My day started off pretty typical, except for the fact that I got out of bed 10 minutes earlier than usual... it's amazing how 10 minutes can make such a difference in how the morning routine goes! Maybe I'll try doing that again tomorrow... easier said than done of course! But one can try.
So I had a great day, even though it was a rainy Monday. After dropping the boys off at school, Ruby and I went straight home so I could do a 35 min. workout in the kitchen. She is a great little coach and is actually quite motivating to have around. She never lets me quit until the timer beeps, she runs around the house so I can chase her, and she periodically pipes up "good job mommy!" I love her. And she's WAAAAAY cheaper than a personal trainer. She is always rewarded by a few minutes of TV while I have a shower.
Than we went to Dina's house for tea and talked about our new venture... we've signed up to be an Epicure Consultant, along with Jan! If you don't know what that is, let me direct you to their website...
http://www.epicureselections.com/en/
I love, love, love their products for many reasons. The company is a local success story (I could walk to their head office/production facility in 8 min.), their products make cooking and entertaining a breeze, and almost everything I've tried has been so yummy! But I mostly love it because it really promotes healthy cooking, with no additives or preservatives. I could go on and on... and I probably will! So our first party is at the end of the month and we're going to invite all the Deep Cove moms to a Fiesta Night. It will be lots of fun! And if we sell anything, that will be a bonus. The three of us signed up to get a discount on the products, which is the main reason. But I'm sure we'll do a few parties if people ask!
From Dina's house, Ruby and headed to Brentwood Bay to get our hair cut. I was tired of fighting with Ruby's rat-nest hair and I was tired of my sad, overgrown do! Now we both look pretty!! And Ruby was rewarded with an orange lollipop for good behavour.
Since we had a few minutes before picking up the boys, we went to the Thrift Store in Brentwood. For $15 I walked away with a turquoise sweater, 2 pairs of jeans and a 2 piece linen-type jacket and pants. So happy with my purchases, although one pair of jeans are way too small... should've tried them on but for $2.50 I was too tired. Maybe I'll pass them on, or maybe they'll be incentive jeans?? I may keep them, because they are super cute and have bling down one side and on the back pockets.
And back to the Epicure stuff... I made the most yummy dinner! Yay me. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs with a BBQ rub, cauliflower pancakes served with applesauce, and leftover pasta with an alfredo/cheese sauce. All Epicure, and all super easy to prepare. Did I say Yay me??
Then the kids and I went into the hot tub before they went to bed. They were all sleeping peacefully by 7:45 and I have the house to myself until Rodger gets home from soccer at 9:30. Love, love having the evening to myself, because it's soooo rare!
And, after over a month of searching and searching, I think we've found a couple of really great spots for my family to have our Reunion this summer!! It has not been an easy task, but I've had help from Shirley, Rodger and brother Roger who gave us a good lead on a possibly location as well. Anyway, I'll be able to give mom and dad a few options for them to decide on, hopefully in the next day or so! So excited!! And once it's booked, it will be a huge weight off my shoulders.
Yup, it was a good day! A good day indeed.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
Lead me not into temptation
This week I've been busy playing with my mixer. It's lovely! But what is not lovely is the affect bread has on one's waistline... bread is evil.
I went on a bread diet this past week.... all I ate was bread. I couldn't help it. All that yummy warm bread slathered with melted butter....I'm drooling just thinking about it. My cooling rack always looks something like this, within minutes of coming out of the oven, one of the loaves has a big chunk taken out of it. How mysterious!
I dreaded going to WW last night, but Lisa made me go and face the scale. Oh yeah, it was BAD!! Did I already mention that bread is evil??
But it's a start of a new week for me and I'm going to try to get back on track.,,, my goal is to give the newly baked bread a chance to actually cool properly on the rack before I put them in the freezer or in the breadbox, without a big slab taken off. And I will also look Rodger in the eyes and say "I DO NOT NEED ANY BREAD." He loves it when I do that because it gives him permission to do whatever it takes to get me away from over-eating. And I'm not allowed to get mad at him when he does. Most of the time I don't hit him....
I went on a bread diet this past week.... all I ate was bread. I couldn't help it. All that yummy warm bread slathered with melted butter....I'm drooling just thinking about it. My cooling rack always looks something like this, within minutes of coming out of the oven, one of the loaves has a big chunk taken out of it. How mysterious!
I dreaded going to WW last night, but Lisa made me go and face the scale. Oh yeah, it was BAD!! Did I already mention that bread is evil??
But it's a start of a new week for me and I'm going to try to get back on track.,,, my goal is to give the newly baked bread a chance to actually cool properly on the rack before I put them in the freezer or in the breadbox, without a big slab taken off. And I will also look Rodger in the eyes and say "I DO NOT NEED ANY BREAD." He loves it when I do that because it gives him permission to do whatever it takes to get me away from over-eating. And I'm not allowed to get mad at him when he does. Most of the time I don't hit him....
Friday, January 7, 2011
They made me work for it
Last year on this day, I was packing a suitcase full of tank tops, shorts, bathingsuits, sunscreen, and Maeve Binchy books. Today I am celebrating my birthday Deep Cove style, complete with rubber boots and a warm sweater. The suitcase is empty, and will remain so for a long time.
To celebrate my birthday, Rodger and the kids made up a treasure hunt for me today... I had to solve my own clues to find my present. They did a great job - it was actually a bit hard! Here was a sample of the clues:
The next leg of your quest you will perform a traditional Deep Cove chore. Go to the log pile, chop the logs on the chopping block and load the wheelbarrow, and then bring the wood to the wood shed.
On the wood stack in the shed you will find another letter and then add the wood to the stack. When you have completed your task, you will receive your next clue.
A gift awaits under the tree, a nestled block has the letter you need.
The last 3 letters spell that which you hold so dear,
An object of your affection into which you can pour a tear
At home this is faithfully by your side
And many times when you go for a ride
A hint you may need to play this card
So it rhymes with a slimy animal in our yard. (Answer: MUG! haha, yes I do love my coffee mug)
Proceed to the place revealed in the scrambled letters to unveil your priceless masterpiece. (It took me awhile to unscramble the words GUEST ROOM.
It was the only thing I truly wanted for my birthday, but I seriously did not think I would get it.... I found the ad on Used Victoria over Christmas, and within a day, the ad disappeared. I thought to myself "lucky person. That is the exact colour I would buy if I had the choice... Cinnamon."
From the genuine shock on my face, it appears that I was the lucky person. Thank you, thank you Rodger and Dad and Mom T!
Perhaps tomorrow I will have my brief moment of sadness over not getting on a plane to head somewhere hot & sunny. But I'm thinking I'll get over it with a quick trip to Thrifty's for some yeast so I can bake some bread using my fancy machine... once I figure out how to use it.
To celebrate my birthday, Rodger and the kids made up a treasure hunt for me today... I had to solve my own clues to find my present. They did a great job - it was actually a bit hard! Here was a sample of the clues:
The next leg of your quest you will perform a traditional Deep Cove chore. Go to the log pile, chop the logs on the chopping block and load the wheelbarrow, and then bring the wood to the wood shed. 
On the wood stack in the shed you will find another letter and then add the wood to the stack. When you have completed your task, you will receive your next clue.
A gift awaits under the tree, a nestled block has the letter you need. The last 3 letters spell that which you hold so dear,
An object of your affection into which you can pour a tear
At home this is faithfully by your side
And many times when you go for a ride
A hint you may need to play this card
So it rhymes with a slimy animal in our yard. (Answer: MUG! haha, yes I do love my coffee mug)
Proceed to the place revealed in the scrambled letters to unveil your priceless masterpiece. (It took me awhile to unscramble the words GUEST ROOM.It was the only thing I truly wanted for my birthday, but I seriously did not think I would get it.... I found the ad on Used Victoria over Christmas, and within a day, the ad disappeared. I thought to myself "lucky person. That is the exact colour I would buy if I had the choice... Cinnamon."
From the genuine shock on my face, it appears that I was the lucky person. Thank you, thank you Rodger and Dad and Mom T!
Perhaps tomorrow I will have my brief moment of sadness over not getting on a plane to head somewhere hot & sunny. But I'm thinking I'll get over it with a quick trip to Thrifty's for some yeast so I can bake some bread using my fancy machine... once I figure out how to use it.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Comfort
This week I was reminded, once again, of how precious life is. And how God's timing is HIS timing, not ours. Crappy (and painful) as that may seem, we don't know the bigger picture and He has chosen not to reveal everything to us. We just need to trust Him. Sounds simple, but it's not.
After a prompting from a friend a couple of days ago, I've been reciting something in my head that I learned as a kid. And as a teenager I wondered "why do I have to memorize this boring stuff??". Well, it's for times like these...times when I am confused about God and His purpose for our lives, and when my faith is shaky. I grieve for my friends and church family, as they mourn the tragic loss of a sister, daughter, cousin, friend. And for her husband and 2 young children who are left behind to deal with such an unfathomable emptiness. God decided to take His beloved daughter home to be with Him, while she slept. No warning, no time to say goodbye to loved ones. Just gone from this life.
And so I am asked: What is your only comfort, in life and in death?
That I am not my own
But belong, body and soul
in life, and in death
to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ
He has fully paid for all my sins with His precious blood
And has set me free from the tyranny of the devil
He also watches over me in such a way
that not a hair can fall from head
without the will of my Father in heaven
In fact, all things must work together for my salvation.
Because I belong to Him
Christ, by His Spirit
assures me of eternal life
and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready
from now on to live for Him.
(The Heidelberg Catechism, Lord's Day #1) I don't remember the other 84 questions, but this one sums it up anyway. And I am comforted. I pray my friends also find comfort in these words. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow... but someday.
After a prompting from a friend a couple of days ago, I've been reciting something in my head that I learned as a kid. And as a teenager I wondered "why do I have to memorize this boring stuff??". Well, it's for times like these...times when I am confused about God and His purpose for our lives, and when my faith is shaky. I grieve for my friends and church family, as they mourn the tragic loss of a sister, daughter, cousin, friend. And for her husband and 2 young children who are left behind to deal with such an unfathomable emptiness. God decided to take His beloved daughter home to be with Him, while she slept. No warning, no time to say goodbye to loved ones. Just gone from this life.
And so I am asked: What is your only comfort, in life and in death?
That I am not my own
But belong, body and soul
in life, and in death
to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ
He has fully paid for all my sins with His precious blood
And has set me free from the tyranny of the devil
He also watches over me in such a way
that not a hair can fall from head
without the will of my Father in heaven
In fact, all things must work together for my salvation.
Because I belong to Him
Christ, by His Spirit
assures me of eternal life
and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready
from now on to live for Him.
(The Heidelberg Catechism, Lord's Day #1) I don't remember the other 84 questions, but this one sums it up anyway. And I am comforted. I pray my friends also find comfort in these words. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow... but someday.
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