Saturday, January 31, 2009

Dobry wieczór!

That's "Good Evening" in Polish!

(I don't have a Polish bone in my body but I thought it would be fun to find greetings in other languages!)

Parkholm yesterday was dandy. We had three clients in the pool - lots of chatter and fun! Jan saved me a bunch of her egg cartons so I gave them to dad when he picked me up afterwards. We headed out to Rosedale to let the dog out where Jill was house sitting and then he brought me home. Jen and Jenny came over at about 3:30/4ish. Its always good to see them!

Had a PYPS Executive meeting today in Abbotsford. John was there to bridge the gap between PYPS and the Task Force (the task force was put together by Synod to look at Youth Ministry in the province). It was awesome to have him there - both he and Kathy have incredible insight into PYPS, youth ministry, not to mention life-experience that we can draw on. As I told Kathy and Adam in the car ride home (to quote my cousin Steve), I'm "suffering an acute lack of give-a-damn" when it comes to PYPS. I love the organization and I think it does good things for youth and young adults but my time there is drawing to an end and that's a good thing. I've taken on a few jobs - registration, transportation and finding a cook - for our next youth event (ages 14-17) in May but not too many jobs. I try to avoid swamping myself! We're looking at a number of places to have our event but one of them is more exciting then the rest. I can't tell you what it is yet but hopefully we'll get the word (yes or no) in about a month. I'll update you then!

Dad and I are watched the new Indiana Jones movie tonight. I thought it was really well done... a total "good guy saves the day" sorta deal.

Tomorrow is church. I'm greeting, helping with Sunday school and am counting offering with Arlys (rad lady!). Apparently there's two offerings that we somehow have to keep separate. Not sure how to do that. I'm sure we can figure it out but clear direction is always nice!

Sara is coming over at 3 tomorrow. I haven't seen her in eons! It'll be good to catch up with her, for sure!

Talk to you soon!

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Yo-Yo-Yiggidy-Yo!

So yesterday's news that I can cut back on some of my medication was pretty exciting. Truth be known, I haven't been taking that afternoon dose for about a month. Its just nice that the doctor agreed with me. :)

I made Beef and Broccoli for supper last night... when I got home from my appointment, I came in through the main doors of my building and I could smell it a-cookin' from the other side of my building through closed doors! It was delicious and I'll post the recipe at the end of this post.

Went to mom and dad's for supper today then Jill whipped up a batch of sugar cookies and we took them to where she's house sitting to bake and ice them. She was horrified to find that I don't like mint icing so she force-fed me a cookie with mint icing (out of love, I'm sure). ha ha. Unfortunately the people she's house sitting for have three cats... I itch like crazy (allergy). Am going to have a shower, that's for sure!

Jill passed the first two parts of her Certification. She got 81.6% on the written part and she passed her shoe board. Tomorrow is her practical where she needs to do a good job trimming and doing front shoes on a horse within an hour. She's pretty tired out so all the good thoughts and prayers you can give her/say for her would be appreciated!

I'm off to Parkholm tomorrow if the pool is up and running. I anticipate that it will be.

Shower and bed!

Talk to you soon.


---------------------------------

Beef and Broccoli
From the Vancouver Sun

1 1/2 lb boneless chunk steak, sliced about 1/2 inch thin
1 10oz can beef condenced beef broth
1/2 cup Oyster sauce
2 tbsp corn starch
1 bag broccoli florets (2 cups/16 oz)
Hot rice

Place steak in bottom of slow cooker
Cover with broth and oyster sauce
Cover and cook on low 6 to 7 hours

Conbine cornstarch with 2tbsp cooking liquid in a cup
Add slowly to slow cooker
Stir well to combine
cover, cook 15-20 minutes longer or until thick (took closer to 30 minutes for me)
Poke holes in broccoli with fork
Microwave on high for 3 minutes.
Empty bag into slow cooker
Gently toss beef and broccoli together
Serve over cooked hot rice

I used 2-3 bunches of fresh broccoli and microwaved them for 8-10 minutes.

You can also add carrots, baby corn and water chesnuts. Yum!

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Hey there!

I got some good news at the doctor today that's worth sharing with the world.

I don't have to take my afternoon dose of Gabapentin and Tegretol anymore!

Woohoo!

This is a big, exciting step!

I still have morning and evening doses of everything but this is a step in the right direction.

I'll write more tomorrow.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Howdy folks!
Went to Liquidation World with mom today and found next year's Christmas tree! It cost.... $5.75! Its all set up and I really like it. It'll look great with the rest of the decorations on it... I threw a few Christmas balls on it for effect. I've never assembled an artificial Christmas tree before.. it was quite the production. I'll take it apart tomorrow and put it in storage til next year.
I went to Rosedale yesterday and today to let out the dog Jill's housesitting this week. Adorable dog - part Great Dane, Black Lab and Rottweiler. Just freakin' adorable with an amazing temperment! I love 'im! He's a bit too big to be an apartment dog, though. ha ha. I get to visit him on Thursday and Friday, too, because Jill will be taking her Farrier Certification test. Think happy horse-shoe thoughts for her, if you can!

Picked up some veggies at Pricesmart and the fixings for beef and broccoli. Had quite the adventure trying to find Oyster sauce. I didn't even know what I was looking for but eventually found it with the Asian food items. Got to see quite a bit of Pricesmart that I don't normally look at!
Jen came over for a movie - she just left. We had a great time watching Sister Act 2... its a great movie... lots of laughs!

Tomorrow I've got a Dr's appt to discuss a bunch of stuff including medication and maybe cutting back on some of it. We'll see what he has to say... hopefully it'll be good positive things.

Talk to you soon!

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Hello!

Went for a brisk walk to the bank and Pricesmart yesterday. Its still so chilly out there! I was so thankful to come home to a warm house.

I think I take for granted the little gifts God gives me so I'm doing my best to live with an extra thankful heart. Forwards normally get dumped into my email trash bin but for some reason I opened one up yesterday and it really reminded me to be thankful for everything I have. I can't remember who sent it, though, otherwise I would thank them! ;) ha ha.

Church this morning was pretty darn good - very moving. We had a good practice before church. I forgot a few things at home so after practice I darted out the back door and was back to church with lots of time to spare. The message was about our "blessed assurance" - our assurance of pardon for wrong-doings because Jesus is beyond rad and died for my sins. It really ties into having a thankful heart, for sure an' for certain!

Went for supper at mom and dad's. Dave, Jill's old farrier boss, is in town and is staying with them. It was great to see all of them!

My offering for supper was a raisin pie. I was kindly informed today (by Jen) that raisin pies aren't all that common. I wish raisins didn't upset the delicate inner balance of my allergies because raisin pie is SO good. I've attached our "tried and true" recipe to the bottom of this post. I looked up the history of Raisin Pie and what I read said that its a funeral pie because it can be made all year 'round and doesn't require refrigeration (so, according to what I read, it's a hit in Old Order Mennonite and Amish communities). Who knows. What I know is that its really delicious!

Tomorrow I'm off with mom to a place where Jill's housesitting. Jill has her certification thingy practice tomorrow and the dog needs to be let out... mom and I are headed out that way at about 1pm. I've planned a quick trip to Pricesmart, too, to pick up some fresh vegetables.

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Raisin Pie

1 deep-dish pie pastry recipe (we often use frozen crusts to save us some time)

2 cups water
2 cups raisin
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tbsp butter/margarine
2 tbsp flour wisked into 1/3 cup water

Put water and raisins in a pot and boil gently for 8 to 12 minutes (depending on how tender you want your raisins.
Wisk flour and water well, then add sugar, margarine, vanilla and sugar. Don't worry about mixing the margarine, sugar and vanilla too well.
Pour mixture into pot and cook for about 60 seconds until it starts to thicken. You don't want your pie guts to be too thick, else your pie will be kinda gloppy.
Pour into pie shells, cover with the second shell or lattice.
Set pie on a cookie sheet (the kind with edges). This pie tends to bubble over... the cookie sheet will save you from scrubbing your oven afterwards!
Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Adapted from the Loos Cookbook (the green one)

Friday, January 23, 2009

Hello folks!



Had a lovely cuppa tea with Aunty Gloria yesterday. We caught up on each other's happenings and solved the worlds problems. tee hee. Ok, maybe not. But we did chatter away. She bought me some beautiful boxes that I plan to put my scarves in... I'll stack them in the bathroom... maybe on the back of the toilet... not exactly classy but I think it'll be pretty!

Mom picked me up afterwards and we went to drop off my Grad dress. It was an awesome thing. The lady told me all about their project - my eyes watered at what they do for these girls. They get donations of jewlery, gloves, and shoes and they get hairdressers all lined up. Then they get all the girls together and they get all dolled up! Once they're ready, they get professional photographs taken. She was thankful for my dress and invited me out to their day but the chances of there being flash photography are quite high so I passed. I'm happy to participate in this fashion. They also take clothes for the guys, as far as I know. So ladies and gents - if you have a gown in the back of your cloest, don't hesitate to donate it to "The Cinderella Project". It makes all the difference in the world to a girl who can't afford a fancy dress for grad.


Had a spur-of-the-moment trip to the Bookman with Jenny, Josh, Shea and Eli. I talked to Jenny just as they were heading out the door for a walk so I met them at the bookman and we looked around. I bought two new books - a Kristin Heitzman (sp?) and a Jodi Picoult. Looking forward to them but I have to finish Harry Potter first!

Did some sewing yesterday, too. Converted a pair of jeans into a skirt. I'm not 100% in love with it but Jenny said it looks great. Maybe it'll grow on me. I hemed the batik fabric and sewed in two combs. It stays on my head great with two combs. I think I'll do that to all my scarves. The picture is of my new scarf. Love, love, love it!



You've probably noticed the music playing in my blog. Give me your feedback on it. It skips for me but I dunno if that's my computer or if its the track thats skipping. Let me know what you think!

Went to Parkholm today. I stood on my patio before I left and decided it wasn't so cold out. Decided to go in a tshirt and sweater. Thankfully I took a pair of mittens! Just as I got to the corner the wind picked up and all I can say is brrrr! Got all the way to Parkholm and was just about to sign in when Shannon came around the corner with two of the clients to tell me that the pool is 5 degrees and we won't be swimming today! Oh well. It was a nice, albeit cold, walk.

Jill took me to Langley to hang out with her while she timed herself doing a front shoeing on Pheonix. Lovely horse. Jill's taking her farrier certification test on Thursday which is pretty exciting. She'll have an hour to do her thing... she finished today with 8 minutes left on the timer. I thought she did a pretty good job but then, what do I know about horse shoes? tee hee

Dad and I just got home from Staples. My printer went on the fritz about three weeks ago and its been a thorn in my side. I didn't realize how much I actually printed! He picked one up for me on sale and it even scans and copies... for what I need it for, it'll be perfect!

Bed is calling me but I want to finish setting up this printer!

Talk to you soon!!

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Hello again!

Yesterday's teleconference was pretty good. 'We' accomplished in 2 hours what would normally take six or eight (not including the drive to Vancouver or Victoria). I felt somewhat useless since the scope of what I do is so small (PYPS - youth work) compared to what the other members deal with. The question was 'if Kathy's job fell off the face of the earth, what would the church miss'. The question caught me so off guard so when it came my turn to answer I didn't have anything to say. All I could say is that I would miss the work Kathy does immensly.

So much has changed within PYPS (Presbyterian Young People's Society) that I hardly know which way is up... Kathy is stepping back from hands-on work with us and will become a mentor to the new youth workers. She's been mentoring us hands-on (often crisis-management-style) for seven years now and its hard to imagine it any other way! PYPS is getting three new mentors (youth workers) who are going to help us plan our events, etc. I don't deal well with change at the best of time so I'm doubly glad I'll be gone in June when I turn 25. It seems like a good opportunity to exit stage left. I'm the very last of the old-guard, time for the new guard to step forward.


PYPS has meant a lot to me over the last five years. As many migranes as I've had over it, it has given me a sense of purpose while I haven't been working in the secular world. I know there have been times when I've said "Enough is enough!" but in the end it will be very hard to walk away from the fufillment it gives me.

Moving on...

Made a trip to Fabricland today and picked up some fabric for a few new headscarves/ covers. I got this really pretty purply-pinky-yellow batik that I'm thrilled about as well as some pink linen. Jenny kept throwing fabric over my head to see how it would look. I laughed so hard! I also bought this awesome patch for my sweater. It reminds me of a song we sing at camp... "Shut de door, keep out de debil. Shut de door, keep de debil in de night" I couldn't help but sing it as I sewed it on though I've forgotten most of the verses! (And Jenny knows that for a fact, she was sitting across from me!)

Tomorrow morning, Aunty Gloria is coming over. It'll be nice to have tea with her. In the afternoon mom and I are going on a bit of a trip to Promontory to drop off one of my grad-style gowns to a lady who will take it to Vancouver to be part of "The Cinderella Project". They give gently-used Grad gowns to Gr.12 girls who can't afford to buy one on their own. She was excited to hear mine is plus-sized as there are few options for plus-sized girls (I know this well). I'm going to give her the red one I wore in Melissa's wedding party as I can't quite part with my blue one. I'm happy that they'll get put to good use since I only wore the red dress just the once.

I read this chunk of scripture today and it really spoke to me. Thought I would share it with you.
"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 2 Corinthians 12:9


Talk to you soon!

Monday, January 19, 2009

Hello, Hello!

Yesterday was fine. Church in the morning was pretty good. We sang "Here I am to Worship" and "There's a Place". They're good songs - I like 'em both. Our 9am practice was actually 9:15 only I forgot it was at 9:15 so I got there at 8:50am and wondered where everyone was! It was nice outside so that was ok... I chilled by the side door and waited for people to show up. Practice went fine. Afterwards I saw Joy. She seems to be doing well - love her to bits and pieces! She plunked down beside me (I sit at the very back) and we chatted for a bit before she went to her seat. She wanted to make sure I was still making lace. I have high intentions of starting a new project this week... I have bobbins to wind... my next project is either going to be a treble clef or an angel. Not sure which yet. We'll see.

Was going to hang around after church and visit with some people but Lynn mentioned that there was a piece of broken glass on the other side of the sanctuary that was reflecting light like crazy so we both decided I should exit stage left. I went home and bombed around on the computer until I started to doze off sitting up. Had a siesta on the couch and then went to Pricesmart to pick up some veggies for supper with mom, dad and Jill. I had grand plans of watching Prince Caspian but Jenny called and she trumps Caspian any day!! She had her midwife appointment and I wanted to hear all about it. After we got all caught up (an hour or so later) I had a shower and went to bed.

Today was good... a little busy cleaning, etc, preparing for "company" (mom, dad and Jill). The chicken and dumplings turned out great!! I was so glad I doubled the recipe... it said it would serve four but after I saw how much food was in the crock pot I decided to double it - there was no way it would serve four! We ate and filled up but there aren't any leftovers. It was quite delicious! I'll post the recipe at the end of this message. Mom bought Dilly Bars for dessert. Yum!

I managed to get out earlier today for a walk. Went to the RBC to make a deposit for PYPS and I mailed some letters that have been piling up for ages. It was glorious out there! I came home and it was 22 degrees in my apartment so I threw open all my windows and doors and let the cool air flow through. Made it a little chilly but very fresh. It feels like spring!!

Tomorrow morning is a phone conference for Kathy's accountability group (Kathy works for the Synod - the church - so there's a group that meets every so often to discuss her job and what direction she would like it to take, etc). At least... thats my understanding. That's at 10am. I have a Doctor's appointment in the afternoon - just to check in and say that everything is going well. No seizures since August! Praises to God!

Wednesday, Jenny and I are going to hit up Fabricland and maybe have a cuppa tea if there's time. We'll see what her schedule is like.

Talk to you soon!

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Classic Chicken and Dumplings (cheater version)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 medium carrots, cut into 1 inch slices
4 ribs of celery, sliced
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp garlic poweder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
16oz can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1/2 frozen peas or corn kernels

Place chicken pieces, carrots, celery, soups, broth, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper in the crock pot and mix to combine thoroughly. Cut five of the buttermilk biscuits into quarters. Add to the chicken mixture and lightly combine. Cover. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours (or on high for 3 to 4 hours). Fifteen minutes prior to serving, bake the remaining biscuits as directed. Add the peas/corn to the chicken and dumplings about two minutes before serving or until warmed through. To serve, spoon the chicken and dumplings into individual bowls and top each serving with a warm biscuit. Ladle additional sauce over the top, if desired.

I found the sauce to be a bit thin so I continued to cook on high for 20 minutes with the lid off so some of the liquid evaporated.

This will feed four exactly. Add more chicken and vegetables to serve more but don't add more liquid.

YUM!

Saturday, January 17, 2009


Hello folks.

Have had a good couple days... More great weather has made for more exploring outside!

Yesterday I went to Parkholm and volunteered for an hour in their thereputic pool. We do gentle exersices with the clients and soak while we chatter away and catch up each week. Its nice. I look foward to it each week. I came home via Jenny's... she didn't answer her door (sometimes her buzzer doesn't work) so I kept hoofin' it. Was home for a bit and then went out with Jill to Langley. She needed to pick up a box of horseshoes for her next job. I went along purely for the ride. We stopped at Esquires for a chai tea latte each. Delicious - Seriously good! I highly recommend them! Came home, stopped at Sue and Dennis' so Jill could rasp one of their horses' hind feet. We stopped at Superstore so I could pick up some pictures I had printed then she dropped me off at home after all that. I got some 5x7" pictures done so I could put them up on the wall in the bathroom. The pictures I had there were from 2 years ago... time for an update. The picture above is one of the pictures on my wall.
Today was mostly quiet. It was nice to just chill. Was going to walk to Liquidation World so I called to tell Jill I would be a bit late (she was going to pick me up at 4) but she decided to come in early so we could go to LW together. Afterwards we picked up a few things here at my place and then went to mom and dad's for supper with our cousin Janet and her mom Aunt Aileen (they're actually dad's aunt and cousin). We ate and drank and played Cranium. My team won (me, aunt and Janet). The winning card had me acting out a "revolving door". tee hee. Mom bought me non-alcoholic wine which really, really made my day. I don't do alcohol. It was such a nice touch (my mom loves me!)... and it tasted really good. Jill reminded me right off the bat that wine is supposed to be sipped, not chugged. Alcoholic wine or not, it was kind of her to clue me in! ha ha.
Tomorrow is Sunday. Our little praise group is singing at church in the morning. Practice is at 9am. We're singing two songs... can't remember the title of either of 'em, but they're good songs. I just hate singing into the mic. Microphones are evil! I plan to pop over to Pricesmart in the afternoon to pick up a few groceries for supper Monday. Mom dad and Jill are coming over for chicken and dumplings "a la crockpot". I'm excited and hope it turns out well!
Alas, its getting late.
Talk to you soon!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Hello!


What a beautiful day, eh?! Gorgeous!


Yesterday I hoofed it to Pricesmart for a few groceries after I spent a while in the bookman. I'm addicted to Beverly Lewis... wanted to see if they had any of her newer stuff. No such luck but I bought one of her older books that I read a really long time ago... will be good to re-read it. Pricesmart was good. The thrill of grocery shopping on my own hasn't dwindled at all. I love it! So I bought a few things I was desperate for (pickles) and then went home. I also wanted to go to the Library... if I'd been thinking, I would have gone to there first... by the time my backpack was full I decided to head home. That's ok.


Today I went to the Video Station and picked up the new Chronicles of Narnia movie. Very excited about that. Then I crossed the street to the Library where I picked up an audio book. I want to try putting it on my MP3 player... see if I like listening to it while I bomb around town. I picked "Divine" by Karen Kingsbury. Haven't read anything by her but I thought I would give it a go. Afterwards I went to Salish Park and found a bench away from the pot-smokers and read my book (I'm working on the last Harry Potter book... I know, I know, I'm a little bit behind the times... better late then never, I say). After a while I got up and moved on to Pricesmart. I forgot to pick up cheese and salad dressing yesterday so I grabbed those and came home. Sure didn't want to go inside. It felt like spring out there!

Made supper "a la crockpot" - so good. The meat was a mite overcooked because I forgot to turn the heat setting down when Adam got here so it cooked on high for too long. Oh well, ya live and ya learn. It still tasted great! Had a good cuppa tea with Adam. Its always good to chat with him!

Tomorrow I'm off to Parkholm in the morning. Will see what kinds of exploring I get done afterwards.

And yay! My GST cheque came today to mom and dad's! woohoo! The government is pretty good to me - no complaints. Well... I'm sure I could complain but I choose not to.

Talk to you soon!

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Hello folks!

Got together with Jen this afternoon and did some shopping. Got to the post office and picked up some stamps (really cute ones!). I always get the same lady at the post office and that's perfectly ok with me because she's super cute and really fun! I've asked her if my parcels could be held at the main post office instead of going to the Shopper's Drug Mart branch... that way I could pick them up on my own. (The Shopper's branch has a passport picture booth that has a fabulous white flash bulb. I became aquainted with their floor once... haven't been back since). The lady at the main branch was really helpful and said she'd get back to me tomorrow.

May I share with you a piece of frustration? Here we go:

I've had tremendous success with CD Plus in the past but there's a CD I want for dad and its causing problems. I ordered it in March for dad's birthday in April. I called a week before his birthday and it wasn't in, they said that the order was placed incorrectly so they re-placed the order... I figured it would be in for Father's Day in June. I called in mid-June and it wasn't in. They said the order was placed incorrectly and they would re-order it. I pretty much forgot about it after that. I called again in September, thinking I could give it to him for his Retirement and guess what? The order had been placed incorrectly so they reordered it. (At this point I'm beginning to dectect a pattern). I figured that it would be here for Christmas so when I didn't hear back from them by November, I called them. I explained how many times I had re-ordered this CD (four) and what my frustration was. She apologized and once again and re-ordered the CD with her promises that it would be here for Christmas. Its now Janurary and I still don't have the CD in my hands. I called them about a week ago to ask what the problem was and spoke very strongly. He said the order (for once) was placed correctly and that he wasn't sure why it hadn't come in. He said he'd call me back when he found out. And all this time there was confusion when I called about whether I was Danielle or Diane. Turns out, some lovable idiot mistook my name when they re-ordered it in April and ordered it under "Diane". Apparently the CD came in, they called me and asked for Diane. I didn't have call display and didn't know it was the CD store calling so I told them that there was no Diane at this number. They then held the CD for a month and sold it to someone else at the end of July. I kept my cool when I found this out but I really just wanted to reach through the phone and knock a few heads together. I called them earlier today and it still isn't in. Again, she said she'd get back to me. I've 'bout had it with them. Like I said earlier, I have had success ordering and buying stuff from them but this CD is clearly going to be a thorn in my side. I wouldn't fight so hard but dad specifically asked for a song that's on this CD. I can't give up now! My patience has an experation date, though. If it isn't here by March (a full year from when I first ordered it), there will angry letters written.

So that's the story of dad's Birthday/Father's Day/Retirement/Christmas CD. I'll let you know when I actually get it.

Had worship practice tonight. Lots of discussion on how to re-position the instruments and what to do with the communion table now that the instruments might be taking over. There was discussion about a drum kit maybe making its way into our ensemble - I'm pretty excited about that possibility though there were some present who aren't quite as thrilled at the prospect. We sang for a few minutes but it more closely resembled a committee meeting then a worship practice. That's ok - it was good discussion all 'round. It was a nice short walk... the night air is so crisp... it was lovely!

Just devoured supper... my first crockpot meal. I had two buffalo steaks in my freezer, threw them (thawd) in with some chopped up potatoes, carrots, celery and mushrooms. Threw some Ranch salad dressing on top and let it cook for 8 hours. Yum. Deliciousness

Talk to you soon!

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Had a fun night tonight!

Tonight was Jill's birthday party with all the relatives (aunts, uncles, cousins, etc). It was great to see everyone again, even though its only been 10 days since we were last together (Steve's birthday). We moved the 'adults' into the living room and the cousins took up residence at mom and dad's kitchen table and played a loud game of Cranium. Seriously fun!! My team won, but only because the other team took pity on us and let us moved through quicker. The other team was some ticked when we finished first. tee hee. That's ok - they still love us.

I'm pretty tired now and am going to bed. Tomorrow I'm actually going to venture out to the post office. I need stamps in the worst way! Might stop at Tim Horton's and use some of the gift certificate Melissa gave me - Thanks Melissa!!

*yawn*

Talk to you soon!

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Success!

We have success, folks!

My first restaurant excursion went off without a hitch. We were seated in the back dining room, away from the overhead fans. The staff at Homer's was awesome, very helpful and gracious with my limitations. Its such a cute restaurant - I'd definitely go there again.

The three of us (me, Jen and Jenny) were super surprised when the waitress told us that "your cheque was taken care of by one of your mothers". That was pretty cool. Thanks mom!! Mom, dad and Jill sat at a different table in the main room and popped in to make sure all was well at our table. It was a nice balance.

The three of us came back to my place for tea and cookies while we gabbed and relaxed. Its so good to have them over! It was a nice way to celebrate Jen's anniversary. Next year Elie will be here so they can celebrate together as a couple, we hope.

I'm going to go read my book and try to unwind from the excitement of this evening.

Talk to you soon.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Hello again folks.

Just finished up a late-night batch of cookies - coconut/oatmeal haystacks. Super easy and super delicious. They're just setting now... they'll go in the freezer tomorrow. I'm at a crisis low of cookies to serve company. Better fix that, eh?

Am excited about going out for supper tomorrow! A little nervous, too, but I'll be just fine. I've learned to leave my seizures in God's hands. No point in me worrying and fretting. It really is a combination of common-sense and divine protection. Will let you guys know how it goes tomorrow.

Its unfortunate but I really have to do dishes tonight. I'm out of cutlery and I've got two plates and two bowls left. Alas, the time has come.

----

Dishes are half done. I'm calling it quits. I ran out of space for them to dry... will let 'em dry overnight and put them away tomorrow when I go to wash the rest. All I can say is... I hope my future husband loves to wash dishes (or we have an automatic dishwasher whose name isn't Danielle!) Tee hee!

Hope you are all well!

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Hello again!

Went and did some shopping with Jill today. Had a hoot! We went in search of skirts and long-sleeved shirts. Probably tried on every shirt they had in the store (Penningtons) but ultimately came out with a zippie, a skirt and a really cool dress.

Jen's first wedding anniversary is on Saturday so Jenny and I are taking her out for supper since Elie (her hubby) isn't here to celebrate with her. This will be my first real restaurant experience in five years. I'm excited but nervous. Mom and dad will be coming, too, but they'll dine at a different booth. This will give me peace of mind should I have a seizure. Jen and Jenny are quite capable of taking care of me post-seizure but since the first step after they've insured my saftey is to call them, it makes sense to have them there just incase. Exciting but I'm a basket of nerves already and its only Thursday.

I'm supposed to be at Parkholm tomorrow morning but the sidewalks on my route are still covered in compact snow and very evil looking (drove the route today with Jill). I'm bummed - I really like Parkholm and the staff/clients. I miss 'em like crazy. There's always next week, I suppose. The rain has really made a difference on the sidewalks, though, but I'm a bit of a clutz and would likely break my ankle!

Am going to have a quiet evening... maybe watch Sister Act.

Talk to you soon.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Hey there folks!

Had a fun evening tonight.

Today was Jill's birthday so we celebrated with Chinese food and cake. Gave the birthday girl a few gifts, too. One of them was the game Cranium. I've heard good things about the game and have watched half a round but had never played it before tonight. Jill and I are totally in tune with each other and kicked mom and dad's butts! My favourite moment was Jill trying to draw an 'exterminator'. We lost that round, lets just say!

Jill has a thing for brown and blue so I made her a necklace out of brown and blue beads. She likes it and has requested matching earrings. I'll have a stop by the bead store before the 11th (the big family party). Should be good. It won't be a surprise since we already discussed bead-order, etc. I have a few ideas up my sleeve, though!

Earlier today I moved a bookcase into my dinette... my cookbooks and tinfoil needed a better home then the one shelf they've been crammed onto for the last 10 months. It looks much better and if my wax paper and recipes could talk, they'd thank me! Dad is tossing around the idea of making me a simple buffet and hutch for that wall in my dinette. That would be really rad!

Dad got his glasses today and do they ever look good!! They did such a good job picking out his frames you'd hardly even notice he was wearing them! So nice! New glasses always come with a period of adjustment... I think he'll do just fine.

It would appear that I'm getting my earlier wish for three days of rain. The forcast is calling for rain til Sunday with occasional flurries on Friday. Depending on how much snow has melted tomorrow and how deep the puddles are, I'm going on a soggy walk to the post office to mail the stack that's been piling up on my desk. I also have a guitar lesson tomorrow night. Am looking forward to that, too!

The dishes are calling me but bed is shouting louder.

Talk to you later!

Monday, January 5, 2009

I stand corrected...

Ha ha..

Turns out Jill came up with the name of this blog all by her lonesome. That's cuz she's got skills.

TTFN

a Thank-You and socks

I've been debating for quite a while if I should do a blog. I don't know if anyone will be interested in reading what I have to write but I thought it would be a fun project for the new year. Those who know me know that I love a good project! We'll see if this is something that captures me.

A thank-you of sorts:

I am in absolute love with living on my own. I hate dishes, though. If I could forgo one household chore for the rest of my life - it would be dishes. ha ha. I love going places by myself and doing my own grocery shopping. I love paying my own bills and budgeting each month. Its been 10 months and the novelty hasn't worn off! I still can't believe its been that long - almost a year! So the thank-you is this: I sure couldn't have gone this far without all the people standing behind me, shouting their encouragements! You guys rock. Thank you! (and uber thanks to dad who helps me with my dishes when he comes to visit!)

Enough mushy stuff...

I'm not so fond of all this snow! I won't complain too loudly because it is quite pretty and Qualicum apparently has a million times more snow. I said to my sister today that what I really want is about three days of downpour to wash all this snow away to clear the sidewalks. I stand by that. I'm ready for a true Fraser Valley winter - rain and slush. tee hee.

My sister, J, and I hung out today and ran a few errands around town. Its always good to be with her! J and mom are responsible for the name of this blog. I think it suits and I look forward to posting regularly.

Should get back to crocheting my sock laundry-bag. I loose far too many socks to the washer-and-dryer Goblins so I'm crocheting a bag that I can huck into the wash, filled with my socks, each week. Necessity is the mother of invention!

Talk to ya soon!