October has come and is almost gone.

wow .. october came and went pretty quickly, huh?  i honestly can't remember much of what happened in the last 28 days.  all i know is ..

i went home for thanksgiving - last time i was home was back in august so it was a while before i went home for a visit.  my visit home was really good - i got to get out and do stuff with family.  we celebrated my nephew's birthday - he turned 5?  ;)  i'm bad with ages because it's so hard to keep track of 8 nieces and nephews.  i always try to do some baking before heading home so i made cupcakes and oatmeal cookies for everyone.  due to the nut allergies among the children, i was limited in what i could bake so oatmeal cookies was my go-to recipe.  plus, i had all of the ingredients at home.

the next day, i made plans with my sister to hit yorkdale.  i haven't been there in years and it has changed so much.  before the mall, i took my mom out for breakfast.  my mom loves bacon and eggs so we indulged a little bit.  she wasn't up for shopping at first but we convinced her to go with us.

yorkdale was like heaven.  i could swear i heard the angel's singing.  i think i spent the most time at holt renfrew's handbag section.  marc jacobs, balenciaga, prada, burberry .. it was tough to decide what i wanted.  i wanted it all!  :)

we spent about 3 hrs at the mall and did a bit of damage on the credit card.  females at a mall?  dangerous.

i do miss home a lot.  i still flip flop between moving home and staying here.  i have about a year left in my program so i know i'm not moving any time soon.  i think if all goes to plan, i would finish around jan 2014.  the best time to put the house on the market is in april.  the house is pretty well built and the layout is one of the best (imo).  trouble for me is, i have had a difficult time looking for a house that i like in toronto.  even the new homes are just average and super expensive.  sigh .. i dunno .. maybe i'll just move back home with mom and dad.

ok, that's just crazy talk.  hahaha .. i love my parents but i can't live with them after being away from home for so long.

anyway, i'm already making plans for christmas .. i think i'll be in toronto for the annual christmas eve lunch group lunch!  i know it's early but i hope to see as many of my friends as possible.  i think larry, ivy, chris, and damien have already booked some time .. how many days am i going to be available again??

larry:  i want a bottle of your famous rum punch this year!  :)

before i end this post, just something interesting i read today ..

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel

Be impeccable with your word - Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love. 

Don't take anything personally - Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of endless suffering.

Don't make assumptions - Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

Always do your best - Your best is going to change from moment to moment, it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.