Attitude of Gratitude V2#10 - Winter Coat

There is a list of things I need to get and events that need to happen before I move to Ontario. Things like paying off my car are done. Next up was a proper winter coat. I know it shouldn’t really be a big deal but I don’t like spending a lot of money on clothes so it was a big deal for me.

Knowing I am going to New York in a few months makes the importance of a proper winter coat even more important. I say “proper” because I have jackets that I wear. They’re warm enough but they’re not formal looking and they won’t do in cold weather. (It never really gets cold here, and if it does, I really don’t have to be out in it for any length of time)

When I went to Alberta at Thanksgiving I made a goal of buying a winter coat. My rationale was two fold. A. There are more coats available in Alberta because it gets colder (I had looked here and couldn’t find anything I was happy with) B. There’s no PST (provincial sales tax) in Alberta so I’d be saving 7%.

Luckily a new mall had just opened and everyone wanted to go check it out so on Sunday the whole family piled into vehicles and went to Crossing Mills in Balzac. We were a large group so we split up. Brittany, Candace and I took Joshua and hunted for my coat. Those girls were troopers. Went into practically every woman’s clothing store and I tried on anything that would fit. They gave me their opinions (positive and negative) and when we finally found a coat in Ricki’s (of all places) we knew it was the right one.

I haven’t posted this story until now because I wanted a picture of myself in the coat and with it getting dark so early now, it was hard to get one. This is a self portrait taken in the gardens behind the library.

Today I am thankful for my winter coat. I’ve needed it for years and I am grateful that I finally found just want I was looking for.

Attitude of Gratitude V2#9 – “No”

I’m skipping dance tonight. I’m just not in the mood. I probably should go because it would be good for me and I would have fun but I just don’t feel like it and you know what? That’s okay. And that’s what I am thankful for tonight. The power to say no. To chose if I go out or not. To have a quiet night at home and not feel guilty about it. For that, I am grateful.

Attitude of Gratitude V2#8 – Seasons

It’s a horrible grey, well, almost black now that it’s dark out, rainy day today. It’s miserable and cold…and I love it :) Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy summer, I love spring, and I’ll complain once the snow starts but rain and it’s-cold-and-I-just-want-to-dress-in-warm-clothes-make-hot-chocolate-and-cuddle-up-weather is my favourite. I have a lot of “indoor” hobbies and I feel guilty when it’s nice out. Bad weather lets me do what I want to and I am thankful for that.

Not only that, I LOVE the change in seasons. The leaves right now are so beautiful (well, the ones on the trees anyways. The ones on the ground are kind of brown and squishy LOL) I have a hard time seeing myself in a place that is always warm or always nice. I like bundling up and feeling the chill in the air. And in the springtime I like that it warms up. So yes, I am thankful for seasons and that I get to experience them.

Marley & the Devil

I rarely pay attention to the people involved in making movies, aside from the actors, but get this. This weekend I watched “The Devil Wears Prada”, in preparation for my upcoming trip to New York and just because I love that movie. I also watched “Marley & Me” (and cried, hard, even though I am NOT a pet lover). Both movies I got from the library (which is where I get most of my movies) on different days. It turns out, that they have a LOT in common.

	Devil Wears Prada	Marley & Me
Directed by	David Frankel	David Frankel
Music Supervisor	Julia Michaels	Julia Michaels
Music by	Theodore Shapiro	Theodore Shapiro
Film Editor	Mark Livolsi	Mark Livolsi
Director of Photography	Florian Ballhaus	Florian Ballhaus
Executive Producers	Arnon Michan & Joe Caracciolo, Jr.	Karen Rosenfelt & Joe Caracciolo, Jr.

And that’s just off the back of the box. So aside from the authors of the books, the screenplay, the Production Designer and the Producers, it’s the same team.

 

I’m sure that’s more common than I realize but it just kind of struck me that I just happened to watch two films made a few years apart, that were made by the same people...and the good news? I’d highly recommend both movies :)

Attitude of Gratitude V2#7 – Sales

I am thankful for sales. I have had my eye on the Making Memories “Vintage Findings” collection at Michaels for months. I have a number of pieces of the matching paper that I have accumulated from various scrapbooking stores over the past year or so and the embellishments match it perfectly. I’ve looked at the collection each time I go into Michaels. Fondled it. Debated buying some of it with my 40% off coupons but I’ve always talked myself out of it. Saturday I stopped by for a new black pen and found the WHOLE Making Memories Vintage Findings collection for 70% off!!! I got the 12x12 paper pad for $4.49. That’s 12 cents a sheet!!! Now I have to admit I don’t love every sheet of paper in there but even if I only use a third of it, that’s still only 37 cents a sheet which is a steal. I also got every little bit that I wanted. If I had bought it at full price, or even 40% off, I would have had to pick and chose and this way I got everything.

 

So, waiting pays. Being patient pays. I am grateful for sales!

Attitude of Gratitude V2#6 - Good Health

I am thankful for good health.

There is so much sickness going around. It is flu season and now on top of it we have H1N1 going around. I don't know anyone who doesn't have it or doesn't at least know if someone who has it. I have thankfully escaped but I have a few coworkers who have succumbed and my mom and youngest brother Aaron are both flat out. Mom's been sick for two weeks now and Aaron's been out for almost that long as well.

I took Aaron to the doctors today and he gave him a note to excuse him from work listing his diagnosis as "H1N1 – probable" and "Pneumonia". He's requesting blood work and a chest x-ray. All this on TOP of the fact that, as of Sunday, Aaron hasn't had a cigarette. So not only is he horribly sick, but he's also detoxing from nicotine withdrawal. I'm proud of him though. He's been wanting to quit smoking and he's really looking at this as an opportunity to do it. He's already made it a week, now he just has to keep going.

All of this sickness has made me extremely thankful for my good health. Aside from some minor sniffles I (knock on wood) haven't come down with anything and for that I am grateful.

Attitude of Gratitude V2#5 – Friends

Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver, the other gold.

I am so blessed to have so many wonderful friends, both old and new. Thursday night I went over to a new friend’s house and got started on my Christmas cards. Carla and I had a wonderful time “playing” and getting to know each other better. She, her husband Ben and their son Levi moved to town in September to be closer to Ben’s sister Naomi who moved here herself a few years back, with her husband Nick. All of these people are from Ontario so they think it’s kind of funny that I’m planning on moving that way when they just moved this way.

Friday night I had tickets to the “Rotary Christmas House Tour”. Our local Rotary club hosts a tour of local homes that have been decorated for the Christmas season (yes it’s early but it’s supposed to be before anyone else has really begun decorating so you can get ideas). I had planned to go with Meredith but she’s down with H1N1. Mom too. I called Kelly (my ex-coworker) but she already had plans to go shopping with her sister.

Suzanne not feeling well, needing a quiet night

Toni, working

Jennifer, home alone with two kids (including a brand new baby)

Katherine, writing a paper for school

Leah, it’s her son’s birthday, she won’t go out

Melissa, too far away

Rebecca! Available. Perfect!

I admit I had resorted to scrolling through the numbers in my phone to find someone who might be free. They’re alphabetical by first name and Rebecca was the first one I found. I’ve known Rebecca since, well, as long as I’ve known Mere, probably a bit longer (and I met Mere when I was four). Rebecca`s 17 months older than me which put us in different grades in school and she was married and had children quiet young so we`ve gone through seasons in our friendship. Lately we`ve been spending a bit more time together and this was a perfect example. We had a blast together. She really enjoys decorating (I just like looking at stuff) and we viewed all the homes at the same pace. Quick but not speedy fast. There were brand new homes on ``snob hill``, heritage homes, a gorgeous bed and breakfast (HUGE, huge, home) and even a townhouse. It was neat to see all the different decorating ideas and to see so many nice homes. I had to go through a lot of names to get to Rebecca but she ended up being the perfect choice. Proof that while new friends are wonderful, but old friends are great too.

I am thankful for all my friends, new and old, even if a bunch of them weren`t free at the last minute ;)

Attitude of Gratitude V2#4 – Starbucks

Shift Eight, Shift Four

Aka *$

Aka “star” “bucks”.

It’s a stretch. I know. But it’s more interesting than just titling this post “Starbucks” or “the Wednesday Night Coffee Crew” which is what really applies. Anyways, enough silliness. I do want to post about our Wednesday night group.

Attitude of Gratitude V2#4 – Starbucks

If you read my $7.13 a day blog you’ve probably noticed a pattern. Most Wednesday’s after church a group of us go out for coffee. 90% of the time it’s Starbucks (and you thought all Canadian’s drank Tim Hortons!) We do go to Timmy’s on occasion, usually when someone is starving and the pastries at Starbucks just aren’t going to cut. We find that we like the atmosphere of Starbucks over Timmy’s though. Plus, the staff there have come to expect us and they are really tolerant of us rearranging the tables and chairs when necessary in order to accommodate a larger group. Of course we always put everything back. A few weeks ago there was a train shuttling across our normal route between the church and Starbucks. Everyone else waited but I went the long way around. I went up to the counter to order and the barista asked “by yourself tonight?”. Everyone else ended up joining me, but my drink was half gone by the time the train passed!

The “group” fluctuates. There’s a basic core of us but not everyone comes every week. For the most part we are the “unmarried”, childless individuals of the church between the ages of 17 and 30, give or take. It’s kind of our unofficial “youth group” although there’s no leader and no set agenda. Often we’ll discuss what we heard in church but it’s not a structured debrief by any means. Lots of other topics come up as well, from school, to work (or the search for work), travel plans, etc. Mostly it’s just a time to get together and chat, with no expectations.

We usually arrive by 9:30 and Starbucks closes at 11 so we’re gone by then. In the summer we tended to stand around outside and chat longer but now that it’s cold and rainy we all scatter pretty quickly. Once in August we got our drinks and then went out to a school on a dark prairie road and watched the meteor shower.

I don’t always feel like going out but I try and join the group if they are going because I know I’m going to miss this casual connection when I move. This group has grown closer as a result of these dates and for that, I am thankful.

Attitude of Gratitude V2#3 – Genealogy

(and it’s GeneAlogy, not GeneOlogy which is how I’ve been spelling it.)

Last night I attended a “Genealogy 101” or “Genealogy for Dummies” or “Where the Heck do I Start???” seminar at my local library. The session was taught by the president of our local genealogical society and it was EXACTLY what I needed. She started off by differentiating “Genealogy” from “Family History”. They are of course interconnected but Genealogy is records, dates and names (boring). Family history is “the narrative of the events in your ancestors’ lives, it denotes the telling of your family’s story. Family history is genealogy come alive.” I thought that was a really interesting point of view.

She covered all the steps of getting started, organizing, using pedigree charts and family group sheets and, my favourite part of the night, she reviewed a bunch of forms that are helpful to use such as timelines, research and correspondence logs. It was a wonderful session and I can’t wait to start doing my research in earnest.

I have decided that I will be using PAF (personal ancestral file) for software, at least to start and I’m excited to start tracking all of the information I have gathered to date.

So, back to the theme of this post. I am thankful for genealogy. Not just because I get to use charts and forms and organization (which I admit, has my geeky self really excited) but because I will (hopefully) get to know my ancestors and MY personal history. I know a little about each of the people on the charts but I’m looking forward to finding out more, to making history, come alive on a personal level, and to connecting with other family members and unrelated people who have the same interest. I’m hooked and I have hardly begun!

Attitude of Gratitude V2#2 - Square Dancing

Last year I posted that I was thankful for my Square Dance friends. This year I am thankful for the whole Square Dance community. Square dancing is healthy, it's fun, and it provides a great network. I am finishing my fourth year and even though I grumble and complain (mostly to myself) I really do enjoy the chance to dance (ha! that rhymes LOL)

With all the new beginners starting lately I'm reminded of my first few sessions. I thought I would NEVER catch on, but I did, and now I'm dancing (mostly) at a "Plus" level. There's still lots to learn but I love it and I love knowing that I can pretty much go anywhere in the world and find a square dance club. I don't know if I will dance in Ontario. I may just plain not have time, but I know that if I want to, I can. And for that I am thankful.

Attitude of Gratitude V2#1

Attitude of Gratitude Volume 2 Number 1

I am thankful for table top games. My regular readers know how much I love playing "Settlers of Catan". I'm a fan of pretty much any board or card game though. Recently I joined a meet up group hosted by a friend of mine and Sunday, November 1st I attended my first meeting. I also had my frist experience with Role Playing. It was fascinating. We played "Lady Blackbird" and I got to BE Lady Blackbird :)

We also played the board game "Pandemic" It seemed appropriate considering the H1N1 panic going around. It's HARD though! We were all wiped out :)

It was a fun way to spend the afternoon though. I love all board or "table top" games as this group refers to them. And I am thankful that I have friends who invite me to play with them.

Attitude of Gratitude TOC

Last year Sherry challenged us to do a "gratitude" post every day for the month of November (the "Table of Contents of last year's posts are below). November is typically the most dreary month around here and even though it's shaping up to be *really* busy, I still like this idea. I'm going to try and come up with different things to be thankful for this year but I'm already seeing that a lot of them could repeat.

1. My parents
2. Grandma B
3. Extended Family
4. Square Dance Friends
5. Memory Stick
6. Salvation
7. Expired Cold Medication
8. Countdown Shows
9. Gladware
10. Car Fixed for Free
11. Soldiers who fought for freedom
12. Fake Christmas Trees
13. A new bumper
14. My Job
15. Democracy
16. Starbucks
17. Solitude
18. Blessed
19. British Columbia
20. Dierks Bentley
21. Scrapbooking
22. My town
23. Library
24. Sunsets
25. Mail
26. My boss
27. The Internet
28. Games
29. Travel
30. Sherry

October 12 of 12

October 12th came and went and I didn't even register it. In fact it was almost a week later when I realized that it had passed and now it's a full ten days later that I'm finally getting around to blogging about it. Luckily this year in Canada, October 12th was Thanksgiving so I have lots of pictures to chose from (more than 12 but I'm just sharing that many here).

I spent Thanksgiving weekend in Alberta at my Uncle Tim and Aunt Candace's house. I drove up on Friday with Mom, Dad and Aaron. On Monday we were joined by my brothers Seth and Robert and Seth's girlfriend Brittany. Grandpa B and Aunty Liz (Mom's dad and sister) and my cousin Sharon and her two boys drove down from Edmonton for the day. Candace's Grandma Violet was there as well. So, along with Tim and Candace's four boys, we had a housefull!!!

So, on to the pictures. We start with a view of the "appetizer table". Part of what's there is actually dessert but we didn't worry too much about what was eaten when.

This is Candace and Grandma Violet. Awesome woman. Very sharp and funny. It was great to have her with us.

The Wii got quite a workout. Here Robert and Seth are playing Mario Cart while Brandin and Brittany watch. Later in the day I even got roped into a round of bowling. (foreground is Grandpa B and my dad)

Mom and Candace get the credit for our wonderful turkey dinner...of course the only people I actually got pictures of were Tim when he carved the turkey, (and not pictured) Dad when he carved the ham and Robert making gravy.

Grandpa is very hard of hearing so it's difficult to have a conversation with him. Here he is showing Aaron the watch he received after 25 years of service at his job...of course he got the watch in 1987 which is way before Aaron was even born! I was sitting on the couch playing paparazzi during this exchange and I have a whole series of photos as Aaron listens intently to what Granpa is telling him.

Just before Grandpa, Aunty Liz, Sharon and the boys headed home I made everyone pose for a series of "formal" shots. I'll spare you all of them but I'll show the one of us four kids with Grandpa.
Xander has taken a real shine to Brittany and Seth keeps teasing him that she's now his girlfriend. Seth found a long blonde hair on his shirt and he told Xander "your girlfriend is shedding on me again!" :)

Tim and Candace both have laptops and the boys spent a fair bit of time on them during the weekend. I love this shot of Xander because I captured his cute little toes curled up under his bum :)

Joshua Levi is just three months old and weighs less than the turkey we cooked. I thought a picture of him in the roasting pan (after we did dishes) was seasonally appropriate :D

Candace and I, just to prove I was actually there and not behind the camera the WHOLE day.

More Joshua. He's just too cute to resist! And, my favourite family activity, Settlers of Catan. We played a few games over the weekend but because people had to work the next day we finished by about 11. Still, I've had my "fix" for a little while.

So, that's Thanksgiving, Canadian style. And another "12 of 12" in the bag :)

This post brought to you by the letter “L”

Do you have a favourite letter of the alphabet? One that makes you happy to write? Mine is “L”. The capital version, in handwriting. I love forming it. I used to wish my mom had named me after her because her name started with L and when I was 13ish I had a crush on a guy, pretty much only because his last name started with L and I used to dream about being Mrs. L.

Now my new boss’s name starts with L so I get to write it LOTS. I still get pleasure out of forming that letter. Weird maybe but at least I’m consistent :)

Member #524

I’m probably fooling myself by thinking I have time for this but I am excited to announce that I am the newest member of our local Genealogical Society. I attended a meeting back in January but then I never went back. The regular meetings are on the third Tuesday of each month which is awkward because my board meetings are typically scheduled that day too. Yesterday I went straight from work to the meeting and then I left the meeting early…which still meant I didn’t get home until after 8pm.

It’s only $20 for a one year membership in the Society and joining means I have access to their archives in the library whenever they are open. I’m hoping to take some time to review everything that I’ve collected over the past few years and start doing some digging to find more. I know that doing genealogy can be addictive but I still want to pursue it. Wish me luck!

I am regressing technologically

I’ve always been woefully behind when it comes to technology. I listen to music on the radio and from cd’s (no digital files for me!), I still have a cell phone (instead of a Blackberry or other equally as addicting device) and I don’t even have internet at home.

Lately I’ve been going backwards even more. I listen to cd’s at home but my “cd player” was a unit from Seth’s ex-girlfriend. Horribly beat up on and a few months ago the cd part stopped functioning so I was listening to music via my dvd player. Pathetic I know. Anyways, Mere took pity on me and loaned me her old stereo system. It’s a really nice unit with a three disk changer and…(drum roll…) a double tape deck!

Yes. That’s what I’m most excited about. LOL The thing is I have tapes that I haven’t listened to so it’s been fun to rediscover them…even if they are old technology.

Speak of tapes, guess what I bought last Friday? It seems like everyone is moving on to Blu-Ray and I bought a VHS player! LOL I set it up in my scrap room along with a small tv that I got off a friend who was cleaning house. Then I went over to my parents and raided their video collection.

I know it’s “old” technology but I’m excited!!!

Thursday Thunks

Again lifted from Toe-Ami :)

1. What color is your mouthwash?
I have green mouthwash left over from the last time I stayed at a hotel but I rarely use it.

2. Do you remember your first phone number? Have you called it recently?
First in BC (where I moved when I was 3) was my parents number. It's #2 on my speed dial and I easily call it once a day. Often more. And yes, I could dial it if I need to.

3. BPD in OKC's question- Do you have a super-secret hiding place and what's in it?
My whole craft room is a super secret hiding place LOL The most "secret" is where my passport is. But it's not hidden if you know where to look.

4. When was the last time you used a pay phone? How much did it cost to make the call?
Oh man. I don't remember! I feel like it hasn't been that long but I can't tell you where I was...

5. What was that noise?
Me silently screaming and attempting to resist strangling my boss.

6. Stef H's question-how long is a woodpecker's pecker?
LOL peckerwood?

7. How many comments did you receive on your last Thursday's Thunk?
None. But that's okay :)

Saying Good-bye

Four years ago today I "retired" as a Creative Memories Consultant. The decision was a long time coming (too long in fact) but it was still hard. I "celebrated" by attending a retreat with a wonderful group of "sister-CMC's" that I am still in contact with. They graciously let me attend even though at midnight the first night, I was officially not a CMC anymore.

Earlier this week I attended the closing out sale of one of the local scrapbook stores. I chatted briefly with the owner. She's really upbeat about the whole situation but, like me, she's had time to get used to the idea. All her customers are grieving but she's ready to move on. I totally know how it feels.

I loved my time as a CMC. I'd go back to it in a heartbeat if it was right for me, which it still may be at another time in my life. Right now it's just too much stress.

Here's to four years "since"!

The Heat is On!

My hometown is the proud host to a brand new AHL (Amercian Hockey League) team. Okay, the team isn't new. It's actually the relocated Quad City Flames but under this name, the Abbotsford Heat, they're new. The AHL is predominately an East Coast league and the next closest to us geographically are the Manitoba Moose.

Meredith's parents bought seasons tickets so she and I will hopefully get to go a few more times this year. Sunday was the first game.

Mere was most excited about the fights and there were three "good ones" so she was happy :) Final score was 6-4 for the Heat. Lots of scoring made the game really fun. Although it's great high-level hockey so it was non-stop action anyways.

The Heat are the farm team to the Calgary Flames and the Moose are the farm team to the Vancouver Canucks. Every time a goal was scored, at least half the crowd would cheer. There was as many Moose fans as Heat so it made it interesting.

The penalty shot by Hugo Carpentier late in the third was another highlight.

The Heat play in the brand new Entertainment and Sports Centre and aside from major parking issues, it's a great venue I can't wait to see more games!

September 12 of 12

I haven't posted a 12 of 12 since May although I have been taking pictures. This is a few days late but at least I'm posting it.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

I woke up at my regular weekday time (6:42 am) even though my alarm wasn't set. SO not cool because I ended up being kind of tired for the rest of the day. The benefit was I got my day started early which is always nice.

Since I was up I made myself a cup of coffee with the French Press I got for Christmas. I don't use it a lot but I have been lately.
Next I went down to the Farmers' Market. I wanted to take pictures there but I couldn't get a good angle. Instead I came home and took a picture of all my veggies after I put them in my beloved FridgeSmart Tupperware.

This weekend the Canadian Country Music Awards took place in Vancouver. I considered going to the show but I just couldn't swing it financially with New York and everything. On Saturday CMT hosted a Fan Fair Street Festival so I convinced Mom to go with me. Traffic was absolutely insane and we didn't even end up staying all that long. The festival was disorganized and crowded. On stage when we arrived was Steven Lee Olsen, Victoria Banks, Jessie Farrell (and her guitar player to her left) and, my favourite, Doc Walker.
I saw Doc Walker (the only act I really cared about) and then decided that since I've already met them twice and I have their autographs four times, I didn't need to stand in the forever long line to meet them again. I did take a stalkerish photo of them talking to other fans though :D Left is Chris, middle is Dave and right (cut off) is Murray.

Paul McGuire of CMT Canada (left) and Karen Daniels and Clay St. Thomas of JRfm introduced the next round of performers. Next up were Jason Blaine, Aaron Pritchett (and his guitar player), Johnny Reid, and Terri Clark. They had major technical difficulties during this set and Jason ended up playing guitar for Aaron on "Hell Bent for Buffalo". It was great to see Johnny (he ended up sweeping the awards ceremony on Sunday by winning Album of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Video of the Year, Male Artist and Fan's Choice) and Terri Clark. Terri's been laying low lately but she's got a new CD coming out and I believe she's planning a tour in the next little while.
Down the street and away from all the screaming fans we found Casey Clark taping the Chevy Cross Canada Countdown (one of many things he does). He was gracious enough to pose with me (and put up with my star struckness).
Rob was in town again this weekend but he elected to hand out with Dad who was working a car show. Mom and I picked him up on our way back home and stopped at Liquidation World on the way. I bought the shoes on the left a few months ago and *love* them. They're Sketcher brand Crocs. Saturday I got blue and black ones as well. Oh and they were only $6.88 a pair so it's not like they break the bank.

Look who's on the cover of Country Weekly!!! Isn't Jake cute? :D
My offical CCMA Awards program. I bought it because it has fun anecdotes and mini interviews with each of the nominees.

I had dinner with Mom and Robert at my parents house. Afterwards we were sitting on the deck experiencing all the wonderful sounds of city living. Airplanes flying over, loud annoying music, kids crying, geese overhead, and then to add insult to injury, someone decided to mow their lawn. It was NOT relaxing and it was HOT out. We were debating doing an ice cream run when I logged in to Facebook and had this conversation with my friend Naomi.

So, that's how I ended Saturday. At Naomi's playing Super Scrabble and eating ice cream. A great finish to a busy day.