The ball is in the Russian Court

I have received the last of my approvals from Canadian authorities to bring home Baby Bird. The Ministry has given me the green light.  Canadian Immigration is ready to welcome him and his medical has been approved by the High Commission in London, England.  Yes, you read that right, one of the approvals comes from Britain. It took just under four weeks for this part of the process which in the world of IA is pretty speedy.
Thank you to all those people who copied, stamped, inputted, mailed, signed, faxed and couriered to make it happen.

So now the ball is back to Russia.  The Coordinator needs one more document then he can go to the judge to request my court date.  The next official call will be to tell me that a court date is set.  Until that happens I will be like a woman in love waiting for the object of her affections to call her back.  I will stare at my phone, keep it so close I get radio active wave exposure, check the volume settings, charge it as soon as it goes down by one bar and obsessively click the ok button to ensure it is still working.

.... call me :)

Boing!

Is that the sound that a bouncy ball makes?  The Bounce Back Book by Karen Salmansohn came to me in a time when I really didn't feel so bouncy.  If I was a ball at this time I would have been one of those really heavy medicine balls that you use at the gym to build muscle.  If you dropped me I would have fallen with a sad sounding thud and remained on the floor until someone picked me up again. Deflated by break-up, I was in need of an injection of oxygen.  Once I started keeping this book by my side, along with other bounce inducing activities like giggling with girlfriends and moving forward with finding motherhood, I started to get my bounce back.

I sent the author a fan note to say thanks.  I wanted to let her know that her words have helped me through a very painful relationship breakup and a trip with my sister to the other side of the world to meet my son.  I asked if she might donate a book to the Baby Bird Fundraiser.  Again, the Universe has delivered in a way far grander then I dared to dream for myself.  Karen wrote me back to say that she would be delighted to donate a WHOLE BUNCH of Bounce Back books for the auction and she wished to send me a gift for Baby Bird.  A gift from the world famous, NYC living, inspirational, super successful and so incredibly awesome Karen Salmanohn.  I know I am gushing but I can't help myself.  She invited me to meet up in NYC when Baby Bird is home so our boys can hang out.  This is a woman who writes for Oprah.com, published 29 books and has been reviewed by Deepak Chopra, Madonna and Eminem and is chatting with moi.  

It's amazing to me what can be created when you let yourself be guided by bounciness and away from fear.   Whether you believe it's the power of attraction, tapping into the Source, flowing with the Universe, listening to your Inner Knowing, manifesting your Reality, or whatever else makes you wanna bounce.  What you call it doesn't matter but what calling for it does.

I've love to keep writing but I gotta bounce.

xoxox

Heather

Sail away, sail away, sail away

view from the boat

ADVANCED AUCTION ITEM:
How would you like to sail through the waters of Lake Ontario to the rhythm of Latin music!? We're auctioning off an afternoon (3hrs) of sailing for (4) adults on a 30 foot Catalina yacht at the Etobicoke Yacht Club 

(Valued at $500 - Suggested starting bid $150) 

TO BID: Please comment under the photo on Facebook with your bid ($) You have until (the event Aug 6th) To Russia with Love to bid! We will contact the winner to arrange your sailing experience


Please feel free to forward this to anyone in the GTA who may be interested.  

Your hostesses 

Just because

gate to the orphanage- Diaper Drive destination

I opened up my  Diaper Drive pay pal account and to my surprise and delight, in with a few event ticket purchases which I am very grateful to see, were other cash donations.  Not for tickets but just because....

I was completely unprepared for these kind and generous cash donations.
These lovely people were't bidding on a silent auction item, no tax receipt, no raffle, not even a bottle of wine.

My little fundraising team and I have been busy coming up with games, raffles, events, auctions and party planning for raising funds.  We are marketers and promoters by trade.... spontaneous acts of cash kindness did not make the fundraising brainstorming list of ideas.

I think we forgot the power of giving for the sake of giving.

It never occurred to me that a woman from work, a friend of my parents, my dog trainer, an old friend that moved away, a Nia sister or a neighbour I have never met in person would donate to the funds.... just because.

Just because they wanted to help.  Just because they wanted to buy some diapers for those little orphan baby bums. Just because they wanted to share and support the diaper drive but couldn't make it to the event.  Just because they wanted to support me on this journey.

Whatever the reasons, I am humbled by the gesture.  Thank you

xoxo
Heather

Extra Extra Read All About It

You know those people that have a new baby in their lives and they think that their baby is the cutest baby on the planet so they are compelled to gush and show you a zillion baby photos?  Well when that person also happens to be a  professional publicist that baby can end up front page news.
My sister Cat is going to be an awesome Aunt. She has taken the bragging, gushing and photo sharing to new heights and managed to get her nephew featured as the cover story. of our local paper. 


Holly, my Burlington resident buddy called me this afternoon squeelling congratulations from the local supermarket.   I immediately went to my parents front porch to find a paper and there we were, Baby Bird and I on the cover of the paper of the city I grew up in.  Our story has made Burlington's front page news.  We are seriously big news ya'll.  Mom wonders if we'll get recognized and Dad is scouring the city and our neighbours homes for more copies.


This is actually my second appearance as a cover story for The Post.  Back in the day, which in this case was 1992 and I was in my last year of high school.  Besides big hair and a lot of hair spray, I also had big opinions and big plans to stamp out injustice.  I landed on the cover for organizing a walk out of the graduating class of Burlington Central High school to protest censorship in the yearbook.  So almost 20 years later, I am back in the paper for going public with my big opinions.  I thought I could change the world twenty years ago by standing up for what I believed in. 
Today I believe that maybe "we can't change the whole world, but we can change the world for one child"


I am grateful to the writer Melanie Cummings for sharing our story so lovingly and am hopeful that people will be moved to join the diaper drive  Every dollar buys a diaper for a baby bum and there are a lot of little bums that need to be kept clean and dry.  I have about seven weeks before I return to Russia so that's a lot of time to  rant  share.  Thanks for listening.
xoxox

Happy Birthday St.Basil's

Happy 450th Birthday St. Basil's Cathedral
Hope to visit you again soon.
Love,
Kate (Cat's Russian name) and Heather (no Russian translation)

Smile because it happened...... Dr. Seuess

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."
— Dr. Seuss

Don't Worry Be Happy

Today I am inspired to share some wisdom shared by two sources.  My Daily Om and Be Happy Dammit Goddess Karen Salmasohn.  Both gurus with the same message but alternate energies.  Karen's words on the pursuit of happiness always leaves me feeling charged up, giggly and sassy. To me she is like the Sex and the City of self help.  Hot, inspired, fabulous and kick ass in all that she shares.  The Daily Om feels more like taking a deep breath on a meditation cushion with birdies chirping in the forest.  Some days I need them both to fire me up and chill me out.  Today was one of those days.

 I am by nature, a bit of a worry wart.  I am a happy worrier but if I let too many Debbie Downer thoughts, energies, and ideas enter my mind I start generating all kinds of worrisome worlds.  I can go from a state of gratitude and grace to stress and sleeplessness when I make the choice to reside in a world of worry.  I needed this reminder today and so I am sharing it with you.

Wishing you white light on your paths and hope-ness in your day!
xoxo

Daily OM

July 7, 2011
A Self-Created State
Worry

Worry is an extension of fear and can also set you up for attracting that which you don’t want in your life.

We have all had the experience of worrying about something at some point in our lives. Some of us have a habitual tendency to worry, and all of us have known someone who is a chronic worrier. Worry is an extension of fear and can be a very draining experience. In order for worry to exist, we have to imagine that something bad might happen. What we are worrying about has not happened yet, however, so this bad thing is by definition a fantasy. Understood this way, worry is a self-created state of needless fear. Still, most of us worry.

One reason we worry is because we feel like we’re not in control. For example, you might worry about your loved ones driving home in bad weather. There is nothing you can do to guarantee their safe passage, but you worry until you find out they have reached their destination unharmed. In this instance, worry is an attempt to feel useful and in control. However, worrying does nothing to ensure a positive outcome and it has an unpleasant effect on your body, mind, and spirit. The good news is that there are ways to transform this kind of worry so that it has a healing effect. Just as worry uses the imagination, so does the antidote to worry. Next time you find that you are worrying, imagine the best result instead of anticipating the worst outcome. Visualize your loved ones’ path bathed in white light and clearly see in your mind’s eye their safe arrival. Imagine angels or guides watching over them as they make their way home. Generate peace and well-being instead of nervousness and unease within yourself. 

Wine-ing for a good cause

Some people sell chocolate almonds to raise funds. I thought I would do a bootleg wine fundraising project instead. I like an element of danger in all my en devours. what can I say? I am a wild mama chick.

A person is not legally allowed to sell wine unless that person is the LCBO but I have purchased two batches of wine from a "brew your own" wine store and will be giving it away to generous people who make donations. The suggested donation in $10 a bottle or two for $20.

I have been really looking forward to making the custom labels for the wine but the format needed to be a jpeg and being totally incompetent with Photoshop, I was a bit stumped. In case any of you find yourself in this situation I will let you in on the secret. You can use MS Publisher to create the label then convert it to an Adobe pdf then export the pdf as an image, specifically a jpeg.

After I figured that out , I got a little carried away with the designs. I created six of them and I only need two. I may have to brew more wine, narrow down the options or see if my wine guy will do an assortment of labels.

Here's what I came up with. Please help me and leave a comment telling me which one you would like to see in your wine cellar. Oh, and if you'd like a bottle and am local to me (international shipping of liquor is too living on the edge even for me) please let me know and I will reserve them for you. I am doing one batch of italian red and one of white (Pinot Grigio)

Cheers my friends!

Bird in the Nest Blend

Cheek to Cheek Blend

Pillar Pinot

To Russia with Love- Baby Bird's Birthday Celebration & Fundraiser

We are having a party! August 6th is Baby Bird's first birthday. We left him birthday treats in his Baby Home and the caregivers promise to have a party and take a pic for me. I started thinking about what else I could do to celebrate this big day from home. It's going to be a hard day to be apart no matter what. That said, why not celebrate and honour him from this side of the world? Why not have a party and raise some funds to help bring him home and donate to his Baby Home? So that's exactly what we are doing.
with the loving support of my promotions superstar sister Cat, my awesome event planning friends, generous artists donating their work and the wonderful owner of the Gallery Cafe.

To view the e-vite click here

If you are able to celebrate with us please reply with your RSVP to the e-vite site. If you aren't in the neighbourhood then I happily accept your loving vibes through cyberspace that day. If you wish to donate to the Fund please click on the "Baby Bird Fundraising Projects" tab at the top of the blog and you will find a "Donate" button for paypal.

If you have a fabulous fundraising idea or an item to donate for the silent auction I would love to hear from you.

Let's Celebrate and buy a whole lotta diapers for Baby Home #5.

Heather

Happy Canada Day(Ish)

Baby Bird is very interested in the Canadian flag hanging from my carry on

I know it's technically not Canada Day on this exact day but I take creative licencing when I post.  One of my posts from Moscow was actually typed up as we sat on the floor of the Frankfurt airport.  Full disclosure, now you know.

I am feeling extra proud to be a Canadian after spending time away from this great country of ours.  When I think about leaving again and this time for 21 days I started thinking about what I will most most.  Now obviously, I will miss my family, friends and Canadian mutt the very most but what else?

maple syrup
Russian pancakes are a staple but they serve them with jam and  sour cream.  I will take a little bottle next time and show them the delicious topping they are missing out on.

Bacon
Man oh man do we have awesome bacon in this grand land of ours, especially dipped in a little of the item above

Toilet Paper
Eastern European toilet tissue is rough, thin and sometimes requires payment to acquire.  There is no squeezing the Charmin and you can't flush it.

Lines in the road
Took it for granted that there are always lines in the road to guide traffic.  This is not universal.

Ice
It is very challenging to get ice for your beverage.  They sometimes charge for it and serve it to you in a bowl with tongs.  Have you ever tried to pick up melting ice with a tong? 

Peacekeepers
Watching the changing of the guard at a Russian military monument was a stark contrast to seeing footage at home of our Canadian peacekeepers in their missions all over the world.   

The call of the Loon
The birds I encountered in our travels were very loud and squawky.  My mind wanders the wondrous call of the loon.


So in summary,  maple syrup, bacon, toilet paper, lines in the road, ice, Canadian Peacekeepers and the call of the loon are my quintessential Canadian must haves. 

I hope you all had a fantastic long weekend and if you are a Canuk you celebrated whatever makes you love being a Canadian!