Friday Fill-in #102

1. Friends are truly life's greatest treasure.

2. My health; it's neglected.

3. I'm ready for tonight, but nothing past that.

4. Haiku by Avon is one of my favorite perfumes or aftershaves or smells. Well, it's what I wear at least. I don't have a favourite aftershave. Favourite smells are citrus and raspberry.

5. The oldest ornament I have is my CM jingle bell from 2003. I think I'm going to steal some from Mom when we decorate their tree this year though.

6. Take some egg nog and anything, mix it all together and you have heaven in a cup. Seriusly. I love egg nog, in any form!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to our annual Christmas dance. This marks a full four years that I've been dancing! Tomorrow my plans include shopping in Vancouver with Meredith. Not that I'll buy anything, we just like going out there. Sunday, I want to decorate Mom & Dad's tree! That's the plan anyways. In the evening I'm going to the NR Christmas party. Why not right?

Thankful Thursday

My coworkers are driving me nuts so I'm going to take a moment to breathe and count my blessings. Today I am thankful for some random things:

• Sunshine. It's supposed to snow tomorrow so this has been nice.
• The fact that getting the rock chip in my window repaired only cost $28 total instead of the $30 base that I was expecting.
• Scrabble on Facebook
• The fact that I HAVE a job to complain about
• Quiet time (which is what I'm anticipating for tonight)
• Heat, although I don't know where it all went from the office

And more. Sorry the blog's been kind of sparse this week. It's been quiet on the news front so not much to post.

Wordless Wednesday: Yes, we know

Friday Fill in 12/5

Since I can't seem to bring up Friday Feasts anymore, I'll move to Friday Fill ins!!! (I need SOMETHING mindless to do when I should be working!)

1. Snow is a very real possibility for this weekend. It's been grey all weekend and I'm surprised we haven't gotten any yet. For the past three years we've already had a major-close-the-office-snow-fall at least once by this time.

2. I'm looking forward to the start of all the Christmas parties. I have a few lined up, starting with a cookie exchange tomorrow. I love Christmas parties :)

3. My 4-in-1 pannini press/griddle is the best kitchen appliance ever! Well, maybe not ever, but I'm loving it!

4. One of my favorite old tv shows is Home Improvement. Okay, it's not OLD but I love the re-runs of it!!!

5. I'm done with minority governments. Nuf said.

6. The most enjoyable thing around the holidays seeing people you don't see at other times of the year.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm going to a CM workshop and hoping to find some mojo. Tomorrow is the aforementioned cookie exchange and Sunday, is not much of anything which is my favourite way to be!

Thankful Thursday

So after a month of one blog a day, I've essentially abandoned updates, or at least it feels like it anyways. So, in the spirit of November's "I'm thankful for" posts, this is my update of the past not-quite-a-week.

Friday
I'm thankful that the idiot who did a u-turn in front of us while Mom, Dad and I were going to Costco, didn't hit us. It's only because of Dad's quick swerving and God's grace that I am able to write this post at all. Big SUV, little Jetta, Mom and I could have been creamed. Very scary.

Saturday
I'm thankful that the border guard didn't question our purchases on our way home. Mom and I went down to Bellingham to do some initial Christmas shopping (we only bought one gift each) and so I could mail a bunch of Christmas cards. We had a great time together (even though the weather was *horrible*) and the guard didn't even blink when I gave her our totals for the day. Hallelujah!

Sunday
I'm thankful that it was sunny out and we could go for a walk. I ended up spending most of the weekend with my parents, and, as on November 1st, I'm thankful that I can spend that much time with them and still like them :) Sunday we had lunch together after church and then we went for a walk around the lake before the sun set. It was cool out but so refreshing.

Sunday evening I organized all my scrapbooking memrobilia. It was a big job but I have less than I thought I did and now it's all in one place. That feels great!

Monday
I skipped dance since my partner wasn't there anyways. I am thankful for "found time". I didn't actually do anything particularly productive...I did try to make cookies but they flopped big time. I mostly just puttered around which is suprisingly relaxing.

Tuesday
I attempted to give blood. It didn't really work. I guess I was cold because my blood was flowing very s.l.o.w.l.y. and it ended up clotting before I filled the bag. I have to admit though, as frustrating as it can be to not have a successful donation, I am incredibly thankful that I am the one GIVING the blood instead of receiving it.

Wednesday
On Friday all of the office staff minus our manager and accountant, went to the annual industry luncheon. It's a really nice event held, this year, at a local golf course. The lunch was wonderful. They did a 50/50 draw and a raffle. They had fantastic prizes donated for the raffle and I won a paninni press/4-in-1-grill. I've been coventing a paninni press for awhile and this one is way nicer than anything I'd have bought for myself. I've made dinner on it a few times and it always turns out so yummy. I am thankful for my paninni press!!!

And that brings us to today which is Thursday. I'm going to a cookie exchange on Saturday and I'm hoping to get my cookies made tonight. Also I need to sit down and write a bunch more Christmas cards. I have quite a few complete but I'm nowhere near done. So that's the plan for tonight. Cookies and cards. I love Christmas time :)

Attitude of Gratitude #30

Count your blessings,
name them one by one,
Count your blessings,
see what God has done

Today I am thankful for Sherry. For challenging us to blog daily about our blessings. What we are thankful for and to maintain an "Attitude of Gratitude". It hasn't always been easy but it has ALWAYS been worthwhile.

THANK YOU SHERRY!!!

Attitude of Gratitude #29

I am thankful for travel.

I'm itching to travel right now. I don't have any trips planned until the new year but I'd love to hop on a plane and fly somewhere right now. Preferably somewhere with lots of sun. I love that the world is so small. Hopefully I can do more in the future.

For now, I am thankful that travel is an option.

Attitude of Gratitude #28

I am thankful for board games.

I'm surprised it took me this long to include them in this challenge. They are one of my favourite things. I like nothing more than to sit around with a group of friends and play a board game. Scrabble, Monopoly, Risk, Settlers of Catan or any number of card games. They are so much fun and I love that there are always new ones to try and learn.

I am thankful for board games.

Attitude of Gratitude #27

I am thankful for the internet.

Some days more than others and some days I hate it but mostly I am thankful for it. I've been "online" since about 1998, so ten years. That summer after I got back from Camp I signed up for my first email. It was through the now defunct goplay...I think. Actually, I don't even remember what site it was. All I remember was the day I tried to open an account hotmail wasn't working for me. I'm not sure why. Anyways, a few months later hotmail WAS working and I got my "agent713" handle. I've used that for most online sites since.

Christmas 1998 we got our first computer. I was absolutely convinced that we were the last family in the WORLD to get online. Mom took us shopping on Christmas Eve and Dad stayed home. When we got back the living room was full of boxes and a brand new Pentium ONE(! a big deal back then) computer was all set up on a new desk in the corner of the kitchen.

Initially I used it mostly for school work and to check email. After I graduated and started working I had more time available online and I slowly built my usage. When I took my Administrative Assistant Diploma course I was introduced to the world of chatting. I'd work from 8-4:30 and then head over to the school from 5-8pm. The course was self paced so in between modules everyone would be online chatting. In fact one of the administrators was a moderator for a chatroom on yahoo! I'd talk to all sorts of people and I still think about some of them. Like the snowboard instructor from Washington State, the DJ from Italy, the couple that was "dating" even though they'd never met.

Once I finished school (months after I COULD have finished if I hadn't been chatting so much) I quit visiting the chatrooms.

In January 2003 I was researching the pros and cons of becoming a Creative Memories consultant. I joined some Yahoo groups and through there I was directed to StampinScrappin. My first post was asking for clarification on abbreviations and Donna in MB was the first person to answer.

I met my first ScrapShare members at Showcase in 2004. Since then I have met well over 100 "axe murders" and count many of them as my closest friends. To say that ScrapShare has changed my life, isn't a word of a lie. The friends I have made there are the reason I have travelled to, well, to every state I've travelled to and the reason I was in Diane's wedding this summer. It brought Veronica to Canada and has enriched my life in inumerable ways.

I log on most days although sometimes on the weekends I don't have access, which is fine. It's good to take a break once in awhile :)

My daily sites are:
Hotmail
Gmail
Facebook
RoyalBank
ScrapShare
HSScrappers
Dierks.com
The9513
Country1071
MySpace (once or twice a week)
FVR Library

And more blogs than I can count although I access most of them through "Feedblitz" and I have to confess, this daily challenge with everyone writing every day, has been murder. I am so far behind on reading that it's not even funny!

So, I am thankful for the internet. It has made the world a smaller more accessible place and, for the most part, I am better off because of it.

Attitude of Gratitude #26

I am thankful that my boss is back.


Don't get me wrong, I love it when she's away. The quietness at this end of the office is blissful and I get SO much done (especially after a board meeting) but there just comes a point where I need her. That point came on Monday. She didn't get back until today. I am SO glad she's back. Now we can move forward on a number of issues and get stuff done!

I am also glad that I'm not the boss. Sometimes I think that if I had more schooling or experience then I would change my mind but right now, I love not having the final say or not having to make the final decision on anything. I can defer responsibility and I love that.

I am glad that my boss is back so that she can make the decisions!

Attitude of Gratitude #25

I am thankful for mail.

Real true paper mail that its delivered by a postman. I love email too. I get easily 50 messages a day but nothing beats real mail. I'm writing my Christmas cards right now. I made a ton and now I have to write in them, address them and mail them. It takes forever but I know how great it is to receive mail so I don't mind.

In fact I've already received two cards! There are some speedy people out there :) I can't wait to see how many other ones I get this year. Opening the mail box at the end of the day is so much better when there is something personally addressed in there. I love mail.

I am thankful for mail.

Attitude of Gratitude #24

I think I've mentioned before that November is by far my least favourite month of the year. Winter is my least favourite season and November is just the beginning of it. It's so dark and cold and usually wet. Even with the time change I still pretty much go to work in the dark and get home in the dark. Lately though, there has been one benefit to driving home as the sun is setting, I am treated to some incredible sunsets.
I took the picture on the left last week. The wispy clouds and the orange tinge to the sky was calming. Last night however, the sky was on FIRE. (The impact of this post is going to be lost because Blogger keeps rotating my photos but you get the point).

I took the first photo from my window at work and then I went down by the river and took the second two. The bridge is the one I travel across every day to get to work. The colours just kept intensifying as the sun set. Gorgeous.
So, even though November is a yucky month, I am thankful that there is beauty in every season and that we have been treated to this eye candy these past few days. Somehow it makes the limited light easier to handle :)

Attitude of Gratitude #23

I am thankful for the Library. I currently have 25 items checked out and that's not including the eight that I returned yesterday. Books, magazines, cd's, dvd's there are so many awesome pieces available that it's hard to get around to listening to/viewing/reading them all! I am typically at the library a couple times a week and on their website even more than that. We have a fantastic library system and I use it pretty much to it's fullest.

I am very thankful for the library.

Attitude of Gratitude #22

Doc Walker has a song called "Remember December". They haven't released it formally yet but it's featured on the CMT Christmas special that they recoreded and they performed it at the Basics for Babies Breakfast last year. You can hear it here (righthand side, under videos, scroll down to the Christmas 2006 at XM Radio - Part 1)

Anyways, the lyrics in it, especially the first verse really remind me of my hometown. I don't have pictures of the lamp post decorations that the city puts up (yet, I'll get some) but they are in the shape of candles and stars just like ths song says.

Every year the Downtown Business Association also hosts a Tree Lighting ceremony. They block off a couple of streets, Santa arrives in a vintage fire truck, escorted by the police and the local Air Cadet Band, there is carols and performances on the main stage and then, at the appointed time, the mayor flicks the switch to light the tree.

Mom and I went down on Friday night to join in on the festivities. We bundled up and then walked from my place since "downtown" is only about three blocks away. This year was special because our long (long, long, long) time mayor (second from the left) is (finally) retiring and a new guy (third from the left) is taking over. They made a big show of "teaching" the new guy how to flip the switch :)

So, for this (delayed) Attitude of Gratitude post, I am thankful for my hometown. Yes it has it's foibles and shortcomings, yes I don't agree with everything that they do but it's home and when I remember December (or November in this case) this is what I think of. The lights, the singing and the spirit of community that binds us all together.

Remember December

Hanging those lights on the main street of town
The stars and candles with bulbs burnt out
I swear they use the same ones every year
And in the school parking lot, the snow is piled high
Kids are making forts and having snowball fights
Some of my favourite memories are made right here
In this little town

I remember hearing “Silent Night”
Underneath a blanket of Northern Lights
The sweet smell of gingerbread and pine
With homemade stockings and popcorn strings
You swear you hear those sleigh bells ring
It seems so warm right in the dead of winter
That’s how I remember December

There’s always a smile on everybody’s face
Gathered around the fireplace
Passing out gifts from beneath the tree
Meant so much to me

I remember hearing “Silent Night”
Underneath a blanket of Northern Lights
The sweet smell of gingerbread and pine
With homemade stockings and popcorn strings
You swear you hear those sleigh bells ring
It seems so warm right in the dead of winter
That’s how I remember December

We’re all a little sad when New Year’s rolls around
That’s when they start to take the stars and candles down

I remember hearing “Silent Night”
Underneath a blanket of Northern Lights
The sweet smell of gingerbread and pine
With homemade stockings and popcorn strings
You swear you hear those sleigh bells ring
It seems so warm right in the dead of winter
That’s how I remember December
That’s how I remember December

JFK

Today marks 45 since John F. Kennedy was assasinated. I got burned out with my recaps about my Texas trip and I never got around to posting about the day that Sherilyn and I spent in Dallas learning about JFK, his life and the day he died. Something hiccuped when I was backing up my pictures and I don't seem to have them on a cd. I do have them uploaded to Shutterfly (thankfully) and I saved these shots from there to share with you.

Being at the site where Kennedy was shot was very odd for me. I wasn't born when all this happened yet I would like to think I'm fairly familiar with the timeline and events. I learned more that day then I could ever take in though. Sherilyn was a great tour guide and made sure to point out the important spots like the "Grassy knoll" and the markings on the street where the car was when each of the shots hit him.

The JFK Memorial (seen left) was very underwhelming. Like many people, I just don't get it.

On the other hand, the Sixth Floor Museum was incredible. Sherilyn and I took the audio tour and when I think about it, my mind still reels from the incredible amount of detail they share...and even after all that, no one really has the answers. The museum does a good job, in my opinion, of being objective and covering the conspiracy theories but it definitely leaves you with a lot of questions.

Today people are remembering JFK.

I am remembering what I learned about him and his life. It's all I have.

Attitude of Gratitude #21

Two thirds of the way through this challenge and I still have so many things to be thankful for!

Today I am thankful for scrapbooking. It's not something I do, It's what I am. A scrapbooker. It affects the way I see the world, the way I enjoy events and most definitely how I remember them. There are so many fringe benefits and needs that scrapbooking fills for me. I could write for hours on this topic but I'll keep it short and say - I am a scrapbooker and I am thankful for scrapbooking.

Six Degrees of Dierks

This is related to today's Attitude of Gratitude post but separate. I wrote it a few weeks ago and I keep forgetting to post it.

Jackie has the true "Six Degrees of Separation" thing sewed up because her celebrity obsession IS Kevin Bacon. Well I like playing it too and I'm pretty good. I can relate most things back to Dierks Bentley, as pathetic as that is LOL Anyways, the latest link involves my newest musical obsession. Jeremy Camp. I was initially exposed to Jeremy's music via the radio. I realized that there were a few different songs that all caught my attention and each time I waited to hear who was singing them, it turned out to be him! Once I established that he was an artist I liked, I went in search of his cd's. I have three so far and I want to get the rest. He's got a new one coming out in November that I'm really excited for too.

Anyways, a few weeks ago Dierks hosted his annual "Miles & Music for Kids" celebrity motorcycle ride which raised over $275,000 to benefit the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. There were lots of big names there like Tim McGraw, John Rich of Big & Rich and others. I followed the excitement of the event via the fan club. I read the reviews and I looked at the pictures but it wasn't until I watched the fan club exclusive video from Dierks himself that I realized that JEREMY WAS AT THE RIDE TOO!!! He performed! Along with his wife Adrienne. Crazy!!!

I haven't established the link between them yet or how or why Jeremy got included but how cool is that? Some year I'd love to make it down to Miles & Music. This would have been a great year to be there!!! But who knows, maybe they'll do more together in the future.

Attitude of Gratitude #20

Today is Dierks Bentley's birthday so I think it's fitting that I say I'm "thankful" for him and his music but I don't really know what to say. I've been thinking about it all day and I still haven't come up with words.

To say that I love his music is an understatement. I enjoy absolutely everything he has put out and I can't WAIT for the next 63 days to pass so I can get the new album.

The concerts are the best I've been to, which is why I keep going back. Each one is so different and he's such a great entertainer. February 24th can't come soon enough either.

I love how he relates to his fans and it's been a blast watching him grow as an artist.

Happy Birthday Dierks!

Attitude of Gratitude #19

Today is the 150th Anniversary of British Columbia.

On November 19, 1858, Governor James Douglas read the official proclamation that declared British Columbia a Crown Colony.

I am thankful that I live in BC. Even though I wasn't born here, I was raised here and this is home. I love so much about it. Our slogan is "The Best Place on Earth" and I fully agree with that (even if I am planning on moving LOL). I love the mountains, the rivers, the lakes, the ocean, the vastness of the wilderness areas, the hum of the cities, the diversity and so much more. I am a BC girl and will always be. I love my province. I love BC.

Attitude of Gratitude #18

I have to confess, I'm having a hard time thinking of something to be thankful for today. Dance was great last night but it was long. New dancers were on from 7-8:10 (with the rest of us acting as "angels"), Mainstream was from 8:10-8:30 and Plus (the level I dance at) was from 8:30 to 9:30. By the time coffee and announcements were over and I got home it was well past 10. I didn't fall asleep until close to midnight and then I slept hard and fast and barely made it to work on time. Today my eyes are bothering me from staring at the computer to much, I spent an hour on the phone with our IT guy trying to figure out my scanner (my new computer isn't accepting the new settings). The sun is shining now but I've had to close my blinds because it was reflecting on my computer screen.

I'm scheduled to give blood tonight but I don't think I can honestly answer the "Do you feel well today" question with a "yes" so I'll probably skip. Dad wants to go see the new Bond movie but I think I need to just stay home. My kitchen is a mess from not being home and awake for more than a handful of hours in the past five days and the box of Christmas things that I pulled out last week when I put up my tree is still sitting in the middle of my living room.

So, if you've stayed to read my little pity party, I think I can now write about what I am thankful for.

I am thankful that THESE are my problems. I may not have a lot of money in the bank but all my bills are paid. I have food in the cupboard. I have a roof over my head, heat, a bed to sleep in, a job to go to in the morning, friends that care about me, things to do, happy memories, things to look forward to, peace in my soul.

I'm not wondering where my next meal will come from, where I'll sleep, how I can afford to buy clothes. I'm not fighting addition, or illness or adverse circumstances that are out of my control. I live in a beautiful province in one of the best countries in the world where I am encouraged to share my opinion (even if I do think there are too many elections going on ;)) and it is safe to walk down the street.

I am free to listen to who and what I want, believe what I want, be friends with who I want and pretty much do what I want.

I have a wonderful family that is practically dramaless (when compared with other families) and who I am looking forward to spending Christmas with.

So today, on the 18th day of trying to find something to be grateful for when I'm tired and in a bad mood, I would just like to say,

I am Heidi and I am Blessed!