What holiday food are you???

You Are a Gingerbread House

A little spicy and a little sweet, anyone would like to be lost in the woods with you.

What Holiday Food Are You?

From the Ferris Wheel Lights

Last night me and some chums went to Niagara Falls for a night of dinner and craziness. Every year at this time until the end of the Christmas holidays, the Niagara Parks Department hosts a festival of lights where they include thousands of lights in displays provided by different corporations and such. We saw many different Disney layouts and this really cool snowflake display on the police department that moved in tune to music. It was wild!

Anyhow - when we first went down to meet up with everyone we were early. I haven't been there in a while and was excited to see all the changes that have taken place - including the new ferris wheel that has been installed to replace the tower that was there for a dogs age. As soon as I saw the wheel with it's cool lights and bright white structure - I told James that I really wanted to go on it. James who was up for anything but didn't want to commit until we ran into a few others said that maybe we could.

It was bloody cold last night - and with all the moisture in the air from the falls, it was not a night to be without protection. (Get your minds out of the gutter! I'm talking about hats, mitts, scarves and warm socks!!!) The ride looked great but the thought of going on without heaters inside turned us off a bit. James decided to call his sister to find out where everyone was. We found out that another couple was already in town and we should give them a ring. We did - and within 5 minutes they met us at the base of the ferris wheel. We were all excited to be out on the town - and as soon as I mentioned that I'd like to go on - my partner in crime Vanessa was all for it.

We ran/skipped/meandered over to the ticket booth and were excited to see in big letters "HEATED". Having hit the jackpot, we pulled out some coupons which were provided by our parking lot and all got $1 off the admission. We headed over to the front of the line and watched as the wheel went around and around with the passengers inside.

We get onto the ferris wheel and it has these great benches on both sides of the cart. Looking up it looked like a small airplane with buttons and round vents staring back at you. In your little closed in compartment you can adjust the lights and the venting so you can have more or less heat. It was so need to be inside these little darkened rooms and we were all giggly as we started on our journey.

It was on the way up that Vanessa started to express a dislike for the movement of going up. I started to worry that she was going to have a panic attack, especially when we started to speed up and see just how far this huge ferris wheel was going. Now I'm not so great on rides either but having seen it go around a few times I wasn't that worried, and as the ride was new, I felt safe.

Well, I felt safe until we started to head on the downward spiral. This was when Vanessa perked up and said that she liked it - and I said that I felt like I was going to be sick! If there is one thing I don't like is the feeling of losing control. Falling down is one of those times. Going up, gravity is on your side- you are pushing. However when you go down - you are loose and falling. I did not like the feeling at all.

Good for me - this lasted all of about two minutes and then we were back up again. The scenery was fantastic and both me and Vanessa ended up enjoying the experience despite our initial hesitation on the ride. James and Phil just laughed at us and stared out at the vast sea of lights, roaring water that was undergoing a beautiful light display of reds, blues, purples, greens. It was awesome and I'm so glad that we went.

While we were on our second or third rotation, James looked down below and saw a few of our other friends, including his sister, going into Tim Horton's. Of course we had to call and give them crap because we were banging on the windows and waving our hands to try and get their attention but they didn't look up once! When we got off the ride (after an awesome 5 full rotations) we happily went to talk to them.

I was amazed at the hesitation on some of their faces as the thought of going up so high scared them. It was a fear that I know well. I used to fear everything, but last night we took a chance and had a ball.

By far - the ferris wheel is tops in my books as one of my picks for best value. Of course this is next to viewing the light displays which is FREE and so is viewing the Falls themselves.

For this ride - I give it 5 peanuts out of 6. It loses one peanut for a lack of music.

********FERRIS WHEEL FACTS *********

Official name: Niagara SkyWheel
Location: Clifton Hill, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Admission: Adult $9.99 Child $5.99
Number of enclosed gondolas: 42
Max passengers per gondola: 6
Additional information: Climate controlled gondolas - air conditioned for summer - heated for winter
Height: 53 metres ( over 175 feet)
Ride duration: 10 minutes
Hours of Operation:
Monday to Thursday 9 am to 12 midnight Friday to Sunday 9 am to 1 am

Click!

Okay - let's face it, I love photography.

Back in high school I always wanted to be on yearbook and I wanted to be in photography club, I just really didn't know how to do it. Maybe I was lazy, maybe I was nervous that people would look at me funny but I liked photography and didn't know how to start. My parents never had a fancy camera and I felt that I would be laughed out with the most basic point and shoot camera.

All that changed in Grade 12 when my school brought in a brand new English credit for Journalism. Everyone that knew me back then knew that I loved English and I loved to write. (I still do!) and taking journalism sounded like a great opportunity. In this class we were responsible for putting together a school newspaper and producing the entire yearbook from concept to design, layout, photography and writing.

I learned that I loved going out and taking photos of different people and things and putting them all together into the yearbook. I was able to showcase a talent that was hidden inside me.

Let's face it - the photos were pretty basic, but through that course I learned that I had talents above and beyond just a student. I had an opportunity to do something fun - and possibly get paid for it!

I took journalism in college and had more fun putting together layouts and the college magazine than I did with anything else. The writing was just writing and the style they expected was very basic, followed rules and was not allowing me to shine.

Somehow - I got a job out of it - I started working as a reporter/photographer/editor for the Cambridge Reporter. It's now defunct - but I worked there during an interesting time. I brought some fresh work into an old blood newspaper. I was a local girl and loved covering sports and just general fluff stories to highlight good times. Unfortunately, the things that they wanted me to do weren't always where my strengths lie. When it went against my comfort zone and I started to feel disgusted by some of what they wanted me to do - I had to move on.

This was when I brought my photography to the forefront of my career. I started working at a Portrait studio where we focused on children and families. I was able to highlight the precious moments in peoples lives and was able to see the good every day. Every day I created a memory for a family - capturing it forever on film. Photos I had taken hung in homes all over Canada and the world. I was really good at what I did.

After some time (5 years!) I needed some more challenges. I wanted to branch out and help others learn. I was offered an opportunity to train and build teams in the Toronto area, and I helped them raise the quality of their work and now their photography hangs in livingrooms across Canada. I like to think that I was able to help people build on a career and turn it into something great.

Some people that I have trained have now moved onto open their own studios - and I am so proud of them for sticking with it and persevering.

My career has changed since I worked in the photography field - but it's allowed me to take some time away and to realize that I do like taking pictures. I do like capturing moments and feelings and moods through a lens.

For the past several years my husband and I have been known to just take off on a Sunday with nothing in mind other than taking some photos. We've made treks all over southern Ontario capturing the mood of the day or a special moment. He's a really good photographer too and it's awesome that I've met someone that encourages my capabilities and likes when I pick up the camera only to say "Let's go - the lights good."

This is why I'm going to be starting a photography site for my own work. I'm going to try and showcase my work from here forward. Keep your eyes peeled for a new site coming soon!

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Photo credits:
All portraits were taken by me at the PCA Portrait Studio in Cambridge, Ontario

#1 - My dimply niece Saige Hill on her first birthday
#2 - My blonde angel of a neice Victoria (Tori) Schmitz on her first birthday - this outfit came all the way from Hawaii and was a gift from her grandparents
#3 - My nephew Brayden Hill on his first Communion
#4 - My parents Marlene and Howard Hill on their 25th wedding anniversary

A bit about me

I was born and raised in Cambridge. Not Massachussets - Cambridge, Ontario, Canada.

I am the youngest of four children. The baby of the family I was always viewed as spoiled. My brothers and sisters all adored me with my big eyes and curly hair. Don't believe me? check out these pictures of me when I was little and try to tell me that I wasn't cute!

Grade school took me to Manchester Public School. I didn't know it at the time, but this school is considered as an innercity school - as there are a large number of children living below the poverty line. I never thought we lived that way though. My life was rich with love from family and friends and neighbours. Even with 6 kids in the house we never felt that we were left without. My parents got us what they could and we were happy with anything we got. Christmas was always filled with individually wrapped pairs of socks under the tree and lots of dinky cars in our stocking. a tradition that continues today.

Junior High took me to Lincoln Avenue Senior Public School. This is where I tried to transition from the cocky little tomboy into a pretty young woman. (At least I hope I looked pretty.) This was the first time I tried to use my real name instead of my nickname (Cory) and it was great to have a chance at a new group of friends and activities.

Taking off to high school I was finally able to break free of the tomboy image. Corina had grown up and was ready to have fun. I started out shy but then grew into myself over the years. Even with all the drama of being in high school, I was so glad that I went and for (most of) the choices I made. High school can be tough but I made some really fantastic friends!

Through the years, my writing became something that people really appreciated. My parents (and everyone) for that matter convinced me to take Journalism in college so that I could keep writing and somehow get paid for it. That was fun - it really was but the core programs were no where my strength laid. I did very well in the publishing side of things and I discovered that I loved laying out pages and doing advertising. That was why it was funny that my first job out of school was as a reporter/photographer - and then later worked as a portrait photographer for 7 years. (I still love taking pictures now!)

After college and working for a couple years, I did some searching for myself and decided to up and take off to the small town of Jasper, Alberta, Canada. By moving to the mountains I was able to find myself again. Find that little kid that could laugh and play and just be myself. I ate what I wanted, did what I wanted and was friends with anyone that I wanted to be. It felt so good to build a second family in a place where I didn't know anyone.

After coming home, we, meaning me and my parents, as my brothers and sisters all flew the coup years earlier by marrying their high school sweethearts and having children and all that, moved to the village of Clyde. It isn't on many maps - as the mailing address is Cambridge and occasionally we get a "try station Galt." Only those oldschoolers would understand what the heck that would mean. Maybe I'll try and explain it sometime. Maybe not.

Our house in Clyde is/was awesome. Had a basement appartment so I could finally have some breathing room and some space. I decorated it with things that I loved - mostly pictures of family, friends and places that I have been. It was cozy and warm, despite being in a cold basement with completely white walls. It's funny that now that we are back here again it feels cozy again...

While living in Clyde I met the man of my dreams. I had spent some time thinking about my ideal guy - and I found him with much help from Bridgit and the internet. Bridgit was a girl I met in Jasper and became my roommate. We only lived together for a few months but she and I instantly clicked and we became more than just friends - we are sisters in the best sense of the word. Anyhow - she was on a website called "Emode" taking personality tests and convinced me to try. Soon enough she was using the matchmaking part of the site to meet people. She lived in an even more remote area after Jasper so it was a crazy thing to me that she could meet people like that. I joined up - was incredibly picky for six months and that's when the fated day came - I saw the fourth profile that interested me (out of probably 200) and said "Yes." Instantly it popped up and said "You have a mutual match."

James had already picked me by saying "yes" and before you knew it we were inseperable. My love for him pulled me to live in Paris and we lived there for two years before opting to come back to the Cambridge area. Okay before I go further - note that Paris is actually Paris, Ontario, Canada - and not in France. 3 1/2 years after we started dating - he proposed and 10 months later we were married. That was just this past September and it was a wonderful gorgeous day - one that I will fill you in on at a later date!

Somehow, everything has come full circle though - as the landlord that owned the house we lived in decided to sell it, and we moved out three weeks after the wedding back to the place in Clyde. Now our dreams include getting out of debt, buying a house and just enjoying life until it's time for those little babies that we both admit that we would like to have.

With a new job starting on Monday in a different career - I hope that I can build and grow on my past experience and hopefully have a successful career. I've already worked as a Customer Service Specialist, A journalist/part time editor, a photographer, studio manager, district manager, regional training manager, I've been a Career Facilitator and Customer Service Manager. So many changes, so many choices.

I am a lucky woman. I have many around that I love and that love me back. I have a great family and friends and I hope to have a very happy future.

Back again...

It's been awhile since I blogged - a long while. I've had many changes and am now going for a fresh start. Thus - Quirky Cori is back!

A few years ago when I started blogging I wasn't sure how it would go. I love to write and get my thoughts out there - and blogging was a great way to do it. Many of my friends have found it interesting to catch up on my life by following my blog and I really want to get back into things.

This blog will be different though. I plan on making this blog more about different writing rather than just an online journal. Enjoy this new journey with me...

After all - Aerosmith did say:

LIFE IS A JOURNEY, NOT A DESTINATION