A Little Catch Up & A Small Rant(and a Surprise!)

Howdy! Well, as my aunt says, "I'm so far behind, I'm ahead", so I think I will take a page from her play book and just start "over again". Here are a few things that have been new and exciting around here :)

It has been COLD, y'all! It started snowing last Thursday, and no one was prepared for it. I had to go "up the hill" (as we locals call it), and I kept swerving all over the road. It melted the next day, and then started up again on Saturday, and it didn't stop really until Sunday night. Fun times. It is only -8C, but it feels like -16c. Brrr!!! The ranch got 15cms of now yesterday. Hello, winter, indeed! The winter tires are going on tomorrow!

I have been "busy" with 3-4 jobs. I look after a young girl for a couple of hours after school; I look after my nephews when needed; I do respite for a friend's sister, and I have been walking my friend's dog. I also have watching too much TV, reading too many magazines, and lazying about. I wish I could say that I have been walking every day for the last while, but I have not. 

I know it has been a month since, but I didn't talk about Thanksgiving, so I will highlight that here. We had Thanksgiving :) It was fun, and we ate lots :) In Canada, Thanksgiving is the second weekend in October, and I always joke that our Thanksgiving is really at the proper time :) We met at my parents', as we usually do. Anker and I went out on Saturday, just in time for dinner. The weather was pretty good; if I can recall. We also played "Code Names", which at first I didn't like, but after a few minutes, I really got into it! Dinner was delicious, and we had the added bonus of hanging out with 9 (reduced down to 7) adorable Guard Dog puppies! They are just the sweetest things. I wish I could have gone out a week or so again, and play with the puppies one last time, but it never really worked out, so I will have to wait until Christmas (they are keeping two) for us to see them again. They will be nearly 3 months old when we see them again. They won't be cute puppies anymore, but oh well :) Mom says that they are simply adorable; cute and fat. The next day, Sunday, we celebrated J's birthday. We had a fun afternoon of cake, tea and presents. 

My church had a games night October 1st, which was fun. Some of us from the church were also invited to a congregant's surprise 60th birthday party the other week. It was a fun evening, filled with food, fun, and laughter. Some of us got to experience a Vietnamese at home feast the other Sunday. I might have skipped church the last couple of Sundays, due to cold weather, and my trying to semi-quarantine (which, clearly, hasn't been working out so well!), but I was darned if I was going to miss that! I actually wasn't going to go, but I felt that I had to support them. They moved into their new house, and they invited anyone for lunch after church. I believe there are 12 members who are living together. They came from Vietnam a few years ago, then moved to Kamloops a few years ago. They are the sweetest family. The food was delicious! Did you know that BBQ is popular in Vietnam? I had no idea It was fun to hang out and get to know them better. I forgot my phone in the car, so I couldn't take any pics, but believe me, it was really neat! Our ladies got together the other Thursday for a chilli night. It was so fun! We also decided to start a "secret sister" "program" (for lack of a better word). It had been brought up the month before, when we had a Pumpkin Spice ladies' night (which was also fun!). Most of the ladies hadn't heard of it. Can you imagine? We had to explain how it worked. So, it was decided that we start one up. 

I have been still going over to Emily's for movie nights. We even had one or two with our new neighbour; Sarah. It has been fun getting to know her a bit better. Anker celebrated his 60th birthday as well last month. We had birthday waffles with A and K, and then we just hung out for the rest of the day. He didn't really want anything, and as usual, didn't have a ton of money, so we just relaxed. I did get him a fun cake and a pie, though.

I met up with my friend (twice in on week!) up for coffee this last week. We always have a fun chat when we visit. We somehow always find something to talk about. We met up at Starbucks one day, and then on this last Saturday, we met at Blenz (a BC-owned coffee chain) for Eggnog lattes before I went shopping. 

....and now for the surprise...I am going to the Philippines! Why, do you ask? My sister is getting married! Yah, we are all pretty surprised, too! Ha! If you have been following me along for any length of time, you know that my sister has been living in the Philippines on and off for the last 6 yrs. She met her fiancé a year and a half ago, and they got engaged in the summer. Mom, Dad & I are all going. We 3 are the only ones vxd, and are able to go. My aunt and uncle bought me a ticket, otherwise I wouldn't be able to go. I am anxious, nervous and scared. I haven't travelled since 1996! I was given the medical clearance to fly (I have a few health conditions, as you know); btwn my sleep machine (heart/lung issues), my sort of history of blood clots, and my diabetes, I wasn't sure if I could go on that long of a flight/so far away. Oh, and on top of that, I am pretty sure I am going through menopause..oh, gooddeee. My passport came last week (Yay!), and I got my necessary poisons  shots, I bought the health insurance, sandals and the dress, and here we are! Anker's sister bought him a flight to Victoria while I am away; which was very sweet. It will give him something to do while I am away. I am going to be gone for 3 weeks! EEEKKK!! My mom has already been there twice (V wanted her to go and meet the boyfriend), so she is a pro now! My dad is going, too! Can you imagine? He has got to California and Mexico, but this is going to be first time going so far away. I will most likely do all of mt blogging when I come, but I will try to post pics as much as I can along the way.

....and now for a rant (or two!). I have a love hate relationship with social media (mainly IG and blogging) lately. I feel that it is either about what they bought, "look at me/what I did", and it has been driving me crazy. I mean, I get so tired of people posting about stuff they bought. This world, I feel, is just out to buy, buy, buy. I cannot tell you how many of my blogs in my blog feed talks about what they bought, and I am not talking about Christmas and special times of the year. This happens allll time. I feel like people are trying to compete with one another, solely on what they can (not) afford/buy. Go on IG (or any SM platform, really) and it won't be long until you realize that you are OLD. Girls who are in their 20s and 30s seem to have taken IG over by storm. And don't even talk to me about the 30 yr olds (or younger) who have a large following, and then think they know it all, so they write a book. Then, they advertise their book. I mean, really. Who died and made you queen of-whatever-the-book-is-about's-subject? But let's get back to those people who buy, just because, shall we? I have found that this is a larger-than-life-subject. People will, with no thought or reason behind why they bought their item....just...buy...just because. And what does that do for their self worth? Not to mention, the amount of junk and useless items that they have in their homes that end of being used once or twice, and then thrown away in an attic or a basement; basically being stored away. Anyway, what is just what is been on my mind the last bit :) Take that for what it's worth.

Drinking some Pumpkin Spice Latte, and reading my magazines out with the leaves :)

Friday Favourites (and Happy Thanksgiving!)

 It is Tuesday and I actually have a lot of favourites already! Well, it is now in the early morning hours of Saturday, and it is Thanksgiving Long Weekend here in Canada. We are headed up to the ranch in the morning. Looking forward to family, food, football (not really), fellowship, foliage, family, more food, faith, and fun.. So, let's get started!

1) My new favourite song is "What He's Done". I LOVE it! I found it on Andrea's blog/IG when she posted a video about her daughter singing in their church choir. I had to find the song (I actually had found it awhile back, but when I saw it again, I wanted to know what the song was, so I picked up my sleuthing hat a decided to find out...via finding out their church, finding the song, etc....). I absolutely love the song!!

2) Our church had a game night on Saturday, and it was a hoot. We played Jenga, and some people played Taboo, and the kids played Laser Tag upstairs. A couple of other people and myself started playing Yahtzee, and then we had to pack it up. LOL. We had food, which is always a good thing!

3) A friend and I went for a wine tasting at a local winery on Sunday. The tasting itself only took a few minutes, but we sat and and drank a cider outside and chatted outside in the cool, crisp fall air for two hours!!!

4) Coffee with a friend on Tuesday! As of early Tuesday morning, this hasn't happened yet, but it will. Well, it is now late Friday night, and I am trying to finish this off, so I can post it before I leave for the ranch tomorrow (Saturday). Coffee with my friend on Tuesday was wonderful. It had been ages since we had gone out for coffee together, and we had a lovely time :) I had a couple of movie nights with my next door neighbour, Emily this week, too. I also had a coffee with my respite client/friend at a local coffee shop. I have gotten bread and treats from them before, but I don't know if I had ever sat and had coffee there. I had a steamer and a cream puff. Yum!

5) Fall leaves are well, falling, and changing. Also, Jim Gaffigan does a funny sketch on fall and the leaves, which is pretty funny (and accurate). I love the cooler weather; the days are perfect; crisp and cool, and nights are definitely feeling more fall/winter.

6) Waking up to extra money in my account on Wednesday was most definitely a FAVOURITE! That was totally God!!! I tithed a few days prior (I have a hard time doing it, but I know that is what Jesus wants us to do; so I do it "when I can"-which is a bad excuse, I know), and when I woke up to what I thought was going to be MAYBE a $100 in my account was a bit more than that :) 

7) I found a cute new weather app; called Weather Kitty. It is so cute! It has pictures of kitties that coincide with the weather and the time of day. I read about it in a cat magazine, so I thought it would be fun to try it out :) Of course, there is always a "premium" (pd) option, which is much more fun; with fun pictures, etc. But I won't give in to that (though I do love me a premium account on Spotify!). I also downloaded a couple of more apps this last week, but I haven't had the chance to really explore them yet, and one isn't even working.

8) Good/New TV is back; and that makes me happy. I will probably do a TV post soon, to talk about all of my hours of useless TV that I watch :) I only found out a month or so ago that this will be New Amsterdam's last season! They announced that back in the spring, and I have recollection of reading/hearing that anywhere. I just now finished the last 8 or 9 episodes of The Resident from last season! Can you believe that I went all summer without finishing last season?? I just wasn't in the mood to watch them until a few days ago. Weird, I know. Also, who else thinks that the girls who play Luna (NA), and GiGi (TR) are the most adorable things you've ever seen? 

9) Ginger Peach / Peach Ginger juice is one my favourite drinks. My brother told me about it this summer, so I grabbed a pack (actually, I grabbed one out of their fridge before to try it out), and it is delicious! I bought a pack yesterday; and I am loving it! I don't think I had posted on IG or FB before (and certainly not on here), that I found my new favourite drink. It is from the PC Brand (Loblaw's' store brand), and it is delicious. Is it pop? Is it iced tea? Is it juice? Who knows? It is DELICIOUS!!

10) Getting healthier/Walking, etc. I am trying to do a bit more walking, and taking my BP more. I also think I have lost a few pounds, so that is always a plus :) I am also in a couple of health programs (am I doing a great job at following them? Maybe....), but at least I am trying :) 

10.1) Finding out when W Network will air their Countdown to Christmas movies was most definitely a favourite from this week. I may or may not still have Christmas movies from last year that I haven't watched yet :) It starts October 21st. Not that I am counting, or anything! I am pretty sure that they started earlier last year (I think that was the first time that they had started C2C that early). I like that they are still airing fall themed-movies for at least some of October :)

Linking up with Andrea and Erika for another edition of Friday Favourites!

This blog post has been put together at different points throughout the week (well, at two points). I started one the main faves on Tuesday, and I elaborated on them (and added more info) today. Basically, this wasn't done in one linear post. Also, I want to get this out on the link-y thing, so I am not going to link anything now, but I might post some links later this weekend. Have a wonderful (Thanksgiving/Long) Weekend, everyone! 

Friday Favourites

Happy Friday, friends! Today (30th of Sept), I am going to concentrate on Truth and Reconciliation day,  and some of my favourites related to that. If you don't know what that is, Google is your friend, but it used to be called Orange Shirt Day. This day in the past has not been a day off, but two or three years ago, our federal government declared this day a stat holiday, and this year was the second year in a row that this has been day off. You can get more information about Orange Shirt Day and Phyllis Webstad here.

                                                                   (not my photo)

1) My favourite orange shirt is one I got last summer from a lady who was selling them for a friend. I got Anker and I both one, and although it doesn't look great on me, I love the message. One of my favourite scrunchies comes from SProductsDesignStyle. It is orange and funds from that went to Kamloops Indian Residential School Survivors' Fund.

                                                                 Taken Sept 30th, 2022

2) My favourite movie (I admit I don't watch a lot..I have to get better at that) surrounding this subject is "Indian Horse". I watched it this evening with my friend. I was procrastinating watching it for years, b/c I knew that it would be sad. Mom watched it a year or so ago, and warned me. I was very angry when it was done.

3) Tk'emlúps is one of my favourite places to be. We sit on the unceded territory of the Secwépemc Tk'emlúps First Nation People. The name means "The Meeting of the Waters", and it does have two waters that meet in town. The North (from the valley) Thompson and the South (that comes out of the Secwépemc (Shuswap) Lakes.

                                            Taken Sept 30th from different areas in Kamloops. 

This photo was taken this last summer. It shows the two different rivers joining, and their distinct colours. The NT River is muddy, and the ST River is clear :)

4) My favourite Secwépemc museum has been closed since CVD, and it is just a wonderful source of information. I went to the website, and it still says it is closed, and I hope that they reopen. If you are local, keep this site bookmarked for a future field trip.

5) Although I am not great at watching/listening to a lot of First Nation programming, I have watched some shows on APTN, & CBC always have some wonderful and educational programming. I also have listened to a podcast on Spotify called "Kuper Island". I haven't even finished it yet. That is how bad I am at listening (though I am not a huge podcast listener, anyway). Our local radio station (Country 103) even did a "Day of Listening" on the station today. They had several First Nation People talking about their experiences, etc.

6) This baby at a Saskatchewan Powwow went viral in August and it was the most adorable thing I have ever seen! Click here to take a look and listen :) You will thank me later.

7) One of my favourite First Nation people to follow is Ashley Callingbull. I follow her on IG, and I love her. I first heard of her when I saw her on Amazing Race Canada a few years back. She is from the Enoch Cree First Nation reserve in Alberta, and she is stunning and as she is educational :) There are also a few others who I follow. One lady (and I cannot remember her name on IG. I have been trying to find her online for a half hour) is a phenomenal dancer. I also follow James Jones on IG, and he has some wonderful funny skits/videos that the does. I also have started following Wad Kinew on IG, but I learned about him last year, as he spoke in the House of Commons. I think I follow him on FB.

8) I love bannock, salmon, and berries. I enjoyed watching the Salmon run a few years ago when I was working at the school. It was an hour or so away, and it was so fun! Every four years they do Salute to the Sockeye Salmon every four years. It is super fun!!! We had an Indigenous cafe open awhile back, and I cannot wait to try it one day. Kekuli Cafe primarily serves bannock, and I have heard that it is fantastic! 

9) I have looked through a few books about First Nation History. I haven't fully read one (yah, I know..I am terrible), but one book that I have looked through a few times is called, They Called Me Number One. Another book that I have read through a couple of times is written by the lady who started the "Orange Shirt Day" movement/awareness, Phyllis Webstad called Beyond the Orange Shirt Story, and one for children called, Phyllis's Orange Shirt. I have a couple of books out from the library now; one being called 21 Things that You May Not Know About The Indian Act. And yes, I have read through some of it. Another book I have out called is called Standoff. There are also a few children's books that I have read that talk about the Residential schools that I have taken out of the library and I have read in recent years. One is called Shin-Chi's Canoe. There are lots of more, of course, but I won't bother with naming/linking the books. One more that I like is called, I Lost My Talk (She also has written one called "I'm Finding My Talk"). I would say that one of the best places to learn about the Residential Schools (and their survivors) would be to check out National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.  The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was formed in 2008 to tell survivor's stories. I have this bookmarked on/to my favourites on my laptop. I should look at it more than I do :)

10) I have a friend who is First Nations, and we spend quite a bit of time together. I will sometimes ask her about her traditions, food, teachings, her growing up years, etc :) I love learning from others. 

I am linking up with Andrea and Erika for Friday FavoUrites :)

FYI: This post took me about 2-3 hours to write. Btwn links, wanting to get correct information, getting photos; this took ages :)

Friday Favourites

 Happy FriYAY!

I am linking up with Erika and Andrea for this week's Friday Favourites! 

 

First off, there have been a few hurricanes happening, one of which might touch on Eastern Canada this weekend, and I know that one has already touched down in the DR, and PR. Please, everyone, keep safe!!!

1) It's Fall, y'all!! And the leaves (does that seem like weird spelling to you? I checked, and it is correct..weird) on the trees are starting to change :) It is also getting cooler, which I am not mad about.

2) A (sort of) routine. I sort of have a routine going during my week day. I hate having a rigid routine, but I like knowing what is going to happen, and have a sense of, well, routine in my day. I will probably get into more of a routine in the next few weeks (or at least knowing what job I am doing when); or at least some sense of well, routine! Yes, I realized that I kind of repeated myself. Oh well.

3) My job(s). I love my jobs so much! The young person that I look after every day is such a sweetheart! I love that I have somewhat of a flexible schedule, too! 

4) Coffee with a great friend (and my MK products that I got!!). This, of course, included my first Starbucks PSL of the season! It was delicious, and the chat was pretty great, too!!!

5) My monthly sushi and Blizzard date. Once a month, my friend, Adela, and I go for (to?) sushi and a Blizzard at DQ. Now that we are almost done all of the sushi restaurants, we are doing to start doing, well, the rest of the restaurants in town :) We have a list, so it's legit, and everything! Right now, we have been going into the sushi that we either didn't feel comfortable going into, or that were take out only during the Pan-D. We have a few more to go, before we start going to the rest of the eateries in town. This last time we went to Jacob's Noodle & Cutlet, and it was really good. I had their dumplings, and their Black Tiger Roll, which ended up having fish eggs on it (I probably wouldn't have ordered it if had known what the term they used for fish eggs). I just pretended that they were extra protein. 

6) Church Ladies' night PSL. On Monday (which was a day off, due to the Queen's funeral), our church ladies got together at our pastor's family's house and we had a wonderful time. I think the original plan was to have PSL and prayer, but we ended chatting too much!

7) Movies with Friends. Emily (my next door neighbour) and I had a movie night last night, and we watched the cutest movie on Netflix called "Love in the Villa". It was super sweet! On Monday, between sushi and the PSL night, Emily, and our new neighbour got together to watch a movie. We had done this before (we watched "Me Time"-which was where I got the term "Pan-D"), and we had a riot. Lots of food and drinks. This last time, we we watched "Do Revenge", which was terrible, but the food was good, so there's that.

8) Eggnog is out :) Our local dairy farm; Blackwell Dairy has come out with their eggnog early!!! It is SO good!! Our coffeepot got a leak, and it is now deemed unusable, which is a bummer, but our Espresso machine still works. Anker made me an eggnog latte this morning, which Starbucks' new Thanksgiving Blend (which I also got on Wednesday).

9) Good TV is back :) With "This is Us" being over, and me giving up on "Grey's Anatomy", there are still two tv slots that need to get filled. I am watching "Amazing Race" (AR Canada just wrapped up), and of course, tons of Hallmark/rom-com movies, and I am also watching a few series on Netflix. I am watching "The Crown", and I have watched a few other series (and documentaries, too) (on tv and on NF). I might do a TV post sometime. 

10) I was at the ranch with the boys last weekend. Mom and I tagged teamed, which usually goes well. The boys had gone up the day before, due to logistics, so I went up on my own Friday night. The weekend was busy, but fun. One of the dogs had 9 puppies (two have since died), so we had fun hanging out with them. H was the "dog doula" for Jem, and he had an absolute blast! J loves Duchess (one of the family's border collies), and played with her nearly all weekend. The way he says her name is hilarious! And she listens to him; he will tell her to "stay", and then walk away, all while telling her to "stay". Then he will say "come, and she will come when called. Like I said, hilarious! I think that is their favourite game (oh, and he loves to throw her a stick, too!). While there, Mom and I also did a mini-makeover on me. We were going to enter me into a Mary Kay contest, but since found out that I am in eligible (she is a Mary Kay Beauty Consultant now). Oh well...the time with Mom was fun, and she said she learned some new things, and the makeover made me feel pretty. We also watched "Hidden Figures" one night, which was fun. I love that movie!        

                                     The narcissist in me had fun posting and getting comments on this :)                                                                 

                                                         Jem and her litter of 8 (now 7).

A few other things....nice, normal next door neighbours, free clothes dryers (we normally have to pay $2  each for washing/drying), watching the Queen's funeral, getting some commemorative magazines on said the late HM Queen, makeup, cooler days (and nights), yet still being able to wear shorts/capris and sandals, Christmas movies all year long (you're welcome!); heck, Christmas Social Media groups/accounts being active all year long, less than two months until my Philippine trip, home grown fruits and veggies, and, well, I think that is all!

Thanksgiving 2021

 Uh well...yes, I am here :) I still haven't found my blogging "mojo", but just like walking, I am going to make myself do it...b/c...you know...I am so popular and all :)

 The day that I am writing this is American Thanksgiving, so I am wish all of my American friends (or people that live in the US), no matter where you are, a wonderful, safe, and happy Thanksgiving.

Actually, since we are 1/4 American (my grandpa was born in OK and came to Canada when he was 6 months or something), I figure that I should at least have pumpkin pie tonight :) 

So, yes, I have a lot to catch up on. First off, and I was going to post about this (and I may or. may not still talk about it on here), but I have gone out on my own, and I am pretty much, for lack of a better word, working for myself, and I LOVE IT!!! I love that I can make my own hours (I am NOT a morning person..hehe), and just "do my thing"; whether it is looking after the nephews or doing respite. I am totally at peace with where I am to be right now...I know that this is where I am supposed to be. My sister-in-law encouraged me to start thinking about going out on my own, and I finally listened (I know that that was God talking through her..sometimes, I just need a push, or something to wake up me up, you know?)! 

Anyway...my sister, Vienna, came back home on Furlough from the Philippines in early October, and after her two week quarantine (as of the end of the month, her vaccine, Sinovac will be approved in Canada, but back in October, it wasn't), my parents went to take out to Calgary to see family, friends, and to connect with the churches. She was BUSY while she was there! I don't think she really got a break...but she did amazing, and it was very successful. I went with my parents at the end of October to pick her up. Since the South way (through TCH) was closed due to construction (they only found this out on their way back from dropping her off...thus making it a 13 hour drive..which is normally an 8 or 9 hour drive); they asked me to drive up there, and we would go through National Parks. It was a lovely drive, and I had 3 really nice days. I hadn't been to Calgary in ages, and it was nice to be there. One interesting thing that happened while I was there, was that I somehow had issues with the altitude. I had a HORRIBLE time walking...even for me, it was bad. I was really scared that I was getting sick again, but when I got home, I was ablate walk normally, so the only thing I could figure, was that it was the altitude  I could barely walk...even in the mall. I noticed it as soon as I got out and walked. Due to picking up Vienna at a mall, we went there first...and as I am walking, I am freaking out, b/c it was so hard to walk. Anyway...all is fine now (I think) now that I am home.

While in Calgary, I visited friends, my gramma, family (my cousin and I had a coffee together), and of course, it was nice to see Vienna again :) We had a lovely trip back to BC, and since it was Halloween Weekend (I don't like being home on Halloween), and Vienna was presenting in our home church, I decided to stay over until Monday. It was wonderful to hang out and have "sleepovers" with her. We talked, walked, laughed, ate popcorn, chipped a tooth (yup!), and played with their Border Collie Puppy. Halloween evening, we watch some Big Bang Theory, Friends (Halloween eps), and the IT Crowd. Anyway...back to the chipped tooth..well, I was eating popcorn, and I bit down an uncooked kernel, and I thought I had just had a hull in my tooth...buuuuut...my mom looked at it, and she said that there was a big chip/crack. I might have cried. Anyway...I was able to get it fixed, with no drugs (I usually have to take sedatives before having any dental work done), as I went there for them to have a look at it, and they decided to do it right then and there. 

Ok, I guess I started on this last year, but I am still gonna keep it, b/c y'all know how I love to repeat myself...lol.

It is now September 2022, but I am going to continue where I left off from my last post.

As far as the real Canadian Thanksgiving Weekend in October, like I said before, Anker and I had a nice dinner at Adam and Krystle's while they were away. The Sunday of the long weekend, one of the families in our church (who have since moved to Mexico, which I might talk about that a bit and them in a later post), who had, for awhile had worship nights and Sunday dinners (I think that was once a month), in their home. The Sunday that they had scheduled for their open invitation for lunch ended up landing on Thanksgiving Sunday. I actually at first wasn't going to go, but I thought, "why not go", since we didn't have any other plans. I am so glad that I went! The food and company were wonderful, and it was great to connect with people in person again!

Btwn all of this, one of the parks in our city were building a new playground (funny this, I didn't know too much about it until it was about it open). It opened while the boys were out East, and I couldn't wait to take them after they got home. J calls it the "Big Park", and they both love it. There was a contest on the city's social media pages. All I had to do was post something (or someone) a photo of around the new playground. I don't post photos of any of my nieces and nephews on social media (it is VERY RARE if I do), so I just took a faraway pic of the playground; tagged #mymacpark, and posted it. Sure enough, I won. I won a set of mini-golf clubs :) It was pretty sweet :)

While I was looking at last November's events, I TOOOOTALLY forgot that I had had a sleepover at the ranch with Vienna, on the first weekend in November. :) See? It pays to write down things in one's calendar, and then go back and look it when needed :) Ha! It was also that weekend that we decided that that was the wknd that we would celebrate J's bday. For MONTHS prior, J had been insisting that he have his birthday at the ranch. We aren't sure what started that thought. Anyway, we had a lovely time celebrating his birthday - Paw Patrol - Style-! Mom did a fantastic job of making his cake. I took it upon myself to bring said PP decorations! Anyway, due to Vienna having her q-tine, and then her going to Calgary, our family decided to move Thanksgiving to November. Our brother and his family came up from the Island, and we all had the best time!!! We ate, went for walks, visited, ate again, played with the kids, etc. Anker was very involved with visiting and hanging with the kids. It was great seeing the cousins play together. L and A left Sunday morning before Church, and the day was clear and beautiful. Sadly, it didn't last. About 3 or so hours after they left; it started to rain in and around the province. Hard. Very, very hard! Poor L and A barely made it home before all 3 of the routes to the coast (and where a lot of our items-food, etc-come from) were closed off, due to the floods! Suffice it to say, that the next few weeks here in B.C were a bit of a stressful time. People were hoard buying-AGAIN!-, btwn the floods and the barges that were waiting MONTHS in the Vancouver and Halifax harbours-it was awhile before we all saw the shelves in the stores full again (actually, there are still supply and items shortages). We are so happy that Luke and the family got home safe. There were people that I knew that actually had to sleep in their cars on the highway. We are all so thankful that they arrived safe (albeit late!) and sound. We were talking about that in May when they were here (again, I will talk about that in another post), and I had totally forgotten that they were stuck in the mess; but surprisingly, all of their girls did great during that crazy time...I think they said that the littlest one slept nearly the whole time!

I think Vienna and I were enjoying a Starbucks drink here. Mom made this great cake for J.

                                            I think this was from our Fakesgiving Weekend.

Friday Favourites

 I haven't done a Friday Favourites in AGES...so, here are a few things that I am loving lately!

Well, this isn't a favourite by any means, but I do love the Royal Family, and seeing Will and Kate get closer to the Crown makes me happy, sooo....there you go. I was actually kind of surprised that Queen Elizabeth died. I know, I know. I shouldn't be, but she was kind of like my great aunts Madeline (Mada) and Jean...they were immortal; or so we all thought. It was actually my brother to texted me to tell me that she had passed. I had heard via my news app that her family were coming to her side, but I honestly thought that she would rally. But, it was her time to go. I am sure she missed Philip greatly. 

Speaking of The Crown, I have started getting back into that show. It took me awhile to get into it, so I only started watching it a couple of years ago. I watched a couple of episodes a week or so ago (not in order), but I thought since we have a new Monarchy, and in these times, that now would be a good time to continue watching it. I guess due to the Pan-D, they didn't film/release their 5th season last year. I always thought that there had been a season released in 2021, but they didn't. Apparently, they are releasing season 5 in November. I am assuming that they will be doing another season, since I hear that they have cast the actors for Will and Kate.

Thinking about going to the Philippines in TWO MONTHS is a favourite! I am scared, but oh so excited to go and watch my sister get married to her love. I also hope to sweat off 30lbs while I am there, so there's that :) Let's pray that my Passport comes SOOOOON!

Starting a new job with a former KCS family is a favourite :) I won't say much, only that I am very happy!!! I love how the Lord provides!!!!

I have been mixing up PB and Hazelnut spread, and dipping in crackers and cookies in it as a night time snack has been a favourite. I also bought Whipped Cream Cheese (two flavours; mixed berry and Herbed Tzatzki), which has also been a yummy favourite.

Blogging and journalling again has been a favourite. Now, to stick with it!

Rejoining Epicure (for the 3rd time!) has been a favourite (but probably short-lived!).

My sushi friend and I have finally completed trying all of the sushi places in the city. We have started trying some other non-sushi restaurants, and we are now going to try the sushi places that we couldn't (or we didn't feel comfortable with eating in during the Pan-D), and then, we are writing up all of the restaurants that we want to try in the city has been a favourite.

Getting back into a semi-routine is a favourite. Not that I have a rigid routine (not that I like to have one, more do I have much of one in the first place), but it is nice to have some sort of schedule of the day.

New neighbours (and movie nights) that moved in awhile ago are a favourite. They are a very young couple, but very sweet, and non-noisy. We 3 girls (her, Emily and myself) had a movie night last Sunday, and it was really nice. They are right next door; replacing Haley who used to live there. 

Cooler weather has been a favourite. I am very happy that our 35+C weather has left for another year. Now, we will be complaining because of the cold :)

There are other things that I have enjoyed or that are new lately; I got a new purse and wallet (second hand) in part because of my trip, but I was also wanting to get a purse with a cross-over strap. I don't LOVE it, but I like that fact that it is a cross-over, so that's good. We got a new duvet and cover for our 15th wedding anniversary. It seems very warm, as we haven't really needed it (too hot!), so I guess that it will work for winter :) I know that I am late in the game, but I finally discovered Spotify last fall. It came on my new phone, and I thought I would see what all the fuss was about, and I LOVE it!! I went and tried 3 months for free, and then, I might have spent a few bucks a few times to get the Premium account. Anker fixed one of our fans that had suddenly died. All it needed was a bit of an oil grease, and on it went! I love that Anker can fix things (even though our place is a garage with his stuff!). 

I am linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week's Friday FavoUrites!!!!!

Still Here? Earth to April's Blog/It's Been a HOT Minute..

 Hello! Well, I have a few drafts in my drafts folder, but they are only really the title and maybe a few lines, and that is all. I haven't been into blogging much lately. It could be that I don't really have a desk/table (we have bought a desk, and I have a small desk/side table that I use..sometimes), or it could be that I don't think anyone really cares to read it? Or it could be that I am not making $ off of it, and no one reads it, nor do I have that many followers :) Or, it could be that I just haven't been "feeling it" much lately. Or it could be that my blogging days have come to a stop (or a rest?)? Or, maybe this is just the season where I don't much (or at all)? Or it may be b/c I feel like I am "behind" in my blog posts, and that every event needs to have one blog post (which, I know it doesn't, but still..) Interestingly enough, I haven't really been journalling much the last few years (I have one journal that I am STILL working on finishing it!). Anyway...here I am...if only for a short time (but a good time!).

As we all are aware, this world is pretty much gone to cr@p. Wars, pandemic, and everything that goes with that (see below), (we won't go there, k, pumpkin?), fights at the Oscars (that last little "pumpkin" was in reference to Smith's line it Hitch, which I watched again last night. I absolutely LOVE that line, and I use it often), strange weather (yah, who knows about that...Bio engineering, I think they call it?), and well, I think that is all..(for now!), and the truckers convoy, weird shows for adults and kids that have my eyes rolling, too many books out from the library....the world has been so divided for so long, and grow weary of it. However, I am glad to see, and hear that things are SLOWLY coming back together again! No masks, (mostly) all gatherings are now allowed inside (BC was the last province to end the mask-date, large indoor gatherings (with no vx pp), and hopefully we can eat in waited table service restaurants w/o our vx pp SOON!), and of course, in person parties, Bible studies, movie nights with friends and family (and it is SPRING, so we can go outside/have outdoor parties/gatherings again!), and of course, travelling (not that I did much before, specially international travel)!

Both Anker and I were hit with the 'Rona in Jan or February. Thankfully, we didn't get too hard with it. Yes, we got vx; whether that played a part in it, I don't know. But we both recovered well, for which I am thankful.

August 24, 2022

Well, I started this in April, and here it is, almost the end of August, and I still haven't finished this post!

Yah, so it has been a HOT minute since I have posted!!! I have 10 or so titles and a few words in some of the drafts, but I have yet to make a full (even a short) post since January! Where do I start???? :)

Annnnd...It has been a week since I wrote that first paragraph! Ha! I am the world's slowest/laziest blogger. I like and miss blogging, but then I try to start a draft/post, and then I go, "nah, I'm too tired", etc. Or I think I will blog a bit while watching tv, and then I just end up lying down instead.

Soooo....where do I start?? No, really, where do I start? Someone help me :)

Well...first off, how can it be almost 3/4's of the way through 2022? How is it possible? I still have Christmas movies on my PVR from LAST Christmas, y'all!!! Since I am technically over a year behind in updates, etc, let's go back to last summer, shall we? Like I said, I had a few posts (with only the titles) in my drafts of individual updates/events, etc, but I clearly probably won't be doing that now. So, here goes....

I did do a little catch up post last September, but I didn't included everything (including one of the titles/events that I was going to write about), even though I did two write ups last Falltumn. Anyway..I digress and rambling again...

June 2021:

For my 45th bday last year, I wanted to do something fun. The ladies group that I was with at the time (more on that another time; maybe) had suggested that we all go to Kelowna; which is the next large (and larger than Kamloops) city to the south east of us. We met up at a truck stop on the way there, so we could all drive together. We had a lovely time; the weather was perfect. We had brunch at The Jammery (this was before the vx pp was mandated/enforced), and it was SOOOO fun! We wandered around the Kelowna harbour (it is on a lake), and we went to their only good (but larger than ours) mall (I think? I can't even remember now!). Orchard Park Mall/Shopping Centre is the mall that we Kamloopsians WISH we had (but really, it's not that much better than Aberdeen Mall). We also went to Penningtons in Vernon (the next small city-smaller than Kammy) to the south east of us; btwn Kamloops and Kelowna), as our P-tons here closed. And we are all very sad about it. It wasn't even from Cvd; it was an executive/head off decision, apparently. I got a t-shirt that has long since been ripped up and thrown away. I think we went to Boston Pizza for dinner; which is also in Vernon. It was a lovely day out of the city (and in other cities!), and a great time spent with friends.

July & August 2021:

Last Summer was hot and smokey! I looked after the boys (in town & at the ranch) during the heat dome that was Canada Day long wknd. I house sat; had my day of fun with my friend (that will probably get a separate post), read, relaxed, had lunch with my friend Crystal who lives in Alberta (but who came out for a bit last summer, and came into town for a day). We had a lovely catch up visit over a lovely lunch. I don't remember what all I did; but I think it was a good summer :) 

September & October 2021:

Yah, I don't remember what all we did, then, either. I even just now went into my FB photos for help. Ha!

Well, it is now September 10th! Ugh! It seems that both journalling and blogging have taken a serious back seat/hit lately. Funnily enough, I seem to have a lot of time to read and watch tv (A LOT of TV!).

AAANNNNYYYHHOOO...

I don't remember what all I/we did in September, but I know that I did some house sitting, etc in Sept and October, and we decided not to do anything for Thanksgiving together, as A and K were away (in ON, I think?), and we were all going to get together in November (more on that later), and I think that nobody wanted to get getting together and getting sick (more on that, as well), so we all just did our own thing. It was REALLY weird not getting together, but it was kind of nice, too. I ended up looking after A and Ks house, so Anker and I had decided to have our own Thanksgiving at their house. 

The Big Thing that happened was that my sister (after MONTHS of not being able to come home, due to the Pan-D), came home in late October! Since she was really not allowed to see anyone (10 day q-tine, blah, blah, blah), Mom and Dad VERY quickly and us from a distance said a quick hello and did our air hugs, with promises to see each other when our lives allowed it. I "technically" wasn't supposed to see her until after her 10 day q-tine, but since she was going to Calgary for her first stint of her trip, and she really wanted me to come before they left, and so I went on her last couple of days before they all left for C-town. It was great having sister time (and essentially, just the 5 of us) before she had to run off again. In all, I think I saw her a total of 7 times (chunks of time), which was lovely! It was around this time (or shortly before) she started seeing a man named Nestor. Well, you can figure where things went from there! 

I also decided to get the Jab. Yes, I went there. I didn't want to, but I felt that given my health issues, and if I were to get the C, it could end up very badly for me, and that I probably should get it. I decided that if I got a bad reaction to it, I wouldn't get the second. So, we prayed the heck out of it (and the blood of Jesus over me/us), and we ended up getting them both done together, because, #couplegoals. I am very happy to say that (as of right now, at least, who knows what will happen years down the road) I didn't have any bad reactions, of which I was SO thankful! Anker also tolerated it well, of which was also a good thing. I think I got a bit sick, and a tiny fever, but other than that, I was fine. #praiseJesus

Late in October, Mom and Dad went to pick up Vienna in Calgary, and I decided to "officially" go and see her for the "first" time. The trip was fast and furious, and it was kind of cute, because she and I shared our aunt and uncle's grandkids' rooms/bunk beds. It kind of made it feel like we were at camp. It was great to see Grandma again; as well as a few other people. We left on the Friday, I think(?), and I decided to stay another day or so, because, hello, #unemployed! Sunday was Satan's favourite holiday, I mean, Halloween, but that didn't really affect us. I think Vienna talked in church, so that was fun to be there when she did that. We just hung out in the evening; I think we watched a movie. I decided that that  would be a great time to chip my tooth. I was very freaked out about it, and I might have cried a bit, because I hate dentists. I texted my friend who works in my dentist's office, and I asked her what I should do. She said that there wasn't much for me to do; just try and not swallow the tooth that broke off, if possible. I was able to get in a few days later. I ended up driving myself there, because I didn't think that they would do anything (I usually have to take drugs before I go). They ended up doing it right then and there, I was a good girl, and didn't freak out (much!)

....to be continued...

This was taken in July of 2019, but I still love this photo of us!!

2022

 Well, it is a new year...but it is the same me...b/c I am honest, like that. Another year gone. I didn't lose a bunch of weight. I didn't have a baby. We didn't take a trip (did anyone??). I didn't buy this, or buy that. We didn't move anywhere (exciting, or not). I didn't do a major renovation. I didn't do a major make over. I didn't do a major project; start a foundation (more on that later), read a bunch of books (thought provoking, or otherwise). I didn't do any earth-shattering marathons or sprints. I didn't make a bunch of money from an invention or from social media (though I am still trying..lol). I don't even know if I grew spiritually or intellectually, or if I found out more about myself.

I did find the guts and courage to leave a job that wasn't good for me. I did spend time with family. I/we made memories. I lived up to my "word of the year" (which, I never did write about, but I might talk about that later). I did start in Direct Sales business..I made new friends, and I caught up with "old" ones. I got to take ONE trip to Calgary (ok, so I DID travel...ONCE :)). I spent time reflecting. I spent time wondering what I wanted to do with my life; where/what my next step should be. 

Because life isn't not measured in (nor is about): how much we buy, do, travel, earn, fashion, hair, our spouse, our looks, our kids (whether we have them, or not...or what are kids are good at/doing, etc), houses (renovations, new, etc), the car we drive, the books we read (though books can help us in different areas in life), our looks (makeup, weight, etc), our accomplishments (sports, talents), nor our perfect curated social media feeds (don't EVEN get me started on that!!!), nor how "Christian" or "spiritual" we are.

Life IS measured in: how much we love and serve others/God, our memories we make (with others and with ourselves), kindness shown to others and ourselves, learning/trying new things (even if we're bad at it!), embracing change, listening to others (and ourselves!), learning from our mistakes, and how we handle what life brings us. 

I am not perfect. My husband isn't perfect. We are not picture perfect, and neither is our place. We don't have the newest gadget (except for maybe phones!), we don't constantly buy things (other than regular life things...and coffee/magazines for me..lol) for our house; we don't have the newest and best clothes and accessories, we don't go out and eat the nicest restuarants, and we certainly don't travel to far off and exotic places (or even places within BC/Canada!). 

We have a small place. We have a car. We have a kitty. We have nieces and nephews. We are close to our siblings, and my parents. We have clothes. We have food. We have furniture. We have a TV (and Cable and Streaming services); we have movies. I love that we can get almost anything from our local library; so DVDs/books/mags can be borrowed from there. We have our health (yes, we have a lot of health issues, but on the whole, we are doing fairly well, health-wise). We have heat. We have water. We have A/C in the summer when we need it. God has been taking care of us; even when we don't see it at the time. We have each other. We have Jesus. 

I think you catch my drift. 

Oh, and my words for the year: intention(al), purpose, and joy. I will talk about those hopefully in another post..and soon..(well, a girl can dream, right?)!!