Bloglovin'

2012-05-10T17:03:00.000-07:00

We are now on Bloglovin'!
This blog is currently under construction but very soon we'll be up and running. Until then, we'd love it if you'd follow us, have faith, we're gonna be great! We'll be discussing all the differences between our experiences living in our respective countries, I'm Canadian (It's me, Jenn) and Elle is American. What a wild ride this is going to be! Please join us, we look forward to entertaining you.

Our first post - An introduction

2012-05-10T05:25:00.000-07:00

Hey, world! East meets west. North meets south. This blog is a treat if not a treatise, an opportunity for two friends from two countries to co-blog about our lives across the miles and across the border. The U.S.-Canadian border, that is.

Introductions:

Meet Elle ... technically Ellen, but what the heck, I'm old -- may as well drop the N as I've aged since the Elle and Ella names are so popular these days and "Ellen", not so much. I figured if "Jenn" can drop the "ifer", what's a little N between friends, ehhh?

You'll find most part of each blog post in blue. It was Jenn's great idea to make this a red-white-and-blue themed blog, since coincidentally, we both have red and white in our countries' flags, and I alone have the blue. You'll also see me with the STAR icon. Yes, from the flag -- the field of blue with 50 of them.

A little about me: I get to go first here because, well, age before beauty. I turn 57 this summer and Jenn, well she's a baby in comparison. I live in the U.S. "Northeast" in the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA. I live in a 55+ resort (hahaha) community -- more on that in some future post -- with my hubby of 13 years, John, and our two doggies, Sadie and Morgan, both AKC-registered Bichons.

In my same town (of about 35,000) lives my daughter Emily (26), her hubby Josh, and their sweet daughter Charlotte. Charlotte is just 17-months old and she's the light of my life. What a dear. On the other side of the same town lives my stepson Paul (37) and his significant other Anne. Now, remember those names because there will be a test at the end of this post. Not!

I'm a daughter, too ... my parents Dot (82) and Ed (84) live 1200 miles away in Naples, FL. Their being so many miles away as they age in place will also likely be discussed at some point in this blog's future, I'm betting.

I work outside of the home (and not much inside of it, if I can avoid it). I'm the Admissions Coordinator for a place called Pediatric Specialty Care (www.pediatricspecialty.com), which is essentially a nursing home for children who are medically-fragile or technologically-dependent. Next week is my one-year anniversary on that job. It's more of a calling, because it's pretty much of a sad, difficult journey, made more difficult by the hoops we have to jump through to get children the care they so desperately need but the U.S. health care reimbursement system throws up barriers. You can also count on a comparison of health care systems, U.S. versus Canada.

I'm sure there's more to tell, but for now, I'm kicking you over across the border to Jenn ....

Elle 'N Jenn

Bloglovin'

Our first post - An introduction