March 4

Getting ready to work out.  It's a Bowflex night!  Woot!

I am just grateful that I was given one more day on this earth.  Never, NEVER taking anything for granted.

March 3

Grateful for these times.  :)

No, I don't mean taking pictures of my feet, or one of one of my kids trying to hide from the camera.  I mean just the moments when they are there. :)

March 2

I think this picture would look great in our house!

I mean, who wouldn't want a big ole picture of a moose to hang in the foyer??  Anyone who isn't Canadian I imagine!  heh

PS:  I did not buy it.  :)  But I do like it. 

March 1

Grateful for a quiet Saturday night at home with hubby and a warm fire. :)  (And the iPad to play some games on of course!  lol)

February 28

Girlfriends.  <3

I am grateful for these three ladies.  They are all very special to me and all are very important in my life.  :)

I love these girls.  <3

February 27

Since starting this exercise thing in January I have lost 17 pounds.  I'm VERY  happy with that.  But what makes me even happier is how my clothes are fitting!  I bought this belt before Christmas, without trying it on because I assumed it would fit.  Wrong!  I couldn't even buckle it in the first hole!  UGH!  So I put it away and I didn't think of it again until I was packing for my trip to Fredericton.  For shits and giggles I took it out and lo and behold, not only could I put it on the first hole.....but I made it to the third and now the fourth hole!  (Only one more hole and either I have to make new holes...or buy a new belt!! lol)  Whoo hoo!  Needless to say, I am a very happy camper.  

Very happy.....very grateful for the willpower and drive I have to work towards losing weight and being healthier.  :)

February 26

On the "off" days when I am not doing the C25K, I do some strength training on the Bowflex.  I also use these hand weights.  I gotta get my upper body (aka arms!!) in some kind of summer shape...lol

I am grateful to have these little babies.  And I am grateful that I even have the strength to lift them at all.  lol  Seriously, I am not taking my health for granted anymore.  Fit and Fifty is my theme this year!!  (Psst...I'm not 50 YET!!!  10 more months!  lol)

February 25

My Christmas cactus is finally blooming!!  

I think it needs to check a calendar because Christmas was 2 months ago!  It's kinda late!  :)

But....I still love all the beautiful blooms!!  So pretty!

Stop and smell the, uh, Christmas cactus blooms?  :)

Be grateful......good things take time.  :)

February 24

Thoughts of Kevin today made me smile!  Kevin is my friend who died 28 years ago.  I think of him all the time and I have this photo hung on the bulletin board beside the desk.

He will always hold a special place in my heart.  

Today would have been his 50th birthday!  Oh how I would have loved to see what kind of party he would have thrown!  :)  

He made me smile when we were young...and even though he's not with us anymore, he makes me smile still.  I am grateful for the friendship we had.  I miss him.  :(  

This picture made me smile.  Kevin, his sister and me.  Good times!!  

<3
 

February 23

And the Canadian Men's Olympic Hockey team takes the gold!!  Yeah, Baby!!!

Don't mess with our hockey!! hehe  

Canada Rocks!!!

February 22

Hanging with hubby before bowling!  I am very grateful for this man.  Even if I don't ever say it or show it enough.  :)

February 21

Watching the cats eat the Chia grass (made for cats to help their digestion...lol) was kinda funny!!  Put a smile on my face.  I missed the fur babies.  :)

February 20

And the Canadian Women's Olympic Hockey team wins the gold!!!!  What an awesome game!  Way to go, Girls!!  

Grateful to be a Canadian citizen even though I live in another country!  I <3 Canada!!!

February 19

My nephew turned 15 today!  I was fortunate enough to be there to celebrate with him!  Since I live so far away, it's kind of a big deal to me when I can be part of these special events.  :)

February 18

Mmmmmm, Caesar!!  Only in Canada, eh??  :)  Well, it seems that way.  Not many places I've been to in the US know how to make these!  Grateful for my favorite Canadian drink.  :)

February 17

My Mom made home made turkey soup and home made biscuits!!  Yummy!!!  

Grateful that I am home in Freddie to enjoy these yummies made by my Mummy!!  :)  

February 16

SNOW!!!!!!!!

LOTS of snow!!  :)  I love Fredericton.  ;)  Grateful that I could be "home" to enjoy this big ole snow storm!  

February 15

Ringalos!  The BEST crunchy, salty snack in Canada!! 

February 14

Valentine's Day.

My Valentine is in Germany.  I am in New Brunswick.  Which is okay because I think V-Day is kind of a hokey Hallmark holiday anyway.  We did talk, so that was good.  lol  

I don't need to get flowers or candy or whatever one day a year to know that my husband loves me.  I know he loves me every day of the year.  :)

So, I don't have a mushy valentines pic for this day.  Instead, I took a picture of my sister's Pug, Jasper, asleep beside her on the arm of her sofa.  It was just the cutest and it made me smile.  :)

February 13

Me and my niece.  :)  Grateful for time with family!  

February 12

February 11

February 10

February 9

Curling.  Woot!

Had fun watching Olympic coverage (on CBC!) of Men's Curling (Canada vs. Germany) with my son. Who says curling is not exciting???  :)  I could get into this!!  

Grateful for Mom and son time....watching a Canadian sport!!  Whoo hoo!  

February 8

Odd Couples.  That's the bowling league we play on.  Love our team mates!!  We have so much fun every other Saturday night!  It's just a fun league (thank goodness because Peter and I aren't great bowlers,..lol) and we certainly  have fun!  This week Peter had to go on a business trip so a friend subbed.  I hope he didn't think we were too crazy!  heh  Thanks, Adam.

So grateful that we joined this league. Thanks to my son for nagging us to do so...lol  I look forward to bowling nights.  :)  

February 7

The Opening Ceremony of the Sochi Olympics 2014!!!  

Team Canada.....enough said!!!  I may live in the United States but I will ALWAYS be proud and grateful to be a Canadian!!!!

Go Team Canada!!!!!!  <3

February 6

We converted our wood burning fireplace over to gas.  We love to have fires but with all the snow this year, it was just a pain in the butt getting the wood ...blah, blah, blah.  This is just easier.  You turn a knob and voila.....fire!  I love it!  It's toasty warm and oh, so cozy.

An aside:  I try not to use material possessions as things I am grateful for.  I probably have and I probably will again, but I don't ever want to come off as shallow and thankful only for "things"....yanno?  I feel very fortunate and blessed in my life.  

February 5

Another day of not feeling well.  Another day I didn't do much.  Another day I laid around and another day Bitsy kept her Momma company.  :) But another day I am grateful to be alive!  :)

February 4

It's World Cancer Day.

To some that means very little.  To me is means a great deal.  Cancer took my baby sister almost 8 months ago.  I hate it!  It's a horrible, cruel disease that does not discriminate!  It fights to win...and sadly, quite often it does.  

I don't need any one day to remember my sister.  She is on my mind every single day!  But that there is ONE day that the world can come together and join in the fight against cancer, is important to me.  Bring awareness, information, knowledge.  Talk about/with loved ones who have fought and won the battle...and who are still fighting!  Remember those who have fought with all they had, and lost.  

I am sad that my sister died from cancer.  I'm mad as hell, too!  But, I am grateful for time we got to spend together before she died.  I am grateful that I was able to be there (when I could be) during her fight!  And, as sad as it is, I am grateful that I was able to be with her when she took her least breath.

So, to say that I am grateful that there is one day dedicated to cancer and to help bring cancer awareness, is an understatement.  (That's why one of the pics I posted is of me wearing purple....wear purple for World Cancer Day!)

February 3

I laid around most of the day.  Wasn't feeling well.  Body aches, upset tummy....blah.  So, I chilled and laid around. :)  Bitsy Boo sat (or laid) around with me most of the day.  Gotta love it when pets just seem to "know" when their owners don't feel well.  :)  

I love my fur babies.  Bitsy put a smile on my face today.  :)

February 2

I got nothin' today.

I know that's not true.  I know there is something to this day that I am grateful for, but I'm jut not feeling it.  Feeling sorry for myself today.  Feeling depressed.  Feeling blah.  Not wanting to talk to anyone or be with anyone.  Tears all around.  Ugh.  Not a good day.  And we have a Superbowl get together to attend.  Yay.

It's nice to see my girlfriends at the party.  I still kinda felt "out of it" and "outside of my body" (if that makes any sense at all.  Thankfully, my gf's understand (or at least I hope they do!)  I know this is depression.  And I hate it with a million passions.  

It's not that I am not grateful for anything today....I have so much to be happy about.  But I had one of those days.  So, bear with me as this will probably not be the only day I have like this.  I'm grateful....I really am....I just got nothing' today.  :)

I don't know if this is necessarily something to be grateful for, but I did win $25 in the Superbowl pool.  :)

February 1

Yay!  A new month!  Is it me, or did January zoom by!?

Today, I played pool with Randy.  I haven't played in a long time....and I haven't improved any either...lol

It was fun playing (and kinda making our own rules as we played..heh)  Plus, we had some quality Mom & son time.  :)  We have this great pool table in our basement.....and it rarely gets used!  I remember when we bought it 8 or 9 years ago and we used it A LOT!!!   "We have a POOL TABLE!!!  This is awesome!"  I was so grateful at that time.  I still am!  Today was just a reminder of that.  :)

January 31

For THIS, I am eternally grateful!  

My family!  

You guys are the BEST and I love you so much!  Thank you, each one of you,  for you being you...and for loving me like you do.  I feel so very, very blessed!

Celebrating my December 31st birthday a month late.  

January 30

It was a "what am I grateful for" no-brainer!   Randy totally surprised me by coming home from college for the weekend!  I mean, seriously surprised me.  I had no clue, not an inkling, zero knowledge, nada....nothing!  Boy, was it nice to see him standing at the door when I answered the knock this afternoon.  (Yes, he knocked...lol)

I have missed that guy...and since I didn't get to say "bye" to him when he left after Christmas, I was missing him a little bit more.

I don't know if he will ever know just how special this was, but this was a HUGE deal to me.  :)

I have said it before and I will say it again.  And probably again and again through out the course of this blog.  I am soooooo grateful for my kids.....all three of them!!  

Thank you, Randy!!   

Smile??  Yup...BIG.....through my tears.  ;)

January 29

When I started this whole working out thing, I dug out my iPod.  Yes...my little iPod Nano (I think that's what it is.)  I have an iPhone but I don't want my whole music library on it.  Takes up too much space.  SO I have my little iPod.  It's great because I can just stick it down my bra while I am working out.  lol I can't do that with my phone...heh  So today was a Bowflex day.  I get out my iPod and pick an old playlist....90's music I think.....and go to it.  Wow!  Heard some tunes I haven't heard in a long time!!  Nice music for exercising to.....got a good upper body workout!  :)

I was gonna give away my iPad when I got my iPhone.  But I think I'm gonna keep it.  Just because something is old, doesn't mean it's useless.  Right??  :)

I'm grateful I found a renewed use for this baby!

January 28

Today was kind of a big deal for me.  Well, maybe "big deal" is not the right term.  But today I accomplished something that I was scared to death about doing....for fear of failing.

I have been doing this Couch to 5K (C25K) thing and was to start the 3rd week.  The first 2 weeks were relatively easy.  Alternating 1 - 1.5 minutes running and walking.  The third week..BAM.....I have this full 3 minute thing in there!  What???  Three minutes??  Might as well ask me to run 3 MILES!  lol  But I did it.  I freaking DID IT!!!!  :)  I near had an asthma attack during the first 3 minute interval, but I took a hit of my inhaler and all was good.  

I DID IT.  I'm grateful....and I was a smiling fool!!!

I............DID............IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!  :)

January 27

I have been trying to get to Kalamazoo to see my son, Randy, for a couple of weeks now.  When he left to go back to school after Christmas, I wasn't  here to say goodbye because of some flight delays coming home from N.B & Maine.  Of course, being a Mom, I felt horrible about that.  And now there always seems to be some reason I can't make it to Kalamazoo.  :(  Today it was the weather.....again.  Ugh.  I spent yesterday stressing and worrying and thinking about it all day.  Got myself all in a dither.  Could hardly sleep.  This morning the weather sucked.  And the roads were bad.  I have been kinda joking with him that I am not gonna win any Mother of the Year awards at this rate.  This morning this was our conversation.  I love this boy.  He made me SMILE like one proud Momma today.  Like a Mother of the Year.  :)  Grateful for my kids??  Yup!  (I know to some this is a weird convo....but to us, it's normal.  lol  I mean the Mother Nature comment  :)

January 26

Short and sweet.  

I am grateful for my nice warm home and my nice warm blanket.  :)  This cold has been bone chilling!  My thoughts and prayers are with the homeless and anyone else who is out in these cold temperatures! 

I wish I had a bunch of these blankets to pass around!!  It's my favorite!  :)  So warm!!

January 25

We joined a bowling league this fall.  What?  lol  Since my son,  Pete, works at a bowling alley and is part of 3 different leagues, he kinda talked us into joining this "Odd Couples" league.  It's a "fun" league, and you don't have to be a great bowler to be on the team.  Thank goodness because my average is only 104 ish!  lol  But it IS fun.  We have a blast.  We signed up to be on a team with another couple that we didn't know at all.  Pete said, "I'll make sure you get on a team with someone fun."  Well he did!  We met our team mates and really do have a great time with them every other Saturday evening!  I am grateful to be a part of this league and to have met two awesome people as a result!!  :)  This is us.  

January 24

I had to cancel plans with my girlfriends because I was not feeling well.  It sucks, but stuff happens.  So, I sat home Friday night with my hubby.  And the cats.  :)  Of course I am grateful to sit home with my hubby even if we just vegged and watched tv, but these 2 fur babies sure do make me smile even if they are just "there".  lol  :)

January 23

This guy.

I'm grateful that I have a husband who is working out with me and motivating me.....and listening to me moan and complain about how hard this is and how sore I am.  LOL  Kidding about that last part....he's been great!  It's nice to go down to the dingy, dark, scary  workout area of the basement together and work towards a physical fitness goal together.  :)  Most times we both have ear buds in listening to music (because we have different musical tastes) so we don't talk to each other, but that's probably a good thing!  heh  Just being & working together in this endeavor is really kinda cool.  :)  

For him, I am grateful.  :)

January 22

Superficial gratefulness?  lol  Perhaps.  I don't care.  I am grateful for lipstick!!  It makes me smile.....er, perks up my smile!!  :)  As you can see I have many shades, and that's not all of them!!  I have a few more in my purse!  :)  I have been a lipstick hound since, well, forever!!  Ok, not when I was a kid...but I remember being that 16, 17 ish age and my favorite was "Fawn" by Covergirl.   I was always reapplying it.  :)  Not my fav is L'Oreal (as you can see) and I like a variety of colors.  And if I am not wearing lipstick, you can be darn tootin' I have chap stick somewhere handy.  lol  I think I have a lip thing.  Is it bad to be grateful for something like this?  lol  

January 21

Sometimes it's just the little things that bring a smile to my face.  Today, it was a mug.   As weird as it may be, I "collect" mugs.  My husband would call it  hoarding, but he's wrong. :)  heh  I just love different mugs.  Today I used the mug Sammi got me for Christmas.  Apparently, I am a "crazy cat lady" so she got me the mug with a cat on it.  I might be a bit of a cat lady, but crazy?  Well, that's relative, I suppose.  ;)   All craziness aside, my coffee tasted extra yummy this morning as I sipped it from my new mug.