Thankful for this Blog

J and I started this blog to "encourage" us to find something new to be thankful for each and every day.  It's worked!  I find myself thinking at various times during the day of something I can blog about later that evening.  It's good to always be aware of how many things are happening in and around our lives that we can be thankful for.
However, this was to be a joined blog and J has found herself in a crazy busy life right now.  Her blogs are always more interesting to read than mine so until she finds the time to get back on this site, I will keep my thankfulness to myself and look forward to rejoining you once we are both able to be consistent again.  I know our thousands of viewers eagerly anticipate that day :)  A.

Outdoor Pools

Another hot day - another new location to endure the heat.  We went to a tiny hamlet about an hours drive away and enjoyed the day in their outdoor pool.  We don't have an outdoor pool in our community so it is quite the novelty to go to an outdoor pool on a beautiful, hot day.  Being a small community, the staff was very relaxed about pool rules, there were very few people present and we got to watch deer wandering around outside the fence.  Pretty great way to spend an afternoon!  A.

Walking Barefoot

In our house, we have a summer rule - no socks allowed.  If someone decides to wear socks, I just don't wash them and eventually the kids have no socks left to wear.  I love summer and being able to run outside without having to put shoes on all the time.  It's like a kind of freedom to be able to go wherever I want without shoes or socks.  Just another reason why summer is the best season!  A.

Bonus Points

I really strongly dislike that all stores carry "rewards" cards now.  My wallet is too full.  However, today I used some of those reward points and then I really liked them!  Here's to buying $110 worth of merchandise but only paying $30.  Only thousands of purchases made by yours truly before I get to do that again :)  A.

When a Plan Works

It's been a hot July (which I've mentioned only a few times already) and the kids are getting tired of hanging out at the lake.  Today they were bored stiff and I suggested going to the river.  We've been there already too so we decided to try a new place by the river.  It took forever to find the site that was recommended to us and the kids were getting pretty grumpy with all the backtracking and walking around but when we finally found the place, we all agreed that this is the place to go back to.  It was private, had many areas to explore, had a warm back inlet as well as the full river.  We had a great afternoon and will definitely go back.  I love it when I force the kids to do something they don't want to do and it ends out working out beautifully :)  A.

Kissing Cousins (or Tackling)

My extended family celebrates birthdays about once a month.  Today we celebrated my son's 14th birthday and my niece's 13th birthday.  It's a lot of fun watching the cousins grow up together and see how their games change.  Many years ago, they enjoyed jumping on the trampoline or swinging on the swing set together.  Not so many years ago, the game of choice was lego.  Today they got a game of soccer going with the "young" cousins against the "old" cousins (school age vs. graduated).  The school age kids kicked some serious butt!  They then changed to a game of rugby/ football.  I couldn't quite figure it out but at one point, one of the larger cousins picked up my youngest child and ran with him across the goal line.  I guess that counted for a point somehow.  The game also involved a lot of wrestling matches happening at various random times.
It was a lot of fun watching the cousins play together.  There were about 12 of them ranging in age from 11 to 23 and they had a blast.  I love family gatherings and I love that the cousins have the chance to grow up together and enjoy each others' company at least once a month.  A.

Gracious Parents

We babysit two small boys from down the road today while both parents worked.  (I guess they aren't that small - 11 and 7 years old).  They came in and played their electronics for quite awhile before I told them they needed to finish up because I was going to "kick them outside" in a few minutes.  After they went outside with my boys, I took a quick shower and came back down to find the older boy back inside.  I asked where his little brother was and he answered that he assumed he was outside with the other 3 boys.  Awful babysitter that I am, I believed him and went on with my daily chores.  It was probably only a few minutes later when I got a call from the mom at work.  She asked if I was aware that the youngest son was now back at his house!  He thought that when I said I was kicking them out, that meant it was time to go home.  So he walked home (about 15 minutes) all by himself and then phoned his mom to find out what to do next.  The mom had a hard time telling me the story because she was laughing so hard.  I felt horrible but she thought it was hilarious.  Of course we ran out and picked him up immediately and brought him back.
I'm thankful that the young boy was okay, that the mom thought it was funny and that the rest of the day went well with no more children wandering off.   And if any of you ever need a babysitter, you may want to consider a different neighbour.  This one is not terribly trustworthy!  A.

Early Runs

This is yesterday's post.  Just ignore the date.

I've been involved in a kids day camp all week so I've had to be out of the house by 8:00 (I know, J.  Sleeping in for you!).  So out of necessity, I've been running at 6:00 a.m.  I do this during the school year but only a fool gets up that early when they are on holidays!  (Once again, case in point J).  But I was reminded how much I enjoy those early runs.  People tend to be happier early in the morning.  That makes no sense whatsoever but I get more smiles and waves from people driving by.  I run into several other people also out getting their exercise (1 other runner, 1 dog walker and 1 lone walker - also a raspberry picker).  The sun on the quiet lake is spectacular - no motor boats, no noisy kids or sea-doos.  It really is a wonderful time of the day to be out.  Hopefully I can motivate myself to keep at least one early run a week for the rest of the summer.  It's a great way to start the day.  A.

Fresh Produce

I warned you that I would start blogging about my garden and greenhouse once they started producing.  Well here we go!  Tonight we had a greek salad made with tomatoes, cucumbers and oregano from our greenhouse.  I could have picked a green pepper too but it was a little too small.  There is nothing like a fresh, (and I mean fresh!), salad.  Now I just have to figure out how to grow olives and feta cheese.  Hmmm.  A.

Rain

We've had quite the heat wave here.  It's been unseasonally hot and we've gone without any precipitation for a few weeks.  We had rain today.  Not a lot but a beautiful, all day shower.  It was too bad I was busy all day because I would have loved to have gone for a run - best runs ever are in the rain.  Everything looks a little greener now, the air is fresher, the temperature more bearable.  I'm so thankful for today's rain.  A.

Anonymous Help

Sorry I haven't blogged in a few days.  Our internet was down for two or three of them and the other one or two were just really late nights.

I've had a technical question brewing in my mind for some time which I've been searching the net for answers.  Depending on your question, you can find the exact answer you're looking for, just by your wording.  For instance, my sister once googled "accidents involving Rotweillers" just because she didn't want us to get one.  Of course she found all kinds of answers to support her cause.
I wanted to make sure I wasn't doing a biased search so I went to the experts on public forums specific to my query.  It's really interesting and fascinating, being able to ask professionals in a particular field (I assume) a question and get all kinds of answers.  These are strangers who are more than willing to answer another stranger's question just because they are passionate about their area of expertise.  That's quite something!

I'm thankful for those people out there who enjoy what they do and share their knowledge and advice with others.  Then it's my option to take it or leave it, but it's still there for the taking.  And since I missed a few days, I'm also thankful for:  family game night (Apples to Apples - I lost), neighbours who give you a bucket of fresh strawberries already cleaned, a grandpa who takes his grandsons out for lunch just because, 152 kids who come to daily Bible camp with all their enthusiasm and vitality, and hanging out with your friends around a campfire.  Good night!  A.

Junk Food and Sugar Highs.

I have always been one to love sugar. Its not really much of a surprise... at all...
Lately however- due to that goal I mentioned a while ago (yep, still talking about it) all of that crap is limited to *drumroll please* once a week!
It's fairly safe to say that I ate myself sick on this fine night, and I enjoyed every second of it.
Yep, that's it!
J

Late Night Boat Ride

It was another beautiful day here and we decided to head out for a quick boat ride at 9:00.  The lake was quiet, the sun was getting ready to set - it was wonderful.  A couple of the kids went for a few tub rides, our niece went for her first ski of the season, then my husband and I dumped everyone at the dock and went for a quick ride -  just the two of us.  I'm very thankful we can drop everything, forget about obligations for an hour, and just enjoy ourselves.  A.

bff's - fer real!

I met my bff in summer camp when I was 16 or 17 years old.  We were both counselors in training and lived on other sides of the province.  She was a city girl, I was a country girl.  She came from a small family of two, I had four siblings.  We hit it off immediately and when I got engaged three years later, she was the obvious choice as my maid of honour.  I was in her wedding the next year.

Fast forward too many years.  Keep me in the same place I was born and move my friend a four days drive further north from where she grew up.  Every summer her and her family take the four day drive back to her childhood home to catch up with all the family.  It has become tradition for her to stop by on her way back home at the end of her trip for a quick visit.  We spend the majority of the first night catching up and it's like we have never been a part.  She just texted me her anticipated date of arrival here and I'm already excited to sit down with her and find out what she's been up to.  We may only talk once a year but we have a friendship that surpasses the need to spend lots of time together.  I'm sure you'll hear about it once she's here :)  I'm very thankful for a true friend.  A.

Public Libraries

My boys and I visited the public library today for the first time in a couple years.  They were bored.  I needed to find something for them to do and somewhere for them to go before I became a mother on the police's "Most Wanted" section.  So we went to the library! 

What a great place to go!  They took a long time finding the books they wanted then settled down on beanbag chairs to peruse their newest treasures.  It was wonderful!  And free!!!  And now they each have a stack of books that will hopefully keep them busy for the next few days.  Whoever came up with the idea of a public library where people can come in, hang out, play computer, and take books home - all for free .... well they deserve a medal!    A.

The Ultimate Pallet

First of all, I think I misspelled "pallet".  What I am referring to is the artist's tool for mixing paints.  Is it spelled like that?

As I'm writing this, I'm overlooking a spectacular sunset waiting to happen.  The sun is still shining fully on the opposite side of the lake but our yard is already in shadows.  Because of this difference in lighting, I am seeing the most tremendous colours.  There must be 23 different shades of green in our yard alone, never mind the distant hills.  The cliffs across the lake, which are usually a grey-ish brown colour, are now a brilliant gold with shades of every colour of the spectrum.  Throw into this the splashes of colour from the flowers and shrubs and you have a virtual artist's paintbox which has exploded, creating this landscape just for me tonight. 

I'm always amazed when I hear that people think nature happened by chance.  No one but an all powerful God could have created all these colours and majesty.  Thank-you for this brilliant present tonight, God!  A.

Water

Today was our hottest day of the summer so far.   It was too hot to do anything but sit and endure the heat OR go to the lake and play in the water.  So we chose to do the second option.  Thank goodness for a cool lake a few minutes away where we can hang out and enjoy the hot summer day!  A.

We all fall down...

But get up for the weekend!
That's right!
I'm thankful for the weekend!
Even though it's summer, my life has been just as hectic as ever, especially now that I have another job (did I mention that it starts at 5am)!?
So yeah, the weekend.
She's a beaut.
J

Man Made Wonders

A short distance from our town is a hydro dam.  Well, "short" is in the eyes of the beholder I guess.  According to my kids, it's a long, long way away.  Anyway, the reservoir that was created by the building of this dam has been filling up from all the rain and snow melting to the point that it is overfull.  When this happens, approximately every seven to ten years, they have to open a spillway to empty out a portion of the lake/ reservoir.  We went to see that tonight.  It's really quite spectacular.  The amount of water that comes out of that spillway is enormous and the fall rivals any waterfall in the world for it's massiveness and power.  Rumour has it that the spillway will be open for about a month in order to empty out the lake to a comfortable level so we wanted to get out there quickly to see it for ourselves.  The dam itself is a impressive work of man but to see the awesome plume of water coming out the side of it - well that's a site that only can be appreciated by seeing it yourself.  It was a great evening!  (Good to see you blogging even on the road, J.  Don't spend too much $$$!).  A.

Bright lights, big city.

I consider myself a small town girl.
I live in northern Canada in a «patch-town». If you don't live in a patch-town, then I'll tell you right now that «the patch» is another term for the oilfields that almost everyone in this region works in. This being the case, almost all of the men are gone for most of the year (it's a male dominated occupation) and all in all, there is only about 20,000 people in my town, but 40,000 including all the people who are in and out.
Because we are so far north, there isn't a lot for shopping, or... anything at all to do for that matter. So when we get to come to a bigger city, we consider it as a bit of a treat.
Honestly, I'm two hours away from home right now, in a city that isn't much bigger than ours, but I'm thankful for the time away, and the summer.
Adiós!
J

Caterers

We had a large work bbq tonight for my husband's business.  We had 90 people in our yard for supper!  Thank goodness for the caterer they hired.  Everything was taken care of from the marinated steaks right down to the real bacon bits for the already cooked baked potatoes.  Everyone kept thanking us for a great supper and I felt very guilty accepting that thanks because I literally did nothing but put it all out on the tables.  I'm very thankful that I can entertain 90 people by doing nothing more than putting out some tables and mowing the lawns.  Thank-you for a great supper caterers!  A.

Road trip!!!

I love road trips!! So much!
I know I haven't posted all week, and that I'll explain later, but today I am thankful for road trips!
J

Lazy Summer Days

It was a beautiful day today.  For me it was really my first day of holidays at home and I intended on treating it like a holiday.  There were many things I should have been doing but I chose to hang out at the lake, go for a bike ride with my son and read a magazine on the deck.  Pretty great way to spend a warm, sunny day!  Yay for summer!  A.

Helping the Economy While Bonding

Sorry I haven't blogged for a couple days (although I see J hasn't either!!).  My daughter and I went away for a mom/ daughter trip to celebrate her 16th birthday.  We had a wonderful time together shopping, site seeing, shopping, eating out, shopping, visiting with friends, shopping.  We came home late last night with much heavier suitcases and the city we left that much richer for it :)  I'm very thankful for the time I could spend with my girl and for the fun we had together.  A.

Patriotic Thankfulness

It has to be said - I AM CANADIAN!  And fiercely proud of it.  I'm thankful for our free country that offers so much.  It's a great place to call home :)  A.

Growing Old

There is a man in our church who is over 90 years old (I can't remember how old.  I just remember he celebrated a 90th birthday in the last few years).  He is passionate about music and playing his guitar.  He lives in an assisted living home where he has organized a hymn singing night once a month.  He has been bugging me all week to come and play piano for him so he could have his song night tonight.  I made things work so I could go join him and even though I could have easily become annoyed at him taking 38 minutes to find every new song in his hymnbook and put his capo on the right fret for each song (it wasn't really 38 minutes.  I might be exaggerating just a little), I think it's pretty cool that this elderly man loves his music so much that he does whatever necessary to share his love with others.  I wonder if I will be so passionate about anything when and if I reach his age.  I hope so!  A.

Bizarre conversations and sudden realizations.

Have you ever made a sudden realization? Like life changing? Or ever realized that you went your whole life without understanding something that might of helped you along the way? I guess it's one of those weird lessons that life teaches you when you "come of age." Well yeah, I had one of those.
While talking with one of my best friends last night we both kind of realized something really weird about each other, and I'm not going to try to explain because it is just too weird. Speaking of weird, I like weird conversations too. It was a weird conversation that sparked the realization, actually. If you ever have those all-too-deep talks with your friends that probably don't actually make sense, but you both understand, that's what I mean.
Maybe we all just need more of those.
J

Power Cleaning

Last post about school for a long time, I promise!

At the end of the school year, all staff has to sign up for a year end cleaning job.  It could be cleaning the work room, the computer lab, the art room, gym equipment room, etc.  I got the staff kitchen this year.  Two of my colleagues were working on the staffroom while I did the kitchen.  We made an announcement that anything of value needed to have a sticky note put on it immediately or it would be tossed.  And toss we did!  I went through that fridge and the cupboards tossing everything in sight (you don't want to come back to school in September with moldy pickles or apples stinking up the fridge!).  The other two were tearing posters off the walls, chucking school work left on tables.  It was quite liberating actually!  When we finished, the garbage bin was many bags fuller and the staffroom and kitchen were sparkling clean and purged of all that wasn't necessary.  I imagine it will take exactly half a day to mess everything up again once we all come back, but for now, I'm thankful for a clean staffroom/ kitchen and the power to throw everything out.  A.

My "Special" Ability

This summer has become very tiring for me! Already I have started learning Spanish, I have worked many hours at my job, taken on ANOTHER job (just for the summer), and I have been working really hard on meeting that new goal I mentioned several posts ago. One might even say that I am "fatigued".
Luckily for me I have a special skill that has turned out to be very useful:
I can make myself fall asleep.
When I learned how to do so, I thought it was just some silly trick, but it has become very useful, especially for those half-hour powernaps I've been needing. I have a lot of weird skills. Weird.
Haha! Have a good day, folks!
J

Socializing Outside Work

We had a year end staff potluck tonight.  I work with a great bunch of people but I rarely see the "fun" side of them.  There's only so much one can let loose in a staff room with possible young ears listening in.  Tonight we met at the kindergarten teacher's house and had a really nice time together.  (Did you know there is such a thing as chocolate wine?!?!)   It was a good way to end the year - spending time together as friends and colleagues, not just fellow teachers stuck in a staffroom together.  I wish all teachers a very restful and wonderful summer holiday!  A.

"psychochatter"

some people, unlike myself, have this bizarre ability to ask infinite questions with no answers. A has aforementioned that I get into thinking moods, and yeah, that's true, but I don't consider myself a "deep thinker" maybe that's just me. at this very moment, of friend of mine and I are having quite the conversation. It has ranged from extra terrestrial life, to the human mind. it is safe to say that he is a "deep thinker" and I am constantly amazed at how he endlessly wonders without ever going insane. it makes me feel bad that my thoughts are so often on the surface, so I am glad to have my friends who think on another level all together.
here's to psychochatter,
J

Voices In My Head

I use the Nike+ system on my runs.  I have a sensor on my shoe which connects to my Shuffle.  As I run, it keeps track of my speed, my distance run and distance yet to run.  I have a very pleasant woman talk to me during my runs who tells me how I'm doing.  (I tried the guy's voice once but he wasn't nearly as encouraging as the woman). 
Normally I am content to just run a solid, steady pace and call it a day.  I've put myself on a new training plan which calls for different kinds of runs for different days.  This plan calls for some short fast runs interspersed with my long, steady runs.  Since I don't usually run anything at my near max. ability, my "voices in my head" are quite pleased with me.  I'm getting constant encouragements lately on how fast I've run my distance and how many miles I'm accumulating. 
Some people look at me a little concerned when I tell them the voices in my head motivate me to run longer and run faster.  I'm just thankful for my faceless friends who keep me going and let me know when I've done an exceptional job.  (Sssh, not now - I'm not running now!).  Sorry.  Sometimes they show up at the most inopportune time!  A.

Time for everything, still no time.

With summer, comes the essential feeling of having endless amounts of time. There is time to start new projects, and time to end old ones. There is time to take on a new challenge, or perfect an old skill. The once quiet, stressed students now have time to live out loud. There is time to forget to blog...? Anyone?
We can start with that, I am thankful for more time.
On the other hand, with summer, comes the ability to be lazy, as so many of my friends do. In my humble opinion, summer is not the time to sit on the couch, to sleep in until 11am, to watch television, or to waste your days away on Facebook.
Yesterday, I said to A something along the lines of, «now that it's summer, I can finally relax» but she quickly retorted with «yeah, but you're not relaxing!» which is very true.
Second, I'm thankful for my busy summer schedule, which is a lot more fun than my school schedule was!!!
Finally, I'm thankful for the 15 minute powernaps that I have been squeezing into my busy timetable. Those are pretty nice!
Have an amazing day people, and as Jake the Butcher (the creepy and old, yet wise Slovakian man who eats a jar of honey at the public pool every night) says: «Don't say tomorrow, say today.»
J

Kid's Treats

We are having a bunch of people over for a potluck tomorrow night and I neglected to ask anyone to bring dessert.  Hence (I love the word hence), I am making dessert for lots and lots of people.  Instead of making one big dessert that someone might not like, I decided to make a bunch of square-type desserts which are made in a few minutes each (Rice Krispie squares, Butterscotch/Marshmallow squares, cheesecake cupcakes).  I've made all the desserts in less than an hour and now our guests will have quite a choice.  I'm thankful for easy, kid-friendly (there will be quite a few kids), adult approved desserts.  Bring on the potluck, I'm ready!  A.

Through Someone Else's Eyes

A lady who works with my husband loves plants.  She can name every wild flora and fauna in the area.  Unfortunately, she lives in town and doesn't get to enjoy the great outdoors as much as she'd like to so we invited her and her husband over for a "rose walk" tonight. 
The wild roses are brilliant right now, and while I certainly appreciate their beauty, I found out tonight just how much I take them for granted.  It took us half an hour to walk around the trails on our property that normally take me four minutes flat to get around.  We stopped at every little flower, vine and thistle while we were taught what they were and what they were useful for.  What an eye opener!  Apparently we could live quite fine off our yard - we have pot scrubbing plants, mattress stuffing plants, salad making plants, tea making plants.  You name it, it's within eyesight of our house. 
It's good to be reminded of the preciousness of nature.  I appreciated our nature walk tonight and the passion this lady has for all things green (and white, purple, pink, red ....).  A.

Bonding Time

Because of the goal I mentioned a few posts ago, I have been spending more and more time with my mom recently. Now, several months ago, this may have posed a big problem for me, but as of late, my mom and I have become closer than ever.
This morning, we made a spontaneous decision to go for a day of shopping in a town two hours away.
Now, shopping is enough to be thankful for, but what I am really thankful for is the four hours (two either way) I spent talking to my mom. It has become almost a tradition for us to talk during our car rides, and our  chats normally consist of: university, psychology, family matters, stories from my childhood, and health and fitness (my mom is a personal trainer and spends many hours a day teaching people about health). Today we talked about the theory of 'Nature vs. Nurture,' which is one we have pondered at many times before, and I quite like this topic. 
I'm glad I had time to talk with my mom today.
J

Evening Walks

After a busy week and a busy day, there's nothing like leaving everything behind and going for a long, leisurely walk with my man and my dog.  It's something I should do every night.  A.

(Sorry about your grandpa, J.  Even when you are expecting it, the finalization of death is difficult.  I'll be praying for you and your family). 

Well, there's a first for everything...

A often teases me about the fact that I have never been to a wedding, and I often retaliate by saying that I have never been to a funeral either.
As the title of this post indicates, there is a first for everything, but in this case, it won't be a wedding.
My paternal grandfather passed away this morning, and though it didn't come as much of a shock, it was still sad news. My dad has left for Nova Scotia (where we are from) to be with his mother and brother.
I am thankful for my family and my friends today, for their love and care.
J

Grudgingly Enjoying Life

Back to school again.  These days everything seems to be about school (it's very busy in the last couple weeks of school).  Today was our Intermediate Fun Day.  We took 160 kids to a park on the lake not too far from the school.  The biggest fun for the kids on these field trip days is the massive water fight we have every year.  It's huge.  It's anticipated for the entire school year and talked about for the entire next year.
Contrary to all the kids, I am not a huge water fight fan.  The lake is freezing cold, not all that clean and really, really cold!  But I know how important it is to the kids that their teacher gets involved in the "fun" so I came equipped with my ice cream bucket.  (FYI - an ice cream bucket can get everyone in the vicinity much wetter than any water gun on the market).  It didn't take long for all the kids to gang up on the only two teachers brave enough to get in the water.  Therefore, it didn't take long for me to be soaked to the skin.  After that point, there wasn't much point in fighting when a few of my kids attempted to dunk me.  I put up the obligatory fight but they got me under.
My point is, I joined the water fight under obligation and with a little grumbling, but at the end of it all, I probably had more fun than the party-poopers who sat it out.  Sometimes you have to take a leap and do something you don't really feel like doing.  Who knows - you may end up enjoying it a whole lot!  A.

rrr

I'm stressed.
I really shouldn't be writing this and I really should be sleeping right now but eh, what the hell.
I have exams this week. I had one today and my last one is in 10 hours.
I don't like exams, because this week everyone will be stressed and scared and grouchy and sleepy, but I am thankful for exams because they come with a note of finality.
Exams scream, «HEY!!! YOU!!! If you payed attention in class you get to suffer through me and then you get SUMMER!!!»
Ah summer. In about 11.5 hours, it will be officially summer.
Goodnight people.
J

Touching Lives

We had our grade six "Farewell" tonight.  We don't call it a grad because they really aren't graduating from anything.  But they are leaving the school so we call it a "Farewell".

I have one student who has had a tough year in many ways.  We've been working so hard with him and his mom to get him through.  It's been tough on everyone.  Tonight I had the privilege of calling him up to get the "Most Improved" student of the whole class (it came with a $50 gift card to a sport's shop - not bad!).  When he sat down, he had tears in his eyes and he asked his mom if that meant he passed.  I didn't realize how stressed out he had been about his schoolwork.  He's been such a trooper and put in so much work.  When his mom told me later about what he said, I had to cry alongside her.  It's been a difficult year in many ways but when you know you helped someone get through and finish with flying colours, it makes it a little more worth it (okay - a lot more worth it!). 

Way to go N!  Proud of you :)   A.

Homegrown

I was at a banquet tonight for staff members of our local School District.  They were honouring all those staff members (teachers, administrators, secretaries, janitors, etc) who were retiring and all those who had worked a significant number of years in the district.  I've never been to one of these banquets before.  I guess because I hadn't worked that magic significant number of years before - and now I have!
I was struck with the large number of people who stick it out in one job.  And even more amazing, those who stuck it out in one job, in one place!  Some teachers and secretaries have worked 20, 25 and even 30 years in the same school!  That's pretty amazing to me.  I think it means a lot when a person will stay in one place for decades.  It says a lot about the school and it says a lot about the community.  I'm thankful for those who find a job they love and stick with it.  They become at home and nurture and care for those around them, just like home.  Congratulations to all those who love their jobs and stick with it for so many years!  A.

Heavy Enough for the Both of Us

It's been another exhausting day.  I had nothing profound or even fluffy to blog about tonight.  But then reading J's blog made me realize how much I enjoy her deep, introspective moods.  I wish we could have coffee tonight so I could hear all about her thoughts on the year and the people who have impacted her life.  You all should have coffee with J. sometime when she's in a very pensive mood.  It's quite the soul searching time.  So tonight I'm thankful that J's blog is a heavy enough blog to cover both of us.  And I'm thankful for her deepness.  Night J.  Love you xo  A.

Hm.

Today, I must admit, was a weird day for me. I think, though I'm not very good at trying to describe myself, that I am a fast paced person. Maybe not. But that is how it seems.
I was weird today. I guess... I'm weird to myself. It was kind of nostalgic and slow, and I guess I am not really a nostalgic or slow person.
My first year of high school is drawing to a close, and for the first time, I realized that some of my friends have completed school now. Wow. I am happy for them, but it gave me such a manic feeling of loss that I don't even know what I think for them. Also, today marked the very last day that I will ever see a very important person in my life ever again (if that made sense) which made me very very sad. And finally, today, during the last official block of school, at the very end of the day, an acquaintance of mine and I went to go talk to one of his teachers. Although I didn't have him as a teacher, I know him quite well from the Costa Rica trip we went on. I realized that in this year, I met so many wonderful people. It occurred to me that on the first day of school this year (which feels like yesterday) I didn't realize how many amazing people would impact my life or how much I would change this year.

I guess that I can sum up what I'm thankful for in this quote:
"There is nothing like returning to a place that has remains unchanged, to find the ways in which you yourself have altered. " -Nelson Mandela
J

My Boy

The last two weeks of school are insanely busy.  Report card writing, party planning, graduation planning, certificate writing, cleaning up files, marking...  On top of it all, I have other responsibilities I never should have said yes to that are causing me quite the anguish.  So now that I've whined, I'll let you know why my son is my thankful "item" tonight.
As I left in a hurry for yet another meeting tonight, I hollered out as I left that if someone wanted to make cupcakes while I was gone, it would be greatly appreciated.  We have some friends coming over tomorrow night and I decided cupcakes would be the easiest thing to serve them for sweets.  Well after my meeting (and two other stops on the way), I entered the house fully intending to get started on those cupcakes.  Imagine my joy and relief when I smelled the sweet, sweet aroma of baking as I entered the house.  My oldest son had made the cupcakes and even had the dishes all done. 
I've got to say, right now that was the greatest present anyone could have given me.  I'm so very thankful for his thoughtfulness and for the 2 dozen cupcakes cooling on the counter that I can serve to company tomorrow night.  A.

My Daddy

You know I don't like to be stereotypical but if I don't blog about my dad on Father's Day, I'll forget.  I have the best dad - I really do.  He traveled a lot when I was younger but he made it a point to take us kids (individually) on as many trips with him as possible.  I went to some pretty great places, just my dad and me:)  If he had too many meetings in one week, he would just refuse to go to certain ones.  He'd let his "people" know that he had met his meeting quota and would let them know to either reschedule or not to expect him.  We always knew that his family was his priority.  He is now treating his grandchildren the same way.  No matter what he is doing, he makes time for them.  I am very blessed to have the dad I have and I am extremely thankful for him.  A.

Goals!

If you have been reading this blog for a while, you might have observed that I'm a very «goal-oriented» person (I think that's what they call it). I can make a goal about anything. I especially like them to be difficult, so that people say «oh you'll never do that» and then I have the satisfaction of proving them wrong. Today marked the first day of a very big goal I recently started, and I am so excited! You, readers, will probably hear more about this, so stay tuned!
So- goals, gotta have 'em, so learn to be thankful for them!
J

Crashlanding!

So something that I have long struggled with is these things we call «limitations» and «moderations» and maybe some other «tion» word but anyways! Sometimes, I crash. Both figuratively and literally I guess (woah! J's deep thought of the day). Sometimes, crashing is a good thing though, because it tells you where you are and what you have yet to achieve. For example, today I went longboarding on the steepest and most dangerous hills I have ever done. It was thrilling. It was also insanely cool. And (you guessed it) I crashed. Big time. Anyway, I can be thankful for this, because now I know that my goal for longboarding is to conquer the hill.
Mistakes really can be a good thing!
J

Slap Upside the Head

I heard some news tonight that upset me.  I made an immediate opinion on it and was quite open and frank on what I thought of the situation.  After I got home I stewed on it some more and was getting quite stirred up about the whole situation.  I won't explain to you all (our great and vast audience) what the situation was.  I'll just let you know that I thought the physical and mental health of someone I love dearly was at risk. 
Later this evening, I opened the best book ever written to work on my daily reading time.  The first thing I read was James 4:11-12.  It then directed me to read Mathew 7:1-2.  Let's just say that God was watching my attitude and had a few things to say about it.  To say I was spiritually given a head shaking is to put it mildly. 
I'm thankful that my God keeps an eye on me, knows my thoughts and my words and lets me know when I'm taking things into my own hands - things that don't need to be taken into my own hands.  He's pretty persistent that way, thank God :)  A.

Misery Loves Company

First of all - can't wait to see the new shoes tomorrow, J.  Make sure you wear them!

There are only 5 1/2 "normal" days of school left.  By that I mean full days in the class where I expect some semblance of work to be done.  The rest of the days will be helping out with primary fun days or going on field trips, etc.  Everyone is very ready for school to be over.  The students, the teachers, the janitors, the teachers.  I was feeling very whiny today - the class was extremely energetic and seemed to have lost all ability to listen to any instructions and it was very discouraging.  I crawled into the staffroom at lunch feeling defeated and dejected and some other de... word that I can't think of right now.  There was another teacher there who was having the exact same kind of day I was and it kind of encouraged me.  I know the fact that someone else is having a crummy day should not make one more cheerful but I think the saying "misery loves company" is really true.  It meant I wasn't alone in my pathetic day and someone else knew what I was going through.  It meant it wasn't just me that was having difficulty keeping control over 30 hormone infused pre-teens who would rather be outside than inside getting last minute assignments handed in.  I was thankful for my co-workers whinyness.  How pathetic is that?  But it's something I was thankful for today and that's what this blog is about!  A.

All things new!

New new new!
New is so good! (old is good too!)
But today is the day I am thankful for all things new!
Today I had new shoes, my new (aka rediscovered) 8th grade pants, new eyeshadow, and even new underwear.
Today was a particularly good day.
And tomorrow is a new day! So I'm going to rest up for it!
Sleep well!
J

PS: «All Things New» by Rapture Ruckus is a really good song! Go look it up!

P. S.

Friday could work... Though Saturday after work would be better...
Of course it has everything to do with jalepenos! Who do you think I am!? ;)

Early mornings!

It's late, and I need to sleep, but today I am thankful for mornings when you get up extra early to accomplish something. There is nothing like adding a few extra hours to your already busy schedule and giving your day a jumpstart!
But now I need to sleep!
J

Spontaneous Dancing

On my way home tonight, I passed a couple kids on the side of the road in the ditch doing the Macarena.  (I thought at first it was J. but this dancer had blond hair and J. is a definite ginger).   They had their bicycles with them but obviously had to take a break to dance.  Everyone should take a break from what they're doing and dance once and awhile.  It makes the people who are driving by happy!  A.

Rediscovering Lost Treasures

My thankful blog is kind of like J's today but as mentioned before, that's allowed!

Last fall, my closet was getting too full to keep everything in so I pulled all the "definitely summer" clothes and put them into baskets on the top of my closet.  I've been slowing pulling out one piece at a time and rediscovering "favourite" items I kind of forgot I had.  Today I pulled out one that I've been waiting for a warm sunny day to wear and it was like wearing a brand new item!  It seems like it's been so long.  It's not quite as good as finding something from grade 8 and still fitting it, but I'm still happy to pull out clothes I forgot about and treating it like a whole new wardrobe.  And who wouldn't be happy about a new wardrobe!  A.
(J - Friday night?  Saturday night?  Is the news anything to do with Jalepeno's?)

P. S.

Sans is French for «without» A, so your garden is without weeds.
No, I think I am working (gahhhh).
But! When we do go out... I have exciting things!!!! (other than shoes)

Online shopping!

If you know me, you might know that I am not a big time fashionista. At all. I wear comfortable brand name clothing and I only dress sexy if I actually try to.
However, occasionally I like to shop online and tonight, I found a really beautiful pair of shoes, and since I needed shoes, I bought them.
They are seriously so beautiful.
They are Toms style canvas flats. They are mainly purple and they have Amerindian style designs on them. It was seriously love at first sight.
My mom hates them. She says that I'm going to look like a Jamaican homeless tree-hugger, but you know what? Theyre MY shoes! Not hers!
And besides, I can probably pull off Jamaican homeless tree-hugger anyway!
So ha!
Online shopping, people.
J

Weeds - be- gone!

I don't enjoy weeding.  As far as I'm concerned, we as females got childbirth as our punishment in the garden of Eden and men got the weeds and fields where they would have to toil.  So why am I out there all day weeding??? 
But back to the thankful part.  Even though I really don't enjoy weeding, there is something about approaching that garden full of weeds and attacking it with gusto and then stepping back and seeing a weed-free garden with nothing but freshly turned up soil and beautiful plants growing sans-weeds.  (I think that means without weeds - like weed naked).  My garden looks good, for now, and for that I am thankful!  (Coffee Sat., J?).  A.

Score!!!

Okay! A really quick post because I really need to sleep:
Today I was putting away all of my laundry, when absent mindedly I accidentally pulled an old pair of capris off of a hanger (okay I broke the hanger, so what?). Anyway, one might say that these were my long lost (but actually not lost) capris. Now they were my very favorite pants in grade 8, but I put them on and (yes!!!) they still fit (but if I remember correctly, they came to the tops of my ankles, not my mid-calf in grade 8).
Anyway, I'm thankful for that moment when your closet suddenly becomes a time capsule full of treasures! Yay!
Bye!
J

Putting Life on Hold/ Revving Life UP!

Tonight we went to hear some friends talk about a trip they recently took to Belize.  They went with a group of 19 people to build a cabin for a camp there.  They spent their own money and took their own holiday time to do it.  Everyone who went said they took the trip intending to help someone out and make someone else's life richer but came home feeling that they were the ones who had their lives enriched.  It's a great reminder that helping someone else often ends up making us feel better than the person we helped.  Hopefully I can remember this great life lesson and make it an integral part of my life to realize that helping others out isn't putting my own life on hold, it's making my life so much richer.  A.

Long walks

On the beach...
In the sunset...
Just kidding.
Well no. Not kidding.
But that isn't quite what I am thankful for today.
Today I am thankful for walks, particularly walks with friends who are just plain goofballs- no wait- I'm the goofball. Anyway I'm also thankful for time spent with friends in general, because eh, where would we be without our friends!?
Love, your goofball,
J

Lazy days

Now for the most part, I really hate sitting around at home when I could be out and doing something that isn't boring! But some days, like today, after I came home from my non boring activities, I happily curled up on the sofa and did not do any more non boring activities. I then switched between sleeping, and watching a movie called August Rush, which was alright. At the time it seemed pretty awesome to just be chillin like a villain, but to be honest, I realize the reason that I don't do that often is because I feel so tired after!
Still though, thankful for lazy days.
J

Camping

In a hurry - gotta go - hate camping for the most part - going to family camp - about 50 of us hanging out together all weekend - then it's okay - no internet - no blogging until Sunday - hopefully weather is okay - thankful for family camp!!!  (Can't pick you up Sunday morning, J!  Talk to you when I get back.  Love you!)  A.

Wheelbarrows

We had a tree go down sometime in the last couple days.  It happens a lot around here.  We finally had a minute tonight to go clean up all the branches, sticks and twigs (yes, they are all technically different).  Of course we also had to cut up the tree itself into moveable logs.  Here is where the wheelbarrow comes in handy.  Instead of hauling one log at a time, we could fill the wheelbarrow to overflowing and in a few short loads, we had the whole tree cleaned up.
Apparently the wheelbarrow originates from Ancient Greece.  Makes sense - they were pretty brilliant people!  I'm thankful for the extraordinary, time saving, back saving wheelbarrow today.  A.

Did you sea what I did there!?

So today, really weird post.
I'm thankful for seafood. That stuff is delicious! And nutritious!
Delicious nutritious!
And brain food!

I think, this summer, we are going home to nova scotia, so its fairly certain that I will be eating much, much more!

Ttyl crazy people!
J

More about cuddling to follow!

Well no, not cuddling. But coziness for sure!
Today I am thankful for thick, oversized, fairly hideous sweaters.
They are so perfect for lazy (or cold) situations!
It isn't always easy to survive in northern Canada, but hoodies sure do help!!
Goodnight!!
J

My Cuddle Chair

Years ago, we were visiting friends in Vancouver and went browsing through a furniture store with them.  I found a "chair and a 1/2" which I absolutely fell in love with.  It's not a chair and it's not a love seat, it's somewhere in between.  We continued wandering around but I was drawn back to this chair again and again.  I begged my husband to buy it but we had absolutely no way to bring it home.  I went home discouraged and upset about my lost chair.  Well, to make a long story short, my husband found a way to have it shipped up.  Since then, we have cuddled in it to read stories to our kids, cuddled to watch movies, cuddled in front of our blazing fireplace, are you catching the common thread here?  We painted our house and decorated it to go with the colours of this chair.  It's a pretty integral part of our family and I'm very thankful for my cuddle chair (and my husband for finding a way to bring it up here!).  A.

It's raining it's pouring!

So I don't like rain.
I like the sun.
But I guess, I can learn to accept the rain because without it, life would be pretty difficult!
I went on a bike ride tonight, through the gentle downpour and I must admit, it was pretty fun!
So here's to the rain!
J

So To Sum Up...

No, I'm not finished doing this blog.  I committed to a year and I plan to keep my promise.  No, I'm talking about the end of the school year.  There are only a few weeks left of school and all the big projects are finishing up, final tests are being studied for, kids are running out of paper and pencils and it's hardly worth asking them to go buy more.  It's a bittersweet time of year.  I am very ready for a break and I'm looking forward to summer but it's also hard to finish up everything with the kids.  I can't help but wonder if I've taught them everything they need to know to enter the next grade.  Summing up the school year can be a very emotional and taxing time but I'm very thankful for June and the end of the school year.  A.

zzz...

Today was such a long day!
It's hard being at school and at work most days when the sun is so inviting this time of year!
Today, however, was not such a day. Being cloudy and overcast, I decided to take the opportunity to have a (much needed) nap! (I'm almost infamously known in my family to NEVER waste a precious moment of sunlight- I'd rather be outside.) Even though I was a bit bitter to not be longboarding, biking or running, I still managed to fall asleep in the first five minutes of my little siesta, and stayed solidly asleep for almost two hours! Wow! I feel kind of amazing! Kind of weird too, because I do NOT take naps, in fact, I almost never sleep! But sometimes, we have to accept that our bodies are not made of steel (good thing too- we would be so slow!) and just rest.
Love, your loca,
J

Iced Tea - the real stuff!

I'm a big iced tea fan.  A really big fan!  I drink the "fake" sugary substance most of the winter, but once summer heat hits, I turn to real iced tea.  I don't think there is anything more refreshing than a tall glass of tea with just enough sugar and ice to make it perfect.  I'm experimenting this year with all kinds of loose teas which is making my addiction that much more severe.  I have a jug cooling now as we speak so I should go take care of it.  Yummy!  A.

Being Queen for the Day

Today was my birthday (I expect you all to remember next year).  My family was very insistent that I not do anything for myself today.  They made (or paid) for meals, cleaned up, kept asking me what I wanted to do, continually asked me if I was having a good day (that was my youngest).  A person could get used to being treated so special!  I'm thankful for my family and their desire to make this a very special day for me.  I feel very loved.  A.

It is time!

This, right now, is probably one of the most wonderful times of the year.
Why?
School is nearly out, and although we are all stressed for exams, the weather is beautiful, the sun is re-heating our frozen Canadian limbs, and everyone is in good spirits!
Even the worst of teachers are normally pretty generous, now that they have better things to do than mark papers all day!
So here is a shout out to June, because, hey! Who doesn't love June!?
Love,
J

Two Lips

We have lived in our present location for almost 15 years now.  We cleared it by hand and built our own house (okay, the construction guys did it but we contracted it out).  And we put in our own gardens, lots of them.  One thing we meant to do right from the beginning and never got around to was plant tulips in the fall.  By the time fall came around, we just weren't in the frame of mind to plant anything so it never happened - until last fall.  We almost forgot we had planted them until we saw them poking out this spring.  Now we have our first beautiful flowers and they are so unbelievably gorgeous!  I think the tulip would be my new favourite flower if it weren't so short lived!  Our first blooming flowers (no, I'm not swearing) are almost finished already and then there will be nothing but a green stalk for the rest of the summer.  But I won't complain - the beauty of these first flowers in our garden is quite breathtaking and I'm very thankful that we finally remembered to plant them last year and that we can appreciate their beauty now.  A.

Technology

So, after a good longboarding expedition tonight, I decided to work on a new project I recently started- correspondence Spanish. Yes. I am taking Spanish without a teacher. Over the summer. Can you spell nerd!? Honestly, I'm taking it so I have something to do during the long hours at work this summer, but anyway...

I'm really thankful for technology tonight, because without it, I wouldn't have been able to watch the movie "Tangled" in Spanish after I completed the first assignment! Yay!

Let's all take a minute to appreciate the fact that, because of technology, you get to read this blog! Huh!

Night!
J

Impulse Shopping

First of all - love your last post J.  You should be inspired by your mom.  She's a dedicated, hard working, loving person.  I hope all teens can be inspired by their parents.

I got a surprise cheque in the mail today.  My grandma passed away about a year ago at the young age of 102.  She was very ready to go!  She didn't have much of an estate but the little she had was just divided up to her children and grandchildren, now that all the legal stuff was finally taken care of.  Grandma had a large family so the cheque wasn't large but it came in handy while I had an unexpected time period in town to waste while I waited for J. to finish getting tattooed tonight (henna - it's okay).  I stopped in at a store, just to browse.  I left half an hour later with the inheritance gone and my closet four tops richer.  (I told you, it wasn't a large cheque).  I'm not usually an impulse shopper but it felt kind of nice to receive that money and splurge by buying myself a treat, just for the fun of it.  I don't condone blowing an inheritance in one shopping trip but tonight, I did!  Now I'm done shopping for awhile :)  A.

Oh mama!

I love my mommy! So much!

Sorry, A, I'm talking about my biological mommy this time, love ya!
Anyway! im keeping this quick! Because I really need sleep!

Tonight, when I got home from worship practice at 9:00, I was absolutely famished and in a very bad mood because of it! My mom, who goes to bed at like... 8:30 most nights, graciously stayed up a little later so that she could make me some food while I moped on the counter.
Not only am I super super thankful for my mom, I am also inspired by her in some ways.
I hope that when I have a family, that I will have the determination to keep my own life going and the patience for my children's lives as well.

I love my mom!

Goodnight!
J

SO Thankful!

One of the very first blog entries I did (it might have even been Jan. 1) was about a dear friend of my husband's and mine that found out some bad news and I was thankful for how well he was taking it.  That bad news was prostate cancer and since Jan. 1 he has gone through radiation and all the other things oncologists put their patients through.  Today he told us that he got the all clear from his doctor.  The cancer is gone and he is feeling great.  Thank God!!!  I am very thankful for that good news today.
A.

So you're a smooth talker...

Just kidding.
Lately, I realized something- I really am bad at blogging, and I don't just mean -like- blogging every day, but I'm just not good at it!
But that is okay!

Anyway, today I am thankful for something a little bit weird, but hey! That's what this blog is all about!

On our way to YC, T and I had a talk about one of our passions- longboarding...
Well, I don't know if T is passionate about longboarding, but I sure am!
In case you don't know, longboarding is a lot like skateboarding, only the surface of the board is shaped like a surf board, and longer.

Anyway, T and I realized that once you start longboarding, you learn to appreciate a smooth, well paved road that runs downhill and has low traffic at prime times of the day. Prime times being between 7 and 10 at night. Longboards were made for downhill runs- in fact, longboards were invented by the Hawaiian surfers for the times in the year when the waves were bad! Also, you start to remember these roads, and maybe even fall in love with them, or make a point to go to them often.

So there! A smooth, downhill road, with low traffic is all that it took to inspire me today!
Goodnight!
J

Through Good and Through Bad

We had a cultural event at school yesterday.  There was a group of aboriginal dancers who came to put on a performance for us.  I'm quite a nag when it comes to performances.  I insist that my students give the performers the utmost respect.  I figure when someone has put hours or days or even weeks into putting together a show, they deserve to have a quiet audience that shows appreciation appropriately. 

Anyway, when one of my students decided to continually whisper to his friends during the dance, I kicked him off the bench he was sitting on and made him sit on the floor.  Now here's the part I thought was pretty cool (I hope he doesn't read this!).  As soon as he was demoted from "good view/ king of the castle" bench seating to the floor, one of his friends slid off the bench and joined him on the floor.  Then another one did and eventually there were four friends sitting on the floor, supporting their dethroned chum.  They weren't talking, they were watching (as much as they could from their lowly position) with great respect.  I had to walk away a bit so they wouldn't see me smiling.  I have to admire friends who stick with their amigos through thick and thin.  It's a true sign of friendship when your bfs not only support you when everything is rosy and fun, but also when it involves getting into uncomfortable situations just to show you have their back.  You have to love seeing friendship in action!  A.
(Good to have you back, J.  Missed you!)

So!
As you people may (or may not) know, I have been gone for the past week!
Good excuse? No, but I was grounded from my computer and my phone- so it was a sort of problem.
If you're wondering: I ran away from home after an argument with my dad... so yeah.
Then there was YC - a huge youth conference (hence the YC) in Edmonton, where I still didn't have any way to blog, so there is my lame-o excuse.

Today, I am thankful for a lot of things.
I am thankful for advil, because I am going through some severe back problems this week.
And I am really thankful for the beautiful weather we've been having.
I am thankful for the people who comment on how dark my skin is getting (hey, I am a ginger! Tanning is no easy task [I'm lying, I actually tan pretty well] hahaha)
And I am thankful just for plain happiness that is in the air lately.

But what I really want to get across is this:
I am really thankful for YC.
If you aren't familiar with it- it means Youth Conference (duh) and it is a huge Christian event with a lot of huge concerts, powerful speakers, really loud music, and good, good times. The really cool thing about YC is how drastically it can change your view on faith, religion, and God. Every year there is a sort of theme about YC- like a certain point that they want to get across and this year, it was "Surrender." It was powerful! When you look around the stadium, and see 14999 other people, just like yourself, along with bands from around the world, you can't help but marvel at God and His plan- it's kind of magical.

Well...
Hasta Mañana!
J

Good pain

I am a distance runner.  I run steady and I get the job done but no one would be able to say that I "run like the wind!". 
Today at track practice, we were missing a student for one of the relay teams so I volunteered to take his place.  Did I mention I'm a distance runner?  Not only did I have to help the team out by running as fast as I could, I also had to prove myself as a teacher that I could sprint as fast or faster than the students.  My quads were not happy with me!  I was hobbling for quite awhile after practice. 
I'm happy to say that I did quite well in the practice race, helped my team finish in a very good time and I didn't embarrass myself.  Unless you count the fact that running two practice relay sections turned me into a cripple!  (I'm fine now, thanks for asking.  It was only tightened up for an hour or less). 
It really does feel good to use muscles that aren't used to being used and to be reminded of the capability those muscles have.  It's a good hurt :)  A.

I'm Tired

So I'll explain myself tomorrow.

J

Together Again :)

My family was very disjointed this weekend.  My husband and son were on a weekend fishing trip and as mentioned before, my daughter was away at a youth conference.  My men are home now (had a great time, thank-you very much for asking), and my daugher(s) are just hours away from being home safe and sound as well.  I like it when everyone is home where they should be.  It's not good when a family isn't together.  I'm thankful to have my family home where they belong!  A.

Extreme Yard Makeover

We bought our flowers and bedding plants about three weeks ago, maybe four.  We've kept them in our heated greenhouse all this time because of fear of frost and snow (a very real fear, I might add).  I've finally been given the go ahead to get all the pots out and plant the flower beds.  It took me hours today to get everything planted and watered but what a difference it makes!  It now officially looks like summer in our yard.  Some of the flowers had started blooming already in their small pots so the flower beds already look like they've been established for some time.  When I drive in the driveway and see all the greenery with splashes of colour instead of just dirt beds, it makes me happy!  And being happy makes me thankful.  And thus - today's blog!!  A.

Great Opportunities

My daughters (T and J) are away for the weekend at a huge youth retreat.  There will be thousands of youth there (like 15,000 or more) with some big name bands, big name speakers, and big time fun.  I'm going to miss my girls very much but I'm also thankful that they get this chance to be a part of this huge event.  Have a great time girls!  A.

Crabby Clouds

Bet you'll read this post with a title like that, right?  I'm sitting at my kitchen table looking at the evening sky and there is a beautiful array of clouds in all kinds of shapes scattered through the sky.  One in particular looks just like a crab, scurrying across the sand.   I must be in a tropical kind of mood because another one looks like that kind of fish with the sword-type snout.  Sword fish?  Ah, it doesn't matter, by the time I've decided what one cloud looks like, it's changed into something else anyway.  I'm thankful for ever-changing clouds and the pictures they bring to my very sleepy mind.  A.

Liquid Sunshine

I wonder what J's excuse for not blogging all week is this time.  She's overused the whole "we didn't have internet" excuse, don't you think?

Today I am thankful for rain, and the stopping of rain.  Our spring has come on slowly and coldly (yes, coldly is a word - I just said so!).  Therefore, the leaves are taking their sweet time coming out completely and the grass was starting to turn brown instead of green.  But (big but!) we have had rain for the last two days.  A beautiful, light, constant, rain.  The perfect kind of rain that soaks right into the soil and brightens everything up.  In two days, our world has gone from quite dull to bright and vibrant.  It's amazing what moisture does to green up the environment! 
As I'm writing this and the sun has set, it looks like the sky is clearing up so I'm hopeful that tomorrow will be sunny.  I'm thankful for the rain and the vibrancy it brings, but one can only handle so much liquid before you need the sun again!  Thanks for the rain, bring on the sun :)
A.

Garden Time!

This will truly be a once a year post.  For one in the north can only plant a garden once a year - it's a short growing season! 
We have a small garden but we love it dearly.  We plant enough beans, peas and carrots that we can munch on them all fall and still have enough to freeze a bit for the winter.  The lettuce gets used up as soon as it matures and the kids will eat the onion tops raw (gasp!) as soon as they have ripened (do onions ripen?).  Potatoes always do well and last us until Christmas usually.  That's about all we have in our garden.  Oh yes, we're trying broccoli and cabbage again this year.  The cabbage did alright last year but the broccoli all got eaten by deer. 
It's always a bit of an adventure to see what will survive and mature into the "fruit of our labour".  I enjoyed putting our garden in today and can't wait to start eating our fresh produce.  I'm sure I'll blog about the first of each plant we eat - wait for it to come in the near future!  A.

Passing on Childhood Memories

We did the catwalk tonight!  Remember the catwalk?  No?  Oh, you must not have been there with me that day many, many years ago when I was just a kid. 
There is a bridge that crosses a fairly large river not too far from our town.  It's a very high bridge and under the bridge is a catwalk - a narrow, metal walkway that you can traverse from one end to the other.  You are right under the vehicles and way too far away from the raging, freezing river below.  Every time a vehicle drives over you, the whole bridge shudders and the sound from the vehicle is amplified so you can't even hear yourself think. 
My dad took me across the catwalk when I was a kid and for some reason, I hadn't gotten around to continuing the tradition with my own children until tonight.   It was a lot of fun to see it again through their eyes and experience it now as an adult (it's a lot scarier as an adult!!!).  I wonder what else I'm forgetting to expose them to?  A.

First Campfire of the Season

Today was a very beautiful day.  We had snow yesterday so pretty much anything would make today beautiful in comparison but it really was a blue sky/ sun shining/ not too windy - kind of day.  So we celebrated by having some people over for our first campfire of the year.  We grilled some pork chops and sat around the campfire until it just got too cold to stay out any more.  Somehow visiting around a fire is so much more natural and enjoyable than visiting around a living room.  It was a good evening and I'm thankful for it.  A.

Sunsets

The sunset tonight was spectacular.  I'm thankful for beautiful, amazing sunsets.  A.

Hey! Optimism!

Today, I thought about blogging about Tim Horton's chicken noodle soup, but then realized that many more things that turned my sick day around, so here it goes.
1. Tim Horton's chicken noodle soup. Hey! I can't forget the soup that started it all! I don't think I ever actually believed that soup could make you feel better when you're sick, until today, that is.
2. Talking. Talking is a good thing. Long periods of talking about everything is probably really good for your mental health. Or... so says I.
3. Baths! Today, over the chicken noodle soup that started it all, A suggested that I have a bubble bath because, hey, that's what everyone should do when they're sick! Now, I must admit, my bath was severely bubble-deficient, but it was still pretty nice. Very warm, very relaxing, very pleasant.
4. Happy songs. In fact, a whole playlist of them! And listening to them! In the bath! Sunny, happy music brings out the sunny, happy side in all of us!

Now, what do you get when you take all of these things and you mix them together?
A better day, of course!
I guess a little optimism goes a long way!
Tomorrow will be a good day, so I'm going to rest up for it!
Goodnight!
J

Seasons

I told J. I would blog about Tim Horton's new amazing lemonade but I decided there wasn't much more I could say than "yummy" so I'll blog about something else.

On our way home from a sister's shopping trip in a different city today, my sister remarked how wonderful it is to have seasons.  She commented on how people in the tropics never get to appreciate new leaves coming out because they have greenery year round.  We appreciate the warmer weather, the hotter sun and the new growth sprouting because we haven't had any of those things for an eternity.  I hadn't ever really thought that we have anything over the tropics but I would have to say that we have a better appreciation for seasons.  Doing without for a season really makes you more appreciative when you "get" again. 

And now I am going to bed.  Shopping hard all day really tires a girl out!  Night :)  A.

Teamwork!

Today was a rather interesting day!

I think that I was a little too over-excited yesterday about my medicine, which seemed to have a negative side effect that may or may not include some nasty karma.
Here is a little story:
This morning, when I went to take some cold medicine, I sincerely meant to grab a DayQuil, but somehow managed to take a NyQuil instead. If you aren't a frequent drug user, then I'll tell you that DayQuil is the non-drowsy version of NyQuil, and NyQuil will knock-you-out, eh, pretty hard-core.
So upon arriving at school and realizing my mistake, it was a little too late to do anything. My first period, gym class, was a helluvagoodtime because today we started choreographing dances. While trying not to fall asleep/pass out/hallucinate/laugh hysterically, my group and I still managed to get some work done, which was pretty decent. I have a love/hate relationship with group projects though. I love teamwork and group hugs and high-fives and all those peppy-jock things, but I don't like awkward leadership faiscos where no one really knows what to do. Thankfully, my group held together, and also dealt with my drug-induced-craziness for the whole class.
Atta be, team!
J

2nd Chances

A couple years ago, we gave the kids permission to grow their own garden but they had to find their own space to do it.  They got very busy cutting down weeds and building their own raised bed for their garden.  That's where the enthusiasm died.  They ended up harvesting a few onions I think.  How they lived through all the weeds I'll never know.
I came home a couple days ago to the boys busy setting up their raised bed again.  They were chopping up dirt, hauling new dirt with the wheelbarrow and generally working their butts off getting this little garden ready.  This time they are just going to put some pumpkin plants in it.  Good plan!  I'm proud of them for taking on this big job again even though the last time didn't turn out so well.  I don't know if they'll do any better this time but at least they are giving it a great effort.  I'll let you know in fall if we have a bumper crop of pumpkins!  A.

drugs!

I have a confession to make:
When it comes to sickness, I am a wuss.

I seriously hate being sick, so much.
I hate missing school.
I hate having to get someone to cover your shift.
I hate headaches.
I hate it when it hurts to move your eyes.
I hate how moving your body becomes an ache.
I hate stuffy noses.
I love drugs.

I am thankful for my advil, my nyquil, my cold FX and my multi-vitamins, but alas, no orange juice in the house, how unfortunate.
Holy carpe diem!
I just used the word 'alas'.
I really must be sick!
Goodnight!
J

This Blog

When I've had a long day with a long list of things to do and I just want to go to bed but that long list is still not done, I'm thankful that I've made a commitment to find something in my day that is good and worth being thankful for.  (I'm thankful for run-on sentences too).  It's a good thing that someone will nag me if I don't post something tonight so no matter how tired I am, nor how many things I still have to accomplish before I can call it a day, I will find something to be thankful for and let you all know about it.  Today - this blog!  A.
(Coffee Thursday night, J?)

The First Popsicle Of The Year!

If my title didn't give it away, I'll let you know now that today I am thankful for that first popsicle of the year. I freakin' love popsicles. A lot. And since I haven't had one in like, 8 months, it felt pretty nice to gently devour one like a- I don't know- a starved velociraptor today.
I don't really have much to say (which is pretty seldom), except that I advise everyone to go out and eat a popsicle today (or tomorrow, if it's the middle of the night where you are - wait no, go get one right now, no matter where you are!)
Goood day people!
J

Bone Crackers Who Don't Crack Necks

My back has been out for about three weeks and I finally had a chance to see the chiropractor today.  My back has pretty much fixed itself in this time period but I still have painful twinges where I know I have to be careful or it will get worse.  So I thought it was time to see the "bone cracker".  My husband used to call chiropractors that because when this science first started, all experts seemed to believe that the only way to fix the body was to push until bones made a cracking/popping sound.  My husband's first chiropractor would crack his neck every time he visited, regardless of what was wrong.  My husband's little toe might have been out and he would get his neck cracked.  I hated that!  When I was finally convinced to start seeing a chiropractor (about once every year or two - only when I really need to), I found someone new who didn't believe that every adjustment needed bone cracking.  Today he massaged me gently (and then not so gently), manipulated some muscles (that's the not-so-gentle part) and did some firm pushing as I took deep breaths in and out.  No bone cracking, no manipulating my neck.  Then he gave me some stretches to do to strengthen the problem area and I was done.  Now that's progress in science!  It makes me thankful to not have any bones cracked.  A.

Back In Time!

You know what I love?
Well maybe you do, but probably not.
Well, maybe you know that I love blue Gatorade and pineapple and running and boys, but that is not what I am talking about! I love it when you randomly hear that old song from your youth- well, I am still a youth really, so that song from your early childhood, the one that brings back oh so many memories. I can recall a time in the third grade when every single day my best friend and I would go directly to my house after school, and listen to a certain song, over and over and over again while we played Neopets on the computer- or something like that. That song is ten years old now, which is not actually that old, but ten years is two thirds of my life, so I consider it kind of old. It makes me so happy to hear it again! I, in fact, replayed it over and over and over again today on my iPod- for old times sake, of course, and it was really nice.
Also, in the spirit of old times today, my grandma came over for Mother's Day, and brought with her some very very elderly photo albums. It was so awesome to see pictures of my mom, my grandma and even my late and great grandmother -who I had never even met- all when they were eight years old!
So, this post was actually going to be about old music, but I guess we can broaden that spectrum to old things. Old is good.

Good night!
J

Surfing - Northern Style!

I got a present today - for no apparent reason.  I guess my kids just love me :)  I got a paddle board!!!  I'm very excited to use it.  For those of you who aren't up on your surfing lingo, a paddle board is a large surf board meant for standing up on and paddling like a canoe.  It's quite wide so it's fairly stable.  I had to try it out immediately so even though the ice has only been off the lake a few days, we brought my board down and I got first turn.  I must admit that I didn't fully commit to this experience.  I went on fully clothed so needless to say I didn't try anything drastic.  I stayed really close to shore and worked on my stability and paddle handling.  (FYI - the water was pretty chilly on my feet!  I was very inspired to not fall in!).  But it was so much fun!!!  I can totally see myself using this board a lot this summer.  I am thankful for my children and their totally amazing gift to me today.  Surf's up!  A.

Dogs With Personality Complex's

Our dog is a large mixed breed (german shepherd, akita, springer spaniel).  Between the spaniel and the akita, she has a lot of hair.  A lot of hair!  We live on an acreage with most of it left wild so our dog is constantly getting tangled and mixed up with thistles and thorn bushes.  We try brushing her as much as possible but it's painful for her and very time consuming.  So I decided to become a pet groomer yesterday!  I took a pair of scissors and started hacking.  The main problem always seems to be in the posterior area so that's where I focused my grooming.  She would only lie down on one side for me yesterday so she only got half a hair cut.  She looked so hilarious but as long as we told her what a pretty dog she was, that mutt would wag her tail and hop about like the proudest dog on earth.  The rest of the family wouldn't stop bugging me today to finish the job so I convinced her to lie down on her other side and proceeded to complete my work of art.  The first time I cut her hair a couple years ago, she was so mortified and walked around with her tail covering her butt and her head down.  Since then we've learned to tell her what a pretty dog she is and no matter how ridiculous she looks walking away, she is the happiest dog alive.  So if you see my dog around and happen to notice my extremely professional grooming job, please just tell her that she's a pretty dog and save us the cost of a dog shrink.  Thanks!  A.

Second homes and adopted families

I am a very lucky person.
(Oh wait, before I begin, let it be known that this is yesterday's post)
I am so lucky.
Why?
Because I have like 5 families.
4 of them are adopted, yes, but they still count!
Yesterday, for example (when this post was supposed to be written) I went to sleepover at one of my bestest friend's house, their new house, where they had just moved in.
I hadn't seen it yet, and when I stepped in, the first thing her dad said was, "Welcome to your new second home!"

How awesome is that!?

Her mom then took me on a tour of the kitchen, and showed me where to find everything, in the case that I ever wanted to go to their house for lunch, because they live so close to the high school.

I find it kind of amazing that people can be so... Giving? Generous? Loving, even!

I'm so thankful for my "adopted" families. So, so, thankful.
J

Consignment Stores

I know I've blogged about "experienced clothing" before but today it's the store that sells that used clothing that I'm thankful for.
I'm assuming my sister doesn't read this blog and if she does, she had better stop right now.  Step away from the computer, L.!!!
It's my sister's birthday on Sunday (I know, birthday and Mother's Day on the same day - kind of a rip off).  I want to do my part to make it a special birthday for her so I wanted to get her something really nice.  She really does enjoy brand name clothing (she wouldn't admit that but she really does) but there is no way I can afford to get her a nice piece of brand name clothing.  No way unless I bought it used, which is what I did! 
There is a really cute consignment store in town that sells only top name brand clothing (jewellery, purses, shoes, etc) that is in brand new condition.  You can find the best deals there!  Whenever my daughter decides she needs a certain brand of jeans or hoodie, that's where we go. 
You may be shocked that I would buy a used piece of clothing for a birthday present but I think it's a win/ win situation.  My sister gets a really cute top that would normally cost well over $100 and it's guaranteed not to shrink or stretch because it's already been washed. 
I'm thankful for the person who realized that there are those clothing snobs out there who will only wear "this season's" clothing and are then happy to get rid of it for a fraction of the price they paid for it.  What a brilliant idea to let those of us who couldn't care less what season of clothing we are wearing come and buy it for that reduced price.  Happy Birthday L!  I hope you like it because there is a no return policy at this store :)
A.

I like to move it, move it!

As I'm sitting here, on the floor of the living room, I'm thinking about how much physical activity I got today. I got a lot. An hour of gym, hour of yoga, a 5k run, and an hour of walking my dog- oh, and the 30 minutes where I snuck out of English class to play ultimate frisbee, yeah, you could say I was fairly active today! So!
I'm thankful for those moments of high energy euphoria, from the endorphin rush, to the feeling of ecstasy you get when you destroy in ultimate frisbee!
I love the feeling when your mind is yelling "STOP!" but your body is like "no!!" and you just feel indestructible.
It's a good feeling!

Guess I'll sleep well tonight!
J

Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone

My son came up to me after school today, threw some tissue flowers at me and said, "here - these are for you."  I've never said I'm thankful for my son's sentimentality!  What I am thankful for is his teacher who happens to be a male teacher with not much of an artistic flair.  He gets his art taught by the prep teacher.  Somehow he managed to find a pattern for some really cute tissue flowers which they put together with pipe cleaners and made for Mother's Day.  I think it's pretty special that this teacher would recognize that moms appreciate the sentiment, no matter how little, when given (so thoughtfully as with my son) by one's child.  Kudo's for teachers who step out and attempt something new for the benefit of someone else.  Thank-you Mr. K.  (Next you can maybe work on the delivery of the flowers?)
A.

You are my sunshine!!

Here's a quick post (I'm on my iPhone again)

Today, I'm thankful for that moment when you wake up and the sun is glowing through your window. Your whole room look like some beautiful tropical rainbow paradise and it is so wonderful! This particular event happened to me today, and even though I got outside and realized how bad the wind was, I was still thankful for the lively sun.

Ttyt!
J

Team Work

First of all - what look do I give you, J?  The one I gave you tonight when you texted me your evening's encounters?  Did you predict that look too?  It is a good thing you're cute!

Okay - on to today's thankful topic.  I am part of a committee at school which is responsible for planning for the year.  We have a district guy who is supposed to be in charge of our committee but he hasn't made any of our meetings yet this year.  The three of us who have taken it over have accomplished great things (not bragging - just the truth!).  We had another meeting this afternoon that he was able to attend.  It made me realize how cohesive our little team has been.  We make decisions and click like a well oiled machine.  Our thought processes are the same and we operate in a similar high pace method.  Having an "intruder" join us today really revealed all this.  I'm thankful for my teammates and the amazing things we accomplish together.  A.

Boys.

Well, I can almost positively say that I can accurately guess the exact expression on A's face the moment she read the title of this post.
-Woah, that was a lot of big words!-

But, if I am correct, it was one of those, "Are you serious!? You better be glad you're cute!" looks that I receive, eh, a little too often.

But hey, I can't help it if I am thankful for boys, because I am, and being thankful is what this blog is all about!

I really, really am thankful for them.

In fact, so thankful, that they deserve both yesterday's post, and today's (a.k.a. my internet was down again.)

I have a feeling that I would be getting "The Look" again right now if this were a factual conversation with A...

But, A! I have some wonderful things to tell you about a certain boy... oh yeah, you know which one! *wink, wink*

Anyway, that is all I have to say!
J

Neighbours

Have I blogged about being thankful for great neighbours yet?  If so, too bad - here I go again!

A good neighbour leaves surveying posts out for the neighbourhood kids to use as swords.  A good neighbour not only asks how you are doing but also how your dog is doing (whole other story - involves a dog fight between two neighbourhood dogs!).  A good neighbour keeps up with all the gossip and lets you know what's going on in the area.  A good neighbour shows up out of the blue with a tractor and rototiller and turns up your garden just because he had the tractor going anyway.  A good neighbour supports every fundraiser your kids are in. 

There are many other reasons why I am thankful for our great neighbours but before I make you too jealous and cause you to buy the one house that's for sale in our neighbourhood, I'll just say we have the best neighbours and I'm thankful for them.  A.

Green

Today I'm thankful for the colour green.  New spring grass starting to turn colour, green leaf buds poking through, green tulip plants emerging from the earth, green pistachio muffins that look really nasty but actually taste amazing, lime green clothing that I would never wear but looks so amazing on others, green bananas that will only hold their colour another day or so before turning yellow.  It's not easy being green, but that must be what makes it such a special colour!  A.

Hulk! Smash!

So, here's a quick post:

Tonight, I went to the cinema with one of my favorite families.
We saw The Avengers.

I must admit, I try really hard not to advertise stuff on this blog, but that movie was amazing.

However, good movies are not what I'm thankful for. (As much as I love them, I often find it difficult to sit down in the dark for so long).

Tonight, I'm thankful for spending time laughing with my friends, which happened not only in the theatre, but at church as well! I seriously don't know how I would go on without my friends sometimes, and thus, for them, I am evermore thankful.
J

Those Who Just Can't Wait

Where we live, the ice is still not off the lake.  We went down to the lake yesterday to watch the ice flows.  The bulk of the lake was still covered in ice but there was open water all around the edges.  Today, with the warmer weather and strong winds, the ice receded quite a bit so there was even more water exposed on each end of the lake.  Some people just can't wait for the ice to be off completely before they hit the water - we saw a boat cruising around and around the small section of open water near our house.  But that's not the funny part yet!  He had a wake boarder behind him!!!  They were driving right past the edge of the ice that was still there.  If the wake boarder was really talented, he could have surfed right over the wake onto the ice flow.  Who knows, maybe he did after we left!  Even though I shake my head at people who would brave frigid water just to get in a ski, they also make me smile.  And smiling makes me thankful.  So the impatient wake boarder today made me thankful.  Wherever you are (probably soaking in a hot tub trying to thaw out), thank-you!  A.

Reaching Ridiculous Goals

I set a goal, nay - more of a challenge, for myself.  I decided that I would catch a ride into town this morning and run home (remember, those of you who pay attention, I live in the country - the area outside of city limits). 
Now that might not sound like much of a challenge knowing that I am passionate about running and do so on a very regular basis.  But it was a bit of a ridiculous challenge for myself at this particular time because I have been having pretty severe back spasms for some unknown reason and I have the mother of all blisters on my foot right now from wearing the wrong pair of shoes (totally different story altogether.  Not one you'll ever hear because I'm not at all thankful for it!).
But our vehicle is not working right now and if I stayed in town until my ride went back out to the country, I'd be in town for the bulk of the day.  So it was partly out of necessity and partly out of stubborness that I decided to pack my running clothes and get myself home on my own power.
I'm thankful to let you know that my back handled the run just fine and although my blister might have ballooned out just a bit more, it didn't bother me at all during the run.  Sometimes setting challenges for ourselves can backfire but I'm thankful that today's challenge was successful and quite enjoyable.  Just like a good challenge should be :)
A.

Experienced Items

I love used things.  I get absolutely thrilled over receiving a bag of hand-me-down clothes.  They are already worn in and fit the way they will fit forever.  I like used furniture with it's unique wear and tear.  Each bump and scrape tells a story.  Even a used vehicle has an appeal to me.  You don't need to worry about keeping it immaculate and fretting about grocery cart collisions.

Today we picked up a used dresser.  It was actually in fine shape - just a few marks.  We paid a fraction of the price we would have for a new one and it's perfectly usable.  We got to meet a man who was hobbling from a most unfortunate surgery (which we heard about in complete and intricate detail) and we visited an apartment building we have never been in before (and hope to never visit again!).  It's really quite an experience going to buy furniture from someone you've never met before.  We just took part of his history and moved it into our house.  I think, in a weird kind of way, that's kind of grandiose.  A.

WHAT!

So you know what I love?

Seeing teachers out of school.

Why?

To remind me that not ALL teachers are evil soulless monsters of damnation.

Just kidding!

I think...

But! Seeing a teacher outside of school reminds us that teachers have lives and loves other than teaching! Sometimes it's hard to think of a teacher as anything other than a teacher until you get to know them better. I, in fact, came to know a teacher quite recently, as something quite different than what everyone assumed he was... if that makes sense...

Let's just say that it was a school trip, where he was drunk and confessed how he pees in the pool.

And yes, we have it on video.

So, my official challenge to every student-reader out there is to get to know one of your teachers really, really well, so that you know them as a person.

(One of my friend's teachers offered to take her to the movies today, which is weird, so not quite that close, okay?)

3!

2!

1!

GOOOOO!

Love y'all!
J

Ah! I'm being attacked by a group of little MONSTERS!

Tonight, was a good night.
A really really good night.
Why, you ask?
Because I had the wonderful opportunity to babysit with my little sister.
The little sister part sucked.
But the babysitting didn't.
Why, you ask again?
Because we were babysitting at the PAC meeting.
Parent Advisory Counsil... or something like that...
I truly HATE PAC, but that isn't important.
So we had a huge group of kids running around the gym; sliding on scooters, skipping around, stage diving (onto safety mats, of course) and attacking me and suffocating me in a large rainbow parachute!
It was bliss!
I think that there are few things I love more than little kids, and I mean FEW.
They are so amazing. They are full of life and energy and imagination and it is WONDERFUL.
So there, little kids!
How can you not love such wonderful little creatures?

Oh. I like boys too. I like them a lot.

La-la!
J

Part time work

I've been working full time this week.  What a drag!  Who works full time?  Why would anyone chose to work full time?!  It takes up a whole week of just working!  Normally I work three days a week but my partner and I switched some days so she could take a trip with her family.  So I get to work two whole solid weeks.  Two!  Full time!  Without any days off!
While it may appear on the surface that I am whining and complaining, what I am really doing is being thankful that usually I get to work part time.  I get days to do grocery shopping and other errands.  I get days to do my marking and planning.  It's true that you aren't really thankful for what you have until it's taken away.  I'm very, very thankful for my part time job and can't wait to get it back :)
A.
(almost forgot.  J - too much information.  Seriously!)

Well, Everyone Has Their Special Talents...

Today, while drinking a hot chocolate at a Starbucks table with A, we realized that I have a very special talent.
An unfortunate talent, but a talent nonetheless.
I happen to be very good at stalking.
Let me qualify this with a few points.

•A is also a stalker- and she has even helped me.
•There are two types of stalkers:
-The kind that follows you to scare you, or because they are psychotic.
-The kind that follows you for informational purposes, as in a Private Investigator.
•I am a type two stalker. So it's totally fine.

I feel as though I have discovered yet another possible job opportunity, that's a pretty good feeling. Heck! If I start young I could become really good at it, I could be a world renowned P.I. How cool would that be!?

So I'm thankful for my bizarre (and useful) talents!

Everybody get out and do the creep! Release your inner stalker!
Hehe 8)
J

No Walls

Today at soccer (yes, now I'm a soccer mom.  Will it never end!?), I ran into an old friend.  We see each other in the distance often but rarely have time to visit.  Tonight we had the whole game to walk laps around the field together and catch up.  She's the kind of person who tells it like it is.  No pretenses, no fakery, no "sugar coating" anything.  You know that what M. says, she means.  She's a very open person who will actually tell you how she is if you ask her!  I appreciate that in people.  I should be more like that (make me accountable to that, J.).  I'm thankful today for people who have no walls up, who are honest and true and live their lives openly for all to see.  Tear down those walls!  A.

Hey I Heard You Were A Wild One!

Oh oh oh-oh!

Today, was a crazy day.
Carazay!
Waking up was a rush.
Getting ready was a rush.
Phys. Ed. was a rush (the good kind of rush, the euphoria rush)
School was... boring.
Rushing to work.
Rushing home.
Rushing to youth group.
Running home. (Another good rush)
Rush through dinner, rush into the shower.
Shower sllllllloooooowwwwwwwwwlllllllyyyyyyyy.
Rush to dry my hair.
Rush to brush my teeth.
Blog.

I love this.

A lot of people hate a hectic life style, but I kind of... well, don't!
I feel like if I didn't live a hectic lifestyle, that I would simply be going backwards- where I do not want to go! I'm thankful, however, that my friends and family can cope with my craziness, and not hate me for it.

Anyway!
Let's bounce!
J

P.S.
As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
'Tis a visitor,' I muttered, 'Rapping at my chamber door,'
'Only this, and nothing more.'

Friends

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping

My intro has absolutely nothing to do with my thankful post today.  It just seemed to come to me!  I'm tired and the reminder that I had to write this post before bedtime came tapping on the door of my brain.  Go figure!

Today I'm thankful for friends.  Friends who give me a hug without knowing that I really, really needed one.  Friends who bring my a London Fog to work just because I mentioned I enjoy Fogs.  Friends who ask me how the Famine went because they know how important it was to me.  Friends who remember something I said over a week ago and bring it up.  Friends who save newspaper clippings and bring them to me because my two daughers have their picture in it.

It's good to have friends and I'm so very, evermore thankful for them today.  A.