Remember this song...?

Hello, my name is Denine ("Hi Denine...") and I am an addict.  Two years ago, after I bought a Magic Bullet blending system, I started experimenting with various combinations of fruits and vegetables.  
Now, I am hooked... on smoothies.  I can't go a day without one.  If I do, I get really anxious and start to think of how I can get my fix.  

I admit it, I have a textdency of leaving people hanging.  Sometimes it's for hours... sometimes it's for days!  

Something I've always wanted to do is learn about wild mushrooms - specifically where they grow and which ones are safe to eat.  It's not like I plan to get lost in the middle of nowhere without food anytime soon, but the art of wild mushroom picking is a skill that very few people seem to possess nowadays.  And why would they?

I've always wondered how songs can get stuck in your head but today, as I was driving for three and a half hours back to the city from Benito, I began to contemplate it even more because I was in a less than desirable situation: I had no stereo, radio, or MP3 player.  

As a survivor of a near-fatal car accident (thanks to a seatbelt) and with all of the ad campaigns and information that is available today, it amazes me how many people choose not to wear one.  Some of the excuses I have heard for why people neglect to wear them include: "It's too tight around my neck" or "I don't need to when I'm in the city - the speed limit isn't very high."

I came across this article that has some pretty scary stats about what can happen from not buckling up.  Clearly, laws support seatbelt wearing for a reason. 

Lately, I've been feeling as if I need a break from the time crunched city-life so I decided to go to my Dad's place in the town that I grew up in: Benito, Manitoba.  My dad owns an acreage in Benito, which is home to approximately 400 people.  I love going 'back home' for many reasons - the endless open space, to see my horse, to visit old friends, and because when you're here, you run on what I like to call 'Benito time.'  

I have always enjoyed going for walks.  I walk to the bus stop, the grocery store, and now that I'm a dog owner, I walk anywhere from 2-3 hours a day. It's such a great way to get energized for the day or to unwind from the busy-ness of the daycare - there's the crisp fresh-air, the beautiful scenery, the gently chirping birds, and the... (squish!)... (moan)... dog poop that I just stepped in because someone didn't bother to pick up after their dog, AGAIN! 

It's far from perfect but I'm starting to get this site to look and feel a little bit more like me! Initially, I had a different theme/template than the one you see now - it was pretty basic and I didn't like the colours but I chose to overlook that because I wanted my site and blog to be as easy to manage as possible.  But as I played around with it more I decided I wanted something a little more 'D-9-like' and found this template, which I absolutely love!  Firstly, my favourite colour is and always has been purple.  Secondly, I like having the pages tabs at the top of the screen (as opposed to a sidebar) because they seem easier to find that way.  Thirdly, this template has a HUGE area to post a main display picture (or pictures) to each page, whereas the other template did not.  And, for anyone that knows me and/or has been in my house, they know that I love to surround myself with pictures and collages of everything and everyone that is important to me.  

As I said though, I still have a lot of work to do on this page.  I want to have a different display picture on each page and quotes that reflect what each page is about.  I also want to get some of my education and radio work samples up here to get some feedback on and expand more under each tab (and add more tabs!)  I'm glad I added the Google Calendar to my home page because I often lose track of what day it is and seeing as I'm going to be spending so much time on here now, the calendar will keep me up-day-ted (har har!)  I also really like having the Twitter widget on here because it will hopefully lead to me having more followers!

What I think I like the most is that nothing I do on here is set in stone or has to be permanent.  I sometimes struggle with typical 'print-this-off-and-hand-it-in' type of projects and assignments because after I hand one in it feels so final and as if that's the best it's ever going to get.  On here, however, I can change my features weekly, daily, or even hourly, depending on what I'm feeling or what I've recently learned or experienced, and that feels awesome!  So don't be surprised if D-9's Domain never looks the same twice, because, as the saying goes, variety is the spice of life!   

If I'm being honest, I was dreading having to make my own blog site.  I usually keep my 'trying-of-new-things' on the internet and with technology to a minimum, or I have someone help me with it (aka do it for me) because I have never really understood the relevance or importance of technology.  I know enough to get by (i.e. how to upload pictures to facebook and how to find journal articles for research papers) but I do not embrace technology as part of my everyday life.  But today I stepped out of my comfort zone and created this site (and a Twitter account, which I have linked to here too!) because it's time for me to get connected; connected to people that can help me during my journey of becoming a teacher and to people that I can, hopefully, call new friends.    

And do you know what the best part of creating this page today was (even though it still needs a lot of work!)?  I actually had F-F-FUN doing it!  I was (and am) amazed at how easy this whole Weebly program is to use and at the sense of freedom a personal blog brings!  I feel a sense of accomplishment that I, miss learned helplessness, was able to:
a) understand the instructions and support pages
b) create a basic site design
c) write about my experience in a positive way
I look forward to the comments I get from you, my new connections, and to the opportunity to create a multimedia reflection of myself on this space.  Just, please, bear with me at first, haha!