The beauty of Alberta..

Everyone says Alberta is ugly and flat...yes it is in some parts, but there are many parts that I find absolutely breathtaking. 

I love the canola fields in the early summer.  This is just northeast of us near the town of Mundare.    All that's missing is the huge ominous black thunder clouds...

Myrtle Beach Bound!!!

Well, mil is feeling much better, not 100%, but is on the road to recovery, and she really wants us to come down and stay with them for our holidays.  Woohoo!! We're very excited and relieved too.  The kids LOVE to see them, and the holiday down there is so perfect for us.   We just really have to pay for our airfares and of course we pitch in for food and gas...but we have the house, the community pool, the golf cart paths to bike on and of course, the beach, the shopping (OMG IT"S BEEN SINCE MAY THAT I"VE GONE SHOPPING!!)  and the fun touristy stuff. There's a new HardRockCafe theme park  and our favourite Broadway at the Beach.   We stay in Pawleys Island, which is south of Myrtle Beach, a sleepy town with huge old trees with moss hanging down. The beaches there are quiet, lonely and white soft sand. The kids love to play there.

I can't wait to see the old southern homes, the beautiful scenery...and of course, my inlaws.   I'm so lucky to have them as my inlaws.  I know some people really dread visits with theirs, but me...I feel so grateful to have a mom and dad like them.  The only gripe I have is that they would come and visit us more often, but they usually reverse the idea and help us out with airfares, so we can have a holiday down there with them instead.  Makes sense, who wants to visit up here anyways? ;-)  

So in August, I get to warm up and complain about the humidity of South Carolina.   Not a bad complaint. 

Remember, you can click on the photo to enlarge it and see more detail...

The things I love.... a refreshing post

Oh my gosh...look who is interested in photography!  Ha!




I love to garden...my garden has been so LATE this year!  My lilies have just started flowering and it's almost mid July!  Anyways, here's how the garden is coming along...not all has bloomed yet, but we're getting there.    This year, I threw a few lettuce seeds and tomato plants in one of the side gardens by the house.  I'll take pics of there later.  The lettuce is HUGE, and if anything, it's a very cool looking green plot :-)  I have no idea of the names of some of these....

Jane - please note the bee on my purple flowers.  They LOVE the two purple bushes (one is lavender, the other I'm not sure)  

Update

Dh returned back from his weekend to Halifax and his biggie interview.   Halifax was gorgeous apparantly, lots of gorgeous places to live, tons of lakes and countryside.  Peggy's Cove was breathtaking.    He was really pumped about it all, until his interview.  

 He didn't get a really good feeling about the company.   It seemed like they were grilling him on things that really didn't mean much.   dh asked some very important questions which the various executives couldn't answer to well.  They still didn't have a real plan in place or org structure for the job he was interviewing for.  He got the sense that the company was disorganized and didn't have a business plan for their decision making.    The attitude there is, do it, and then figure it out later.   dh wasn't impressed by that.   Also, he got the sense that development opportunities were not fostered or encouraged.  The owner and CEO, seemed to be the rich bratty son who inherited the position because he was family, not based on credentials.   He just got an uneasy feeling - leaving a big company who has trained him, encouraged growth and development in him and then leave that for a disorganized fly by the seat of your pants company?  

When interviewing dh, they were always grilling him on how he got to such a high position, from xx position to xxxx position (the technical aspect) and comparing the big corporation vs them attitudes.   The interview went well, but dh didn't get a good feeling about the company and that it would be a place with lots of labour issues in his opinions.  There's alot more details of course, which I will not bore you with, but he just didn't get a good feeling about the people there. 

He said he's very disappointed, as we have been on such a high and low pendulum for the last few months, but at least he knows that it's not a company for him.   He loved Halifax, and was very prepared to accept an offer, but after the interview, will likely decline.  In fact, he said he's calling the recruiter today to let him know he is not interested in the position.

I mean who knows...they may not have been keen on Trent either, but he's going to put the "not interested" word in first. 

*sigh*  disappointing,  but relieving too.   A great experience for dh ....  a roller coaster for me.

Now he has a 2nd interview with his current company for a position in Calgary. Not sure how I feel about that, but we are encouraged and are feeling more positive with staying with the current company after the learning experience from the Halifax company.  

Onwards and upwards.   Where will the next few months lead us?  I expect we will be here again for the next while.   Perhaps Vancouver is still waiting for us, perhaps something neato in Oregon or Washington,  and the higher beings are just putting things into place for us.   

Thanks for bearing with me as I type away my feelings and experiences.  If you think reading this blog is exhausting, think of how I'm feeling. 

The one thing I absolutely hate, is the amount of time wasted in researching, looking on the mls, gov't websites, etc.... when I SHOULD be researching and participating in the things I love.  

It finally ended...

After four long years....I can't believe I have to say this.   Ethan has finally said that Thomas the Tank engine is no longer his favourite thing on earth.   His interests/obsessions now are dinosaurs.  It's been a few months now, but the icing on the cake was when it was time to pick out colours for his and Cam's bedrooms.   He chose a greenish/brown colour because it's a dinosaur colour.    Cameron wanted blue, so we did his room blue and made it slightly Thomas with the removable wall stickers, etc.    I think Ethan was satisfied with that as he's still has a big heart for Thomas, but I think he's thinking it's too young for him.  

So...we have a Thomas room now, simple, but nice.   Next is a "dinosaur" room, where we'll paint his walls and find some wall stickers/posters of dinosaurs for his room :-)

I love that my boys are simple and don't care for a lot of complicated things.   Happy to find a dinosaur sticker and slap it on the wall, you know?  

I still love Thomas and always will.  

Pro's and Cons

Vancouver -

- wait it out some more...perhaps another year or two until something comes up.

- probably no paid move

- stay with the big company which is like a roller coaster of love/hate with dh

- higher housing prices. I will most likely need to work to help us afford life in Vancouver without having to stress about money all of the time.

-family is there. 

-years of friendships are there

-beauty of the land

-diversity of people

-lots of traffic and hell commutes

-lots of people congestion, graffitti, more crime

-higher competition for schooling/college/university for the kids (yeah I know...that's 13 years to go, but still)

Alberta (Calgary)

-no provincial tax

-lower housing market (although a move to Calgary would be close to that of Vancouver market)

-not sure about paid move to Calgary, but it may be likely

-stay with current big company - many colleagues that dh is familiar with and has networks with

-same pay

-no family

-one set of friends and a couple of my friends from long long ago ( does that count? I don't know if I want to reconnect closely with my "crushes" from 20 years ago)

Alberta ( where we are now)

-stay at current job, same pay

-roller coaster each week, each day of love/hate the job

-great school

-a few friends but nothing I feel strong connections to

-can be a stay at home mom for as long as I want to

-cold long winters

-no place to explore without driving for 2-3 hours

- lack of parks, trails ( I mean nature things, not the paved bike trails throughout the neighbourhoods)

Nova Scotia 

-a 10 hour drive to Montreal, where dh's family is

-closer to dh's parents who would more likely come and visit more frequently, because they are always visiting the other family in Montreal

-way cheaper housing market (we could easily be mortgage free, although we would like a few extras in our new home such as a swimming pool)

- can live on a huge plot of land for inexpensive.

- can live on a lakefront if I wanted to

-can live on oceanfront, if I wanted to

-smaller town, smaller community which I am really liking.  I like the smaller town feel of the community we are in right now...except it's very wisteria lane'ish here, and if you flush the toilet, your neighbour can here.   God, don't let me know that they have heard me fart. 

-major exploration to be enjoyed in the maritimes...the cabot trail, all of ns coastlines...a drive through new england areas for vacations...A new area to explore, which we LOVE to do.  We have really had a hard time with that here in Alberta.  We love to go for drives and discover new places, parks, areas..here we drive in any direction and get farmlands...which can be beautiful, but there's no destinations.  

-spectacular scenery, year round.  OMG my favourite month of October in the Maritimes would be a sight to see!  The maples would make me cry!

-areas rich in history and culture

-rainier weather

-cold, wet winters; cold, snowy winters

-fog

-new company to work for.  Lots of autonomy and decision making without massive red tape to get through.   National operations position, a promotion

-a new position means lots of extra work in the beginning while he gets to know the people and the business. (this would occur in any new job, but I'm sure this would be moreso in a new company)  More travel in the beginning across Canada (which we could tie in with visits to Vancouver when he goes)  But more travel, which I'm not a fan of.

-fresh seafood!

Fast approaching

Husband has a preliminary interview with his current company recruiter today, for the Calgary position.   It just an information gathering interview basically.  

He also has his big major final interview with the CEO and COO's  of the Halifax company next Tuesday.   He will fly out on the weekend and have a look around at neighbourhoods, city, ammenities, etc to check out the "family" aspect, and then hopefully he will have a good discussion with the big wigs and get a good feel for the company.  He's adamant that as much as he loves the idea of the beauty of Halifax, the "fit" in the company culture is really important to him.  I don't blame him.   This is a step up, and if he's working with a bunch of wads, what kind of life will it be for us?

They wanted to fly me out too, and as much as I really want to go (holiday in Halifax in summer?) I declined, because I really want dh to be objective and focussed on the job front rather than all of the wonderful romanticized things I will bring to the table....the scenery, the CapeCod house on 2 acres of land for peanuts...the lighthouses, ocean, zillions of lakes and parks...whale watching..lobster festivals...small communities...  See? I'm a dreamer!  

We still worry about leaving the big company dh currently works for, as we have been with them for so long.   The Halifax company is a big company, but not as huge as current one.   Sometimes change is good though too.   But we want to make sure.   

Our original plans from months ago were Vancouver.  We would still love to be there, but after the last few visits and family changes, we don't want to have to be mortgage poor and both work full time  to survive.  We don't want the nutso commutes.  We've been spoiled here in Alberta by lower housing costs, insurance costs, less traffic.  The beauty of Vancouver, the friends and family are what really pull us, but we wonder again, if we get back there...life has continued for everyone, and things will not be the same.   Last time I was there, I really felt the congestion, competition, hurriedness.  I don't know how to explain it.   The big one to me was, the family house is no longer ours, and it's like I don't have a place there anymore.  

Weird.   Next post... pros and cons.

two freight trains approaching each other at 100mph

Halifax wants to fly us out for a family tour and a final interview/job offer July 7.

In the meantime, Trent has applied on a job that came up in Calgary for his current company, different position.  Interviewing most likely in a week or so.   Most suitable candidate so far.

Calgary is safe.  Same company. Same people. Same bureaucracy, idiotic hours and all consuming work/life imbalance.  Different job.  No closer to Vancouver...but a nicer city.

Halifax is exciting.  Different company. Big risk of jumping ship.   Less "security" in that he's the newbie on the block vs having the 11 years of dedication to current company.   More autonomy, greater position, possibly more travel in the beginning (as in the Calgary job too)Possibility of all consuming work/life imbalance..but possibility not.   Way farther away from family/friends network.  Smaller city, probably a better upbringing and more educational possibilities as the kids get older.  I dunno...but small city may mean smaller possibilities too. 

Some days I just wish someone would make it easy and tell us what to do.

I love the sense of adventure, a new city, an new place....Calgary I'm a little more reserved about, higher cost of living, still no closer to BC...

I'm worried about the sense of jumping ship of a big corporation and going "new", the unknown future.  In his big corporation now, there's a (false) sense of security there. 

I'm going to play yahtzee with the options..  Roll the dice and see what they say. 

Oy.

Happy Birthday to my honey!

It was Trent's birthday yesterday, and he was such a great sport - we ordered a dinosaur cake for him (I wonder whose idea that was?) The dinosaurs were a big hit, and a big argument too. The kids played with those silly things for hours, and still today too!  They make roaring noises and a red light  shines out of their mouths.   Drove me up the wall!!

I bought him a bike and a set of adirondack chairs for us to lounge by the fire this summer - only problem was that he had to assemble them ;-)    Now we all have bikes, except for Cameron, but we do have a trailer for him to tow along in. I'm thinking of picking up a little bike for him to try this summer...we'll see.

Anyways...I'm so glad we celebrated together my love! You're the best!  

A fun day at the park

Trent's work put on a family day at the park today.  It was fun, despite the clouds threatening, and then finally deciding to let loose and pour rain.   My munchkins both got their faces painted, and they loved the bouncy things (what are they called?) that were provided.

I forgot to post about my BC Trip!

So, I never did an update of my trip back to BC.   It was very intense and quick, but got a lot done.  Lots of eye opening and more objectivity of living there - huge housing prices,  gas is way more expensive, traffic has increased alot over the last 2 years and graffiti seems to be alot worse too.  But it was so clean smelling, so lush, so green so gorgeous. :)

Day one went okay. I am the golden child according to my brother, as my dad did not rant at me. That's because I don't let him rant at me and I tell him off. My sister turtles and absorbs it all and my brother ignores him and let's it slide off his back. Me, I cut him off and tell him off. He started going on yesterday about my sis and bro and I interceded quickly and harshly, NO dad, I'm here to work, I don't wanna here it. And he'd try to continue...so I'd say nope, where are you going to put this stuff. 

Went for dinner at my bro's that night and it was great to hear them all, including my nieces and nephews mimic dad and make fun of his embarassing rants and blowups. It felt good to laugh about it rather than stew about it.  It's kind of like that old saying, you can choose to laugh or cry... 

on the following days it was a very hectic weekend, but I got alot done and I'm no longer the golden child as my dad yelled at me  Was feeling rather awful that I was the one that dad was reasonable with.  But I yakked back at him and told him to calm down. He was worried because I was donating a bowl set and of course he needs at least 20 of them for all the salads he makes.  

My allergies were going ballistic (I don't have allergies) 4 years or more of no dusting or cleaning in the frickin house. I'm SO glad we didn't go through with buying it. It needs alot of work. I did the linen closet on the first day and I swear I donated at least, at least 40 table cloths. And that's not mentioning the sheets and towels that have been kept for 40 years. (8 black bags and 4 boxes worth of house stuff on the first day)  

Oh yes, did I mention my dad had mice a couple of years back, and the mess has not all been cleaned up?  I did a few closets and low down cupboards that had not been opened in quite some time, I think.   

My advice to those with dads totally dependent on spouses for that job...force them to hire cleaning services, or force them to learn to deal on their own, don't be doing stuff for them all the time. My dad is totally hopeless, even with grocery shopping for himself, and it's quite embarassing.  

And he blames my sister for it too.  I don't know why, but he's got something against my sister (first and foremost), followed by my brother (who apparantly does nothing right and walks around with his head cut off)  and it's blatantly obvious and he verbally admonishes them in front of me.   I will not and did not tolerate it.  But I also made sure to tell my sister how she lets him do it.  And she physically cowers and corners herself.   It's unbelievable.   But it also makes me feel very guilty and wondering why I am not attacked in this way?   I feel guilty that my siblings get the rants, but I don't let it happen to me.  Why should I feel guilty about that?  Yet I do.   

  All of those mixed emotions from childhood and family dynamics flood me and make me want to stay in my safe and private world (as I blog it, HA!) here in Alberta.

Went to the Relay for Life Cancer fundraiser in Coquitlam as well... we walked for Aunt Jean, who passed last year around this time.   I know she was there with us :) It was pretty special to get together one last time to relive the Tortoises R Us Team just for Jean. :) 

Glad to be home. everything's nice and green an open spaced here. I think I'm getting accustomed to the Alberta terrain. I even turned on a country song for nostalgia as we approached Edmonton. 

************

With all the craziness and emotional strain, stress, drain and pondering, I've really kept to myself this week focussed on reading, quilting and connecting to the things I love to do.   oh yes, watched Days of Our Lives this twice this week, LIVE and not in fast forward motion on the PVR.  I'm coming out of my shell, I can feel it, and feeling someone normal again.The process was a little more emotional draining than I thought.  I bottle things up, so I don't let on how I'm doing...but my body sure feels it. Glad it's subsiding. Now if only things would progress or end on the Halifax side, we can finally sleep a little sounder.    Good god if the mls.ca website tracked our IP address, it would log lots of hours!

random thoughts...

since my trip back to bc, i've had many thoughts about my life recently.  

I'm homesick almost always in the last of the winter months.

I'm living for what I had back home, and not living for what I could have here...meaning I need to get out of the past and concentrate on where my future is, and embrace the possibilities right now.  

Now that the family home is sold, its like there's nothing left for me back home.   The only thing really getting me back there was the connection to "home".  It's sold now, so I'm not feeling that connected anymore.  A little free and excited, a little sad. Now that dad will be in a condo in New Westminster, I don't feel as much of a connection to Coquitlam anymore...I think it's the family home and those memories are a closed chapter now.

My future feels right now, still uncertain, but I feel alot more free to make a decision for my own family, and not have the guilt of "home".   Very hard to explain.  

After 9 months of kindergarten, I'm so thrilled with Ethan's schooling, and the future prospects at the school he is in now.  

I know we still want a larger property, and I know I will feel very home there.   Whether it is here in Alberta on a small acreage, or in Halifax or wherever it may take us.   I want my kids to be able to run free and kick the ball, and not worry about my 2.5 year old kicking the ball over the fence because my yard is so small.  *rollleyes*

A present from my cat.

Last night was gorgeous.  We all sat around our fireplace for a few hours, roasted marshmallows...the kids played, the dog lounged in front of the fire (how she can do that, I don't know)  even the cat was lounging with us too.  It was a fabulous evening.   I made my drink of lemonade with raspberry vodka, and lots of ice (a favourite right now) and enjoyed the evening.  It didn't get dark out until just before 11pm last night! Wowza!

This morning - I was greeted at the door with a present from my cat left at the sill.   A mouse. Blood included.   Good gawd, I almost threw up.   Luckily Trent hadn't left for his golf yet, and I got to sucker him into the disposal.  Where the heck do you put this kind of thing?  

I know it's a gift for you when a cat leaves it at the doorstep, but honestly....wouldn't a meow suffice, or even a quick purr?

So, that's not all.   about 1/2 hour later, as I was making my coffee, I'm gazing out the window watching my garden and I see Shatzi race from the bushes across the patio and under the porch.  With something in his mouth.    A bird.   I ran to the door and called his name.  Mandy went ballistic, and the dogs in the neighbourhood followed suit :-)  Scared Shatzi enough to release the bird I guess, because I saw the bird fly away with a few feathers in his wake.  It seemed unscathed the way it was flying, so I'm hoping I saved it.

I know it's nature, and it doesn't bother me that much...but a mouse?  That bothers me.   How many more are in my oasis back there that I don't know about?  My lovely evening in front of the fireplace doesn't seem so serene and safe anymore.  

On the flip side, at least he's a mouser, and can catch the fuckers.  For an 11 year old cat, I think it's pretty good.

But I'm still grossed out. 

Makes me wonder if my dream of living on an acreage needs to be refined.  *lol*  I'm sure there's plenty of critters out there.

Perseverance, Concentration, Stubborness

Quilting update.

taken with flash, in natural light

no flash, natural light

I finished off my bargello quilt top  (meaning, just the top, now I have to sandwich it, baste it, machine quilt it and put the binding on)  yesterday.   As much as I was excited to make it and do one, I'm not as thrilled about it.  It does look really cool, but maybe I took a break for too long and now I'm not as excited about it.   Note how the black beast must always take part in my quilting activities.

I cut out the beginnings of the dinosaur quilt that Ethan is so thrilled about.   The Thomas the Tank Engine quilt for Cameron is ready to go too.  I don't have a pattern I'm following, but rather piecing it in such a way that it's easy for me, yet looks nice for the boys.    

I have alot of ideas of upcoming quilts - a baby quilt for my newly pregnant friend, Lorena.

A new quilt for my niece, Lisa, who is finally getting her own room after sharing with her sister for so many years.   A quilt for my MIL who is battling cancer treatment right now and for some reason has massive back pain apparantly unrelated to the treatment (but started a week after radiation therapy...coincidence?)  I want to make a lovely navy and white quilt for her... And of course, what about me??? Haven't got a clue.   I just enjoy the prospects of making quilts for others.  

The problem?   I  LOVE piecing quilts, I LOVE the machine quilting part.   I hate the sandwiching and pin basting part.  Oh if I could figure a way to do that with less time and hassle....   and it's the step that you can't cut corners on, otherwise when you machine quilt, everything will get all puckered and mucked up. 

Need to get a new 1/4" foot for my machine, I've been eyeballing the 1/4" seam, and it's creating a little inaccuracy.  I've really noticed it on my bargello, where the seams don't all match.  Oh well.

Need to also buy some new needles for my machine...have no idea what kind.  But they are dull right now, and am noticing the thunking sound more often. 

Stashing Baked goods in the freezer - not a good thing

Whoever said that it was a good trick to put cookies in the freezer and that way you don't eat them as much? 

What a crock of shite!

I've been eating my Martha Stewart Chocolate Chip Cookies FROZEN dunked right into my hot coffee.   Lots of them.  :(

fucking hell. 

more random May and June pics

My son will not take serious photos anymore...

Babycakes Cupcake bake shop in New York..Lorena enjoyed them more than me....

\

Typical NY Central Park photo looking back at 59th street...

long overdue pics.

Posting pics takes forever...I'm very impatient about it all.  

Here's the brown bear feasting on some kind of yummy green stuff

Trent and his grammy....

My "little" niece Shantel, horsing around with Ethan

My "little" niece Lisa, with Ethan and Cameron... I also have two nephews, Curtis and Taylor, but they were at soccer and homework bound that afternoon :(

Cameron had so much fun running forever in the fields!

I'm a homebody

I admit it. I'm a homebody. I love being home, and if my life gets too busy, my way to feel less stressed and more whole, is to stay at home.  

I've had alot of upheaval in the last few months - Trent being gone, then me to NY, then a weekend in Kananaskis, then a week in BC, Tren'ts back in Calgary for a few days this week...now I've remembered that I've also had a girls getaway (that I didn't commit to, but it's the annual getaway) to 100 mile house at Deka Lake.    I just can't do it this year.   My life feels like a hurricane.  I can't catch up with my housework or my sense of "home".   It feels like I'm in a zone lately.  My kids have been awful.  So, I've declined a great getaway with my friends.   The thought of another long drive makes me want to hurl at this point.  I'm still getting over the 12 hour each way drive to BC.   

The other factor is the ups and downs about relocating, and I've just gotten to a point where I feel totally numb and out of it.   Our trip back to BC was an eye opener.   I really pictured myself back there...and I couldn't!  How's that for getting myself all confused! I found it gorgeous and lush, but at the same time, I hated how dense and busy and traffic was nuts, even during the middle of the day!  I felt very closed in...I missed the big open sky and the wide roads and terrain.    So, I feel like crawling under a rock and letting time pass for a bit so that I feel at home again, centered, grounded.    And no, pms has no factor in this at all.   Maybe a bit of reality of family politics and reality of the life back in bc.

So my goal this week is to stick around home for afew days with the kids...bake, make playdough, quilt, library...our usual routine, but no travel, no day trips, no upheaval for a few days.  I need to be home.

The trip to bc was a good one,  but I'm just glad to be back home and wishing to empty my mind of all the stuff.

The gorgeous storm clouds and tornado watch yesterday was one of the things I love about here...skywatching.

I'm hoping this mellow week will recenter the kids and me and make us feel at home again.

60 things

1. What is in the back seat of your car right now?
car mats and some enviro grocery bags...a broken up oreo cookie.

2. When was the last time you threw up?
November.   it was gross.  

3. What's your favorite curse word?
don't really swear much, but the f word is really effective.   I also like saying OSS (ass in the british way) just because it sounds so great! 

4. Name 3 people who made you smile today?
My husband, my kids

5. What were you doing at 8 am this morning?
sleeping!!! For once in a long tme, we slept in!

6. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
cleaning out a waffle iron and juicer I nabbed from my dad's place.

7. What will you be doing 3 hours from now?

reading a story to the boys and tucking them in

8. Have you ever been to a strip club?
yes.

9. What is the last thing you said aloud?
no

10. What is the best ice cream flavor?
chocolate brownie peanut butter cookie dough

11. What was the last thing you had to drink?
lemonade

12. What are you wearing right now?
jeans and a black t

13. What was the last thing you ate?
dinosaur fruit chews 

14. Have you bought any new clothing items this week?
t-shirt and jeans for Ethan.  

15. When was the last time you ran?
two days ago with my kids at the park. 

16. What's the last sporting event you watched?
part of an oilers game a few months ago.

18. Who is the last person you emailed?
My friend Lorena

19. Ever go camping?
yes..I think I'm ready for a trailer though. 

20. Do you have a tan?
nope, I'm see through at the moment.  

24. Do you drink your soda from a straw?
only if there's alot of ice. 

25. What did your last IM say?
I don't IM.

26. Are you someone's best friend?
yes.

27. What are you doing tomorrow?
Tomorrow is Tuesday...take Ethan to kindergarten, clean up the main floor, continue with laundry...pick up Ethan, go to swimming lessons in the afternoon.

28. Where is your mom right now?
her ashes are scattered in the Wupper River in Wuppertal, Germany

29. Look to your left, what do you see?

My front window looking out at the lawn and the neighbours across the street.

30. What color is your watch?
I don't have one!

31. What do you think of when you think of Australia ?
marmite, big bugs.

32. Would you consider plastic surgery?
yes -I'd love to get laser eye surgery if it was at all possible, plus a brow lift or botox to even out my droopy eyebrow (from poor eyesight since I was a baby) and if I had the guts, I'd have a boob lift. I don't care about my cellulite or my flabby tummy, but I would love to have great tits (without the bra to help)

33. What is your birthstone?
emerald

34. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru?
usually drive thru

35.How many kids do you want?
two is it.  And that's more than I originally wanted.  :-)  But I'm crazy about them :)

36. Do you have a dog?
Mandy - a  yellow lab rescued from Prince George.  She's gorgeous, and as much as I complain, she's an amazing spirit. 

37. Last person you talked to on the phone?
Trent

38. Have you met anyone famous?
I grew up with and played with Matthew Good (the singer).  He lived in the house behind me.  

39. Any plans today?
Just cleaning up from the mess we left unpacking the car from our trip back to bc.   Everything needs to find it's place again, but I'm a little tired.   

40. How many cities have you lived in?
Lived in Coquitlam, Victoria, and Sherwood Park

41. Ever go to college?
I went to Simon Fraser University first year, flunked and demoted myself to Douglas College.  It was actually a great thing, as I "found" what I wanted to do...went through their music program for two years, then transfered to the University of Victoria, to complete my degree.

42. Where are you right now?
In the computer room

43. Biggest annoyance in your life right now?
Not knowing where we will be in the next year.   Halifax?  Vancouver?  Edmonton? Calgary? (a new prospect has appeared)

44. Last song listened to?
Backyardigans Pirate Song

46. Are you allergic to anything?

sometimes dust/pollen if it's alot of it. 

47. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?
I did have a pair that I just bought a few weeks ago in New York...but my dad's dog ate one.  :(

48. Are you jealous of anyone?
No. 

50. Is anyone jealous of you?
if they are, there's nothing I can do about it.  

51. What time is it?
5:48pm

52. Do any of your friends have children?
yes, many do, and many have chosen not to. 

53. Do you eat healthy?
there's always room for improvement.  I wish I could kick my sweet tooth habit.  

54. What do you usually do during the day?
it varies every day.

55. Do you hate anyone right now?
no

56. Do you use the word 'hello' daily?
yes, and hi too.   I even greet the house when we come in... "Helllooooo house!"

58. How old will you be turning on your next birthday?
38, I just turned 37 last month. 

59. Have you ever been to Six Flags?
yes

60. How did you get one of your scars?
On my knee - when I was four I was jumping up and down on the chair in my brother's room and fell into and crashed his fish aquarium.  Shattered it everywhere...guppies everywhere.  Can you believe all he cared about was saving the fish? ;-)

OK....there are 60 things about me...how about you?

You are tagged if you have read this!!!

ongoings...

Off to Vancouver (Coquitlam) on Wednedsay to help my dad clear out the house of 40 years of accumulated crap. Here's how it will go.
"what the hell are you doing? i need those!" [those, meaning, the 20 year old yogurt containers that he uses for storing used, rusty, bent nails]
or
(after I just arrive) "andrea, come and sit down, lets have some coffee"
"dad, I just got here, i just had breakfast. I'm here to work"
1/2 hour later "come on, let's go out to zellers and have lunch"

"I'm going to give those to Ralph. Maybe your boys would like to make them too" (meaning, the plastic army tank kits and paints my brother made when he was 12 years old and hasn't touched since he was 12 years old)

"don't throw those away...god dammit, Andrea those are very expensive books!" (meaning, the funk & wagnalls encycolpedia set published in 1969, I'm not even sure digital is a concept in there yet)

"why are you throwing so much away! There's only a two bag limit here in Coquitlam." Well, dad, here are the over limit stickers I bought from the city so we could toss more away. "did you pay for those, Andrea?" yes i did. "jesus christ, they made you pay for those stickers? They're always nickel and diming every red cent out of you. What the hell do they use the money for anyway...obviously not the hospital system since they screwed me over last year and almost bled to death.. " drone on and on and on.

So yes, it will be a pleasant time. My kids will be my shield and my excuse to get some "away" time. And I've timed it that we will be leaving on Sunday morning. A quick trip, but a busy one.


Saturday we will be walking the Relay for Life (cancer) in Coquitlam. Trent will be doing most of the day, I will show up for my hour commitment and the candle light walk at 10pm. I'm walking for trent's aunt Jean, who passed away in July last year after a very long battle. I'm also walking for my dad, who had colon cancer, Trent's mom, who was recently diagnosed with a cancerous tumour on her collar bone, and for my many other friends who have family members going or gone through it. One day, we won't have to have these kinds of fundraisers.

Halifax came up again. We wrote it off not hearing from them for 3.5 weeks. Funny thing. The day after my dad's house sold (1 day on the market) we got the call. Weird? To me it was like some kind of sign saying, that we did the right thing in not pursuing the house and things are falling into place correctly.

Waiting to hear this week about Trent flying out there to visit the location mid June and see what he thinks about the company culture, people etc as well as the area surrounding Halifax. An offer would be presented thereafter if Trent felt good about the fit, and vice versa. We could easily get our dream home, a pool, on an acreage for way less than this house. We'd be practically mortgage free. And I'd get my acreage...on a lake. with a pool. and the ocean. or even ON the ocean. far far far away from friends and family. not so good. what to do what to do. i know in my heart I want the sense of adventure and the change and the opportunity. I never have a strong desire to go back and visit Vancouver..just the desire to be around friends and family...which sometimes I wonder that we want it more than they do. Oh well. there's definately a path being paved, and we'll see where the road leads.

Need to research about well water and septic systems. Seems that's very common over there, unless you live right in Halifax.


Taking Mandy to a new bording kennel in morinville tomorrow. They're lab breeders, and I really will have to refrain from spying on the new black and silver puppies that were born last month. oh if we lived on an acreage, Mandy may just need a playmate.

I'm so freaking crazy.

Quilting...I have 4 projects on the go. Haven't touched them for a week now. Need to get back on it. When I get back.

The week

We've had a crazy, but fun week...

I got back from New York, we got our new Nissan Quest Van registered, inspected and now to get the full insurance on it this week. We drove it down to Kananaskis for a weekend away that Trent's work put on as a wind up celebration for his team. It was gorgeous there. It was pouring rain all the time, and those trees and mountains and puddles were awesome. I could have played all day. :) We stayed at the Delta Lodges at Kananaskis, which was the most family friendly place I'd ever been to. I'll post more about it later, but wow, they really catered to families, and we will definately return.

Now we're getting our Pathfinder ready to sell this week. I love this truck so much, I will actually be a little sad to let it go, but the van is more functional for us at this time. My Pathfinder was so great on the winter roads out here, it was the best thing ever when I needed to feel more confident driving to and from work last year on those rural highways. :) I'm going to get the kids to help me with the inside and out, it should be fun :)

Anyone need a gorgeous 06 Pathfinder?

New York Trip

So one day home and all the family drama is still in full swing. whatever. My dad already has an offer on the house after the first day being on the market. We'll see what pans out. My dad is being a tyrant and totally disrespectful to my brother, kids and sister and spouses. First he badmouths them for not helping. Then he's yelling and screaminig at them while they're trying to help. You can't win. All my childhood memories of that stuff is coming back swiftly. clearly. you're damned if you do.. damned if you don't. whatever.


Copied from my bc babes forum as I told my great friends about my trip :)

My trip to NY was awesome. Lorena broke the news to me that she was newly pregnant, by some fling she had. This is another story. Lorena told me about her new pregnancy on the first day. She's very nauseous and sick all day and night, and very tired within a few hours of doing anything. That was a bit disappointing because I spent most days on my own...and even the mornings I spent with her I found her quite moody and unpredictable, so it was like walking on eggshells a bit. I'm glad I ventured on my own...there was no way I was going to nap in a hotel room at 1 in the afternoon! I was already embarassed to be crashing in bed at 9pm! But that was after walking around for a good 10 hours each day.

macy's was HUGE!!!!! Oh my god I cannot believe how many floors of shoes and clothing......

The city is gorgeous...old buildings, rickety buildings and cobblestones in places. The little grocery stores that are crammed with narrow aisles... the many different ethnic groups everywhere. The locals sitting on the brownstone building steps and laughing and chatting (just like in the movies!) Everything you see in the movies or tv shows...it's just like it!

Central park was super - all the huge tall buildlings surrounding it, and the trees camouflaging the city. People are really really nice there, very polite and friendly. Fast pace, but I didn't meet one negative person. I even had a very clutzy moment in the subway system where my ticket flew across the turnstsyles...the lady picked it up and handed it to me. I got stuck in the turnstyle And then my ticket wouldn't work because I had just swiped it prior to getting stuck in the turnstyle...the same lady saw me having troubles, and came back and swiped her card for me and told me to have a good day...don't worry about it! So cool.

The bagel shop we ate at most mornings was a typical NY deli/Jewish bakery place...the 70 year old man hit on me each day The first morning we arrived he walked right up to me (cross eyes) and told me how beautiful I was and asked me if I wanted to join his naked volleyball team (with his one eye crossed the whole time, so hilarious!). Then he screamed out to his counterpart - - Mike! Call the Rabbi, I'm getting married! I got a daily bantering from those two, and it made for a lot of fun

Shopping was amazing...they had so many shops, but to tell the truth, I came home with two pairs of shoes and that's it. Everything I wanted, they didn't have my size...everything seemed picked over. Shoes - all the 9-10's were gone, and the 12-14's, L-xl's didn't exist from so many people being there, I guess. It was so busy everywhere. DSW had a line up of 47 people when I was there on Monday. It was PACKED everywhere, so part of me not getting alot of goods was the busy-ness just wore me out and put me out of the trying on mood. That and the size thing being not available. But I was happy to just walk around and explore.

Soho was proabably my favourite place it was so beautiful...very expensive elite stores, but really amazing architecture and feel to the neighbourhood. I went to Chelsea (very nice too), Soho, Chinatown, Little Italy (very little) and downtown by ground zero. Uptown and midtown were where I did most exploring and shopping. Union Square... Our hotel was midtown. TimesSquare was a 15 minute walk from the hotel. It was busy busy busy everywhere!

We went and saw a broadway show called Wicked - it was super too. It was basically the story about the wicked witch growing up, and how she became wicked.. Very cool

Chinatown was one of my favourite adventures! Canal Street is where the asian jewelers, pashmina, purses, etc kiosks were. Tons of them. You'd walk by (with the other zillions of people) and the asian vendors were muttering quietly coach coach, tiffany, prada, rolex... and they'd lead you through their little "store" and near the back or side was a hidden door behind a wall of hanging goods, and they'd lead you behind and up some rickety narrow stairs into this closet like display of all the illegal goods. I went to about 3 of these (along with some others...I kind of just followed people so I wasn't alone) and then another lady led me to a van on the street and she had a makeshift operation in her minivan. I faked a nausous/hot feeling in that circumstance as I felt uneasy being in there by myself i nthe back of the van. It was wild! So I fed the illegal industry and bought a coach bag in black (large carly signature bag in black) for $40. Then I appeased my guilt of buying illegally by buying a similar, obvious and legal knockoff one with C's and A's on it, but the pattern was black/silver/zebra/grey's and slightly smaller. It was so much fun, I was starting to get very serious about the purse shopping, I almost bought another 2, and then talked myself out of them as I'm usually a one bag owner anyways. I don't know if I'll even wear the two I bought, but it was just the whole experience of being led somewhere sneaky It was os fun!

Our hotel was great. I would recommend it to anyone. the room was small, yes, but the bathrooms were really clean and the showers were awesome! In the room, there was a sink, mirror etc to do some stuff if you needed, but it was perfect for us. We had bunk beds...and on each bunk you had your own little tv that swung out and you could plug in earphones to listen and watch what you want. It was actually one of my favourite parts of the evening after a long day...I went and bought yummy snacks and drinks and had a little party in my cave while watching the Kardashians marathons each night.

It rained most of the time, we had one gorgeous day though, and one beautiful morning where we went to central park. Then rain the rest of the time, but that was fine. How can you complain about rain when you are in such a great city?

Dear Mom

I still miss you. I think of you every day and wish you were around to give me your take on things. Even if I didn't always agree. I wish you were here to see the boys and how incredible they have become. I wish I could hear your stories of being a mom, and any struggles and worries you had as we grew up. I wish you could see with eyes of awe, the different milestones Ethan and Cameron are achieving. Just like I am. I wish I could share with you my life as a mother, and share motherhood with you. I miss you so much. I know Dad is thinking of you today too...and remembering how dear and important you were to our family.

We miss you forever.
Happy Mothers Day where ever you may be.

Sadness

My dad has decided to list the family home and sell it. He has bought a new apartment. I'm happy that he's doing this for him, the house is way to big for him. It will be so much easier for him to travel etc. He is giving the dog to my sister's boyfriend's parents. That will be a big toll on Dad. I wish the timing were better as we were interested in purchasing it. I understand that he can't wait forever, and who knows, maybe this is a good thing, that perhaps I shouldn't be buying it, and maybe waiting for better things to come along, like a better home, and better timing...or a better job offer/location (halifax still dangles)

I'm just feeling quite sad about it all..the memories of my growing up there...my dad is feeling really frustrated and overwhelmed about all the clearing out, gardening, painting, organizing, and I'm sure memories that will be left behind from him and my mom, our family home... living there for 38 years. He needs to get the house ready for selling and for moving. I just wish it wasn't so quick. So I need to get out there and help him clear out. My bro and sister are there, but we all need to help out, and my bro isn't the best at that kind of stuff, and K and Dad fight alot.

My life has had so many huge emotional swings to it lately. This one is making me feel pretty awful though. I knew it would come, I just didn't expect it to be a hard one.

Worm Composter

I finally got a chance to empty out and sort through my worm composter today. I think it's called harvesting the compost. Anyways... I dumped the bin on to the ground on newspaper, and made a couple of tall mountains with the stuff. The worms hate the sunlight, so they dig down deep and then you can skim off all the compost. only thing is, mine was a bit clumpy (too wet) and so quite a few of the clumps hate wee baby worms in them, so I was meticulously crumbling and sorting through them.
My husband would roll my eyes at me if he saw me trying to save all the baby worms *lol*

So now, I have 3 icecream pails full of compost for the garden! But before I unload it all, I'm going to take it to Ethan's class, and the kids can have a go through the compost and see if they can dig up any of the hiding worms. I know there's a ton of them left in there, babies especially...towards the end I got fed up of all the sorting, and started to get lazy ;-)

Tomorrow, I'm bringing it in for Ethan's class, and he's going to tell/share about the composter, and we're going to build a new one for his class. The kids will try and identify some of the almost composted things (peels, carrot stick, newspaper shreddings) and find some of the worm eggs, as well as big worms and baby worms...and the little microbial bugs in there.

It's either going to be a hit, or a big scary miss. :)

Bargello Quilt Top!!

OMG my bargello quilt top is almost done, and I want to photographic so bad, but Trent has the camera right now!!! ARGH!!! I may have to figure out how to take a pic with my cell phone and download it to here. I have no idea how to do that. It takes me 10 minutes to figure out how to take a picture from thatthing! :)

Bargello looks really stunning!

Crotchety Old People Who think all teens are bad

To the crotchety old 50 something man who brought his daughter and his 2 year old grand daughter to the park today:

The three youths that were playing on the equipment before you arrived, and while I was there were nothing but pleasant, outstanding role models for youth today. Yes they were 14 years old, and the bylaw says 12. Yes they were running on the playground equipment. But did you notice that they were avoiding the places that the younger kids were? Did you notice that if they came in contact with the younger children, they slowed down and cautiously passed them? Did you notice that in the hour that I was there (5 minutes you were) that not once did they use inappropriate language, and they actually engaged with a few of the children? They humoured my two little guys on a few occasions! So when you SCREAMED at them to leave at once, that they were frightening the children (NOT) and that you would call by-law enforcement on them if they didn't leave....what were you trying to do sir? Aside from totally embarassing them and upsetting them (they were sitting on the wall getting their shoes on and one of them was in tears, the other two totally pale with embarassment. Yes I realize we have bylaws that stipulate that playgrounds are for 5-12 year olds. But if they are not offending, and in fact doing a fine job at being teenagers and having some play time, would you rather them sit on the sidewalk in front of your house smoking up and defacing your fenceline with grafitti?

Not all teenagers are bad sir. In fact, I really hope to meet up with those stellar teens who graciously, without a fight, but tails between their legs left the playground. There are some really great ones out there.

And on another note - why shouldn't I have called bylaw enforcement on YOU for bringing your 2 year old grandaughter to a 5-12 year old playground? She was slowing down my 5 year old on many occasions as he was trying to get by her on the equipment. If rules are rules then....

Mother fucking gawd am I seething at this man.

I made a point to approach the kids and let them know that I honestly thought they were doing a great job, and being respectful of the kids there...I told them that I was thankful that there were teens out there that were kind and polite and respectful in our community.

Sometimes it's even in the WAY you say it. He could have easily made it a friendly approach - hey guys...there's a lot of little ones around right now and my granddaughter is pretty nervous on the equipment...could you play over on that end, or maybe come back in awhile?

OMG I'm so mad!!! And I'm totally stress eating right now over it!!! :lol:

waaaaaa!

The house is empty without him..... I'm going to miss him so much! Work trips are different...this one is a bit of a pleasure one, and I think it's one of the longest times we've been apart. :( Come back soon my love, I'll miss you so much! We both had quite a teary goodbye today. :(

Quilt Progress

Little bits at a time...



Just need to sandwich it, quilt it and bind it. :)

TAXES

Oh yes, and I am so excited.. we did our taxes this week, and are getting a HUGE refund, if we did it correctly! this really eliminates any worry I have about spending a few extra bucks in New York!! I know it's money that was already ours, and we overpaid in taxes, but to have that extra money right at this time, is such a treat!

I'm a discount shopper anyways, so Jimmy Choos aren't in my budget or interest anyways!

Crazy Life of Mine.

Our life goes like this - nice calm pace for months...and then whammo! Craziness! Here goes:

1. Trent has a hockey tournament this weekend, one game a day. It's for charity, and he loves to play, but I'm a little worried because he hasn't worked out / trained for this and I hope physically he'll be okay.

2. Tuesday, he flies to Toronto for his job interview.
Tuesday night, from Toronto he flies down to Myrtle Beach to spend time with his folks, golf, relax, and pick up the van we are buying from them.
(did I mention this? They were trading in their fully loaded 07 Quest to the dealer for a rock bottom price. We were thinking of trading in our suv for a minivan again later this year because we really miss the space. We stopped them and told them to hold off and sell it to us and we'd give them a better deal So we bought their van for a ridiculously low price....only caveat being that Trent's driving it back home, from SC!) So we're getting a fully loaded minivan for about 1/3 the price that they are selling up here. Selling our Pathfinder of course.)

3. Trent drives to Mason, Ohio to stop off and visit his sister for a few days. (13 hours from SC)

4. Trent drives from Mason to our home...about 31 hours, over a couple of days. This is where I worry, as it will be a long trip, long days and he will be alone. he will be fine, I know...but I do wish I could be the 2nd set of eyes, a driver for him to take a break for him on this long trip. I was thinking of flying with the kids to meet him in Ohio, and then driving all together back...but not sure what kind of nightmare trip that would be with the kids on such a long drive.

5. He gets back the weekend before I head to New York.

6. I fly to New York for 6 days. (yahoo!!!!) Feeling a little anxious about leaving the kids for that long though.

7. The weekend I get back, we're heading to Kananaskis for a company employee recognition retreat, family invited (finally!) for the weekend.

8. In this all we have 3 birthdays, mine included, mothers day, and a 40th wedding anniversary (his folks)

Luckily, we have opted not to buy the tent trailer at this time *rollingeyes*

Oh yes, and somewhere in there, perhaps may be a big decision of a current company job offer, or the company he's interviewing for?

So...yes... we go from quilting quilts, kindergarten trips and playground romps to... craziness.

I love it.

Winter woes

Forgot to post some pics of day two of the snow storm. By day three, there was a ton more, but you get the picture. It was nasty! And it's all melting away now.... yahoo!

Note Cameron's scowl, he hates snow blowing in his face :)

Another Quilt on the Go

This one is from the book Happy Hour Quilts... Here are the fabrics before:


And the blocks are done...now I'm just arranging and re-arranging to see the colour combos. Excuse the kid shrapnel and of course, the cat is always right there *lol* Not quite fond of this combo yet, but it's the best I've done so far, so I've taken a pic to remember it:


It's a very easy quilt to make. Once I have it all pieced together, I just machine quilt it and so on the binding. The blocks will be rotated as well, so the little inner blocks will be positioned vertically or from side to side or top/bottom. For now, I'm just working on the outside colour combinations.

My other bargello is still on the go....I just saw this fabric and HAD to have it. The blues are just delicious! It reminds me a bit of sand and surf colours...well, maybe not the dark browns, but it has that feel, very calming colours.

I've become quite inspired by this blogger Crazy Mom Quilts She does simple but beautiful quilts and it seems like she rolls them off every day! She has kids too, and I wonder how the heck she gets it all done. I'm just not as devoted or dedicated as her..... yet. :)

Would you rather live close to family and friends and live in an older smaller home or townhouse that needs lots of renos that you can't afford for awhile, alot more of a commute, higher taxes and cost of living? The place(s) we were looking at, including my dad's are minimum 550,000 for something that needs a LOT of work. Pros- close to my sister, brother and dad, and our friends too. I'd probably (maybe not)have to go back to work to support the extra vehicle we would need and the higher cost of insurance, gas, taxes. etc/

Or would your rather live practically mortgage free on a big property (possibly lake or ocean front) in a newer home with an easy commute..where you don't HAVE to work to pay the mortgage? But no family friends that you know... (a new city) A smaller city, but a new adventure?

Although nothing has come to fruition yet, it has gotten closer to really making us weigh in on these decisions. I really wish an answer was so definite for me. As a fence sitter, I now realize the impact of both sides of the fence eating away at me, instead of just one.

Somewhere Frickin Cold in Winter - IN APRIL

Geez louise. It's mid april. It was 24c last weekend. We were in the garden, in flipflops, shorts. Had a bbq and a fire at night. Even a few bugs showed their pretty faces. This week? Well, yesterday it started snowing, and it hasn't stopped since. We have at least 20 cm of snow, which is impossible to figure out because its BLOWING SIDEWAYS most of the time. Then being the weather addict I am (what else is there to interest me in this desolate place?) the weather networks has a big shiny flashing red banner across the screen stating a severe winter weather warning... Slightly East of us, the snowfall warning is for 40-60 cm with blowing snow and poor visibility...slightly north of us is a lot nicer with only 20-30cm. We're smack in the middle of it.

Unbelievable.

Upside Down

Cameron loves to be upside down, and has so since I can remember. Mostly, he does this on the couch, or with me when I'm on the floor with him. He'll go upside down at school, while we're waiting for Ethan, on the couch, in my lap...whenever.

Ethan likes it too, but not as much as Cameron, and it's not "in" him like it is for Cameron.

Here's a sneak peak at my acrobat. He just did this headstand for the first time against a wall. Usually it's on the floor and then up over the seats of the couch, or head on the seat of the couch and legs over the back of the couch

Speaking Out

Why is that as much as I feel a passion for a certain cause or a belief, that after I type it out and want to post it or speak of it, I withdraw and almost feel like, Nah..I'll just keep quiet about it.

Why can't I have confidence that yes there will be people that agree, and people that disagree, and there's nothing wrong with that.

The Zoo

We(I) have a fish tank of fish.
We(I) have a bucket of goldfish for the pond outside.
We(I) have a cat. A Dog. Two Boys. A husband.

It's a zoo. I often dream of one day having an acre or two (or 20) for them to roam around. Yet then again, I joke about how we have such a big house and where does everyone end up? with in the same 10 square feet of each other...on the coach or at the foot of the couch, all nestled in together.

Lookie how jealous Shatzi and Mandy are for attention and one piece of kibble. Note Mandy's new bling around her neck. Her monogrammed one finally bit the dust.

Blue NailPolish and stuff

Ethan went on a field trip to the local highschool two days ago. They visited the horticultural dept (where was that when I was in highschool?) and the cosmetology dept (again...where was that?) and the foods dept. They potted a plant to take home, and at the cosmetology dept, the students face painted the wee ones, did their hair with streaks and mohawks with coloured gel, and painted all their nails.

Ethan will not allow his blue polish to be removed. I think it will be there forever.



...and of course, shadow needs to model as well *lol*

The colours of my new quilt

If anyone's interested...I guess I should document it.