Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Where I'm From

Thanks DaniGirl


I am from a brightly coloured one-piece snowsuit, from Sunlight dishsoap and Green Giant vegetables.

I am from the tall brown brick house with the wavy driveway that burned my feet in the summer.

I am from the apple tree in my backyard, the fresh grass clippings on the lawn.

I am from cutting down our own Christmas tree with my sister every year and a love of perogies. From Anastazia and Arthur and Joan.

I am from being stubborn, laughing loud and hard, and singing wherever I go. From shopping for clothes at Eaton’s and visiting Batchawana Bay each year and roasting marshmallows at the bonfire.

From “help your sister” and “you can do anything you want in life”.

I am from kneeling for God for 3 minutes a week. Even if it’s easier to rest my butt on the pew.

I'm from the trillium province, Marchuts and Wisharts, Christmas pudding en flambé and pumpkin pie on the floor.

From the time my dad’s best friend died suddenly and the first and last time I have seen my dad cry, the scary playroom and basement, and the success of all my siblings.

I am from the white fireplace mantel, music box for every birthday, the guest house and the den in the cottage and how the look, sound, touch and smell of each of them are ingrained in my mind forever.


(Find out where you're from
here)

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

If you love Christmas...

Have you heard about the Secret Holiday Ornament Exchange?

It's happening over at Abbilyeverafter and you should seriously get involved...but quick!

I'm going to give you not one, but 3 excellent reasons for you to participate:

First of all, who doesn't like a secret??? Secrets are fun therefore you should participate.

Second of all, who doesn't like Christmas and Christmas trees? (ok, i realize that there are plenty of people who don't celebrate Christmas, but just bare with me folks). Christmas trees are pretty and you can help make one even prettier therefore you should participate.

Third of all who doesn't like to get things in the mail?? Exactly. It's like a bonus gift therefore you should participate.

There is no way that this can't be fun, but it can certainly be more fun if you sign up and participate!

You have until Wednesday November 21st to sign up.

Can someone make a button for this?

Monday, November 12, 2007

saving myself

Did i not just commit myself to a whole foods diet last week?

Did i not tell myself that i wouldn't drink ANY alcohol unless it was a special occasion??

Did i not tell myself that i was doing this so as not to get cancer which scares the crap out of me?

And were you not all of my witnesses to said attestments and resolutions???


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It never occured to me that the fact that my mom was coming to stay with me for a week would make me miss (need?) wine so badly.

And it never occured to me that i would say "screw cancer" just for a sweet, sweet glass of robust red wine.

At least the wine will save my mom and i from each other if not cancer....

Friday, November 9, 2007

Imaginary Friends

Have you ever had imaginary friends?

I don't know why this thought just popped into my head, but it really did "pop" out of no where. Seriously, i just leaned back for a stretch and into my head popped the thought of my sister's imaginary friends.

Yes, folks. My little sister had imaginary friends when she was little.

Is this strange to you? It is to me now that i think about it, but when i was little it never occured to me that this was odd.

In fact, i was quite jealous that she had imaginary friends and i didn't! I wanted so badly for her imaginary friends to also be my imaginary friends, but my sister said "no". Too bad for me, i thought.

My sister's imaginary friends' names were Tina and Ralphy. God knows where she got those names from. No one in our family knew of anyone named Tina OR Ralphy or anything close to those names.

Tina and Ralphy were brother and sister and they lived on the hill in our backyard.

Again, bizzare...i wonder now why they didn't live in the garage or in the sandbox or even in the car in the driveway that we never used. But no, Tina and Ralphy lived on the hill in the backyard.

I can't remember if Tina and Ralphy ever came inside the house to play. Probably, but then i'm sure they left when they were done playing to go back to the hill. Tina and Ralphy lived for many, many years.

My sister also believed in unicorns. Unicorns were her favorite "animal" growing up and she had everything unicorn. Unicorn figurines, unicorn stuffies, unicorn stickers, unicorn books. Everything.

Not only was this something that she collected, but as i mentioned earlier, she believed in unicorns. So much so that she promises that she saw a unicorn on our front lawn one day. Of course, she was the only one in the front yard when the unicorn appeared, but she kept stating convincingly that Yes. She SAW a unicorn. A REAL LIVE unicorn on the front lawn.

I'm sure she would kill me if she knew i just told everyone about her imaginary friends and her unicorn sighting but what are sisters for if not to remind each other of how nerdy and funny we once were?

*snicker

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Approaching life with a different perspective

A few things:

I'm back after 3 long weeks on the road for work. I wanted to write while i was on the road but i was just so. darn. busy! Damn you, work!!!


So updates are all i can offer you my friends...


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I've gained weight. It's not my fault i SWEAR. I was in Quebec City for a familiarization tour (if you have never been then get yourself on a familiarization tour!!) and in Quebec City, all they eat is c-u-i-s-i-n-e.

Only the finest ingredients go into the meals in Quebec City. I've never been to Paris, but i would imagine that it would be very similar.


Oh! the cheese, and the wine, and the tartar and more wine and more tartar. Every. Day!


Foie gras and champagne and sugar pies - oh my!


They certainly know how to eat in Quebec City. I'm sure they also know how to eat in moderation. Unfortunately, i do not.


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On the same thread as eating, i recently read an article in the Globe and Mail about how a poor diet is directly linked to cancer. CANCER people. You can read the article here and i urge you to read it and ~ahem~ digest it.


For some reason, it hit home for me. I've always wanted to weigh less, but only because of vanity. Now, according to this article, you should be as lean as possible. On top of that, it says people should cut back on red meat, alcohol (all kinds!), processed meat (and i'm sure most other processed foods), fast food and high sugar foods.


Ok then. I've started eating as many whole foods as i can. We'll see how long i can keep this up. Now i feel like i need to lose weight. I don't want to get cancer. I want to be as lean as i can.


Mat and i have also decided to stop eating processed meat (or avoid it whenever possible). This is going to be a big challenge for us as we make sandwiches - with deli meat - almost every work day. This week we're eating tuna. After that, i'm switching to salmon. I love salmon, but Mat...not so much. He can't get past the bones-thingy and i don't blame him. They are pretty gross all crunchy and stuff.


Now before you all go waving your finger at me for eating so much tuna because of the mercury risk thing - i've done my research. The benefits of eating tuna far out-weigh the risks of mercury posioning. Same goes for pregnant women (i should know as i work for Ob/Gyns, Nurses and Midwives).


A little more on the food subject and i'll move on. I'm committing myself to drinking water. Again, guys - HUGE. For some reason i can't drink plain water unless i've just been exercising. I've always had to add crystal light. I've changed this. I am trying as hard as i can to get away from fake sh*t that i put in my body. The best trick i've learned is to put sliced cucumbers in my water. It tastes like i'm eating cucumbers when i drink water...amazing!!


Here's a breakdown of my resolutions (for your reading pleasure of course!)
  • No junk (except on the rarest of rare occasions)
  • No crystal light
  • No fast food
  • More veggies and fruits
  • No processed foods especially deli meat
  • No alcohol on a "regular" night (ie: no wine at dinner unless a special occasion)
  • Red meat only on rare occasions
  • Only chicken and fish and much smaller portions
  • Less honey in my morning coffee (i'm trying to train myself to enjoy things less sweet)

I think that's it. Oh, and i'll be continuing my gym routine at lunch time.



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Mat is the most wonderful person i know. Mat, i'm sorry that i'm not capable of writing more eloquently, but i just wanted you to know that i truly appreciate everything you do.



You see folks, while i was away working / vacationing (ok, in my defense it was 90% work), Mat held down the house and looked after the two doggies without one complaint (ok, i think he complained once that it was lonely all by himself, but i'm not counting that). He was always awake when i would call him late because i kept forgetting about the time difference. He decorated the house for Halloween and handed out candy all by himself because i told him it was important to me that our house participated even though i wasn't home. The house was spotless when i came home. He did all of my laundry, made sure the fridge was full of groceries, picked me up from the airport - with the doggies -- on a work night - well past bedtime. Had flowers waiting for me at home, planned our anniversary dinner, then still gets up extra early to walk the doggies and make me lunch before he leaves for work so that i can sleep in.



I'm sure there's a few things i'm forgetting, but i am so lucky and so grateful that Mat is in my life and that *soon* i'll be able to call him my husband. I hope he feels the same about me...

Just as an aside, Mat and i celebrated our 9 year anniversary on Monday :)



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I think that's all i have today. I do need to get some "work" done. I'm mentally drained, but hoping my new whole foods diet will help boost my energy and brain power.