Notes to self...or woe is me..

The big day has come and gone, and once again I am putting away the wrapping paper/gift bags for another year.  In case I forget - again - I have enough paper and bags and bows and gift tags (the tacky store bought kind) to last for the next 10 years so DO NOT BUY MORE NEXT NOVEMBER WHEN IT COMES OUT IN COSTCO.  I am counting on you, dear reader, to remind me.  I don't need more tree ornaments, I don't need more decorations to put up around the house.  I DO need to get my wreath decorated and put with the wreath hanger to use next year. When I figure out where to store it, I will let you all know so that when I can't find it next November you will be able to tell me where it is. 


Sometimes, being organized and ahead of the game just frustrates me.  I had pictures of Murray and I taken on July 1st, had them printed out in October and had them lying around my house in one spot or another for at least 6 weeks for the purpose of putting them into the Christmas Cards when they were ready.  Then...one grey winter's day...Declan had them in his little hands and I took them from him and put them in a safe place.  Never to be seen again.  My cards were nice though so maybe it was just as well I didn't ruin them with pictures of old people.

So, that covers the notes to self section, now onto the woe is me (I know you can hardly stand the suspense...) I have fallen off the health wagon and have been run over by the team.  I have eaten probably 40 pounds worth of tarts (Thanks Dianne - they are sooooo good) - cherry chocolates (Thanks Tyler they are sooooo good) - Crisp Stix (Thanks Bev and George they are sooooo good)- Surprise Spread - lazy man cabbage rolls - stuffing/gravy/turkey/sweet potato casserole/mashed potatoes...and on and on and on.  Thankfully I have a wonderful daughter who pointed out to me that I should take my blood glucose levels.  I will go blind and loose a foot if I am not careful.  Reminded me of my dear dear mother - Gramma Dodd you will never be far from our thoughts - especially this time of year.


So, with that misery out of my system and pinging around the internet, I think I can finally put it all behind me and start over with my steely resolve to live a healthier lifestyle even if it kills my husband.  (Steely resolve can result in total bee-achh-iness - just ask him).  

On a more positive note - I got my advent calendar made for the girls (in just the nick of time).  It turned out to be a big hit - they loved it and used it to count down the days.  At one point, when there was only four days left to open, Kaida said to her mother "you better get this house ready, you are running out of time".  Holly was so grateful for that calendar at that moment, I have no doubt.  Making it was a lot of fun right up to the 17th day - then it was kind of a drag for the last 8 boxes.  However, I had no time to be fed up with it as it was the 30 of November!  I was not organized or ahead of the game here and it worked out so well.  My only regret was that I didn't get time to take a picture to post - because I just wasn't organized or ahead of the game enough...


We had a wonderful Christmas Day - thanks to Holly and Cory for breakfast and Bev and George for supper - and my four little sweethearts for so much fun in between.  I hope all of you had as great a day.

/bye

Saturday - again

My very first blog was about how I hate Saturdays.  Well, that has come to an end.  This morning was the very first meeting of the knitting club, aptly named the Knitwits, at the Fort library.  There were 6 of us with our knitting projects, and our ideas, and our ENTHUSIASM for knitting, sitting around discussing all things knitting, looking over knitting books, while we knitted.  Did I mention it was a knitting group?  We decided to get together on a weekly basis and that we would try to do a knit along.  SUCH FUN!! 

My Saturdays will never be the same...thank goodness!!

Oh, and on another topic that brings me satisfaction - I have lost 40 pounds.  Just another 5 and my BMI is in the "normal" zone.  I have never been in the normal zone in any sense so it will be interesting to experience. 

Cardmaking again...

 Last weekend we went to Nanton AB to attend the wedding of my cousin's daughter.  She would be 2nd cousing?? First cousin once removed??? No relation????  Anyway, I made this card to hold an enclosure as a gift.  All stuff is Stampin' Up except for the ribbon which was on sale at Michaels several years ago and I finally used it.







The only bad thing about the wedding was that we missed Brandon's graduation brunch.  I hear it was fun though, and I hope he enjoyed it.  I made this card, using the same enclosure pattern.  This time I put my cricut to work and did the frame and year and sentiment by cut out.  The paper is SU's craft paper (new name is cookie crumbs or something like that).  The twine I picked up from the Library's craft and book sale for a dime - last year - finally used it.



I have had to make too many sympathy cards lately.  This pic is really bad, but it is "with sympathy".  Everything is SU this time.  The flower is from their Pretty Things collection which I have had around my house for a year and a half.  Finally used it.






                                                                          One year ago today, Cathy Cochrane and I stayed up all night waiting for the arrival of KENZIE.  She was more than well worth the wait.  She is having a Ladybug themed party this year, so I used my cutting system from Creative memories and made this simple simple little card.    You can't read the message, but it just says Happy Birthday which I think you can guess.  I got the googly eyes at the Library Craft and Book sale - and well - finally used them.

So, to all those people (Murray) who say "You have all this stuff and you never use it" I say

HAH!!

/bye

                                                                                

Insert catchy title here

It has been a glorious week when the only thing to mar the perfect blue skies are jet streams.  The hot hot days were followed by cool still nights.  Usually this is a recipe for a wild storm or something, but not this week.  I enjoyed!

But, over the last week the valley has taken on a distinctly "the good times are over" look.  There are fewer green leaves and more are coloured.  The grass is not growing as fast or as lush, the flowers are getting leggy and, well, tiresome.  My garden has been tilled down to just the corn stalks and a few tomato plants.  There are plenty of veggies sitting in my garage waiting to be eaten, but that really isn't the exciting fun part for me.  I like to see them sprout, and blossom and then produce.  I don't like to pick and process.  Thus, the good times are over.

So, in order to avoid slipping down into the abyss of total depression, we booked a holiday!  We will be going to Cancun with Holly and Cory and the kids.  And,  just to keep me buoyant and interested in the sea of life, I have another holiday with the Dubiels and the Baldocks to look forward to booking.  The booking is a lot of fun, right up to the "buy now" button stage.  Then, one really has to have determination and fortitude because once you click that, what happens next is the hard part.  Facing the credit card.  (There is always something to sap the joy).  Oh well, a month before I have to even THINK about that part.  

You have probably read my daughters "Harvest 2011" post, and my rude comment that followed.  But really, in my defence I just have to speak out.  There were many, way too many to count, days when I was weeding and watering and fertilizing and caring for that garden when she was boating, visiting, entertaining, or off to some glamorous locale like Vegas or Lethbridge.  So I was 10 minutes late with the harvest bee.  Lets make that the big deal that goes on the internet.  Not the countless - way to many to count - hours I spent getting things to the point where you could pick them.  In the blistering heat.  By myself.  Oh well, she is raising two little ladies who will, tragically, put her in her place soon enough. 

Revenge is sweet, especially when you have to wait as long as I have...

/bye

Labour Day

It is a beautiful "September long" here.  The sun is shinning, trees and lawns are still lush and green, some of my flowers, and most of my neighbours flowers are still blossoming and pretty.  Its a Mr Rogers "great day in the neighbourhood" kind of weekend. 

We had a first touch of frost on Saturday night, not enough to stop the cucumbers and tomatoes, but enough to give me hope that I won't always have to eat cucumber and tomato sandwiches, soup, salad, pudding for the rest of my life.  I am admitting defeat and the groundsel and thistles have won another year, but NEXT YEAR things will be different, which is kind of my fall mantra every year.  I held them off longer this year than last, so I am declaring a small victory if not a complete triumph.

I had my little Declan for Saturday while his Mom and Owen went to the Mud Bogs in Lipton.  I really don't get the entertainment value of Mud Bogs, but it is very entertaining to have a 4-year-old tell you about all the "behicles" that were there.  Oh, and btw, Declan is the sweetest little guy and the cutest baby ever.  In my unbiased opinion of course.

My improved eating habits took a sorry turn, and I seriously fell off the wagon last night having a chocolate covered Dipp bar, a Halloween treat aero bar, and several chocolate chips.  Once that binge was over, I hung my head in shame and disgust and crawled back on the wagon.  Hopefully it was just a brief lapse in drive and will power.  Or, maybe my body knew it needed that chocolate...

How about those Roughriders?!  Can the coach really make that much difference?  Lets hope that this is just the beginning of a trend for the rest of this season.  I would rather poke a hot needle into my eye than go to an actual rider game overpopulated with drunks and idiots, but it is truly amazing when the camera pans the crowd and it is a sea of green and white.  Anyway, Go Riders.

My two neighbours have their lawnmowers on Turbo and are zooming around their lawns, while their good women are in the garden digging up and picking off produce.  I have pretty good stamina to ignore such things, but on this great sunny day, I am shamed into getting off this computer and getting outside.  It is suppose to be nice all week - after that - who knows when it will snow??

/bye

Catch up time

Has it really been May since I last made an entry on my blog?  Is it correct, gramatically, to say "since I last blogged?"  I haven't had anyone reply to my query about "texted" - is that a word or not?  Anyway...this is also a form of procratination...

To catch up on my news...

I can't really remember May.  There were two birthdays, Brads and Kaida's.  Each was celebrated with family and friends and involved eating so they were great parties.  May was rainy and dreary as I recall.

June was dreary too, but there were a few sunny nice days.  In June I was diagnosed with Diabetes.  This was a life changing event for me.  I changed my eating habits, and began taking daily doses of medication to lower blood sugar.  I had been feeling kinda crumby all winter, with a lot of fatigue and blurring of vision, and the most alarming thing was that I started losing weight for no reason at all.  Yep, all signs of diabetes.  Anyway, as the meds took over, and my choices in food improved, the fatigue started to leave me.  With more energy, I felt a lot more like being active.  This too, helped to lower the blood sugars.  So, all in all, I am doing well and feeling so much better than before.



Declan's First July 1st Parade



July was a sunny hot wonderful month.  It started with the July 1 parade in Ft. Q. which my family always enjoys.  Kenzie was on the Credit Union float and was adorable.  Kaida didn't go, as she doesn't like people who dress up as cute animals - like the Fat Cat.  Once that Fat Cat went by she was able to relax and enjoy grabbing the candy that was tossed on the street.  We had family pics taken that day, and Murray and I didn't look horrendous in all of them - we were well pleased.  I took 6 days off work, which works out to three weeks when you are part time.  I weeded, walked, swam, visted, had grandchildren stay over and just generally enjoyed my "staycation".  It wasn't all sweetness and light though and there are certain people who will recall only too well the wrath of Auntie Janet on the warpath at 8:00 in the morning...but lets not go THERE.



Two of the reasons I am trying to stay healthy.



And here we are near the end of August.  Another great month weather wise and another great month of good health - unless you count that I have an incurable progressive disease of course.  But, I continue to loose weight and I am finally back to the weight I was after I had my first child.  I am hoping to hit prebaby weight, and it will only have taken me 30 plus years to do it.  We went to a family due for an aunt who is 95 (and a half) years old this weekend.  It was so great to reconnect with people I haven't seen since I was 13 or so.  And imagine how wonderful it was for Murray to sit in a hall full of only my relatives, he knew 3 or 4 of them, for an entire day.  What a good sport.  We stayed at the Bear Claw Casino and Hotel overnight, and that was fun too.  Funny, Murray seemed to like that better.   

And so, you are all caught up on what I have been doing.  Anyway, Donna Caruso has advised me to become more disiplined with my writing and do some every day.  This is my first effort at self discipline.  Stay tuned to see how long I can keep it up.

/bye

Confession is good for the soul

What are these two ladies talking about? While speaking, each is looking around furtively.

“Here, just take this one” whispers the first, pleading

“Oh no, I just can't I promised my friend...” the other whispers back, begging for understanding

“She'll never know!” says the first.

Drugs? Arms? Illegal contraband of any kind. No much worse. It is a batch of Amish Friendship Bread starter. Oh I know it sounds nice – I mean the Amish are folk who live a simple lifestyle, in peace and harmony, unsullied by reruns or viral YouTube. Friendship is a state to be envied and sought after. And bread? Saskatchewan was once the breadbasket of the world, surely we would be in support of bread. For those who have not had a bag of Amish Friendship Bread starter given to them by a dear friend with a beneficent smile, if there is such a person anywhere, I will explain. The starter is a mixture of baking stuff, like flour and milk and baking powder and so on. It sits on your cupboard fermenting, with instructions to “mush the bag” or to add other ingredients until the 10^th day. Then, you subdivide your starter into four bags of 1 cup each, and make your quick bread (or loaf – Holly will get this private joke) with the remainder. Oh sure it is delicious. Oh yeah everybody likes to eat it. There is no disputing that. But every 10 days you need to come up with friends who will take the extra starter off your hands. Some people can go on for many months, but I ran out of true friends after 10 days. Plus every 10 days I had to bake something, a very real hardship for a bi-annual baker like me. Actually, friendship bread starter is much like a litter of kittens. One day your cat named Fred manages to have a litter of kittens despite your best efforts. And they are cute, and adorable and soft and sweet. And NOBODY wants to take even one of your kittens. It gets to the point that you eventually give them out as Halloween treats to kids you don't know. (Except for the kids accompanied by parents who seem to find your house to return them – with a threat). So, my dilemma. I can't get rid of the extra starter – so what do I do with it? Throw it out? Isn't there a law or something about that? Can you take something useful, tasteful, nutritional and just pitch it out? Well, I did have permission from my friend to throw it out. Still, it is Friendship Bread starter. What would the Amish think of me if they found out? Halloween is a long way off. On the 3^rd go around, I realize that I have no choice. I wait until darkness falls and then, looking around furtively, I sneak the extra starter into the garbage can. I am so glad the Amish don't use computers.

/bye