’ executive of 2006/2007 and my incoming executive for 2007/2008, without you none of this would have ever come about. The guidance and support you provide me with is invaluable, and although it far too often goes unheralded, it does not go unnoticed.
To the youth board members, I encourage you to use your voice to help guide our path, and always remember: you are the reason.
One more highly valuable member of The Summit must be recognized. Going about her job with diligence and a smile is Susan Davidson. Our Sue-Anne is the right arm without whom I could not function.

I look forward to our next year with anticipation. Every day that I am fortunate enough to be a part the youth centre has its own lessons, challenges and rewards, and it is with a grateful heart that I come to a close with another quote, my personal favourite, by Nellie McClung:
"I do not want to pull through life like a thread that has no knot. I want to leave something behind when I go; some small legacy of truth, some word that will shine in a dark place."

With warmest regards,

Stephanie Stevens
Executive Director

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Gypsy's ghostly tag

1. How old do you think you'll be when you die?
At least 96. Maybe 106. I’ll be very old I think. I will be all wrinkly like an dried apple and peer over old wire rimmed glasses at my great great grandchildren and say things like “Mummy says you can’t go to the concert alone? Not to worry. Grammy will take you to the mosh pit. Just let me get my steel toe orthapedics.”

2. How will you die?
In a mosh pit. Or in my sleep. In my sleep at a mosh pit.

3. What will your last words be?
Good God is that Keith Richards?? Is he STILL ALIVE???

4. What will your epitaph read?
By God she really lived.

5. Any parts of your body you wouldn't donate?
Nope.

6. What song will be played at your funeral?
Bye Bye Baby by the Bay City Rollers

7. Cremated, buried or "other"?
Cremated and tossed into the air from the top of Mount Swansea.

8. If you could take one thing with you to the "next life", what would it be?
Nothing. When the time comes, I’ll be ready to make a clean break of it.

9. If you could take one person with you, whether they like it or not, who would it be?
Gypsy! (don’t tell her)

10. Supposing they existed, do you think you'd end up in heaven or hell?
I think heaven. I’m not really evil. But I don’t believe in heaven and hell. I think both are what we create for ourselves. And I’ve experienced both. I am more inclined to believe in reincarnation.

11. If you could haunt any one place, where would it be?
Some delicious old stone mansion or castle somewhere, nice and romantically creepy. Oh, and near and ocean. Maybe a lighthouse? A lighthouse near a castle, then I could go back and forth…

12. If you could haunt any one person, who would it be?
Johnny Depp.

13. What type of ghost would you be?
Sexy and ethereal baby!

14. You've been given the chance to send one message back to the land of the living. What does it say?
Love more. And don't take yourselves too seriously because I've seen you all naked.

a few more...

Sorry guys, haven't borrowed a vid camera yet... soon, I still promise!


So here is Hayley with me, Dale and Lesley on Thanksgiving! Yea!


It's not home until the piano is home. Scott was a nervous wreck the day we moved it. "Mum, I just can't be there," he told me, and went to work.


okay, so, the story behind the next three is this: Ian is taking photos of us, and my friend Karen, who was on the deck, yells, "Hey Stevens! Quite the cleavage you're showing there!"

At which point I went like this....


and then Ian got a more demure shot of us...

Aren't we sweet?


I love my dining room window. I have little dangly things that I have been given.. red glass is my favourite....


View to the northeast from the side of the house....


The front of the house.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

ok, here's one for now...


ok, I know this isn't much, but it is pretty! This is the southeast corner of my yard... I like it a lot!
More later!