Today is very emotional. We are going out for breakfast and then I'm going to go to the cemetery. This will be the first time that I can't hug and kiss my dad on Father's Day. I will take a flower to his grave and tell him I miss him and that I love him and I know he will hear me. I really believe that he will hear me.
Love the men in your life today...they may not always be there.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
So ends his suffering...
- God grant me the serenity
- To accept the things I cannot change;
- Courage to change the things I can;
- And wisdom to know the difference.
William Harvey "Slip" Rowe1929 - 2008
At approximately 5:30 am on May 29 2008...I lost my dad.
He was, so I am told, very much at peace at the time of his passing. I am so thankful for that. I am thankful for the days before his death that I was able to tell him that I loved him and I am thankful that he nodded his head in comprehension. I know that he understood.
All of his children were able to see him at some point in the week before his passing. We were all able to spend the time we needed to and my mom spent many hours by his side in the three weeks he was in the hospital.
My dad left behind six children and their spouses. Eight grandchildren and a wife he loved for nearly fifty-seven years. He was seventy-nine. I am going to miss him terribly.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Just a Quick Up-date...
My Dad is very ill. He has been in the hospital for 10 days now. I really don't expect him to ever go home. Besides growing old and the fact that he has smoked for around 65 years and his heart is now starting to pay for it, we're not really sure what is wrong. His mind is going and he is talking a lot about his parents (They both have been gone since before I was born). The word "Alzheimer's" is starting to be used in conversations about him. It's not fair! He's my Dad! It's just not fair.
I am still going to the gym. That alone must be some kind of record for me. What's more is that I still love it! Flabbies are starting to disappear and I can actually see muscle taking it's place. Even better Mike tells me he can see it too. Bailey was captivated by my new bicep muscle. She's so funny.
Mike is also doing well with his workouts, although he lost about a weeks worth due to a slight case of the flu. We have been going together now that my personal training sessions are over and it's great to spend that time together.
OK...OK...The art room!!! No...it is not finished. (Sorry Jodi!) I take full responsibility for that and I feel terrible because Mike worked so hard to get it to this point. I just get so overwhelmed with all my regular everyday stuff that I have to do. Then all the stuff I want to do, like take photos and blog and stuff, that the idea of sitting alone in a room painting cabinets (oh...so many cabinets!) just makes it difficult to get my ass in gear to do it. I will make time for some of that this week as long as Dad's condition doesn't worsen.
Just so everyone knows...I am still following your blogs. I pop in and check out what's going on and pop back out again. I just haven't had time to comment so...
Jodi...OMG!!!! you're opening a store! YAY! Good for you. I am so excited for you. I'm sure that The Pink Tomato with be amazing and I hope I can talk my husband into taking a road trip someday. I would just love to check out the place and it would be so nice to meet you in person. =D
Tara...you have been making the most adorable cards! The watercolour technique you use is stunning. You are such a talented person.
=D
Jennifer...beautiful new LO's and your photos from your trip are awesome. Keep 'em coming. Your photography is brilliant! Glad you had a good time at DC. Maybe next time I'll join you.
=D
Laura...Happy Mother's Day sweetie! I hope everyone is feeling better now. I also hope your getting lots of use out of that new camera.
=D
I am still going to the gym. That alone must be some kind of record for me. What's more is that I still love it! Flabbies are starting to disappear and I can actually see muscle taking it's place. Even better Mike tells me he can see it too. Bailey was captivated by my new bicep muscle. She's so funny.
Mike is also doing well with his workouts, although he lost about a weeks worth due to a slight case of the flu. We have been going together now that my personal training sessions are over and it's great to spend that time together.
OK...OK...The art room!!! No...it is not finished. (Sorry Jodi!) I take full responsibility for that and I feel terrible because Mike worked so hard to get it to this point. I just get so overwhelmed with all my regular everyday stuff that I have to do. Then all the stuff I want to do, like take photos and blog and stuff, that the idea of sitting alone in a room painting cabinets (oh...so many cabinets!) just makes it difficult to get my ass in gear to do it. I will make time for some of that this week as long as Dad's condition doesn't worsen.
Just so everyone knows...I am still following your blogs. I pop in and check out what's going on and pop back out again. I just haven't had time to comment so...
Jodi...OMG!!!! you're opening a store! YAY! Good for you. I am so excited for you. I'm sure that The Pink Tomato with be amazing and I hope I can talk my husband into taking a road trip someday. I would just love to check out the place and it would be so nice to meet you in person. =D
Tara...you have been making the most adorable cards! The watercolour technique you use is stunning. You are such a talented person.
=D
Jennifer...beautiful new LO's and your photos from your trip are awesome. Keep 'em coming. Your photography is brilliant! Glad you had a good time at DC. Maybe next time I'll join you.
=D
Laura...Happy Mother's Day sweetie! I hope everyone is feeling better now. I also hope your getting lots of use out of that new camera.
=D
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Yesterday a 100 year old building in my town caught fire and quickly turned into one of the largest fires we've seen here for quite some time. No one was injured but a wonderful piece of this towns history has been destroyed.
This photo was on page 7 of one of Canada's largest news papers, The Toronto Star, today:
This photo was taken by me (on my cell phone...yuck):
Damn right! That's MY photo!!! It even has my name under it.
It was also shown on the evening news and Breakfast Television.
Don't laugh...this is exciting for me.
I think I would like to do this for a living.
Here are some other shots from yesterdays fire:
Our Mayor:
The aftermath:
More to come.
This photo was on page 7 of one of Canada's largest news papers, The Toronto Star, today:
This photo was taken by me (on my cell phone...yuck):
Damn right! That's MY photo!!! It even has my name under it.
It was also shown on the evening news and Breakfast Television.
Don't laugh...this is exciting for me.
I think I would like to do this for a living.
Here are some other shots from yesterdays fire:
Our Mayor:
The aftermath:
More to come.
Monday, April 21, 2008
I Joined GoodLife Fitness...
It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good
Tired of feeling sick.
Tired of being lazy.
Tired of extra fat on my body.
Tired of being self-conscious.
Tired of treating myself badly.
I want health.
I want energy.
I want muscle.
I want self-confidence.
I want to respect myself.
It has been a week since Mike and I joined and I am already noticing a huge difference in how I feel. I sleep better, I eat better and I have more energy during the day. I am a happier person. I have all but given up Pepsi, which is all I usually drink and replaced it with water. We are eating more meals at home and trying to make healthier choices without changing to much all at once. We do not want to become overwhelmed...that is a sure road to failure. We have a different outlook on working out than we had ten years ago. This is not about being muscle bound and shredded or all the unrealistic goals we set for ourselves back then and never came close to achieving. For me it's about feeling like this body I'm in...belongs to me. I'm not fat! I know that, but I also know that I can have a better body and if that is true...why not have it?
More than that, for me, this is about health. I want to be able to move when I'm old. I don't want my rib cage cut apart and have some doctor piecing together my arteries while chatting with the anesthesiologist about the new Porsche he just bought. I don't want to have a stroke and forget how to turn my stove on. Yes, these things could happen anyway but I am going to do something to try and prevent it. I still want to paddle a canoe when I'm sixty-five and go to Disney World with my grandchildren when I'm seventy. I want Bailey to see the rewards of a healthier lifestyle so that maybe she will get an earlier start than I did. Maybe she won't make some of the same mistakes I made. Maybe she'll notice the changes in her parents and understand that we are becoming better people for having made them and then maybe, it won't be so difficult to get her to eat a vegetable or walk a couple of blocks without complaining. I firmly believe that our desire to become healthy is going to do good things for our marriage. If he is happy, I am happy and vise versa. It is also an obvious fact that no one wants to admit but, I'm sure we would be more attractive to each other minus some of the belly fat. When you don't feel good about yourself it's hard for your partner to feel good about being with you.
We often go to the gym together. It's nice to spend that time with each other. Sometimes we go separately. It's also nice to have that time alone to work out issues in your head and release the stress that he gets from work and I get from life.
I will keep you all posted on my success. I might even post a before photo of me in a bikini (ewww). I'm not sure yet. You guys may never come back to my blog if I do...hee hee.
I am going to live the GoodLife!
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good
Tired of feeling sick.
Tired of being lazy.
Tired of extra fat on my body.
Tired of being self-conscious.
Tired of treating myself badly.
I want health.
I want energy.
I want muscle.
I want self-confidence.
I want to respect myself.
It has been a week since Mike and I joined and I am already noticing a huge difference in how I feel. I sleep better, I eat better and I have more energy during the day. I am a happier person. I have all but given up Pepsi, which is all I usually drink and replaced it with water. We are eating more meals at home and trying to make healthier choices without changing to much all at once. We do not want to become overwhelmed...that is a sure road to failure. We have a different outlook on working out than we had ten years ago. This is not about being muscle bound and shredded or all the unrealistic goals we set for ourselves back then and never came close to achieving. For me it's about feeling like this body I'm in...belongs to me. I'm not fat! I know that, but I also know that I can have a better body and if that is true...why not have it?
More than that, for me, this is about health. I want to be able to move when I'm old. I don't want my rib cage cut apart and have some doctor piecing together my arteries while chatting with the anesthesiologist about the new Porsche he just bought. I don't want to have a stroke and forget how to turn my stove on. Yes, these things could happen anyway but I am going to do something to try and prevent it. I still want to paddle a canoe when I'm sixty-five and go to Disney World with my grandchildren when I'm seventy. I want Bailey to see the rewards of a healthier lifestyle so that maybe she will get an earlier start than I did. Maybe she won't make some of the same mistakes I made. Maybe she'll notice the changes in her parents and understand that we are becoming better people for having made them and then maybe, it won't be so difficult to get her to eat a vegetable or walk a couple of blocks without complaining. I firmly believe that our desire to become healthy is going to do good things for our marriage. If he is happy, I am happy and vise versa. It is also an obvious fact that no one wants to admit but, I'm sure we would be more attractive to each other minus some of the belly fat. When you don't feel good about yourself it's hard for your partner to feel good about being with you.
We often go to the gym together. It's nice to spend that time with each other. Sometimes we go separately. It's also nice to have that time alone to work out issues in your head and release the stress that he gets from work and I get from life.
I will keep you all posted on my success. I might even post a before photo of me in a bikini (ewww). I'm not sure yet. You guys may never come back to my blog if I do...hee hee.
I am going to live the GoodLife!
Monday, April 14, 2008
I know, I'm a blog tease
I'm sorry guys. I know that I got ya all worked up and everything. The truth is that not a lot has gotten done recently so there is nothing new to take photos of. It's my fault. I have been taking my time painting my cabinets...have you ever had to do that?...it bites!
Listen guys...I'm OK but I will likely not be around for a few days. I'm just not feeling like blogging. I will try to get back soon and hopefully have an art room update for ya.
Also, I would like to say thanks to you all for taking the time to visit my blog. It means a lot to me.
Listen guys...I'm OK but I will likely not be around for a few days. I'm just not feeling like blogging. I will try to get back soon and hopefully have an art room update for ya.
Also, I would like to say thanks to you all for taking the time to visit my blog. It means a lot to me.
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