summer: are you coming my way?

i think so. this week it has been slowly escalating to hot hot hot. and i am loving it. and when i need a break from loving it. i hop down to my beloved basement where everything is cool and refreshing! fabulous!

anyhoo...mark is officially on summer break! whooo hooo! i don't think he could feel any better right now. we spent our first official holiday day (well mine was just the weekend off but regardless) at the St. Albert Farmer's Market. so i have never been. HUGENESS and LOVELY! apparently it is one of the biggest outdoor markets in Western Canada. and it lived up to it. plenty of lovely food and other delights. we got ourselves some tasty delights including lovely cinnamon buns, green onion cakes and pasta! yum! definite carbo loading if you ask me!

then mark went to work on his big landscaping project. i on the other hand lazed around (i.e. napped) and then attempted to do some sanding projects. a little frustrated with my project as i don't think it will be what i would like it to be (and it turns out it is a lot more work than i though) but i have to wait and see. future posts on both yard and mine later when all is completed.

speaking of beautiful projects. mark's uncle john made us the most fabulous-ly beautiful bookcase. i don't think we could have imagined it being any better than it is. it is fantastic. wendy, david, and john all joked asking if it was enough space for us. and yes it is. and it is full! as well as our bookcase upstairs. what can i say. i married a husband with a book addiction. i think there are worse things in the world?

i am kind of in half marathon training right now as well. but not doing as well as i should as my motivation is in other places and although there are places to run, i do miss the beloved river valley...that is presently very wet (although with the sun, probably drying out). jimi and i were suppose to do the colour me rad in Calgary today and i was quite pumped about it...unfortunately do to all the floods Calgary had other worries to think about than a little five km race.

AND lets just say that all of southern Alberta is doing a great job in handling this massive disaster...and on top of that the amount of generosity i have seen from Albertans, Canadians and people world wide have once again astounded me. its pretty awesome to see. and to be able to see it again on social media...really shows the positivity of these kinds outlets!

i think that covers it all for me. here are a few pics that i haven't posted this month.

a fire-pit in the summer. is there anything better? it makes for an easy but great meal of hotdogs, banana boats, and cherry pies and mixes in with mark's favourite pastime of making fires.

sibling love on this lovely evening of food.

graduation day with my fellow nurslings!

all dolled up for the lovely occasion. our next stop? home depot of course!

 the grass is back and wilder than ever! and yes it grew once again.

 

 i think mark is in heaven right now as he not only has his yard to play around in but he has "his" dog. we are dog sitting while wendy and david are on vacation. i am assured that this is only temporary. ;)

 i saw my long lost friend jeff who i hadn't seen since may and really didn't even get a chance to talk to all that much! so lovely. and yes this is jeaninne protecting her hair from getting wet as she didn't want to "frizz" out.

lovely friends

 "let's go thrift shopping," i said

"it is the perfect day to do it as it is rainy," i said later

"holy it is really wet," i said even later

"remember the whitemud flood that we got stuck in, in 2004, i think we better go home cause i think its going to happen again," i said lastly

he he. yes jeaninne and i went shopping and i guess some of the roads did flood but not really where we were, all was safe! but we did see this die hard fat franks guy selling hot dogs. we just had to stop and see him. cause really...in torrential downpours he deserved our business!

 ahhh hot dogs so worth it!

 

 no finds for us...but one lucky lady found a cute little toy!

till next time...

love  

the hunger games

so i jumped onto the crazy fan base of the hunger games. i don't know about the movies but the books are most excellent! it has an interesting premise with people fixated today on so much reality television (i most certainly can fall in that category with certain shows). that along with war, power struggles, PTSD, and politics, it is definitely worth the read. especially for teen fiction! wow. definitely like this verses the others out there.

of course there is the tween romance component. but mark (who i forced, but who then loved the books) saw the romance differently. there are two men; one is a representation of peace, another is a representation of war. something i never thought of when reading about them, but it is true. needless to say, she picked....I AM NOT SAYING.

but i will say that i am totally a team peeta gal!

he he he

pick them up. they are worth it!

love

a new rotation and a new night!

ahhh. the new rotation has started. back to shift work, mornings and nights. this week is nights, something i am looking forward to having as sleeping in seems so very nice at the moment!

so far i have been in awe of the ever so experienced nurses and doctors on my unit. so much knowledge, skills, compassion and SO SMART. yet i know know know that labour and delivery is not for me! it is quite amazing to see a baby enter this world, probably one of the coolest things i have seen. BUT if i stay in this field for the long term i think i will be scared away from ever having children (as it is i have pushed it even farther into the future after being in this rotation for one week) !! ha ha. i don't know how to explain it but i just feel too much of their pain. there may be a reward in the end but i think i will hold a grudge on that reward as it just went to war on my body (p.s. sorry mom, never meant to do that too you)! i know all you mom's out there say you forget the pain, but let's face it, (you can ask mark) i don't forget. lol

in other news....tried out the enjoy center with a nursing friend today. very cool place. organic grocery store, organic food (i recommend the carrot cake, very tasty), and cool little shops through out (although a little expensive). definitely a place my mom would enjoy as it has a similar feel as salisbury greenhouse :)

AND speaking of organic, mark just "harvested" his feast this year. potatoes, garlic, carrots and many many herbs. so very lovely. i may have been slightly annoyed with him when he initially started "cleaning" his veggies as i had just finished "cleaning" the kitchen. but a mess is no longer lingering on the counter tops so my annoyance has faded. and better than that i am happy to have veggies. it is a fantastic experience to bypass the veggies aisle in the supermarket because you have your own grown goods at home! :)

i have been reading lots too. i am loving this library card. it is kind of like homework to finish these books before they are due back but so many good ones to read! i just finished one book "those who save us" by jenna blum. a little graphic in some chapters but i found it interesting (even though it was fictional). AND right now i am reading "little princes" by conor grennan, a non-fiction book about orphans in nepal. so far i like...

hoping to find time to scrapbook again. the assignments are taking over my life, and when they are not, i am just tired and want to veg out. we will see what this weekend brings!

love you all!

remarkable women

while i was on vacation i read a great book. i don't know if it was great because i had no worries, no deadlines, no work. OR was it just great because (to the author) it was about a great person. it was by jeanette walls. i had previously read the glass castle, a book that i found triumphant but heart-breaking. this book,  half broke horses, was a true-life novel about her grandmother. a woman who lived a HUGE life.

i like books that make me feel good, that show me how people live extraordinary, yet ordinary lives. this women was probably like many in her time, BUT she took chances like flying a plane, breaking horses, playing poker and getting her teaching certificate in an unconventional way. she lived her life as it was her only life so she made ever moment count. i love that message!

this made me think of my grandmother. her desire more than anything was to go to university not a common sentiment at that time (even within her family). her determination brought her to the university of new brunswick where she graduated with a degree in entomology. she substitute taught in the states and when she later came back to canada (air force wife) she did research in her passion of bugs. love it. not only that but she managed to travel to far places and had (what i think is one of her greatest achievements) my mom, my aunt and uncle. simple things, yet so extraordinary all the same.

one does not have to be in a position of power, receive a pulitzer prize, a grammy or nobel peace prize to be remarkable. just to live a life of both hard work and HAPPINESS (and take advantage of any opportunity that comes your way) can leave an imprint on the lives around you. it did for jeanette walls and me. the ordinary done day in and day out, when looking back in time will seem extraordinary to others. at least it will to me!

love

movies and books

with my rotation all wrapped up as i head into my last one, these are a few of the indulgences i had to de-stress:

movies
- robin hood: that would be the second time i saw this movie...and probably a bad time to rent it as like the first time (when we saw it in the theatre i might add) i fell asleep. i really do want to see it because mark keeps telling me how good it is...
- finding nemo: this was from mark's brother's connection. we didn't want to go out, but really wanted to do something mindless so i chose this one. i really can never get enough of this movie...so cute
- role models: along with finding nemo, we borrowed this one because mark had never seen it and i knew he would love it...i was right!
- killers: two words: skip it
- get em to the greek: personally this is not my choice in movies...it was definitely mark and i think he went alone on this one to rent...he liked it :)...meh for me.
- karate kid: okay i know this is a kid's movie but i seriously LOVED this movie and (surprise) it totally made me cry. he he he. so cute
- due date: i wanted a date night. this is what we went to go see. a little mindless but i laughed and enjoyed it...great escapism
- toy story 3: i have to admit i am really loving the kids movies lately and this is no exception. awesome movie and once again i cried. but i really don't feel that bad because jeaninne did too when she saw it. that's right, i am not the only suck.
- life as we know it: cute movie with some laughs. i enjoyed the company i was with too! :)

those movies along with my obsession with supernatural fulfills the television focus of my entertainment.

books
in terms of books, i have been reading (roughly) a chapter a night. therefore, i finish the book in about a month. i am done the book of negros. that has probably been one of my favourite reads this year. great, great, great book. i picked up twenties girl. a total chicklet book: light and funny something i really needed. currently i am reading mennonite in the little black dress. its a memoir and so far, quite a humorous one.

that's it for now
love

guess what i am talking about

i thought i would do a fun post today on something that i love. hint: i don't do it as often as i like. i really love doing it. and the best time to do it (for me) is when i am in a hot bath. guesses???? READING!!!

here are a list of some of my favs (whether i have read them long ago or recently)

1. i know this much is true by wally lamb. i love love love this book. i cannot say enough about it. i haven't read it recently but when i did i couldn't put it down (that's when you know you have read a good book). fascinating story about mental illness and the life long journey of two brothers...so good!

2. harry potter series by j.k. rowling. i am a complete and utter fan of these reads. the movies just do not do justice of this author (although they are fun and exciting in their own way). it amazes me how a kids book could evoke such emotion (yes, i have teared up on many occasions reading these). a fantastic way to escape and yes i really do wish i got my letter to hogwarts.

3. atonement by ian mcewan. again about the movie thing, if you have seen the movie this book will leave little to the imagination. yet i enjoyed the book so much more (isn't that really what everyone says??)

4. water for elephants by sara greun. quick before the movie comes out pick this up! i read this while i was on vacation and adored it. it kind of gets you thinking (a bit) about aging, the process, and if you all are nurses...nursing....plus it talks about the circus!

5. book of negroes by lawrence hill. fascinating journey of a girl (turn women) in the slave trade. i am currently reading this (so don't tell me what happens!!) and have yet to put it down at night so addicting....that is how i know this is a fantastic book!

6. finally i will mention an older one that i haven't read in quite some time. power of one by bruce courtenay. i don't know what drew me to this book but i am glad i was. i never really knew much about other parts of the world (and although fiction) it was beautifully written and gave me things to think about and furthering my research into africa and the apartheid.

i think i will stop there. yes there are tons of others but i have my own personal readings to do for school so i must get back to work! :) till next time.

love

jamie oliver

lets talk about food. i love it. i may have said this before but i love to eat. i wish i was as good of a cook as i am an eater but alas it isn't so. i have mastered a couple of staple recipes like chicken, spaghetti, tacos, stir fry, etc. but to really dig down deep and cook something extraordinary...that is just so not me. i leave the special up to the men in my life i.e. my father and my lovely boyfriend. that is until i came across:

FOOD REVOLUTION. a most fantastical show that was playing in april about healthy good old fashioned cooking. the premise is easy. if you cannot pronounce it or will not find it in your grandma's kitchen its not good for you. i fell in love with the show and jamie oliver. i had never been a person who paid attention to cooking personalities but this guy was highly relatable. so i decided to buy:

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Cookbook. i must say that when i came into the house with this book mark burst out into laughter. that was until he skimmed through it. so MANY choices of curries, pasta dishes, desserts, breakfast, lunch and dinner it was too hard to look away. so he cooked up a batch of pasta the first night. something easy and with a couple of raw ingredients tasted amazing. then i decided to dive in and do something i have never done. salmon tikka masala. and guess what...i didn't screw it up! SHOCKING! as we have been going through this cookbook we have continuously enjoyed everything we have cooked and have yet to stumble into any pitfalls. FOR THIS GIRL THAT IS SOMETHING EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!

give it a try...you will not regret it! :)
love

this week

what word could i say to sum up my week? work. lots of it! i worked double shifts everyday except thursday (i got my hair done then...YAY) and i am putting in some more hours today. its been a busy (and slightly tiring) week. between that and marathon training i haven't had time to do much else. all my DIY projects are sitting at home collecting dust and making me antsy to organize (poor mark). BUT i cannot complain because this is what i want and both jobs are so very enjoyable. AND with a couple of days off next week i can definitely have some ME time, DATE time, and some FRIENDS time!

however today was awesome! i took the little lady i work for downtown. we tried out the new LRT finally and enjoyed the sunshine. we both checked out the market. the BLUEBERRIES are out and for you CHERRY lovers they are there too! we then walked to churchill square to check out the art works festival. lots of little trinkets and art to see plus some fabulous vendor food! then we went home. now i am just doing some errands and preparing to dive into my book. it's a kids book: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book One: Lightning Thief . jeaninne was reading it on our way home from NYC and she seemed so engrossed i thought i would give it a try. it is pretty good so far and a light read which is just what i need after school textbooks!

have a great weekend!
love