11 more days...

so i am stuck at home with the continous christmas cold. this time fevers, chills, throat pain...oh my! luckily i wrote a post yesterday about christmas-y things since today i am feeling a little grinch like (the cold and going to the doctor...grrrr). so here it is....

lights, camera, action!

i love christmas lights. some people go crazy, some go subltle, so have their own little style, while others follow the same suit. regardless i love it all. it makes me happy and i feel festive. back in the day when i worked in the mall my favourite time of day was that walk back home on closing shift. everything was quiet, no cars in site, except for christmas lights. they just make me so happy.

i didn't take any pics of ours...as i am not a great photographer when it comes to night time shots...but here are some lovelies to help you feel what i feel...

 photo credit

 photo credit

photo credit

photo credit

love

12 more days...

he he he...i know i missed a day. i told you it would happen. i really have no excuse. my assignments are done, i have no research to do this weekend but everything just got the better of me.

i must say i had a bit of the christmas blues this weekend. it hits me at times. sometimes it is just really hard to be away from my parents. everyone here is so great and supportive but a girl just misses her mom and dad once in awhile. luckily for me, calls are great and skype (er...well) is there.

but alas i have the most incredible, sweetest friends in my life (who i saw on sunday) to keep me laughing and listen to my sob stories. AND i have another special person in my life that constantly listens to my sob stories...and then i have my lovely mother who is there always to make me feel better.

so thanks girls, guy, and mom! i love you very much. you helped push the christmas-y blues out of my mind and focus back on the christmas season.

love

15 more days...

wow...15 more days??? are you guys ready for the big day??? i certainly am not. got a bit more shopping to do, lots more sights to see, many parties to attend, and tons of baking to commence. but i guess this is what the countdown is for!! ;)

today, what is my christmas thing?? well i was suppose to go to my first christmas party of the season. not only that, but i was going to see all my former colleagues from my old job. yes it was the staff christmas party!! i was pumped. i hadn't seen or talked to many of those ladies and gents in ages (only the occasional drop-by now and then). sooooo it was going to be fun. plus there was dancing, dinner and i would get to dress up...what more could i have asked for???!!

unfortunately, i caught a christmas bug. without going into too many grotesque details, i am sick. so i am going to sit with my christmas blankets and catch up on sleep. not a great one but a christmas-y thing all the same!

love

16 more days...

a christmas story:

a small little family of a young mom, young dad, little girl and little boy moved far far away.

they handled it well, keeping up with people from their hometown through letters and phone calls.

however as the christmas season approached, the little family got lonely. the young mom would make calls to her mother and father often during this time. this helped her and her young family in aiding the feelings of homesickness.

the father of the young mom took matters into his own hands. he went outside, looked at his lot of beautiful trees and cut one down. he wrapped it up as tight as can be and sent it in the mail.

the young mom received a wondrous surprise. her father had sent the young mom's family a little bit of home with that beautiful tree.

it was a wonderful christmas...and as tradition went: my family received a christmas tree every year from my grandparents up until they passed away.

this was the last tree we got:

love

17 more days...

i had an idea of what i would write about but this came in the mail...

christmas parcels! i love mail AND who doesn't love a parcel! :) eek!
and with that parcel...

sweets and with those sweets....

huge sweets!!!! ahhh seriously weight will have to be my friend this christmas!
love

18 more days...

in my car i brought out the christmas cd's. it is a 6 disc set with a of variety artists. i have already told you of one...here is that and some others...enjoy!







love

19 more days...

so i wasn't going to post today. no reason in particular, only to say i didn't think that i would be doing anything particularly christmas-y today. then a not-so-secret reader told me that i will be posting today as she needs it. i managed to figure out something....thank goodness for the grocery store! :)

so robyn....this is for you!!

christmas oranges and egg nog. unfortunately for me i don't think i bought enough egg nog as mark can drink endless amounts! hopefully the 4L i bought can hold him over for a week (at least i don't drink it). the oranges on the other hand i can't stay away from...

yum!
happy christmas days!

20 more days...

even with birthday celebrations yesterday, i still managed to sneak in a little christmas cheer. whether it was this gift i received from my mom:

...yes that is right. a christmas shower curtain. the bathroom now has a bit of cheer! :)

or getting out of the restaurant with mark and jimi, and walking towards the fantastically decorated tree at city hall. a tree whose lights look to be crying. OR as jimi says, "the tree is weeping because he can see that all his friends are books". yeah the library is across the street...lol

or listening to bony m pumped ever so loudly in the car with jimi and i bopping our heads while poor mark wonders how he ever got involved in this family...he he he

i heart you christmas season!

also: a heartfelt thanks to all those people that took me out to dinner, sent me facebook messages, phone calls, texts, and skypes. you truly are great friends and you made me feel so very special on my special day!

love

21 more days...

ahhh you really cannot escape the christmas food and going to the store yesterday was no exception. i found almond and cherry hershey kisses....so here is to christmas candy!

note also the most fabulous christmas mug right there...from my grammie. her christmas started when she brought out her christmas kettle...mine starts when i bring out my mug!

love

22 more days...

okay so i am kind of cheating...but i found this link to my favourite show...gee i wonder what that is?? he he. enjoy them singing christmas songs!!

love

23 more days...

what have i done that is christmas-y today (and yesterday)???

put the ornaments on my advent calendar...

love

24 more days...

christmas countdown is on. remember this? i wanted to do something special on my blog to celebrate my favourite season...christmas. i got to thinking and the countdown won. basically i will say something that i have done to celebrate christmas on a regular basis...or atleast i will do my best to make it regular....i mean i am still in school (p.s. mini countdown on that 17 more days!).

of the things i have done for christmas thus far:

-decorated the house for the lovely holiday season...minus the tree
-chritmas shopped and completed half the people on my list (parcel is already at my parents place)
-watched the family stone and my personal fav, miracle on 34th street...the natalie wood version (accept no substitutes)
-planted lovely christmas flowers (or atleast that is what i consider them)
-mark's dad put up our lights...i will officially turn them on now!!

the frenzy has begun...i am excited!
love

grey cup

this is my boyfriend...

this is my boyfriend on grey cup...

any questions??

love

the adventures of baby-sitting

yesterday i had the pleasure of some small company. she arrived shorty after 6:15 am and didn't stop till after three. although a power nap was needed (by both of us 3 hours into the morning). there are a couple things i learned from this little one.

- babies are politically active. for instance this little one decided to take on a hunger strike at breakfast refusing to eat, in protest of all those who do not have food. who knew?? the hunger strike ended at lunch...i mean, she is a growing girl.

- babies are physically active. this one is quite motivated to maintain a healthy lifestyle. constantly moving about, working up a sweat and helping the two in this apartment keep in shape by running after her. added bonus: she motivated dear kitty to hop onto the exercise bandwagon as she chased him around.

- babies are great at cleaning. she helped me find the spare change out of mark's pockets, the remote controls, the cell phones, the cat toys, the little bits of paper around my desk, my shoes...she kindly showed me the ways of cleaning...i have so much to learn.

- babies have great moves. the dancing skills i have yet to learn, this one could show...for free. that is right, i got free instruction on how to shake my head, wiggle my hips and move up and down to the music.

jokes aside...it was a fun day, but a friendly reminder of why i am not a mom just yet. let's face it, its hard work and i was exhausted! thanks for the visit little one! see you again soon! :)

love

what's new bug-a-boo?

school, school, school! yikes! tonight was the first night i had where i did not have to do research that lasted longer than two hours and quite frankly i don't know what to do with my time! i am thinking a bath...a long hot bath with lots of bubbles...

saw harry potter on sunday. LOVED IT! really i don't know how much my opinion counts because i really do love all the movies no matter what. there was one thing that irked me...BUT it was quite small. mark on the other hand is different. he is a more avid reader than i when it comes to harry potter, and knowing all the small details gets ever the more frustrated when it does not translate onscreen. the best was when i was nervous regarding one scene and he whispers, "you know what happens, you read the book." in return i say, "i don't remember what happened". his response, "i could tell you the next line." hardy har har.

the rest of my week has been pretty uneventful. just the usual tv decompressing, reading texts and reading leisurely. i am hoping (cross your fingers for me) to get some assignments done this weekend to decrease the stress i may feel when they come due in the upcoming week(s). BUT i do have special company on saturday (check out the cutie here) so i will see how much of my time i will be spending on that.

okay must go. my office stinks at this very moment. sometimes it is hard to share an office with an animal's bathroom, lol. time to give the little guy some dignity and scram.

love

a successful brunch

the steps to a successful brunch:

1. having a coordinator (aka myself and carleen): a person who calls/conferences/chats/facebook messages the people to make sure that a date works, figure out what to eat, if it is okay to eat certain things after twelve verses before twelve, make sure a time works, and to change the time 2 days prior to the event to make it works again.

2. having a navigator (aka mark): a person that can recognize when you make a wrong turn and that you are headed towards fort saskatchewan instead of sherwood park, and fix it with little fights to be had...especially when the driver is slightly hungry and may become irritable.

3. having endless stomachs (aka jimi, mark, and two other special boys...whom i forgot to ask permission to publish about): people that have the capability to eat endless amounts of food like fruit, whip cream, sausages, bacon, eggs, pancakes, syrup, cinnamon buns, cheesy hash-browns, tea, juice, and coffee. AND they come out smiling!

AND THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP IS:

4. a wonderful host (aka carleen): a person who volunteers her house and cooks with her most excellent cooking skills (seriously most excellent). not to mention the most excellent company she provides. definitely an honorary aunt!

thanks for the brunch!
love

weekend fun

a finished week at my last clinical. new things to learn, new things to get oriented to. so far there are things that i am really happy about...mainly because i take great comfort in knowing them from previous jobs. we will see how long that comfort lasts, right guys?? he he he

great weekend is before me. getting together with friends today, working out, and potentially throwing in a bit of christmas decorating if i can....tomorrow a brunch and this....(fingers crossed!)



love

favourite glee musical last night! i love singing in the rain. great movie!



love

have a spectacular day

to my mom. its your birthday and i hope you enjoy it. i hope you do something you love, like reading a book, quilting, going to a movie, see some friends, shopping or going out for lunch. you deserve it and so much more!

i love you so much. you are always there to listen and help me get through tough times and make me laugh in the process. have a most excellent birthday!

love

family time with a dash of skype

yesterday was the day jimi and i did our christmas wrapping. i know christmas is more than a month away but dealing with a robertson for a father, we must get the parcel mailed before december 1st as the prices start to jump. and being a robertson daughter, i agreed! so we wrapped our presents and watched a (semi) christmas movie: the family stone.

mark decided to take it upon himself to cook dinner. he actually happened to make one of my most favourite meals that my dad used to make for me...lemon chicken.

and as you can tell by the way it looks, it was delicious!! as good as dad's. thanks again mark for making dinner...much appreciated!

after dinner mark decided to make a skype call. 1. because i promised to call my mom on skype on her birthday. 2. he is trying to change my feelings on skype...

what are my feelings on skype?
i do understand the appeal of seeing who you are talking too. however, using the telephone for me is just as easy. AND it gets rid of that whole "fishbowl" thing. as with my skype experiences so far, we finish talking and we just sit in silence watching one another, like being at an aquarium. PLUS, a telephone doesn't cut out...i am just saying.

however i digress.

we did the skype thing. we saw my mom unwrap her birthday presents (even if it is early...but we all happened to be there). we got to sing happy birthday and even placed candles in a bun. and i did get some laughs as she pretended to blow out the candles (really this skype thing has some amusing points). so i will try not to be a grandma about this whole thing and try to change my ways.

but i will still be using the phone! :)

love

kangaroo rock

since i really have nothing to write about today. another trip down memory lane is in order. this was in oz at the steve irwin zoo. similar to the petting zoos here...but in australia its kangaroos. this guy doesn't seem all that impressed however...

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

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

seriously...

i may not get my broadway everyday...or every week, month, year....but i have this! love it!



love

brownie cookies

i had to laugh friday night. mark and i went to a pub for some quick eats because we were both starving. little did i know that an oilers game was on and our server appeared to be one serving many.

as we waited for our supper to arrive i caught a glimpse of two little girls. more specific: two little girls dressed as cookies. more specific: brownie cookies! immediately mark passed me some money to buy the original cookies that we both love so much (him vanilla, myself chocolate). after all, they had to have them because they were dressed like cookies.

as i walked towards the girls, there expressions were priceless at the potential sell. "i'll take two boxes please," i said. as they passed me the two boxes in their hands i realized a drastic mistake. these were not the originals. they were the mint. i do like the mint, but mark does not. therefore, i definitely don't need two boxes worth. i asked if they happened to have any originals. sold out. sigh, looking at their faces, and both already expressing their gratitude i went back to our table with two boxes of mint thins. i explained to mark, that i too was a brownie once, and brownies don't let brownies down. he just laughed.

my cookie purchase led me to a little research to track down the elusive originals. sigh...website said: released spring 2011. something to look forward too.

love

pumpkin pie

thanksgiving was a little different this year. nothing bad, but it was different. with no parents and no brother, i was the only representing robertson to participate in the holiday...atleast from where i was! :) i worked the whole weekend and sat down with mark's family for a great dinner, with great eats! it was really wonderful. i then talked to jimi, he too had a bit of a thanksgiving dinner up north. BUT since we never got to spend it together...i thought (today) that i would recreate a little bit of it by making pumpkin pie. pumpkin pie AND taco salad, he he he. it turned out great. jimi brought the whipping cream, mark hand whipped it up, jimi added the sweet ingredients AND there you have it...our post thankgiving dessert....delious

love

shopping in nyc

in the spirit of some shopping i did today, i thought i would post a little picture montage of some shopping we did in nyc. i know, i know, a lazy post, but i really have enjoyed making picture collages as of late...

so i have to mention macy's. not so much for the store itself (crazy big and crazy busy) but for my mom. every christmas we would watch miracle on 34th street with natalie wood. still one of my favourites (i don't even touch the remake). so i took the top pic (and middle bottom pic) for her. the other top pic was me, trying on a ridiculous feather dress for about 3000$. tried it on, because i could, and i wanted to see what expensive clothes looked like. what i found out...i would never pay 3000$ for a feather dress...because who wants to pay that much to look like a bird??? :) ooo and the other two bottom pictures on the left and right are the purchases of a week's worth of shopping with jeaninne and tracey...no comment.

this place was a must for me. fao schwarz. basically the best two store in the whole wide world! :) and if you are a fan of the movie big, you can check out the fabulous foot piano. too fun. everything in that store is divided into sections of toys that i have never even seen before (like harry potter, muppets, stuffed animals, costumes, doll houses...couldn't get enough of that section...). definitely a place for the adult-kid. oooo and the gumball tub was a candy bar (a two story candy bar) called dylan's. basically i was in heaven....

okay so this place has no collage aspect to it. it is, kate's paperie, a place devoted purely of paper. i basically thought it was beautiful to look at, hence the picture. although i did not buy anything at this location (gasp, shock).

till later...love ya!

a little bit of life, little bit of fun, little bit of everything

3 more shifts. that is all i have for this placement and then on to a new one. i can't believe how much i have done in such little time. although i am not completely comfortable (nor do i want to be as i just want to keep learning as much as i can) i am finally getting used to the routine of how things are run. now for the tricky skills like critical thinking...

with that end, draws an end to my assignments as well. that means nothing this weekend but friends, scrapbooking, dates, and christmas shopping. i am very very excited.

on a quick note...i just finished watching oprah. her show was about old teen heart throbs. i am so happy i watched it as she had my teen heart throbs on, the backstreet boys. i found it quite amusing as there were super fans that were performing the dance routines to their songs. yes, that is something i fondly remember doing at jeaninne's AND performing it infront of all our other friends. seriously what were we thinking?  this then got me thinking about the other teen group, the spice girls and how 5 of us dressed up like the spice girls and went to the movie. AND may have preformed more music videos (this time) in front of a camera (no one must get a hold of that tape)  ;) the whole thing made me laugh. so in honor of that, click here to listen to my favourite (at the time) backstreet boys video. nick carter i heart you and your bowl cut...he he he

love

happy birthday....

although i am one day early i just wanted to say...wishing you a great day and year!

love

happy halloween!

this year i did not get organized enough to have a costume. however, i do have to say, i love dressing up when i do get the chance. i have been a rabbit (a costume my mother worked so hard on and managed to get down to my brother to wear for halloween), a nurse, many princesses, a hologram (from jem)...best costume by the way because my mom and dad made it without resorting to the store bought ones), a ghost, a gypsy, cowgirl, black cat, a 60's gal, a fairy, and many times over i have been a hippie. i loved it. and i loved the candy!

so happy halloween everyone!! hope everyone has a fantastic time and gets TONS of treats!!

stay puft marshmellow...cat

i know mark gets mad when i say it but don't you think this guy looks sort of like a marshmellow?? all big, puffy, and white...especially when he spreads out like that?? he he he

love this guys

love

snow, snow, snow

so we had our first little snowfall this week. not a ton, but enough to force me to bring out the uggs and mitts. and enough to get me thinking a little bit about christmas. i guess i should rephrase that...a little more about christmas. already, jimi and i have plans of packing a parcel up for my parents. we are told that we should deliver before december 1st or the prices go up. with these thoughts i am thinking of doing something special on my blog about the christmas season (stay tuned). it only makes sense since it is my favourite time of the year. hopefully i will be able to do it as it may take some time and i am finding my clinicals very busy (what's working out, again???).

in terms of other things in my life: going pretty good.

- pretty busy this week with night shifts. its funny because i could eventually run into days where i won't see mark, because of shift work. this week, i drove him to his placement so that we could atleast talk about the days we had, and i called him on my breaks. i guess we have to find the small moments sometimes.
- i finished one (pretty big) assignment this week and it always seems to be a great feeling to have one of those down (even when you are up till 2:30am to finish it and up at 7am to present it...the downside of night shifts and homework).
AND THE SUPER FUN THING THIS WEEKEND:
- tomorrow i will be celebrating jeaninne's birthday part II. so all in all, can't complain.

love

i'm off

well i am off for another week of clinical...with an assignment looming i am seeing a lack of glee in my future (*gasp)! i know...mom and robyn (if you are on here too) you will have to tell me how good it is as i won't get till it till the weekend. but i have to say...i am pumped about the rocky horror picture show. especially since i did that one year at the garneau theatre. good times.

till next time
love

a tale of two chocolate stories

i feel that i am becoming slightly obsessed with chocolate as of late. however, with halloween to be commencing in less than 7 days i must say...i have tried to be strong. nothing in the house even resembling a mini-chocolate bar has been allowed to pass. until yesterday, grocery shopping, observing the pretty colourful boxes of chocolate, each one exclaiming, "buy me". yes, you heard it here...i cracked. and i cannot even say i was buying it for trick or treaters because we don't get trick or treaters at our place...sigh. and in terms of what i bought...my go-to-candy bar...anything with a combination of peanut butter and chocolate...that includes crispy crunch, wunderbar, peanut butter cups, etc.

this brings me to another story, of an australian variety. when i was in oz, i became obsessed with peanut butter and chocolate. why??? because that kind fails to exist in the land down under. weird as it may seem, i scoured every store from the east coast, to the outback, to the northern point and to no avail. so what did i do to crave my urge of this delicious combination:

yes...i would bought a jar of peanut butter, and would dip plain chocolate bars into it...not quite as good but enough to satisfy! :)

have a great day.
love

its a wrap...a weekend wrap, with chocolate

hello. let's talk about chocolate. chocolate doughnuts. AND to be more specific italian bakery chocolate doughnuts. it all started on friday night. mark and i had planned a date night. big plans of staying out late with dinner and a movie. well we made it through the dinner part (which was delicious by the way) at indian village. after dinner we drove to west ed to go see the town. with an hour wait we dropped by chapters to look at books (and maybe get some christmas cards, wink wink). that was when mark announced his exhaustion. i, feeling quite peppy, agreed to watch a rental at home. half an hour into...i was sleeping like a baby....so now you may ask what is up with the chocolate doughnuts??? well i went to bed at 11, AND got up early enough to make it to the bakery and buy doughnuts (they are usually sold out by 1030). wonderful surprise for mark...and wonderful eating by me...i will not tell you how many we ate yesterday! ;)

it has been a very emotionally charged week for myself. i have called it the longest shortest week of my life. the days pass by quick with tons to do, while the nights are filled with research. i have done some new skills and managed to do them okay! :) BUT I MUST REMEMBER as i have been told by several people that i HAVE to stop being so hard on myself. i am a student, learning, and i really can't expect myself to be perfect at everything, even if i try my hardest! he he...its a hard concept to accept for myself, but i am trying! :)

jimi is home again in our life. it will be good to see him again. our sunday night dinner tradition shall continue as of tonight. AND speaking of family, i was able to catch up with my parents on friday night...p.s. to the parents: do you know i was on the phone with you guys for an hour and half???? crazy....i am sure i talked your ear off! :) i was laughing after getting off the phone with my dad as i was telling mark/jimi. my dad's questions: how are you? how is mark? how is jimi? how is the car? i don't know why it makes me smile but it seems that the car is a priority question for my dad....love it! :)

that's it from me!
love

what would you rather be doing today?

as i sit here on this dreary day willing myself to do my assignment, my mind dazes of things that i would rather be doing...

1. eat something sweet (although i suppose chocolate doughnuts count)

2. surround myself with nature

3. a beach will do too!

4. see, smell (maybe pick) some beautiful flowers

5. go to the market, grocery store (any place) to find some wonderful fruit

6. go to a carnival

7. and ride a merry-go-round

8. go to an art gallery or museum and wonder/ponder...

9. ...have fun

love

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

no blog

or not really.
the stress has started.
but not really.
had a sort of complex day.
but not really.
must gather all my thoughts.
really! :)

love