Snuggles and distractions

Thank goodness for iPads when you are hanging with little ones who miss their moms. Not only does it keep the tears at bay, keeps them from crawling to the door where they last saw them leave from but it also distracts them enough that you can sneak in some snuggles!!!

A few things to try out

On today's list... Curry butternut squash soup.

Tomorrow... A little homemade ricotta perhaps.

I sure do miss being able to cook homemade meals when I'm travelling.

Best birthday wishes I have received so far

This sweet little text came from one of Jimmy's and now my good friends. Even Uncle Leon's humor should find this one funny Aunty Elaine!

Darn auto correct on the IPhone!

To clarify the birthday post

Sorry Aunty Elaine not working for Starbucks - merely doing my work at a Starbucks - you know lounging in the chairs sipping coffee and working like a good little dot com girl does!

It's time

For the birthday week to begin.... So very excited.

I have some work and my annual physical to get through first - haha but once that is done... Look out weekend!

And in preparation for turning another year older, God gave me a plethora of encouraging compliments from strangers this week:

- my eyes are amazing
- my personality is beautiful
- I am looking fantastic for my age (yes that one has started. Can't dwell on the flip side as that would be depressing)
- my favorite: my accent is so lovely that they could listen to me talk all day (I'm sure some of you would beg to differ)

Okay so it's off to work at a Starbucks by my doc in Calgary! And once that is over Jimmy has a surprise for me...So good to be home!!

There is nothing better than a fireplace, hot bevie, blanket and a good movie on that first cold winter night. Just wishing Jimmy was home rather than playing hockey!

Instead, I will be dreaming of a warm vacation . . .

Coming Home

So excited to be coming home this week. Last weekend felt so short by losing Friday and this weekend won't be much better as I need to fly out on Sunday. Oh well - we are quickly approaching my birthday of which one of my birthday presents is staying home the week following. Yay for American Thanksgiving!

And on the agenda this weekend??

A little dinner club for a Peruvian dining experience: apparently their rotisserie chicken is amazing as it uses herbs that are only grown in Peru!

A little sleep in! YAY.

A little hockey. I have to go and see these shiny new digs that Jim's been wearing . . .

A little laundry - there always seems to be a little laundry.

A little Christmas shopping. Going to get a jump on it this year, I am!

A little visit with Julie. It has been too long since I have connected with her. I do miss her so :(

A little house keeping. Poor Jimmy has been doing a lot of house keeping. The least I can do is a little . . .

A little planning for Jimmy, Mom and Dad's trip to Texas. (We just might turn dad into a traveller after all . . . )

A little grocery shopping. Craving some berries. Craving little soup and grilled cheese sandwich. Craving a fresh crispy apple.

A little exercise. Need to get back into winter elliptical mode. Need to spend some time doing Yoga.

A little tv watching. Worked just a little bit harder this week.

A little birthday week planning. I do have a spa voucher to use after all - maybe a facial and a massage? And a little hair appt before Christmas. Coffee with a birthday twin. The special birthday dinner. An evening out with friends? Hmmmm - maybe a bit more than a little birthday week planning!

A whole lot of catching up with my hubby. Missing him extra this week. Looking forward to a whole week at home with him - yes I am!

EEP

Well, this football pool stuff is kinda fun . . .

Looky here - we have a week 9 winner . . .

And it just so happens to be a Farrell . . .

Can you believe it? Two years running I won a week! So very exciting.

Friday Quick Takes

--- 1 ---

I spent Halloween in Houston. I had dinner on a lovely little patio, enjoying the 20 degree warmth watching the ghouls and goblins run around the square as a local artist entertained us on his guitar.

Jimmy handed out the candy at home warding off the -11 frigid air trying to make a dent in our HUGE pile of candy we had stocked up on. I was so worried we would run out, be known as the worst house on the block and submit ourselves to a year of tortuous treatment.

--- 2 ---

My favorite Halloween candy (candy - not chocolate) would be either mini nerds or whoppers. Whoppers are kind of chocolate but I don't really think of them as such. I love nerds. Blueberry/Raspberry is my favorite color combo. I like eating a few of both colors at the same time. Mmmmm nerds!

--- 3 ---

Speaking of nerds, I am afraid that I might be a bit of a nerd. I am down in Houston because we have our company meeting here this week. A company meeting that will include 200 consultants. I think that consultants are kind of nerdy - in the best way - but nerdy none the least. In fact - what is more chatty than a teachers conference? A consulting conference! Cause not only do we like to talk; we all have an opinion on EVERYTHING and most of us think we are right 90% of that time. And why are we nerdy? Not because we have fantastic grammar (as apparently we do not) but because the things we most like to talk about don't tend to be sports. Unless we have stats on our sports teams. Then we love to talk about sports. Oh and it is indices not indexes . . .

--- 4 ---

I never really considered myself to be brutal with grammar. I will say though kids - stay in school - and don't stop reading. My vocabulary, spelling and grammar have all declined since I don't get a chance to read as much.

Regardless - some of my colleagues have a pet peeve when it comes to grammar and I am sure I strike all their sensitive chords:

Further vs Farther
Couple questions vs couple of questions
Indexes vs Indices
Formulae vs Formulas

Ugh - I just keep telling them it's my Canadian accent. I think they are starting to see through that though.

--- 5 ---

So speaking of reading - I have suddenly found myself with at least 3 hours a week there I can't do much else other than read. It is that time I spend sitting on the plane waiting. Waiting for it to load. Waiting for it to take off. Waiting for it to land. Or planes shall I say. And so I have committed to myself that I will use that time to read more. Right now I am reading Memoirs of MidWives. And thanks to mom I have a whole list of other books to read.  As a result, I think I should renew my Calgary library card. In fact, I will do just that when I am home next!

--- 6 ---

I have also decided that as light weight and convenient as e-readers are, I do not think they are for me. For a couple of reasons - I am such a tactile individual and I love the feeling of a book. The art of curling a soft cover around as I snuggle into bed. Flipping the page. Visually seeing how much further on the page, the chapter, the book. Smelling the fresh ink or the mustiness of those gems you find in a second hand store! Not to mention that you can't enjoy your e-reader when you are sitting on the plane waiting.

--- 7 ---

I would also like to start keeping a journal again. I miss it! Not that I have anything interesting to write about but I am sure I can find something to blabber on about. I thing creativity for me is a bit like a muscle. If you don't keep it working, it shrivels up and becomes weak! The more you 'exercise' your creativity, the stronger it seems to get. I haven't spent a lot of time exercising that creativity and I need to change that.

 

Starting - with a journal.

 

(see I do have an opinion on everything . . . oh dear)