Sunday
September 28, 2003
I'm in love
How come I've never heard of "The Voice" Russell Watson before???!!! We've just seen the concert he gave in New Zealand on TV, and good lord! The guy has a VOICE!!! Not to mention the pieces he chooses to sing, which are my favorites among the easy listening classics.
Yum - T - Dam, I say! I'm in love!!! *s*.
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Lorien said it @ 05:00 PM MT
The day after
Note to self: Don't expect anything from people you've never met. Saves you some unnecessary heartaches. Be satisfied with the fact the real people in your life made it wonderfully happy for you.
Thank you Theresa, listener and Seimei for sharing my very joyful BDay with me.
Lorien said it @ 10:00 AM MT
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Saturday
September 27, 2003
Mmm... How many?
   X 10 +    
Why am I so joyful while in fact I'm already at the second half of my life?
'cause finally life is good to me!
'cause finally I know most of me!
'cause I accept most of who I am!
'cause I've learnt to love me!
'cause I'm not lonely, and I have the most wonderful man to spend my life with!
Dinner tonight with Joe's kids was great. We drove his son and girlfriend home, and when we came back Joe handed me a card. While taking it off his hands I felt something underneath... VHS cassette of "Lord of the rings: The Two Towers"... and another card for Rosh Hashana. Does my man know what I want or what? *s*. And I have to add that I got my BDay gift few weeks back - a most gorgeous winter coat.
Yeap, this BDay turned out to be a joyful one! And still ahead... We're going out tonight for dinner ... Italian food and romantic atmosphere... Yum!
Lorien said it @ 01:23 AM MT
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Thursday
September 25, 2003
Rosh Hashana - Happy new year
Tomorrow evening, right after dusk, starts a new year according to Judaism. I've got an E-mail today from Israel Hasbara Committee with some moving words of greetings for Rosh Hashanah, and I'd like to share them:
The day of Rosh Hashanah is a day of introspection and of hope for change. According to tradition, it is a day when our individual fates are determined for the coming year. Yom Kippur, ten days later, is a day when our fates are sealed for the coming year. We are all judged by the standard of the times in which we live. Despite the difficult times we have experienced this past year we must never relinquish the dream of a better world, of rising above the moment and of inspiring others. This is the way; there is no other.
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I've sent a card to all my online Jewish and Israeli acquaintances. I truly hope I didn't forget anybody, and I apologize if I did. Please see this the card bellow as one intended just for YOU *s*.

Joe's kids are coming for dinner tomorrow night, two of them are bringing their partners... so we'll be 7 around the table. Nice! *s*. I have a busy 2 days before me, cleaning and cooking and getting ready for the holiday...
And then... on Saturday - the first day of the new year - I'm celebrating my birthday. Yeap, I'm a Rosh Hashana girl! ;-)))
Lorien said it @ 12:05 AM MT
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Wednesday
September 24, 2003
Is the net safe heaven? Hell NO!
Microsoft closes 'unsafe' chat rooms, says Reuters:
Microsoft announced on Wednesday it would shut down its Internet chat rooms in 28 countries, saying the forums had become a haven for peddlers of junk email and sex predators.
"The straightforward truth of the matter is free unmoderated chat isn't safe,'' said Geoff Sutton, European general manager of Microsoft MSN, told Reuters.
From 14 October, the software giant will shut down its MSN chat services in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and much of Latin America, forcing millions of message board users to find alternative online forums to discuss the topics of the day.
...In the United States, Canada and Japan, Microsoft will introduce an unsupervised chat service solely for subscribers, who are considered more accountable because their billing details and identities are on record with the company.
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Haven't been to chat rooms for years, so it won't affect me, but I have to wonder (as many others): Will it help? There are so many chat services out there. There's no problem to find a substitute. On the other hand, if it saves even one kid from falling a prey to a deviant creep, it sure worth it in my book!
The net sure had changed over the years. At its beginning, it was formed as heaven for people... a place to come and meet others, socialize and have a good time. Not anymore. It has become as the real world out there by bringing in the creeps of the world as well. No safe heaven on the net anymore.
Any thoughts on the matter?
Lorien said it @ 10:03 AM MT
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Tuesday
September 23, 2003
Season change

The calendar says today is the first official day of Autumn, but who needs the calendar? When looking at nature, the leaves are changing their colors, wearing oranges, reds and yellows of Autumn. The air is cooler at night time. Lots of beautifully shaped clouds in the sky... Autumn is here!
Some people find the season dreary. It brings melancholy into their hearts. They feel depressed. Not yours truly. I was born at this time of the year, and I love it to pieces. I love the changes of colors all around me, the fresh cool air flowing into my lungs... The beautiful sunrises. For some reason, this season always brings some longing into my soul. For what? I don't know, but it seems it folds some promise in its essence... promise that a new cycle is waiting just around the corner... a new year is coming, and with it - maybe dreams will come true... hopes will be fulfilled... renewal... Who knows...
For me, Autumn also means Rosh Ashana (new year) is close... my birthday is close... my visit with my family, friends and homeland is close. Good times indeed! *s*.
Lorien said it @ 02:53 PM MT
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Monday
September 22, 2003
Another story told
Here is a good example of what my Proud friends of Israel project brings into my life. Besides the fact it brings me so many tender warm feelings with all the support and acceptance I see towards my homeland, I also have the privilege of meeting interesting people with interesting stories to tell.
I got this next E-mail from Irv, who lived in Israel for 6 years and took part in the Yom Kippur war (1973). Since I'm a sucker for love stories, I asked his permission to put his story up here for anyone to read. Irv said "Yes!", and I'd like to thank him for sharing his story with me *s*.
so here it is:
Hi Lorien
Your story is also very readable, and I am happy you found some one to love and to be with, hopefully for the rest of your life. How long is the rest of ones life? Is it just for this one or could it be for those in the past, and for ones yet to be in the future?
I to feel that Israel is and has been and will always be my homeland. I know the land and the country like the back of my hand, and like I said I only lived there for a scant 6 years of this present life.
I married my wife Rita this coming December 26th, a half a century ago. I met her at a USO dance while I was in the US Army and the moment I saw her I asked her to marry me. Naturally she laughed and wondered if I was out of my mind.
After most of my company was killed in Korea while I was in the hospital with phenomena, the Army re-cut my orders and shipped me off to Allied Forces Central Europe. Three months of carousing around Paris and without female companions I felt a certain longing for that beautiful little dance partner I met at the USO dance and went with for only a couple of short months before shipping out for overseas duty.
I received leave to return to the US. I found out where Rita worked, surprised her in her office with all her coworkers around, and proposed to her again. She thought I was out of my mind but gave me a big hug and a long kiss and said yes. A few weeks later we were married in Philadelphia, spent a week in New York making love and caught unbeknown to us one of the first four engine Constellation EL AL flights to Paris, where she lived with me traveling around Europe for two and a half years.
This wasn't the only Army that Rita was with me in. She was with me when I enlisted in the Israeli Army during the Yom Kipper War in 1973, and that time we were separated for close to a year.
Many stories of a multitude of trials and tribulations, lots of moves and heartaches, losses of friends, lovers and loosing our wanted new baby.
I just got a bad cramp in my leg so I wont bore you with any more, the only thing that I'll end with, is love is not a fleeting emotion. It can be at times lost and at times hidden due to the many circumstances that pop up during lives together, especially with some one like myself that has tasted the many temptations that were put before me.
With the new year coming up soon I wish you and yours a healthy, fruitful, productive and long life.
Shalom. Not good-bye, but peace.
Irv, and the only name that Rita still calls me by "Yitzhak".
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Lorien said it @ 10:05 AM MT
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Saturday
September 20, 2003
First step to addictive behavior
This afternoon it felt like a good time for me to start using the digital, so we took the tripod and the Olympus and drove to downtown. Since it was my first time me, I used the automatic settings... all I actually did was clicking the button after framing my subjects on the camera's screen.
It was fun, and I ended up with some not-to-bad pics. I'm happy with the outcome... it's not bad for a first time, is it?
Lorien said it @ 06:39 PM MT
Daddy's little girl [1]
I was daddy's little girl for sure. He was so overwhelmed by his first born (me)... so much that he used to celebrate every 3rd of the month by bringing me a gift . As a little girl, my dad was my main source of consolation. Whenever something bad happened to me, I used to run to him (and not to my mom), curl in his lap and relax. Character wise, I was a copy of him. I inherited his stubbornness and determination to follow his own beliefs and perceptions of the world. I also inherited his looks.
I was daddy's little girl for sure.
Around the age of 2 I started to develop my own self. Combined with my stubbornness, I was a pain in the butt to my parents. I knew exactly what I wanted, and how I wanted things done... and when I didn't get it my way - I was very pissed off...
... And so was my dad. That's why our battle of wills started very early in my life.
See, dad was that kind of a man who thought he knew best. Not only what was best for his family, but for others as well. Rarely one could/would convince him to change his opinions or perceptions of life. I know he was a spitting image of his mom ( my grandmother), who wasn't a soft person at all. I know he was the product of her strict upbringing.
I imagine he couldn't help but be the person she made him become.
I'll never forget the time I had tummy worms. I think I was 3 or 4 at the time. The only cure for my horrible tummy aches was a very bitter pill... and I had to swallow it! (See, back then they didn't have all those kids friendly drugs and syrups like they have today, so I HAD to take the only pill available in order to get better).
Of course, I didn't want to do it. But dad had something else in mind. He knew I HAD to take the pill... so he set with me by the kitchen table for hours, trying to talk me into taking the pill. We set there till it was midnight. Mom had gone to bed (I imagine she couldn't stand the ugly scene dad and I performed together that night), so there were me and daddy.
Dad was trying to talk me into taking the pill... and I refused. He yelled at me... and I cried... and refused. Finally, way after midnight, I did it... somehow. I'm not sure if he grabbed me and made me do it. I'm not sure how it happened... All I remember is that the pill was wrapped in some soft cooked fruit, and I swallowed it with water.
One thing I was left with from that night: For all this time since then(40 years later), taking pills is still a torture for me. It makes me choke even before the pill goes into my mouth, and that's why I postpone taking pills till I can't bear the pain. It's still a horrifying experience for me... so many years later.
Mind you... No doubt dad wanted the best for me that night... No doubt about that. But this experience will be forever connected with that night with dad... and the fact he made me do it against my will.
:::[ To be continued ]:::
Lorien said it @ 02:07 PM MT
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Thursday
September 18, 2003
Findings
Hours of work on old photos today... I'm fixing the mess I did while my monitor was out of calibration. And when I got tired, I just surfed around and found 2 wonderful findings:
The first one (found at Firda's) was Manfred Klein @ typOasis. A wonderful fonts site with lots of goodies to download. So here is what I was playing with... cute, hey? *s*.

My second finding (found at Listener's) is a utility who let's you make computerized Stickies. Instead of using those sticky notes and a pen, now you can have computerized notes sitting on your desktop. Grand tool!!! Go grab one for yourself (it's free), and get organized.
And now, to end this fertile day in a nice way, we're going out to grab some coffee and hot chocolate at Tim Horton's. Yummy! *s*.
Lorien said it @ 11:55 PM MT
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Tuesday
September 16, 2003
First snow 2003
Say what??? Unbelievable, isn't it??? It's not officially Fall yet, and it's snowing here this morning! what a nerve! *s*.
I'm kidding, you know... I love snow. Somehow, the quiet delicate journey it takes down puts me into serenity mode... some kind of warm fluffy feeling that caresses me all over... even though it's freezing cold outside... 0C right now.
Yeap, summer is most definitely almost over. We might have a chance to go out few more times in the next few weeks... but the end is near.
I wonder what will the weather be like in Israel in 5 weeks...
Lorien said it @ 11:32 AM MT
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Saturday
September 13, 2003
Bits of vacation
Since bro went home last week I was working like a dog on fixing all the stupid things I did because of my stupid screen calibration. The amount of work to be done is still enormous , and it'll take me weeks to finish... so I thought I'll stop for a while, and just upload few new photos we took while on vacation. Those are only bits from our vacation... which were taken here and there...
Why won't you read the signs, man???!!! This guy was on his way to Alaska... Obviously, he didn't/couldn't/wouldn't read the signs... Obviously, he didn't get to his destination... not this time!
We really felt sorry for the guy, who looked so embarrassed and confused. We got to the place after he lost his camper. The police was already there, the road was blocked, and everybody were waiting for the tow truck.
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His wife got there soon after, and... she was smiling. Hell, it sure was funny to those of us who looked from the side. And everyone who went by the place said: Read the signs, man. Read the signs!"... Yeap *s*.
Cool dude on a cool ride. This cute one was spotted on one of our bike rides, when we stopped for ice cream at Eau Claire Market, downtown Calgary. I tell you, he looked like he was posing to the camera, sitting there so relaxed, so calm. It was a nice day, which he enjoyed... a lot... too *s*. |
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You gotta luv those faces. Cute trio, aren't they? They sure look like little smiling faces, these pansies. We've found them in the back yard of our friends while having a barbecue there. |
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Reflection of the 2 men I love the most. That day, we were having a long bike ride towards Fish Creek Park. While siting down for a rest and coffee, bro took my picture, using our digital. While checking it out we noticed the almost perfect deflection of bro and Joe in my sunglasses... and one of the bikes as well.
This is one of these times when a photo is taken with no certain purpose, and the outcome is delightful *s*.
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That's all for now... I'll upload more pics from our trip to Vancouver in the next few days.
Just a quick note: Since Yaccs is back online again, I had to let go of the other tool... so all the comments bellow are gone. Sorry about that...
Lorien said it @ 01:18 PM MT
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Wednesday
September 10, 2003
911 - Two years
I went back to my archives , to refresh my memory as to what I wrote a year ago on 911. And I've found this:
Remembrance of this dreadful day of September 11, 2001
Should forever take an integral part of our collective memory.
This horrible strike of an evil force to the foundations of the free modern world
Should be taught to the next generations,
Carried forward to this world's future habitants,
Be told again and again to those who are listening.
That's how we're going to remember...
That's how we make sure it'll never happen... again...
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And I also wrote:
... I can't start to describe the feelings of horror... terror... sadness... fear... that washed my whole body from the inside. I sure can remember myself crying... out loud... in a huge sense of disbelief of the info my eyes delivered to my brain.
While the day was passing, the story unfolding on the TV screen in front of my eyes , and bits of new information coming in, I also felt a gigantic anger building up in my head, and a repulsive disgust in my stomach...
To my horror, there was one feeling lack in this set of feelings running inside me like wild horses....
I wasn't sensing surprise at all.
Where there's blinding hate - There's unavoidable death.
I've met the hate... and now... there was... 911.
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I still think and believe the same things regarding the happenings on this dreadful day (and if you'd like to read them, they're on the archived September page). What happened 2 years ago on September 11 was written all over the wall long before it happened... people just couldn't or wouldn't believe it'll come to be their reality.
The fact that a beast was born in one part of this planet - a beast driven by pure hate and evil, with clear intentions to inflict its poison on the rest of us - came out to the open on 911, in its strongest form.
I still feel tremendously saddened when I read people's words, people from within who are still naive enough to believe the beast has valid reasons to be so spiteful, so full of hate... people who believe that if only they give the beast what it wants, it'll go back to its cave, or rather live in peace with the sheep. People can be blinded by other things besides hate... and that makes me feel very sad.
Being an Israeli, I was a target in the beast's eyes for so many years, and still see myself as one, even though I don't live there anymore. Being an Israeli, I understand too well the break 911 brought into the lives of so many...
I just hope that people won't forget...
I just hope that people will be able to continue their lives with the memory... in spite of it...

LGF: 9/11 Stories
Where Were You During the World Trade Center Attack?
Lorien said it @ 07:05 PM MT
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Tuesday
September 9, 2003
...And again
At least 40 injured in suicide attack on Emek Refaim St. in Jerusalem. Marriv (Hebrew) reports there are few dead as well, but no numbers yet, since it happened some 35 minutes ago.
Can't stop the shivering... Can someone please stop this nightmare???
Lorien said it @ 02:57 PM MT
Again
Oh my lord... At least six killed, 15 wounded in suicide bomb near Tzrifin base. This is 5 minutes from my old hometown, Ramla!!! It's right outside the army base where I had my basic training and then a 1 month course at the beginning of my army service.
I don't know what else to say...
Lorien said it @ 11:05 AM MT
Sorrow
My blog buddy Neil lost his mom to cancer. My thoughts, love and deepest condolences are being sent across the miles, my friend. May you never know so much sorrow anymore...
My blog buddy Cynthia is heroically battling with the same damn thing. I admire you, lady. You sure have the nerve to look at this thing right in the face... and laugh. You're in my thoughts, with lots of love...
Faith's grandma is not well... I wish her all the best, my friend... and to you too...
Sue, sweet girl... How I wish for you to find this corner of calmness, joy, love and acceptance. You're right when you say: "Life should be celebrated, not endured". You will find your corner one day... don't give up hope.
As for myself... I'm thinking of my dad, who is crossing a threshold from which there's no return. But I'm going to leave this thought for another day....
Lorien said it @ 12:41 AM MT
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Saturday
September 6, 2003
Give... and you shall (might) receive
Yesterday morning, while on our way to the travel agency to pay for my flight ticket, we came to a stop at a stop light when we noticed a young girl, around 20 years old, dusty, unkempt hair, standing on the side of the road. She was holding a sign in her hands. "I'm traveling. Broke and hungry. Can you help?", the sign said.
Joe and I looked at each other. "She can go to McDonald's and work for few bucks", said my other half. "She looks pretty healthy to me".
Truthfully... I was thinking the same. Well, after hearing so many stories about street beggars who make more money per day than we'll ever have, I'm not in a hurry to trust them. But there was something in this girl that made her so cute. Standing there, away from home (or so she says), not too clean, asking strangers for help.
We both looked at the loonie (1 dollar coin) which was laying on the dashboard (the one we always use to release a shopping cart at the grocery store), and then looked at each other. "Shall we give her the loonie?" asked Joe.
"Why the hell not?" I answered. "You know what they say... When you give to others, it's not about what you do for them. It's all about you. It makes you a little better than you were before... and as far as we know, she might be genuine. She sure looks untidy".
"You're right", says the hubby. "What the hell, let's give it to her".
The light changed to green, we started rolling, and Joe put his hand outside the window. The girl noticed that, gave us a big wide smile and ran towards the van. "That might help for dinner", said Joe, and gave her the coin, and while we were driving we could hear her thanking us.
"What goes around comes around", I said. "Let's see if there's any truth to this phrase".
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Now, last night - around 10 PM - I called Joe at work to ask him if he'd like to go out for coffee afterwards. "I thought you were calling to let me know we won the lottery" he laughed.
"Hell, no! I forgot all about that", I said. "Let me check it and see".
I put down the phone, logged on to the lottery site and checked our tickets. Last night it was a huge juicy 12.5 million dollars pot... Kind of money anyone would love to win, don't you think? *s*. But as we knew, the big pots were always won down east or in BC. Never in Alberta... or at least not for a long time... so our hopes are always low...
And low and behold... We had 5 of the winning numbers on one column!!! (5 out of 7). "Son of a gun", I thought. "I'd never had more than 3 numbers before, maybe 4 at one time. Look at that!". I called Joe and let him know what I've found out. "So we'll have some money for a doughnut with the coffee tonight", he joked around. "Yeap", I said. "We can allow that to ourselves now" *s*.
After awhile the lottery site was updated and I found out we'll get 155 dollars. When Joe got home I told him: "See? What goes around sure comes around. We gave away only one dollar this morning, and it was sure in a hurry to come back home, and not only that - he brought 154 of his friends with him".
Lorien said it @ 01:45 PM MT
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Thursday
September 4, 2003
Comments... Can't write without them
Yaccs will be up again around the 8th... hopefully... so till then there's Enetation. It's not nice to feel so cut out without a comment tool... Will you try it and say "Hi"? *s*...
Update: Geezz... The new comment tool doesn't work anymore. I think I had a visit from the comments witch! I took it off again... Don't know how to make it work! BUMMER!!! ;-(
Update 2 : Ok... It works... for now! Darn, darn, darn!!!
Lorien said it @ 08:14 AM MT
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Monday
September 1, 2003
New month begins... New hopes... New fears...
and I'm here to archive July and August. Not much to archive at this time... most of those 2 months is archived in our memory and heart anyway *s*.
And I know... the comments tool doesn't work at the moment. Yaccs is down, and will hopefully come back around the 3rd.
So I'm almost there... at the end of my summer vacation. Bro will go home in 2 days... and the house will be quiet again... BUT...
The good news are I've already purchased my flight ticket to Israel. I'll be there on October 25th (almost 8 weeks from now) for a month. The not so good news are those will be changing times for my family... hard stressful times for us all. I still have to gather some nerve and strength to write about that... it's hard for me right now... but those of you who follow me for the last 18 months probably understand...
New month begins... New hopes... New fears. And after the holidays... everything will be renewed...
Lorien said it @ 12:14 AM MT
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