In January I started to scan all the photos I had from my life, Gregg’s life and his family and all of my Mom’s photos. It took me 6 months to scan just over 7000 photos and negatives. Since then I have only burned them to DVD. I had planned to edit them all, but I was so burnt out from all the scanning I left them alone. I guess they will get done next year.

In August I reconnected with an old friend. I never thought that I would ever see her again. We now talk and keep in touch on Facebook. I think that if we lived in the same town we would end up seeing each other every day like we use to.

Those are the hi-lights of my year. Not much else happened. I spent a lot of time sick this year. September was the worst. The pain my back had gotten to a point that I couldn’t even stand straight. I finally agreed to see a Chiropractor, (again). Over the years I have seen many and none have helped. Well, it’s been 4 months of going once a week and I can tell you that I am feeling 80% better! He knows of my neck injury and has worked around it, but now he is actually working on it. He wants to help me so that I am not so dizzy every day. There is no twisting on the neck or body. He only hits pressure points using a small tool(activator). I will keep seeing him. What ever he has been doing, is helping me.

So, what will the new year bring?

End of August we will be seeing Cirque De Soleil “Quidam”. I got tickets from Gregg for Christmas! 3 tickets. We are taking Mom with us. Very excited!

It will be our 10th anniversary in September. We are planning and hope that it will happen that we can go back to Playa Del Carmen. We try to go ever 5th year. It’s also my 45th birthday in October. So we want to be there for the end of October so I can have a drink on the beach for my birthday and we can celebrate Halloween and Day of the Dead.

Other than that, I really don’t think there is anything else so far. I do plan on getting in better shape now that my back is getting better. I guess I will just have to see how things go. Take each day as it comes. I won’t make any new years resolutions, it’s just a bit silly to make empty promises that you know you won’t be able to keep. I do want to try to blog more, but I’m not making any promise that I will do it! LOL

Happy New Year everyone!

I gave up all my friends I had when I left my old life. So friends now can be counted on one hand. Which is fine with me. It’s quality not quantity that counts. Less friends means there is no gossip or back stabbing. I hate drama. It also means that my days are quiet, since most people work during the day. I find things to do at home. I also have Duncan to amuse me.

So what have I been doing? Well… I have started to see a new Chiropractor. My Mom is always trying to find a way to help me get better ever since my neck injury (my neck was snapped by a Chiropractor 10 years ago). Ever since then I have seen many Doctors and a few different chiropractor just to help with my lower back pain. No one has touched my neck since that last time all those years ago. Well, this new guy says he can help me (they all say that). I wasnt too sure, but I told Mom I will give him a try since I heard from a few people who see him that he has helped them. I have committed to 6 months with him. If there is no change in that time I quit.

I’ve been seeing him for 3 weeks now. The first 2 weeks were torture. I spent many days crying and about 10 days on the couch. But every time I saw him he would tell me that I need to feel the pain before I feel better. I guess he was right. I have been off the couch now for about 4 days. I can move around without wanting to scream from the pain and I have taken no pain killers. That is a huge plus for me. I have been on prescription pain meds for the last 10 years. I’ve been letting him work on my neck and head, but no adjustments. There is no twisting the head. He uses a toy called the Activator. Its more like doing acupressure points. Less stress to the body. It seems to be working so far.

I have been having more dizzy days but that could just be me having a bad week. So hard to tell when being dizzy is normal for me. I will keep going and hope that he will help me improve my mobility. At least now I can start walking and some light yoga stretches. I want to be in shape again and that means I have to start from scratch. My body has become so weak. baby steps!

What else? We gave up on the low carb eating plan. I gained from it and Gregg didnt lose anything. I wish we could afford to join a diet center somewhere. I know when Gregg was doing the L.A. Weight loss plan he did great. Lost a lot of weight. I think having to check in, makes a person more accountable. I want us both to be in shape. I don’t really need to lose weight, just need to tone up and strengthen the muscles. Would be nice to not be winded after walking a flight of stairs. Plus I want to be able to wear a bikini next time we are in Mexico.

So there, that’s all the exciting stuff around here. LOL…yeah its not much. Gregg is still doing his courses which will be at least another 18 months before he is done. Sure eats up the money, but it will be worth it in the long run. I guess now its time to start thinking about Christmas shopping…lol.

Image via Wikipedia

Why pay for a name brand exfoliator when you have it at home. I have been using my own home made scrub. It’s so simple and it leaves my skin smooth, soft and clean. What is it? SUGAR. That’s right. I add a spoonful of sugar to my cleanser a couple of times a week.  You can also mix sugar, honey and olive oil to make a paste. But I find it’s just a s easy to add it to my face wash. I use cetephil. Yes it has ingredients that I normally avoid, but its the only face wash I have been able to use without getting a reaction.

So, add a teaspoon of sugar and gently rub in circles on your face. Make sure you wet your skin first. Then Rinse. I have noticed that it clears up those tiny blackheads on my nose. Try it and I bet you will like how your skin feels. It also gets rid of dry dead skin on the body.

Have a great day!

There was one friend that I had a hard time leaving but I knew I had to. We had been friends since I was pregnant with Colby. We were so close that I thought of her as a sister, She was my family. When she and her family moved out of town, we followed 2 years later and lived a mile apart for 7 years. If we didn’t see each other each day we would at least call to see how our day went. We had some great times together. Taking the kids out or just sitting on the deck having a beer.

About a month ago when I was scanning the last few pics, I came across a photo of her daughter with Matthew. I made a quick decision and did a search on facebook and there she was. I then spent 3 days wondering if I should send her a message. I wasnt sure that she would want to hear from me. I did it anyways. Just letting her know that I have some pics of her and that I would send them to her if she wanted them.

A few weeks later I heard back from her. She was happy to hear from me and she quickly let her mom know. I then had 2 friends requests on my facebook. That was last week. Since then We have talked on the phone a few times and today She was at my door.

We hugged and hugged. We both teared up. Then looked at each other for a minute.  The feeling I had at that moment…I dont even know how to explain it. A broken bond now healed. After being apart for nearly 13 years we have found our way back to each other.

We sat out on the deck and talked. It was a short visit, only an hour. There is so much to talk about. So many things to say, but yet we talked about simple things. It was like we had never parted ways. There is no need to talk about our past. We both know those were crazy times. We lived them. Now its about what the future will hold. I can only hope for a friendship that will be  better than what we had back then.

We have both moved ahead in our lives. She has finally married her long time boyfriend. She also has grandchildren! Her hair is long and she has a few winkles but its still her. I was a bit of a shock for her…lol. I have changed my looks a lot (for the better).

After the hour was up, and it went so quickly, they had to go. Hopefully I will see her soon again. Maybe I will have to visit you next time.

Here’s to making new happy memories and that we never part again. It’s good to have you back, my old friend.

BIG JOB!

I finished the last ones this morning. All together I have scanned over 7000 photos in 6 months. Like I said, I knew this was going to take time. I had been putting it off for a few years, but decided that it was time to get it done. I am so glad its over. Tho, scanning was the easy part. I now have to edit the photos. No, I wont be doing them all. I just want to do a few special ones.

Oh, I also took all our homemade VHS and 8mm tapes and captured them on to my computer. Now I need to edit them and burn them on to dvd.

I wonder what I will do with my free time?

I will be posting pics and vids as I edit and finish them.

This past week as I was scanning some old photos, I saw one of an old friend’s daughter. I smiled to myself and wondered how she is doing. She must be about 28 years old now. She was beautiful then and I bet she is beautiful now. She was the daughter I never had. She was family, just as her mom was family to me. I set the photo aside and continued with my day.

Both of these instances have been on my mind for over a week now. I go do other things, watch tv, clean the house, take Duncan out, but in the back of my mind I keep feeling this unsettled-ness. Like there is something I need to do, need to fix. Is it because of these two people? I”m not sure.

I have thought about this and I have tried to resolve my issues, but I cant come to a conclusion. Do I need closure from these people? Possibly. Or does it go deeper than just them?

I believe that people in my past should stay in my past. I admit that there are a few people that I would love to see again.I have lost some friends through out my life that I miss dearly. To bring them back into my new world could just end up ruining what I have now. The temptation to find people is always there for me. I want to talk to those that were so important to me.

I did reply to the facebook request and there is no need for me to go any farther, the next step is up to them. As for the little girl in that picture, I found her on facebook. I didnt ask to be her friend. I did send her a message. Just letting her know that I have a few photos from her childhood that I would be happy to send to her. She hasnt responded. I feel that she might never respond. I am ok with that.

So, what do I do with the moments in my life that haunt me? Some are sad, so sad that I get choked up and teary eyed with just one thought. Some make me so angry, but those I can handle. It’s the longing to be with certain friends that I will never see again. The ones that made such a difference in my life. The ones that were there through the tough times. The one that held out that hand that pulled you up and told you that it would be ok.

Do I find them and tell them I miss them?I dont know. Do I want to? Yes. Will I? Probably not.

Image via Wikipedia

Well, today Gregg and I are starting a low carb eating plan. I dont really want to say diet since this will not be just for weight loss.I realize that I cant eat most wheat based foods and eating low carb will become more of a live style for me. So I am taking Gregg along with me for the ride…lol. There will be some major changes to the way we eat. Especially at family functions. No more baked goodies. No breads, some fruit but mostly just berries. Low carb is more about vegies and meat.

We tried the Atkins diet many years ago and it did work, but this time I am going to go more of atkins/south beach style. I am doomed to fail is I have only 20 carbs a day. This week it will still be a bit higher since there are some foods that need to be eaten first. There is no way I am throwing out food.

Eating low carb will also make me feel better by leaving out my allergy foods. Which is mainly starches and grains. No wheat, corn, potatoes or rice. As for fruit, well I already know that apples, bananas and oranges dont agree with me. I do have a weakness for summer fruits like watermelon and berries, but I can eat those on CL since they are lower in carbs. I dont have a problem eating my greens, I love vegies. Meat, easy, love meat too.

I’m sure Gregg and I will adjust to this way of eating over the next few weeks. I know my starting weight isnt that high, but Gregg has gained some back again. Not sure how much and if he would want me to post it here. I have kept most of my weight off that I lost a few years ago. Tho I had started out at 175lbs I am now at 152. I want to be around 135 if I can, but 140 is fine too. It would be great to see Gregg at 200lbs, but I think it will take some time to get him there.

With the nice weather starting, we will be going for walks in the evenings and I have many Wii games for us to play. Latest addition is Zumba and Just Dance 2. I plan to try them out this afternoon. As long as my back is feeling up for it.

I will try to do a weekly update. Maybe even start a new page to post LC recipes and post our weekly weigh in. Might help keep us on track better.

Besides the scanning I have also started some spring cleaning. I went through our clothes and got rid of anything that was really old and stuff that we never wear. Filled up two garbage bags. I also went through the towels and bed sheets. That was another bag full!Next step in the boxes in the storage/laundry room. There are so many things that are in boxes that we never use. SO why keep them? I mean, I cant take any of it with me when I’m gone. I just want to de-clutter and have a simpler life.

Buy only what we need and use what we have. Sounds easy! LOL..its not. Seems we always need more. I do try to to save money where ever I can. This month seems we had to spend extra money. First the microwave decided that it needed a permanent vacation. So we shopped around and found a good deal. Then our TV in the bedroom finally drove me insane. It always had a buzzing sound but the past month is got really bad. I couldnt watch it unless I turned up the volume to drown out the buzzing. Plus, about 2 inches of the screen were messed up. So every ones head was upside down…lol. It was 30 year old tv. We started looking for a new tv a few weeks ago and found one this weekend for a great price.

We got rid of most of the stuff except for a few pillows and blankets that Matthew is going to come grab. Now if I could only find someone that wants my fish tank supplies. Over 400 bucks worth of stuff and I cant even get one nibble on craigslist. I guess I will have to give it away.

Well, I have more scanning to do! laters people!

So what have I been up to? Been sick a lot with my IC. Seems my seasonal depression has hit again. I am so moody. Up one minute and then the slightest thing will set me off to be angry and then I get down. I hate it. I know the only cure for me is to have some warm sunshine on my face. It’s amazing how much I really need the Sun.

I have been scanning lots of photos and negatives as you all know…lol(facebook) I still have many more to scan. I also get lost in fixing the photos, which takes a lot of time. Some times I lose a whole day on one picture. So if you dont get a reply from me, you know why!

It’s raining, again…

Yummy! Cookies made by Gregg and chocolate covered strawberries by me!

It’s always a hard thing to do when these type of days come up.

I guess I will think about it some more and continue to scan more pictures.

As you know I have been busy scanning my Mom’s negatives. Today I started on some of my pictures. Wow, I forget how many I have. I think its going to take all week to scan them. Next I have Gregg’s to do and then his dad’s. After that I think I will scan all of the old ones from Gregg’s family. Now that will be interesting. Lots of history there. I have VHS tapes that I need to get onto DVD too. So many things I have been putting off. Now I am finally feeling the need to get them done.

I need to get the business site up and running again. Lots to do this year.

While going through all these photos its been a bit emotional for me. I have actually been putting off scanning. I guess I didnt want to deal with seeing all those memories. But, this is the year to clean up and move away from it all. Once I am done with family scans I move on to mine. More memories to deal with. I guess the quicker I get through them, the quicker I can move on.

I`m still not sure if I should keep all the photos or toss them. I`ll have them all on dvd. Photo albums take up so much room. Maybe the kids want them.

What else is going on? Hmmm… Gregg still has that cold he had from before Christmas. He cant seem to shake it. I have my usually crap to deal with. Had a very dizzy day on Tuesday. The back is a bit better. Tho, the IC has been acting up. If its not one thing, its another.

Back to work!

Most of my Christmas weekend was spent with a bad sick tummy. Finding out that wheat is in so many things. I didnt realize I was THAT allergic to wheat. The next 3 months I have to avoid it and a few other items. I had planned on going back on my diet but I didnt really want to leave out yummy wheat items.

I cant believe how quick this year went by. Just a few more days and its 2011. Time just flies by. I wonder what the new year will bring? I can only hope that it brings happiness and good fortune. Gregg still has his job and has signed up for school again. This means that I will have more time on my hands while he studies in the evenings and weekends. Maybe I need to find a new hobby?

Duncan kept on ringing the bells to go out every 5 minutes. So I decided to bundle up and take him for his first snow walk. He wasnt too sure what all the white stuff was, but he did pretty good.
There are a few more pictures on our flickr page.

I started about 2 weeks ago typing out all the recipes from Gregg’s Mom’s collection. Gregg says that there are some missing. I talked with him and he has said that I can share them with all of you. Some of them are from her mom and Aunts. Others are from his Dad’s mom. Anyways, I am typing them all out. I will then  make a new page and add them as I test them out. I hope that you will all enjoy them and if you try them, please let me know how they turn out.

I have to say that there are some really interesting recipes in the pile. Some are just simple ones and others have things in them that I would never have thought to put together. I’m really eager to try out some of the Christmas recipes.

Stay tuned people!

We spent a bit of time with Gregg’s Aunt and Uncle and also did a quick visit with his cousin and saw the new baby. We did a night in Edmonton with his sister. She made a wonderful thanksgiving day dinner for us and a few of her friends.

We Spent about 2 hours in West Edmonton Mall. I have to say that it’s nothing special. I would rather go to MetroTown Mall here at home. I was expecting some huge amazing Mall. It was laughable. At least now I never have to see it again. The only thing I thought was worth seeing was the roller coaster, that was impressive.

Duncan came along for the trip. He traveled well. The Back seat was his home for most of the trip. He didnt seem to mind. We found Hotels that were pet friendly. He is such a good dog.

Now back home and getting laundry done and catching up with all the latest happenings.

So many things I have been putting off. Now I can actually think of doing them. I think we might even take in a new foster dog. Will see what happens. We still have to make a trip to Calgary to visit Gregg’s grandma before winter hits.

I am going to start a new crochet project. Who needs a blanket? LOL Hmmm, maybe I’ll make some dog beds for the rescue shelter. Maybe pull out the sewing machine and be crafty? Time to look at my long list of things to do.

I just know that I am very glad I have A/C. I think i would be in a whole lot of pain if I had to suffer with just a fan on me. This rash i developed last week has finally gone away. I am going to assume it was a heat rash. I have never had one so painful. No amount of anti-itch cream and aloe vera lotions were helping. This morning I wake up and its completely gone. Thank you A/C!

Duncan has been sleeping thru most of the day, even he knows its too hot out there. Baby is spread out on the living room floor enjoying the cool air and Bunny is sleeping under the bed. I felt so bad, I didnt realize that I had locked her out on the deck saturday when i turned on the A/C. She was out there all day in 35c heat. When I opened the door she was crying and ran past me so fast to her food dish and litter box. After she had a drink she came and let me pet her. Just glad we dont have the sun on the deck all day otherwise I think she might of really cooked.

I do hope it cools down a bit soon. I dont mind the heat but when it gets past 30c it gets a bit too hot. Plus it would be nice to have  a breeze at least.

Since Dad died 2 years ago, I dont think she has really had a break. With remodeling her condo and moving, then her sister having cancer. She really hasnt taken time to just sit and catch her breath. Now she has no choice. I totally understand how it feels to have to just stop. When I hurt my neck, it was the same for me. I had to stop, and watch the world move on without me. It’s a terrible feeling to know that your life has suddenly changed.

She will adjust, as we all do. Hopefully the doctors can help her in some way. With time, she will learn how to live with her poor eye sight.

What else has be going on? Well, Gregg is still working, but not sure for how long. Might only be another month and then back to job hunting. He is hoping that the company will hire him on full time. That would be great. To finally have all those years of schooling paying off.

We pout the cats on a diet..lol. Well, Duncan was going in and eating the cat food. So now we feed them twice a day. They seem to be fine with that. They might even loose a few pounds. Baby REALLY needs to loose about 10lbs. He is huge! Bunny has a tiny muffin top…hehe

Well, thats about all I got for today.