glee

been pretty busy and unfortunately for blog posts i really can't post about it because it's all confidential...but on a fun note: here is something that truly excites me! :)



till next time!
love

morning date

the business of school, night shifts and work last weekend, has left an absence of "date night" for mark and i. so, i decided to make a morning date yesterday (much to mark's dismay). woke up early (for him) and did a couple of errands, i.e. voted, went to mec to return some very broken hiking poles (that they did...seriously the best store ever!), did some christmas shopping (yeah you heard that right, have to have those parcels mailed before december hits), visited a craft show (okay, we know that was for me...but remember mec...) and then went to maria's place. this restaurant is a reminder of pam's for me (a place that used to be in stanley), and small alberta restaurants for mark. great breakfasts and as for other types of fare the selection is wide from green onion cakes to perogies. it also has a special place in my heart as it was one of the first places that we went out to eat when we were first dating. AND of that memory, i remember spilling orange juice all over the table and onto the floor, much to mark's horror and embarrassment. he he he. so we came and went. once again, a fabulous breakfast (no spilling included), great service, and a good morning date! :)

love 

short little note

ahhh for such a short week it has been a long one. orientation at school, a little bit of research, and a whole lot of myself getting worked up about my new clinical has stated the obvious. i hate change. something that would come as no surprise to my family. my family laughs but apparently at three years old when we made the big move to alberta the movers were slowly packing and i was so distraught that i was slowly unpacking....sigh.

however (and i know it too) getting worked up always tends to make me a fool the next day as i am usually okay, having survived. the first day was a nice ease. i was incredibly nervous but there was so much support. plus, its very scheduled! yes, i am lame (and slightly type a) but i do love organization. its busy, and i am trying to absorb as much as i can. added bonus is the workers are extremely friendly and nice. on a first day, i really cannot ask for much more than that! :)

happy friday!
love

it starts all over again

i have started my new clinical rotation today. as the previous one, i feel slightly overwhelmed with all that i am to accomplish (not just skills, but so much experience to take in). but like last time, i did manage to finish everything and learn so much more about care, comfort, and skills so i am trying to de-stress.

with that said, i must say how much i really loved this long weekend. i did absolutely nothing school related (and as of yet) don't feel any guilt about it. i saw some friends, ate junk, had pumpkin pie (my favourite), played games, worked, did some shopping. all and all a marvelous weekend. only bad part: i had just bought the seasons of supernatural and at the place that i work, i had a mini-marathon at night...in an apartment...that makes noises...and i was alone...with no one to talk to...because your client is sleeping....ahhh, scary! :)

well that's about it!
love

family photos

to end this weekend of thanks and family i thought i would share my little wall of love. this used to be in the living room but in all fairness the vast majority was my family (not that mark isn't family but you probably get the drift). so i put it in my office so that my family and extended family pictures are around me when i work. one of my favourite things...

hope everyone had a marvelous thanksgiving weekend!!!
lots of 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!

craft night revisited

in one more sleep a day has come that i have been looking forward to in weeks....guesses????

no it has nothing to do with my clinical rotation (although i happen to be 1/3 complete...as long as i pass).

anymore guesses???  

CRAFT NIGHT!!!

this is something i hold very near and dear to my heart but subtly and tragically it drifted away from me. it started off with my mama b (this gals mom). my friend, christine and i wanted to do a most fantastic christmas present for our moms. so mama b offered her services as a quilter and set us to work making our mom's a quilt. we started in july working every month...then once november hit working every two weeks....then once december hit working every week (and maybe days near the end) but we did complete it. to my dismay my mom did not cry (something i had been trying to do for ages at christmas) but she loved it and it got her thinking about her crafty skills. so she, recruited mama b as her tutor in the making of quilts. i, having finished my quilt wanted to get back to my first love scrapbooking. i had endless pictures of my trips to australia, and new zealand that needed an album, not to mention my pictures of friends and family. mama b's other daughter looked on at my scrapbook and her interest became piqued. she had just finished a vegas trip and felt the need to put them in an album of artistic nature. just as mama b did for me, i offered my services (or shopping skills) to advise her with all she needed to scrapbook. in the meantime, casey came over to her mom's house to quilt (and believe me, she is magnificent at it), christine continued to make quiliting crafts and jeaninne joined in with her embroidery. thus our traditional wednesday night craft gig started!

i don't know how it officially stopped. i finished my travel albums and one wedding album (seriously casey i will finish the other one, one day!!! i love you!!!) i know that i began to get slightly bored with scrapbooking every week (and everyone laughs) but i was having trouble finding inspiration. i tried a bit of embroidery, but as everything that involves a thread and needle, i would get mad, frustrated, finish the project and swear it off. i began having excuses not to go and eventually i stopped. like i said, it was tragic...BUT

i just recently visited my beloved mama b. casey was there and we all talked about it. mama b said that it was sad that all of us girls stopped doing it....both me and casey looked at each other and knew that it needed to happen again. its funny how i would think i am currently busier than ever and attempting to do this but nah....i love my friends. i need my friends. and i can't think of a better thing to do with my friends! :)

so tomorrow (basically i am going to case's when i am done my evalutaion) i am crafting....how exciting is that??

love

lime green

so i have a favourite colour. i really love anything of this colour. green. right now, in particular, i am really loving lime green. just a little spot of my house that i have dedicated to lovely lime. yes this includes some of my summer projects i painted (wall mural, and cd case)....i love limes (just like amy from little women!) or lime green for that matter....

love

kitty grass revisted

remember this: click here.

well here it is today:

it really is true. i can't keep a plant to save my life. mark comes into my office every so often and looks at this poor kitty grass in dismay. i think he is still trying to salvage what little remains...i will keep you posted on the progress...

love

SURPRISE!!

i just came back from a fabulous day/night of birthday festivities. my lovely friend had a surprise 29 year/11month old birthday today. there was a blow up castle, boxing gloves (and yes mark totally took me down), a movie, and tons of food. she was definitely surprised and had a great time.

now i am sitting here thinking about the surprise parties in my life...wow. i am definitely so different! lol

1. i don't know how old i was for my first surprise but i do remember not handling it well. i was at a restaurant with my mom and her friend. her friend told the waiter it was my birthday. i seem to recall they came out singing happy birthday which freaked me out a little (okay i think i cried)...more freakish was i think there was some weird hat i had to wear...mom knows more but i remember not being pleased.

2. now i am 14. sleeping soundly in my bed on a sunday morning. suddenly 5 girls bound in wearing their pajamas. who were they? the girls from my CGIT group shouting, "We are going to Wendy's and you cannot change!" mortified, near tears, i left my house in my pajamas. the last look i had was for my mom and it was not just a look...it was a glare. cut to finding out Wendy's was actually my CGIT leader's house as she was a wendy....relieved yet still horrified i think i didn't talk to my mom for a week. after all she knew about the surprise the whole time...

3. (yes there is a number 3) my friends attempted to throw me a surprise party when i was 15 years old. one girl (isn't there always one) spilled the beans prior and got me in a huge frenzy. let's face it...as you can tell by now i hate surprises. i don't know why...but they freak me out and i hate being the center of attention...especially that much focus. worse at 15 when you are in the stage of teenage life and all your friends are whispering behind your back you feel a little worse for wear. EVEN when they are doing something super nice and all talking behind your back for such a special reason! in the end, i still ended up being mad at my mom...because again she knew about it....poor mom.

4. i know i can't believe people haven't learned. but this one is kind of a joke. 16 years old and at the keg. basically, you can't go to a restaurant on your birthday and expect them NOT to sing to you. well that was my dad's analogy as he told the waiter and out came the cake and the tinfoil hat. funnily i didn't get mad this time...and don't think mom let it go unnoticed that my father did not get any blame while she had to put up with so much the years prior...again poor mom.

needless to say my mom stopped getting involved in all surprises. and anyone that approached her regarding them for her daughter she set them straight...TRACEY DOES NOT LIKE THEM.

that is what i thought about tonight and tonight i saw a lady thouroghly enjoy hers...i guess that is what the other side looks like....;)

so i must say thanks to my mom who i love so much and so glad she put with so much!!! loved talking to you tonight....i needed my mom today and got her! lots of love.

sweet pics

it has been a long and stressful week (and day). so i decided to wander on over to my mom's page on facebook and look at some of her old photos...these ones made feel better and put a small smile on face.

 little....

and big (or grown-up)

love

the corner

i have talked about this for sometime now but i really have to say how happy i am the fishtank is gone. not just mark's but mine as well. they were taking much needed space and both were completely unused so it felt good to ship them off! before my parent's left they gave us a couple of items. now the said items have an official place and we are not living in as much clutter. so here is the wall now. i do realize we still have quite a bit of stuff (i.e. hiking/camping supplies under the desk) but i think we are getting by nicely with the space we have like behind the screen i hid the christmas decorations, vacuum, kitty kennel and storage-like items.

so there you have it mom. because the rocking chair needs a bit of tweaking to hold human weight i thought it could hold some scrapbooks instead. on a sidenote: when jimi saw the monky/bear he started laughing hysterically, i can't figure out why...*wink wink*. also note the lamp. yup that is what you gave to me but i spray painted it silver (try not to shudder) and bought a new lampshade. i think it looks great with grammie's desk. finally the ugly (but sooo sooo comfy) orange chair that we bought at a garage sale. we put it in the corner by the window. kind of a reading/study area. note the pillow: mama b gave that to me on my last visit...she is too cute!

so that's it. have a great monday!

love

shopping

i went shopping a week ago with jeaninne and jeff (that's right you read that correctly, jeff went with us). it was a quick trip of shopping, and talking that we later took to case's house. overall a great night of friendness that does not happen as much as it used too with all of our busy lives. hence it is lovely when we do get together.

on the trip, however, i got a skirt. now i do go shopping with my friends quite a bit but i used to go with my mom regularly. since she cannot be there now on my trips, i thought i would show her what i bought on this trip. so here you go mom. p.s. jeaninne, although didn't say it, thinks it looks like a grandma skirt because "it is so busy and flowery". he he he. but i don't care because i love it and i like the tie up on the waist.

love

let's talk about movies

since i talked about books recently....let's talk about movies. these are just a few i have rented (or gone out to see) recently:

- going the distance: to me, i found this movie quite good. i was going in with some expectations but it turned out to even surprise the ones i had. it was really funny (some inappropriate humor but not enough for complete raunchiness). at one point i was in hysterical laughter and could not stop. seriously love it when that happens (i don't know if anita does...wink wink). cute chick flick film.

- babies: a documentary on how babies are raised (and developing) all around the world (sometimes many similarities and then you see some vast differences). cute movie. the babies are pretty cute (obviously don't see it if you don't like children, he he he). the only thing i kind of wished for was some narration but all and all pretty cute.

- prince of persia: i really loved this movie. i was pleasantly surprised with the story and the actors overall. action packed (which i love in an escapism movie) with a couple of little twists but not to grotesque as it is disney. also brought be back to the movies i enjoyed like indiana jones and the mummy. very good. if you don't like snakes be forewarned...right jo?

ones that i have seen but really wasn't an overall fan was losers, remember me, letters to juliet and the back up plan. they were alright overall but really not my thing.

there you have it. the movies i have seen this past bit. seriously if you have seen a good movie tell me! i love movies and anything funny, quirky, action packed, or a really good documentary i am usually interested in... :)

love

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

pictures

now that the fish tank is gone i have room to put many things where that spot was once occupied. what i put will be in a blog soon to follow however i did realize as i was organizing that there were really no current pictures of mark and i...anywhere. we did have a couple of family photos back in 2008 but that's about it. so i took matters into my own hands and developed a few frame-worthy pictures and scattered them around the apartment (mainly the living room and my office). here they are...like??

from top left us fighting off bugs in the backcountry ha ha ha,
top right is a picture of us all dressed up for mark's cousin's wedding.
bottom left is us on the north coast trail.
the right us at hopewell rocks.

have a good night. off to celebrate a special hope lady's birthday. research for a paper and maybe (fingers crossed) fit in some glee!

love

harvest time

yesterday was the first time i went grocery shopping and didn't buy a veggie. no, i didn't go to the market. mark's veggies are full grown and ready! potatoes, carrots, beets, green beans, celery, garlic, lettuce, and multiple herbs...its really quite amazing. looks like his first year with his garden was a success! :)

a snapshop of some of the veggies...little did i know more would be
appearing the next week...interested???

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

what's going on?

so i have officially done 2 weeks of my first rotation...all i can say is man oh man time is flying by. i already have a presentation due next friday and a care plan to complete the next week and then i am done! its crazy. it usually takes me a good month to settle into a new job but by that time i will be gone! :) so far, i think i am doing okay as i am pushing myself out of my comfort zone. can i ask for anything more? after all this training i think i will settle into jobs a lot faster! :) overall the experience has been pretty good. i did have one bad day and that was regarding an assignment. really this would be a fabulous rotation, if i didn't have to do anything for grades. BUT, i am a student! ;)

i have started my work-out routine once again as well. it is slightly hard to get back into it as i like to work out in the am(s) but finding hard to balance that with my rotation. i have been told that as a student, your own mental health is the one thing that gets put on the backburner. so i am trying to make a conscience effort to try fitting in atleast a couple of my lovely leisure activities in one week (seeing my friends, scrapbooking, reading, working out, etc.) its a challenge to find the balance but (thus far) it is working. i guess i will see how it works with other rotations! :)

i managed to visit my old job on monday. i think i made a special grey cup friend very happy! it was nice to see everyone and prank anita. ahhh good times...why did i ever decide to leave that job???? :)

everything else is okay. mark was sick this week with a cold. unfortunately i have now caught a bit of that bug. so hopefully i can squash the worst of it this weekend! :)

other than that,
love