Life is Sweet: May 18, 2011

May 18, 2011

Question time....

{one} do you watch the history channel? if so, what’s your favorite program? I don't watch tv, so no I don't watch the history channel.

{two} what is your favorite thing to do on a rainy day? Have the windows and doors open so we can hear the rain and smell the freshness from outside......maybe sit outside on the covered porch or sit inside and read or watch a movie or knit or paint, journal or use the computer, facebook, play games, talk, bake, Put welly boots on and go outside and enjoy it :) LISTEN to it :)

{three} what does your dream house look like? Exactly like the house I am in, except it would have rooms above the garage too and would be all white and windows downstairs at the front would be nicer. But yes a cape cod style home similar to this one....but probably near the ocean/ mountains :)

{four} what state were you born in? I was born in the town of Yeovil, in the County of Somerset, in England.

{five} do you have a change jar? if so, what do you use it for when it gets full? I have a change bottle - one of the big water filter bottles that I have a hole cut in on the side and we throw all our loose change in....that fills up FAST and goes towards our holidays in Canmore each time!!! I also have a jar that I put all my loonies and toonies in and that is the 'school jar' and the kids can help themselves to that in the mornings for school for lunch/ drinks/ snacks etc etc. I appreciate that they have never abused that trust and just take what they need each week. I also have a $5 note jar and for the last 6 weeks or so I have been collecting all my $5 bills in a jar hidden away and that is going to pay for our trip to Canmore at the end of June. It's surprising how quickly it all adds up when you empty your purse each time you get home from town/ shopping!! Although now my heart sinks when I have to use a $5 bill! Like today I saw Susannah hand over a 5 at the farmers market and I was thinking noooooo!!!! That could have gone in to my jar!!!! hahahahaha!!!

{six} what’s the first website you look at when you get on the computer? I check Outlook Express for my Emails and then Facebook. Then at some point during the day I will go on to my Google Reader and look at the blogs I have in there....thats all I do online. I don't go to any other websites. Just FB and Google Reader.

{seven} what is your favorite breakfast? At home probably brown toast with marmite. If I'm out I normally go for waffles with apple cinnamon or pancakes and fruit or sugar free syrup.

{eight} what’s the most memorable trip you’ve ever taken? I love our trips to Canmore, and last Summers trip was soooo relaxing and laid back :) and being in the hot tub and the pool on a hot day in the sunshine watching a thunder storm coming over the mountains and hearing the thunder bouncing off the mountains while the children were swimming :) Wonderful :)

{nine} do you prefer your coffee black or with cream/milk/sugar? I have given up coffee :)

{ten} have you ever done a professional photo shoot? I've never been photographed except as part of a group - like at weddings etc etc....but I have taken photographs of other people....I don't enjoy it. I don't mind doing it for friends, but I can't say I enjoy it.

Wednesday tag....

1. What reveals more about a woman-her refrigerator or her purse? Definitely her purse I think....I think you can tell a lot about me from my purse for sure....for a start I keep my journal , pens and glue in it which speaks VOLUMES about the kind of person I am :) My iphone with all it's apps and secrets :) and all the pictures I have on it - and that almost all of the apps on it are photography apps or kids games!! My migraine meds and painkillers...

2. When was the last time you went to the zoo? Where? What's your favorite zoo animal? Last Summer some time....and my favourite animal would be a Panda or a porcupine...I also love dolphins :)

3. What social issue fires you up? Education...especially how useless school educations can be. For instance my Ex has now drilled it in to my poor little six year olds head that he HAS to go to school or he will 'never learn anything'.....which is basically like telling him that he hasn't learned anything for this last year. I think that is really sad as he is only in Kindergarten and he has already covered the alphabet, counting to one hundred, adding and subtraction to twenty, basic reading, spelling quite a few simple words, his writing is coming on really well his art work is fabulous, he has done quite a bit of science including life cycles and a few other things covered in higher grades because of being with Abigail. Days of the week, months of the year....BUT he won't learn ANYTHING unless he goes to school.

On the other hand, his big sister Susannah is in grade 7 and just failed Social because they were studying something that she is NEVER going to need to know again in the rest of her life....I dont even know about it and it doesn't interest her at all....BUT, when we were in canmore a few weeks ago I was driving and I asked her to read the SIMPLE map to tell me how to get to the breakfast diner...and she didn't know how to!! It was a BASIC map of a straight road and we had to follow one road and turn right!! She couldn't do it!!! She didn't even know which way to hold the map!!! And today!! Today I asked her what the capital of Canada was. She told me Toronto! Then she guessed Vancouver! Then she guessed Alberta???? Then Ontario??? She then googled it and said she would NEVER have guessed Ottawa!!!!

But hey, if you don't go to school you will never learn ANYTHING!!!!! :(

4. Are you a coupon clipper? If so, are you extreme? No, I loved the coupon book that I bought from Samantha, and I will use coupons if I have them for places like restaurants or tourist places, but I haven't got into the grocery coupons yet. I have just joined a great group on facebook and I am trying to learn about it, but I don't get any of the local papers or flyers where I live so I don't get coupons at all, so for now I am studying it all and I think I will start when I move in to town. I do love the idea of saving money this way though. It is great getting free meals and car services and taking the kids out for the night and having fun for free :)

5. What is one of your favorite souvenirs brought back from your travels? I have a pot in my kitchen window filled with bits of driftwood that I have collected from different trips to the sea and lakes and rivers....one piece from the beach in Vancouver, several from lakes near Canmore, Jasper, Banff etc etc....they all have memories for me and they look pretty all stood together in the pot :)

6. Lemon meringue or key lime? Lemon Meringue....but I only really like the lemon bit and the pastry...I don't like too much of the meringue bit....i'll eat it though. I love the lemon filling though mmmmm :)

7. What is the most beautiful word you know in any language? I like the word 'lovely' :) which is probably why I say it ALL the time :) lol!!!

8. Insert your own random thought here. I wish it was still raining. It would have been nice to fall asleep listening to a summer rainstorm :)

First flowers in my garden!!

"Elephant Ears"

Summer Lovin'

Silly Susie Snaps :)

Abby is sooooo NOT in to having her picture taken right now!!

Sam with his balloon yo-yo

Broadmoor Lake Park.....

First Farmers Market of the Summer :)

Tonight was the first Festival Place farmers market of the summer. I love Wednesday evenings spent strolling around here....so off we went and bought our lovely lemonade....Sam had his popcorn...the girls had hot dogs. We strolled up and dropped our library books back. We bought fries and elephant ears and sat by the lake to eat them. I had never tried an Elephant Ear before and can't say I was impressed. It tasted of nothing really...like it needed apple pie filling or something with it...boring!! All those calories for NOTHING!! Nope won't bother with THAT again!! But I wanted to try one!!

We walked around looking at all the stalls and then around the lake to the playground. Sam and Abby went roller skating while Susie and I sat at the playground until it got too cold and started to rain a little and we went to the car. Eventually Sam and Abby came back and we headed home.

I was playing with my hipstamatic app on my iphone and taking lots of pictures, so will add some of those here :) It's a cute app and you just shake it and get a different lens and filter...like a random one....and so I wasn't sure how each picture was going to come out - it was really fun to see all the effects I got :)

Lets get physical...

Abby playing in the indoor gym yesterday after swimming.

Hipstamatic snapshots....

Love these snapshots of Sam just after he had been swimming yesterday - taken using the Hipstamatic app on the iphone.

His Royal Cuteness - The Queens Son :)

Gorgeous little Chesney tucking in to one of my favourite cookies :)

So long ago....

One hour ago... I was catching up on Facebook AND looking at houses on Comfree and MLS (nothing except the one I like)

Two hours ago... I was just getting home from my night out and hearing about Sams skateboarding adventures

Four hours ago... I was eating pita chips and spinach dip with Sharon at Montanas and laughing about crazy gynaecologists stories :)

Eight hours ago... I was eating frozen yogurt and yummy toppings with the kids while we waited for the Summer wheels to be put on.

Twelve hours ago...I was planning my next two weeks of homeschool playdates and events and putting them into my calendar.

Twenty four hours ago... I was editing my profile on match - deleting pictures and changing what I had written.

Three days ago... I met Ki for the first time, had a great time at the Antiques place. Went to Katies Crossing, stayed up until 3am.

One week ago... I was finally better after being sick for two full days. I was finally able to open my cards and gifts for Mothers Day from the children. I was able to go out for a while even though I felt weak and tired.

One month ago...I thought Summer would never arrive. I was feeling quite down about myself and about my weight and motivation, about life, relationships and friendships, the house, the future - but I think it was just the weather and no sign of Spring arriving....

Six months ago...I heard about a class called Soul Restoration and decided to sign up for it - I had no idea how much it would change my life, and how many great people it would bring in to my life.

One year ago... I thought my life was over - I thought I would NEVER get over Lloyd leaving me....I was in despair....I would never have guessed that I would feel this good in just a year!

Five years ago...I wasn't even blogging here - I was over on another blogging website. I don't even remember the name. We had probably started planning the new kitchen...and started looking for builders/ designers we liked.

Ten years ago... I was just about to fall pregnant with Abigail. I was living in Edinburgh with Lloyd and Susannah and we were building a house in a nearby town....the boys were moving up with us at the end of the Summer term.

Twenty years ago...I married Nigel. I was 19 and it was a gorgeous sunny September day.

Thirty years ago...I was 9 and loved to roller skate, ride my bicycle, play swing ball, play tennis in the road or against the wall of my house, I went to Brownies on Tuesday evenings and HATED it. Lloyd lived in one of the houses behind mine, and my best friend Natasha lived in the other house behind mine. I went to the village school. I loved Bucks Fizz's song 'Making Your Mind Up' from that year. Here are the number one songs from that year and I have to admit they all have memories for me..of youth club...of school...of my Sisters....of home...