Monday, November 09, 2009

I'm Really Really here and I'm Really Really Posting!

Oh Me, Oh My, what HAVE I been up to? I've been recieving emails to ask if I'm "OK" because I have not posted in so long, and I thank you for caring!

VALINDA - you are ever so patient, always faithful and you are the sort of friend I hope I am to others. You never let more than a few days go by without checking in on me. I truly appreciate you.

KIM, you keep tabs on me too - and you're almost spooky in the way you seem to send lil encouragements my way at EXACTLY when I need it. OMGosh, OMGosh x 100 - I just went to your bloggy and Judy's and its confirmed I missed (or should I say MESSED your birthday) Sigh sigh. Forgive, please. Everyone else, pls, hop over to Kims and wish her a happy old live long day for me? She's got some great giveaways to celebrate her milestone as well!

And MELANIE, dear daughter, I did not realize you get your "Mommy-fix" at my blog. That alone is reason to be more diligent.

So what HAVE I been up to? {and speaking about daughters, encouragement in the same breath} I have been working on my health and beauty regime. On the inside, trying to eat healthier, on the outside (if I were an insect you might say I have been working on my exoskeleton) - I've been RUNNING!!! and working out on an elliptical on a regular basis. Ok, yeah if you have followed me for a long time you're shaking your head asking "running?" for I have creaky knees that grind, will eventually have to be replaced. Well, its a foregone conclusion they are going to wear out all on their own, I may as well enjoy running and being in great shape so that WHEN that transpires the road to recovery will be faster and easier. I can't tell you how good it feels.

My Mr. and I have so many fond memories tied up in running. We used to run AT NIGHT, thats right middle of the night, but safely, down bike paths with loads of moonlight. It still plays in my head like a romantic moonlight movie score. I see the silhouettes of trees against the bruised black/blue night sky, with silver ribbons of light playing from the edges of the clouds. I see the moon ringed with frosty translucent pastel rainbows, shimmering. I see stars twinkling like studs in a velvet sky. I see bright streaks of colour painted onto the undulating water on the lake in a perpetual cycle. Ahhh, so do you see how running is so much more to me than just a way to stay in shape?

I'm into eating healthier. I'm not a breakfast person EVER except on very very special events, but I do have a date with my Magic Bullet each day and I whip up fresh, slushy fruit drinks to start me out. I never know what colour will happen. Sometimes pumice, sometimes fuschia, sometimes green with little black seeds (kiwi). All the blueberries, peaches, pears etc that I froze in the heat of the summer is blessing me now with a delicious bit of the okanagan in my mug each day.

And I'm really REALLY into salads. I'm sort of stuck on ones made with leafy baby greens/herbs, peppers, carrots, apples (picked straight off a tree practically right outside my window) toasted pecans - all tossed with a smidge of extra virgin olive oil and apple balsamic vinegar.

Then, for more of my OUTSIDE, I've been experimenting with make-up. Our daughter Melanie shared links with me for KANDEE the Makeup Artist. Have you ever seen her? Watched one of her YouTube Videos? Visited her blogs? If not, you MUST. Talk about talent, she has a true gift to 'do make-up' and she's a tremendous encourager as well! Here's one of her Video's so you can see what I mean.





Our daughter sort of went wild experimenting one day and this is what she came out looking like - is that pretty cool? Now I have never seen her looking like this and she assures me this is NOT her daily look LOL! But it is impressive nevertheless! I've been playing around with some of Kandee's tips and hints for makeup and learned a lot.



Melanie, Good Goth Girl!


I've been knitting! Ok well, I'm sure everyone agrees its nice to recieve a hand made gift. I wanted to make something for my sister Nina for her birthday and after looking at a lot of ideas I thought I would try to knit some 'wrist warmers' Well... they certainly are NOVEL, and I really will be surprised if she ever does wear them, but they were my first and she can just treasure them in a drawer somewhere. Since my effort at hers I've been working on more - actually refining the basic pattern I had and adding in a few features. I did learn how to knit using a set of circular needles from watching a YouTube video by a lady who tells us to think of the one needle not in use at any given time as a 'swinging udder'. Sounds strange, but it works. I do NOT know how to crochet. One day, one day I am sure.

I've been LEARNING Adobe Illustrator and digital photography at the school where my Mr. teaches. I'm loving it, managing to attend twice a week.

Leena and husband Jussi

And lastly, I've been doing quite a bit with our Women's group at our church. We've begun hosting the occaisional crafts night and have established a weekly bible study group. Its been a wonderful time of connection and growth, though it calls for a lot of commitment and hard work. I also maintain a blog for our Women's group and you might want to check that out as I just updated and posted a beautiful song sung by a guest last Sunday - Leena, singing "Standing on Holy Ground" Click HERE to be taken to our OCC Women's Blog

And, I did manage to make one small teensy giveaway. Kristy YaYa (blog reader) suggested all sorts of wonderful boy/guy type words to be fashioned out of the brass stencil I have. Kristy, more WILL come, but I have to confess this is all I could get out of an entire shoot last time. My camera's flash is DEAD and gone and I need to purchase another. Out of 50 photos I took only this word turned out clear enough for me to cut out. Look for more words in the future, I will borrow my Mr's camera if I have to.

DOWNLOAD
{personal use only}




9 comments:

  1. And here I was FINALLY finding my way over to thank YOU for the visit last week and while I've been trying to make my way back to Scrapland and YOU have been missing too!

    LOL! We both are working on similar things health and body-wise! I've been on a cleanse and I only eat fresh veggies (YES, I could LIVE on salad if the need be! LOVE them!), limited fruit due to it's high content in natural sugars, chicken, fish, steel-cut oats(love to cook with Granny Smith apples, cinnamon and stevia - sometimes a banana mashed in), brown rice and a few other goodies! Oh yes, and my Mountain High yogurt full of probiotics! I eat the plain, non-fat variety and love to dollop it on a red potato in place of sour cream and garnish with onions and garlic heated in a wee bit of Smart Balance and/or Extra Virgin Olive Oil and topped with avocado and tomato! I LOVE to eat healthy too and I am happy to report that I've finally influenced Robert to eliminate white rice from his diet as well as soy sauce. That is a main staple for Hawaiians and he was raised on it along with poi and a lot of other yummy Hawaiian dishes that just are not healthy to eat on a daily basis!

    Robert has always been in great physical shape as he is VERY muscular and works out, however, I think I have finally helped him to understand that exercise does NOT negate the damage that unhealthy eating can do to one's body.

    All of that and I still am struggling horribly with weight-loss (we walk hills five days a week and I do other exercises too). I have just stepped into the post-menopausal arena and I just KNOW that my thyroid is not functioning properly even on medication (was changed three months ago and not working!). I see the doctor Wednesday morning for my annual blood workup and we'll go from there!

    I've also been dabbling in makeup (my daughters have influenced me as well! HA! He, he ...)and am trying out a mineral makeup similar to what my oldest used on me for Mark and Jessica's wedding. I have a video to watch that came with it, as I need all of the help I can get! LOL!

    I used to run Barb and had to give it up a decade or so ago as I have varicose veins and I found that the jarring of my legs to the pavement was beginning to rupture veins, so I bowed out gracefully and took up POWER walking! My method to the madness and it feels AWESOME!

    I have SO missed you girlie and it is WONDERFUL to find that you have POPPED onto your OWN blog to give us all an update and to share some VERY special goodies with us! thank you!

    I guess I should mail you next time, sorry for the novel but, it's been SOOOOOO long! ROFL! My eyes are burning and bed is calling so I shall bid you good night. Sweet dreams to you!

    Take care darlin' and I hope to visit again soon! Have an AMAZING week! RUN, BABY, RUN! :D

    Love and hugs,
    Linda <3

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  2. So glad you're back - and sounds like you've been taking great care of yourself! Thank you for the great brass word - you're a sweetie for taking so many pics to get this good one! I took a look at Kandee's video - she's such a pro! I'm afraid I'm too old to for her makeup tips, but they sure look great on her - and she has such a cute personality!

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  3. Geesh... you sure are an inspiration for the rest of us!!! Wowzas! All of that exercise and eating healthy... I feel like I want to snap off the monitor right NOW and RUN for the treadmill! :-P I'll definitely check out those make up you tube vids... I never have discovered how to do eye makeup... eyeliner is a serious mystery to me! Hee hee hee... {{{HUGS}}}

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  4. Thank you so much for this Freebie. I want to let you know that I posted a link to your blog in CBH Digital Scrapbooking Freebies, under the Page 8 post on Nov. 10, 2009. Thanks again.

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  5. wow SIL you have been busy ...glad to hear all is going great ...and it sounds like lots of fun is happening Saturday nights at the church that is so awesome. Well hope to catch up to you this week ..

    hugs
    Judy

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  6. Wow! That really does sound like a full schedule! Totally understandable, that there is no time for blogging. Good for you for getting healthier and running! That is very impressive.
    And learning to knit from a you tube video?! I could never.
    You amaze me and inspire.
    I hope you continue to enjoy your new hobby's and just don´t forget about us out here.... :)

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  7. Thank you! Your blog post will be advertised on the DigiFree Digital Scrapbooking Freebie search engine today (look for timestamp: 10 Nov [LA 04:00pm, NY 07:00pm] - 11 Nov [UK 12:00am, OZ 11:00am] ).

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  8. Good Morning Barb:)
    Wow..you HAVE been busy.:)All that maintenance going on and now I feel I need a tune up!!LOL It only takes me five minutes to put on my makeup...something is wrong with that picture.hehe Love the makeup video!!
    I have tried knitting..but didn't get very far.I do crochet though.:)Maybe one day we can get together and you teach me to knit and I will teach you to crochet?:)
    Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful brass word!!
    Have a Fantastic day my friend!:)

    Love and hugs,
    Valinda

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  9. I'm not surprised you have not been here for a while, where would you find the time! and I could just do with a delicious fruity smoothie with all those fresh summer fruits you have in the freezer! yum yum..
    I have never been a knitter until I got into doing felt handbags, they are so easy to do and if you dropped a stitch you would never know once the have been through the washing machine on a hot wash.. I used to find it weird how something that I knitted replicated a baggy, holey sack that you would keep your potatoes in would transform into an exquisite designer masterpiece once it hit a hot wash.. I must did out a photo to show you sometime.
    happy knitting Barb x

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