ABOUT CHAOS

THE BEGINNING OF CHAOS...

I was born in Victoria Hospital, London, Ontario on Sept.11 (never mind what year) :), the 2nd of 5 children. My first best friend was Ellen McDonald. We lived in a subdivision in NW London and had a terrier named "Skippy"

At a young age my family moved to the small village in (Haldimand-)Norfolk County, called Port Rowan (not sure to this day HOW they ever found it but glad they did now). The move was a big adjustment, but being as well-adjusted as us kids were (yeah right) we settled in just fine. My parents owned the Drug/Gift Store. Being a summer resort .. right on the doorstep of Long Point, we all worked in the store (so my parents knew where we were, I think) during the summer months ... in our younger years for a handful of peanuts ... really! :)

Once in my teenage years, I spent many a weekend camping at Turkey Point Provincial Park , and Long Point Provincial Park.

READING, 'RITING AND 'RITHMATIC:

I attended Port Rowan Public School and then went on to attend Delhi District Secondary School until the brand new Valley Heights High opened. (Okay, I've given out my age range to those familiar with VH)     :)

After completing Secondary School, I went on to attend Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ont. for 2 years (Child Care Worker Program).

EMPLOYMENT STUFF:

Other than working in my parents' store and a year or so in tobacco (hey, when you live in that part of the country, you work in it!) other employment/training I enjoyed was with the Junior Conservationists where myself and 9 other teens spent a summer living in a century-old house near Neustadt, Ontario studying the Saugeen River Valley. We lived with no hydro or running water ... and even though we weren't too thrilled by it at the first (being young teens), none of us wanted to leave at the end of the program. (I'd love to hear from anyone else who has been involved with the Junior Conservationists)

While attending Mohawk College, my placement (non-paying co-op) was at Thistletown Regional Children's Centre, (residence for emotionally disturbed kids). Getting used to city life in Hamilton was hard enough, but Toronto had me lost most of the first month or so! A rude awakening to a small town girl who wasn't even used to city buses, let alone subways and all!   :)     (Thank goodness my friend & classmate, who was on the same placement as I, "Miki", was able to get use of a car during the 2nd 1/2 of our time in Toronto.)

After my training and schooling I enjoyed employment as a Correctional Officer in Simcoe's Glendale Adult Training Centre, for 4 1/2 years, until it's closure, and then went on to work as a Police Dispatcher with the Haldimand-Norfolk Regional Police Dept.

After living in various apartments in Simcoe with my good friend Laur we moved to a farmhouse with 4 others (ended up more like 10 others on weekends). This finally began to get the better of me and I decided I needed a new chapter in my life of chaos.

Both my better half and myself are interested in computers (having owned them since 1982 - back when they ran from cassettes with all of 4 K memory and a British Acorn 'Atom' ... now I really feel old!)

I developed an interest in local history and genealogy in about 1993, and am currently digging up my family's roots (although it's slow going much of the time, the internet has really made it MUCH easier & quicker!)

I acquired a scroll saw from a past neighbor and good friend and started dabbling in the craft of woodworking and woodburning. My daughter has since joined my interest and between the 2 of us, we have made a few Christmas gifts and made abit of money here and there selling our wares. Someday I will have my own little workshop where I can do all the little project ideas I have plans on doing ... someday. :)

We also developed our own little 'zoo' on and off over the last few years.  Some of the animals we have owned include Sarabi - a hooded rat who we bred a couple of times   (hey, they make excellent pets), a large turtle, Ninja (we saved from being squashed on the road some 9 years ago), Sonic & Knuckles (2 Green Anole lizards), and our beloved german shepherd cross 'puppy' Thunder - all of whom have passed onto 'pet heavens'. For more info. on our zoo members, check out the pages I've devoted to each of them.
Presently we own a Siberian Husky (born Jan 18, 1998) named 'Shalun', and a Siberian Husky-Alaskan Malamute cross (born Jan. 18, 1999) named Shenuk.

We bought a park trailer in 1992 and spent many of our summer weekends at a trailer park outside Aylmer.