Quote

I'm not singing for the future
I'm not dreaming of the past
I'm not talking of the first time
I never think about the last

~The Pogues

Goals

I can't move forward without knowing what I'm moving towards:

So when asked what I want to accomplish in the next 5 years, here's my list... so far!:

• Pay off credit card (1 down, 1 to go!)
• Pay off line of credit
• Travel to Dublin, the Greek Islands, New York, San Francisco and Montreal
• Send Mom and Dad on an Alaskan Cruise
• Help 'FRIEND' find a road to happiness
• Be fit: Run a 10K, bike the MS bike tour, get to goal weight
• Share my life with an amazing man
• Be FREE

Positivity breeds positivity

Shout out to TannyP for the video.
Thinking about the effect words have, and the power they hold...:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbk980jV7Ao&feature=youtu.be

Great video. Worth the 16 minutes!

Toying

So it's 2010 - Year of the Budget, in my house. All my planning and charting and spreadsheeting has led me to one simple conclusion - to maintain my current (meagre) lifestyle, I need to make more cash. And if I ever want to leave on a jet plane again, I'd better make at least a couple piles of green.

So I've begun to play with ideas. The first is to make a go of my photography. It's intimidating, and scary, and a whole heck of a lot of responsiblity to have someone trust you with their memories... but also exciting, and a learning opportunity, and a whole bunch o' fun to have the opportunity to 'play' with people.

The second is to join a team friends are building of 'allstar' Amway business owners. I'm MUCH more cautious in this venue... I've never been a natural salesperson, and approaching people and asking them to part with their cash has always been difficult for me (even when it was just a $2 box of chocolate almonds). Though the concept is solid, and I do trust and believe in the product. And it's a good example of short term discomfort for long term gain. So I'm taking baby steps and evaluating each one.

So, for idea 1, I've begun to sort photos, and I've scheduled a maternity shoot (something I've never done before). AND I'm toying with a name (which will be kept under wraps until a registry search is done).

And hope is exciting!

Living in the now?

Quote o' the day: Never trade what you want the most for what you want at the moment.

Meaning... forget about a beachy winter vacation and focus on saving money for Europe 2011?

MY Remembrance Day

My family likes cemetaries. Or, perhaps, my family gets fewer creepy spine-chills from cemetaries than the average bear. We've had our share of loss, and consider ourselves to be more comfortable than most in speaking about death and memorials and cemetaries. Trips to visit relatives' gravesites are quite common, sometimes necessitate a BC roadtrip, can be done during turkey-based family gatherings, and typically include laughter (in addition to tears).

Every Remembrance Day for as long as I can remember, following the legion's service, we take a trip to the River View Cemetary and have a shot for those who are on the wrong side of the grass (as Uncle Roy always said). It used to be that we would take one sip of whiskey for an uncle who served in the war, but as the years have gone by, additional bottles have needed to be purchased. Vodka for grandma, a little rum for Grandpa, and even some Tang for cousin Jennifer.

In an awkward sort of family reunion, the old stories come out, and bits of family history are revealed. From Great Auntie Margie about her parents, and all the children they fit into the 3-bedroom house. From Mom about the importance of the 'gum drawer'. From Auntie Darlene about Grandpa gaining weight when he bought a small motorbike because he quit walking the fields for 2 hours every morning. From Sean about trying to learn to two-step to motown music with Jennifer.

As the yarns are spun and the the bottles get lighter, the family takes comfort in bringing the missing ones alive again for a few hours. And eventually fingers grow cold and the light begins to weaken, and the drivers deliver everyone safe to their doors.

In my family, every day is a day to remember, but on Remembrance Day we make a special effort to pay tribute and make new memories.


And for 2010, I will light a candle and think of my amazing cousin making things safer (and smilier) with the troops in Afghanistan.

Contract with myself

Currently, there are 2 things I want:
1: To lose weight
2: To take a winter vacation to somewhere beachy and warm
So.
Here's my plan.
Work deserves a reward.
And though this reward is $er than most, it's motivating. And I realize I will likely justify a trip somehow so I'd might as well make myself work for it. AND help myself feel better in my swimsuit.
Now to determine goals weights and measurements and, more importantly, the path to reach those goals.

EDIT: And, in a direct 'screw you' from the universe, there are nanaimo bars in the kitchen. But I only had 1/2 of 1?