Lost mittens

As we walked our dog down a grassy path

A path that I frequent regularly now that we have a dog

Mark spotted a mitten

Did you drop a mitten recently, Tracey?

Nope, I replied

Just making sure as this could have been yours. 

This has been a year of lost mittens. 

One in November, in Jasper

One in a movie theater in Edmonton 

One in the work parking lot in St. Albert 

And finally one just recently in a building in Stony Plain

Could it be that the winter was this long?

Or that I am this absent minded?

Regardless thank you to my husband for keeping a look out on the orphan mittens. 

Love

Thanksgiving

I am one lucky lady. Yes I did work all weekend and yes it was evening and yes I realize others had thanksgiving dinner while I was working. But guess what? I still got a celebration. 

On Saturday morning we went over to Wendy and David's for a thanksgiving lunch with Lawrence. I got to watch how to bacon aficionados cook bacon in two very different ways. Be warned to stay away from the kitchen as tongs may be used as weapons. I enjoyed gluten free waffles that tasted fabulous. And I got to have pumpkin pie for dessert. And I love pumpkin pie!

I then attempted to make another pie this weekend, a pumpkin on as I have said before I love it! But on thanksgiving Monday after I finished work I realized I forgot to buy some key ingredients. So off to the store again. Ahh. And pie made.  Even if I forgot again to double the recipe and the pumpkin filling was a little thin. He he. 

Then my long lost brother came for dinner tonight. We facetimed my parents and shared laughs and stories. We vegged on the couch like you would after a big meal (of chicken and potatoes). We joked and watched tv. 

Grateful

Love

The adventure continues...

Well we are officially in our new home. 

With the most incredible help from David, Wendy, Donna, Jeaninne, DJ, Anita, Fraser, Rob, Matt, Garet, Jimi, and Cassie we have everything at our new place, minus a few odds and ends. And I truly mean incredible. We couldn't have done any of it without them. Thank you, thank you, thank you. 

And how do we feel after all this? Exhausted. Happy. Excited. And ready to make this home a home. 

Now must go to bed. Have to work tomorrow morning. 

Love

List of thanks and happiness

With the season approaching I feel the need to write a list of all that makes me happy and how I am so thankful for them.

- changing leaves. So lovely right now and with that, the warm weather as the leaves have not blown off and I can appreciate them all the more as I run in the river valley.
- market days with my loveliness. I love our Saturday morning dates of pasta, hot dogs, and loads of fruit. It's wonderful.
- opportunities to learn so much about myself and the ability to change and grow. I think this is a post in itself but this clinical has taught me so many valuable things.
- family. I love all of them so much. This year for certain has taught me how important each member is and how special each one is to me.
- friends. It is amazing to see friendships truly shine. I love all my friends and know how amazing they are. It was special that others got the opportunity to see it too!
- a fantastic partner to spend my time with. He is just so much fun. And funny. I can laugh so fantasticly with him and still have those serious talks. He picks me up and gives me hugs in all the right moments. Lucky me.

I know there is more to add but I think that is the best moment to end it.

Love

the last post for awhile

so this will sadly but happily be my last post for a bit. things are starting to get slightly hectic and i really can't think i am going to have much more time to write this lengthy blog till we get back from our fabulous trip.

first off i have to say that i celebrated this last weekend with a fabulous bang! my ladies and i headed to a spa for some glorious treatments. really, living a life of leisure does seem pretty fab at times. we started the morning lounging in our robes in hanging beds, drinking sparkling wine. then off to get some treatments (mine was a hot stone massage, facial and pedicure).

after that we headed to julios where we had quite a few bulldogs...more than a few. it got a little rowdy and ridiculous i am sure! :) the end was a sweet surprise and i feel the need to gloat about a pretty special guy.

anita had previously given mark a pretty rough time about how messy the car was. this was a big deal as mark agreed to be the designated driver for all of us (and this is no exaggeration) the car could only fit two passengers (even though it is a 5 passenger car). needless to say as we were at the bar anita continued the texts about her expectations of the chauffeur (all joking of course). well he sure came through...mark pulled up in a suit, hand delivering roses, with cheese, crackers, fruit and non alcoholic champagne in the clean car. he really is a keeper. sigh.....

OKAY that is all the mush i promise!!

overall i have to say that this process of planning a wedding has been pretty amazing. not so much the planning part (unless its crafty, he he) but to see all the people that you truly love and adore come together to show their support, love and help you every step of the way. i don't know what i could of done without so many of you. not only our immediate families, and friends but extended family and even co-workers! we both are tremendously blessed and lucky and hope to return the favor for all of you in our own little way!

so that is it. next is the big day. and the honeymoon. let the final celebrations begin! :)
love

thanks kony, i have learned many things.

i know you have all heard it. the story is probably as good as dead. with the success of the kony videos, came the truth of the kony videos. then the downfall of a producer. it is all quite sad but i still have some positive thoughts on this whole thing...and now i have the time to say them! it may still be an issue as the upcoming "painting the town red" may still occur (and i will state it now i will not be participating in)

i first came upon it on facebook (like many others). i watched the video. the story didn't seem very original (sadly) as i have heard this kind of thing many times over in many different countries. little was known. but i found the video remarkable, not for its message per say, but how it inspired others. with that i mean, i was impressed so much by the youth backing this cause. going to washington, getting leaders signatures. for people that say that our youth is apathetic and doesn't care, this message seemed to contradict that very thought. this is especially prevalent in the days of a provincial election, when we need the youth so much more! it touched me and i thought whats the harm...so i passed the video on, on my facebook page.

then came the many others who passed on the facebook message. then came the media. then came the onslaught. "it was an old message. more money was being used to promote rather than to do. etc. etc. etc." BUT i think that kony showed us so much more. as previously mentioned: youth care. i know people think that it is wrong for them to care for such a message that is wrapped in american values and looks to be a propaganda piece but they do care. and with this they will learn, become more aware, and advocate with a bit more responsibility in the future. it was like this kony video ignited a spark. i had a similar kind of spark when i was young. i wrote a letter of protest (it really isn't important regarding what it was about). but after that letter i became more informed and i still believe i will make a difference and that i can be a true advocate.

another aspect that i found remarkable was how powerful social media like facebook has become. maybe others knew this, but i for one, did not realize the great power of it. for people trying to change the world, make it better, facebook can be used. videos, pictures. this opened my eyes on how we can captivate audiences in a whole different way. i for one, would love to change the image of nursing, something i believe has many different perceptions to many different people (another blog post, i know). why don't we as collective base unite others like the people in the kony video???

so really this is to say thanks. i know kony isn't what people hoped it would be. some were sorely disappointed. others may become jaded. others may find a passion ignited in what they saw. i for one am grateful to see two very positive things that came out of this very controversial video! :)

love

marriage counselling

so at the beginning of the month mark and i embraced (this is my sarcastic voice talking) premarital counselling. our thoughts were along the thinking that we had been together for five years. we have talked about a lot of issues within those years, i.e. having kids, not being able to have them, budget planning, where we see our future, etc. frankly we thought we knew it all! he he he

well we were wrong. isn't that kind of the nice thing about relationships. i mean, to realize that we don't know everything about each other and there are still plenty of surprises to unravel even now?? AND hopefully we find that continues in our lives. :)

basically it wasn't the what stuff on what we have communicated on (we actually do talk a lot). it was the how. in particular, what we both enjoyed was our communication strategies AND what kinds of affirmations make one another grateful and happy. i can honestly say that i enjoyed it a lot! some of it was hokey, and some of it we may have to really practice (we both can already be set in our ways). BUT some of it was extremely useful!

it was also not just about our relationship in particular. what i got out of it was about the people around us too. i think that when you spend your life with people you tend to take them for granted. you always think they will be there and you just let life take over. however, when you start to reflect on those people, you truly appreciate what they bring to your life, how they enhance it and make it brighter. i think we are all guilty of it. sometimes people like to dwell on the bad, no good, down right ugly things in life. just twisting that focus to look at the happy things can make a world of difference not just for the people in your life but you as well.

after the session we agreed that we should think of doing a communication class (or another type of focus) atleast every five years in our life...just to keep on track. i think we will do it and hope it is possible. i like the idea.

that's it.
love

A little bit of mush

Sometimes I think we take people for granted. Not intentionally. It just happens through out the day without a notice. When a family member tells you they love you, a lunch in the fridge waiting for your work day, a smile from a stranger, or classmate helping you out.

Last year I made a conscious effort to notice daily things (trivial to some) but appreciated by me. I directed my target to the one I in my life on a day to day basis....Mark. It was really fun to do and allowed myself to feel even more grateful for him.

Why am I getting so mushy. Because sometimes you just have to be. I am no longer doing the list (although I may go back to doing it again). But sometimes you just have to share. For instance just a few minutes ago i was overcome with happiness. I felt not just the one in my life but the many. Family, extended family, friends from all corners in my life and even things.

I heart you and appreciate you!

Love

Going to the fair...the bridal fair

So with the new year comes a new year planning for our wedding. Once again it felt slightly daunting as there were so many little things to do and I didn't know where to start. Anita suggested going to bridal fair. She said that even if I got nothing out of it it's still fun to hang out with friends. So it was set.

Unfortunately something came up for Anita but the other two girlies were there. After brunch we were off. Boy I felt so much better after going. I was pleasantly surprised of how much we really do have done. AND for those things that we don't I managed to get plenty of cards plus massive assurance from my darling friends of how to do things and how they will help. It helps to have married friends.

Plus we even got to have lots of fun and I got to live through Jeannine's fantasy dream planning. Seriously already cant wait for her daughter to get married. Best wedding ever! AND we got to see plenty of tables full of candy and test out the photobooths!

Thanks for helping out girlies. All of you from the ideas, support, and the encouragement! You guys are amazing friends!

Love

what to do when one is anxious

• have a support person (or persons) to talk to. this means they will support you, let you cry, tell you that first days are hard, and quit trying to be so darn perfect (because even if you feel you are perfect, you aren't and frankly sometimes that needs to be said). he he he
• scrapbook. i know it diverts from the part you are anxious about but sometimes that is needed!
• with that in mind just take a break: long baths, read, bake, watch movies....try to de-stress
• download les miserables on itunes and sing at the top of your lungs (or any other of your favourite music...my choice always reverts to broadway!)....really it works
• talk to others that are in a similar situation. some may not [but most will] empathize and be there to vent with. 
• know that "this too shall pass" and that once you get used to things, it will get better.

now i just need to read this everyday...he he he! four more weeks!
love

its nice to have some friends

school has begun and let's just say i am slightly overwhelmed. the assignments, the extra work, not to mention the actual clinical and the extra job that one hangs on to to make money. sigh. sometimes being a student kind of sucks...

but then you talk to your friends. the one's that are in the same boat as you. AND the one's that listen with an outside perspective and tell you everything will be okay. AND it will. i know this. deep down inside. but sometimes it gets a little buried.

so thanks to all my lovely friends this week. you have calmed my nerves for another week. (but keep your phones on standby...he he he, jk).

i love you all!
xoxoxo

i have an obsession....

an obsession with meatloaf. 

not the food

the singer

you see i have borrowed my dad's car this semester to get me around the city and some of the city's far limits (seriously!). mark, on the other hand, will use the other one to get back and forth from school. it will most likely be late nights for both of us so it is extremely useful to have this. thank you parent's as you are helping both of us this year!!

but what about meatloaf. well dad left some of his prized cd's in there (maybe to make it on the drive back to n.b.). i came across bat out of hell. there is just something about his music, while driving. memories of suicide ski trips or driving lessons come to mind. BUT overall, meatloaf is the perfect driving cd. i find myself singing (aka yelling) along with his musicality. wonderful! don't you wish you were in the car with me??

love

the stool

my mom told me to throw it out. we were cleaning out the "junk" in their basement. i came across a broken stool that mom got back in the day at county's reach. i loved that stool. it reminded me of a country/cosy style that fit in my parent's house perfectly. mom told me it was junk. toss it. i restrained. call it nostalgia...or that i wanted to grasp whatever i could of my parents but i was determined to make this stool mine somehow. thus the wheels started turning....

cut to two months later i went to a fabric store (i rarely frequent them). i came across this fabric (below). i know what you are thinking...orange??? but it matched a chair that we happened to have and the flowers are really pretty...or at least i think they are. i headed to casey's house for a craft night and we set up on stapling this fabric on to the cushion. easy-peasy.

the last bit i needed help. i didn't get a before picture but the stool was in pretty bad ruins and it was confirmed what my mom had originally said. it was junk. the wood was slightly cheap and a handy kind of handy man managed to put it together but warned not to put too much pressure on it. i promise i won't.

it now sits idly by the orange chair waiting for a nice kitty or a foot. the project is finished and i am happy!

thanks so much david for your hard work! :)

time to be appreciative

its been awhile since i have wrote about what i am thankful for. i really enjoy doing it as it allows me to concentrate on positivity rather than some of the negative things that can happen in life. here is what i have today!

• dance offs with my boyfriend...leading to hysterical laughter
• lilacs blooming. it is officially spring
• biking to work and having paths to do so
• running outside. i have missed it so much
• fresh fruit
• finishing one scrapbook project that i have been trying to accomplish for two years. felt good!
• spring walks
• downtown market opening. it makes me so happy as its my favourite market!
• having a job. i really do like working!
• hanging out with friends that i haven't seen in awhile
• movie dates
• pillow fights (yes, event though i am "how old" i still have them...and they are fantastic)
• sun because it is finally out in all its glory after so many months
• my library card...seriously, why didn't i get this sooner. so much fun! :)

that is it, for now. have a glorious sunday! :)
love

a million thanks

- with all the stress that i have underwent these last five weeks.
- with all the new skills i had to learn to perform
- with all the anxiety i have given myself (and possibly others)
- with all the second, third, and fourth guessing that has occured
- with all the routines i had to learn
- with all the days/nights of homework, reciting, relearning i had to do

there have been some fabulous people who:

- have been there for me
- have listened to my tiring rants
- have helped me to de-stress
- have given me advice
- have helped me with coping strategies

and to you:

- mark (you put up with so much, helped me so much, made sure i ate, kept me sane)
- mom (you lend me an experienced ear with fabulous advice, i have learned so much from you)
- dad (you give me words of encouragement, always cheering me on)
- jimi (you and your visits allow me to quit school for a bit and just enjoy the moments)
- my numerous nursing friends in my clinical and seminar (you all have shown me that i am not alone and we are doing this together)
- the hope lady (you listen so well, especially with (the said) tiring rants)
- my wonderful friends (you "force" me have fun and cut loose from the school side)

I THANK YOU FOR THE NURSING YOU ALL HAVE GIVEN ME!

(ready to do this again for another five weeks *wink wink*)

love

special day for thanks

so today is 10/10/10. apparently a very lucky day (according the edmonton journal) so i knew i had to post...with no other reason but to acknowledge this day and to give thanks. with celebrations today and tomorrow i thought i would say what i am thankful for:

- wonderful family. yes i am one of those people. i call my parents as much as i can. they are always there in laughter and sadness, in anger or frustration and continually support and love me. you guys are awesome! included in this wonderful family is my brother. even mark can attest how awesome and special my brother truly is. he shows lots of love, is always there to listen and give his words of wisdom in a jimi kind of fashion how can i not heart this guy??

- mark. he truly is the bestest guy to have around! always up for anything or nothing at all. it sure is nice to have a partner that wants the same adventures in life as you do. no other can i joke with, have thoughtful discussions, passionate debates and bug as much as him! he has been exceedingly great this past month and a bit with the changes in my life (leaving my job and doing something very new for school). i am truly grateful and lucky to have a person that listens and helps me when i am stresssed. i  am definitely thankful for him!

- mark's family. with my parents so far it really is nice to have some parents close by, quite literally. i can vent small frustrations, talk about things that make me smile, share food, and joke around about mark. ooo and i enjoy the saucy jokes...the ones that get mark all abashed shouting, "mother"...yes that is you wendy. one really cannot have too much laughter in their life!

- my beloved friends. people i really don't see truly enough AND so lucky to see them when i do! i heart all of them! i have friends from different bits in life (high school, university, nursing, work, etc.). each one of them are truly special and help, love, support, listen, laugh, and just be plain goofy with me! happy thanksgiving to all of you! :)

there really are so many things to be thankful for but before i get too sappy i will stop.
have a most wonderful thanksgiving!!
love

fall leaves

i have been chiding mark about how alberta lacks a fall. i don't know this from experience but just from what i am told. the times when my mom really got homesick for the maritimes was in the fall. she said it is an experience like no other on the east side. the oranges, reds, yellows, bright, dark, all of different varieties. not only that, but the leaves stay on for longer than a week. i have added my own little taste in there for mark. the weather is never warm, it snows the second week of october, and really does alberta even have a fall because it seems so short?

mark chided back. the air has changed to a crisp coolness indicating autumn. it changed in september...it is now october. the sun is out in this second week of october (and has been for a couple weeks now) filling our days with warmth. the leaves although off the trees on friday (i know i raked some one day working) stayed on for atleast two weeks. and although we don't have the reds we do have a wide variety of yellows and oranges to make alberta a pretty place to live, especially when walking in the river valley parks.

so with all the chiding i must say thanks to mark. mainly to appreciate what i have instead of vying for what i don't!

happy thanksgiving!

and the band played on...

ahhh. a free moment in my life

guess what??? one assignment is done: a presentation to the staff at our location.
how did we do? in all honesty this was one of the best experiences i had doing a presentation. in terms of our presentation i think (for the first time) i spoke at a slower pace with a bit more ease than i have ever before. we worked hard and i think it showed. BUT best of all...people asked questions AND WE COULD ANSWER THEM!! :)  how much better can it really get than that? overall it felt fantastic. one assignment down, and more than half way done my first clinical rotation.

now for a few moments of things to do this weekend.

- call my parents. i have tried to make a point to talk to them once or twice (sometimes three) times a week. unfortunatley i got caught up in the work load this week and failing miserably in the phone call department. its tough when a girl works best at 4-8 and then ready to chat. then the realization hits her that her parents are probably dreaming.

- hang out with this pretty swell guy that i live with. sometimes i wonder how he can put up with my stressing. he always seems to be around to listen to my rambling, give me a hug, or rub my back. most of all he just appreciates me for me, even when i become a crazy school girl! he also calls my parents to deliver messages about me. could i have it any better??? thank you!

- destress with some fellow nursing friends or what i would like to call gourging 101, what not to do when diagnosed with cardiac discomfort. that should be a fun night!

- get back into the work out routine (how easily i fell off, he he) AND (hoping with all hope to have time) scrapbooking! :)

that sounds like a fab weekend. school will just have to fit in another day! :)

love

lovely song

well i just have to say thank you lilith. i got 10 free downloads from them this week. i don't know if its because i went to the concert or just had them on an email list but i am happy! take a listen to this lovely song.



love

i love you summer!

its been a pretty incredible week and i must say this...i am really enjoying my summer. i am on facebook reading some friends status's of how they can't wait to go back to school and i jcannot figure out why. i love my summers...especially summers as a student. maybe its because i know this lifestyle won't last long so i am trying to savour them as much as i can. its right now when i am really glad i declined on school year round . sure i would be done sooner...but so far i like this trade off more.

this week i am loving:
-date nights
-good movies
-sunshine
-outdoor pools
-living through my run
-friends that came to said run (thanks for being there guys!)
-wedding fun
-bowling fun
-good food (green onion cakes, vegetable jalfrezi and chicken korma)
-great times at work
-hot yoga and being able to successfully balance in one class
-a special person being okay even if they are going to have to eat more veggies ;)
-folk fest concert coming up
-more races to run
-talking to my mom on the phone and then my dad (yes he is alive)
-future plans of more exciting things to come!

love