The Death and Life of Great Canadian Jane Jacobs

Today we lost one of the few idols in my life---Jane Jacobs. Urban planning genious. Author of my all time favourite piece of non-fiction, The Death and Life of Great American Cities. A New Yorker who transplanted herself in Toronto's Annex District in 1969, she was a trailblazer against the bulldozer. A lover of neighbourhoods in their most genuine, organic form. A staunch opponent of thoughtless development rooted in the almighty buck. And perhaps most important of all, an idealist with great faith in the strength of individuals and their ability to collectively make a difference in the world around them.

She was a rebel with a cause and I'm glad she graced our planet.

Bye neighbour.

Happy birthday, Granny.

This lovely photo is of my Granny. She celebrated her 80th birthday on April 6, 2006.

She's a special woman and in many ways, the "anti-granny". Not a knitter or a baker or a bridge player. Instead, she's a nature enthusiast, an artist, a voracious reader, a natural athlete who still walks at very brisk pace, and intelligent like you wouldn't believe.

I love this picture. It somehow seems so contemporary. It exudes confidence and even has a strangely feminist quality about it. Taking charge behind the wheel, not giving a shit about her hair. I just love it.

Happy birthday, Granny. You're a one-of-a-kind.

She's back!

Good news. I've risen from my month-long blog slumber and this means I have lots to share.

I left you all with a rather dreary entry that made some of you wonder if perhaps I'd lost my marbles. More good news. I'm ok.

I had one small victory on the baby-making front this past few weeks. I ovulated. For all I know, this is the first time I've ovulated in several months or even years. The RBU was keeping a close watch on my cycles and I ended up with 2 mature follicles. Don gave me an HCG shot on the day they were ripe for release and we crossed our fingers. I had every reason to be optimistic. Hell, I even had the potential for two eggs, which could have meant twins! My temp remained elevated for 14 days after ovulation and this was a good sign. I went in for my blood test yesterday and was bummed to discover that it was negative. So, now I wait impatiently for Aunt Flo and begin psyching myself for another round of reproductive Russian roulette.

This next round will be our most aggressive yet. In addition to the Clomid and Metformin, I'll be doing self-injectables from Day 3 until I ovulate. I'm also taking part in a PCOS research study that uses a new drug. AND, we're going to do artificial insemination on top of all this.

Everyone is asking why I want to throw in the towel after this next round and the answer is pretty simple. It's an emotional roller coaster that's taking its toll on me. Bottom line, we want a child in our lives. We're not getting any younger and you have to ask yourself, "When is enough enough?" So we're meeting with the social worker (recommended to us by a friend) on Monday. She will be the woman that administers our homestudy for adoption. This alone can take up to 6 months.

I just hope the stars align in the next year and we're well on our way to becoming parents.

So, my thyroidectomy has been scheduled for June 15th. The whole thing is being removed and I'll be on thyroid medication for the rest of my life. I'm really not that nervous about it.

The really, truly good news in my life is that I got hired by the United Way of Greater Toronto yesterday. Permanent, full-time with great benefits. It's a marketing manager position. I start on April 19th and I can't wait.

*The above photo is my Granny and Mom. Both of them had babies. Why can't I?