Winter Wonderland.....

****o****

It's a winter wonderland out there for the whole two days.....

He was there....

I was here, looking down....

Up in the air....

around the wire....

looking up....

seeing the whole picture....

observing the details....

we left....

and with joy.....

around me right now....

wrapped in white....

hanging there....

with hope and prayer.

****o****

Headline: the snow is falling and ten things more.....

1. Let it Snow, let it snow, let it snow.....

The first snowflake finally made it to our front porch on the eve of Friday after a few days of snow forecast. All is calm, all is bright.....

The next morning, I took a few photos in the front house and on my way to work. I had a feeling that this white covered town may not last long. Update:  9:35am, Sunday, the snowfall started again and still going. See if I can convince my honey to take a photo of me on it.....

2. Flashback: I do remember that we had the big dump in 2008 early Nov and it went on till the first few months of the following year. There was even a one day in May when  my honey drove me to school in Nanaimo just to be greeted with this pile of snow on the road. That was the most I've seen it white in a long time. In fact, I took a lot of photos and sent it along with the official first newsletter I send out every December. After that, we only had one light shower of snowflakes in the morning of last year then gone after an hour.

3. Obsession: Since the comeback of the SPL, a.k.a. "spice pumpkin latte" in October, doubled with the red cups early November, no one could stop me from washing these and saving them for future use. In fact, I already have one ready for my JYC Album.

                 

4. Admiration: Genius marketing on Starbucks Holiday Bag! "STORIES ARE GIFTS TO SHARE" ....how perfect is that? and how convenient to have it as my front page! Whoever came up with the idea behind the scenes of Starbucks- thank you immensely. Since I got the first bag 2 weekends ago, I knew right away that this will take the opening page of my JYC Album. I didn't want to spoil it so I designed it minimally....just perfect! Can you imagine how many albums are you getting into this year? I just read Ali's post yesterday on how she's saving the sleeves and imagine how many scrappers would take that idea home?

5.  Preparation 101: yes, I am getting ready with my JYC Album. I finally decided to go for an 8x8 American Crafts Album that was the only one left on the shelf, complete with covered plastic @ Michael's 2 weeks ago. Took advantage of my 40% coupon with additional 20% off the entire purchase. I'm also using my stack of Christmas pps collection 100% from the past with nothing new but my journal cards which I had delivered to Florida in September from Pretty Little Studio. Kudos to Ali for inspiring me to get these pretty cards and for getting ready before the December rush.

6. Love of snowflakes: I mean my punchers by Martha Stewart courtesy of Studio Calico. I've been punching everytime I sit down in front of the screen. I have my stack beside me just so it's reachable whenever I am in the mood to do it.

7. Hard habit to break: HD Movie Central on the projector. After the news and a regular series, my honey would search for a good movie while in the middle of concentration throughout the end of the show ( I will post that seperately later on....). He'd finally set the projector and we've been glued on this habit lately for at least 2 movies in a row till bedtime. Great movies that we can't resist even watching them the 2nd or 3rd time.

8. My cravings for Ms Vickie's and saltiness, period. Have you ever tried them? If any of you bring me any chips at all, make sure it's the "salt and vinegar" and it has to be Ms Vickie's green bag- the large size. I can finish that in one seating so bring your own as well :), please. I'm not sure for how long this affair has been going on but I just can't resist the temptation. Everytime I swear I know where that extra fat deposits in parts around my waistline, I always declare not to fall in the trap again but last night, my loving honey, who has always been an angel keeping me away from sinning over and over again, surprised me with this big green bag! There it was laying safely at the back seat of the car when he picked me up from work. I was a happy sinner, finished the last bits of crumbs out of the bag, guilt-free.....

9. Worriness: yes, I do worry when I don't get to post on my blog in between a big gap from the last post to the next. So I thought I'd come up with a solution of ten things to share and keep you busy of what has been and became the significant news of my life during the silence. I worry when I don't get to hear from you for quite a long time and sometimes, I take the initiative to get hold of you. But thank you for dialing the number here even at your crazy schedule-- it means a whole lotta love to us when someone takes the time to see if we're still ok.

10. Gratitude: thank you for life, thank you for friends and family; thank you, our guardian angel up above. Flashback: it's been a year now since our little family was hit by the worst event that could have turned our lives upside down. I am so greatful that we are still at normal pace.... more silence, more work, more projects to think about. The story of my life.... Have a great snowy viewing my friends and hope you have a good start to the week.

           

Do You See What I See?

Can't help it! Everywhere we go, Christmas signs are all over: the Thrift Shop, Pier1, Costco, Starbucks, Chapters, Michael's. Guess there's no stopping it. Thought I'd play today and share a few shots I photoshopped. Hmmm, might have those printed for my Christmas journal.

Yes! the red cups are back and I'm definitely saving those Starbucks for page on my album this year.

So what do you see? Hope you and yours are enjoying it.

My Tuesday OFF

Have I told you how much I loathe alternating days off? I loathe the feeling when I get up in the morning, knowing that there's only this day for me to enjoy and do what I've always wanted to do when I'm at work. Then my day starts earlier, literally, as early as 3 in the morning when I lay in bed and wonder.... then ideas pop like popcorns and how much I'd like to get up and do them right away. But because I only have one day, I want to be relaxed and feeling energetic the whole day so forget about the ideas and force myself to "not" think and try to sleep instead.

8:00 in the morning and I'm already wide awake but with a heavy headache because of lack of sleep....

2 phone calls that made me a little better after listening to other people's lives.

2 cups of fresh brewed coffee later and my head still feels heavy.....

1 load of wash after, the machine`s alarm wouldn't stop, the pressure is on.....

2nd load and I start looking around me, clothes all over then the thought of purging rushes all over my veins...

1, 2, 3 plastic containers of clothes set aside later, then off to hang my delicate wash downstairs...

a million questions of why I see clothes all over, bedsheets still left unwashed, shoes in the wrong places...

1 good shower maybe, will make me feel better.....

1 post to whine about my morning and share with you won't hurt, would it?

One wish that I do hope I'll do something better to end this day before this day off ends.....

Off I go for shower and wish you all a sunny cold day today. Hope we all have a good one!

PS: 1 Update of a happy soul, 1 shower later......



How do you remember?

Another gloomy Thursday but it suits best what this day really means to all people in the world. Last year, we managed to go out there despite the cold, windy, wet weather. We drove our way for an hour and a half to commemorate this day, among with other Canadians in Victoria, the Capital of BC. Click here for more photos of the event. Today, we might just watch the event on the projector that my honey had left standing, from last night's late movies and I'm pretty sure, he will tell me the story over and over again.....

I swear I never heard or seen war stories and movies in my life until I got married. The closest reality I could remember getting a grip to a military uniform was being a Captain of  Charlie Company way back when I was in High School. And the reason why I was chosen to handle 2 platoons of hard headed boys of the lowest grade was because (I think....) apparently, I had one of the loudest voices. Period. But I managed to handle those men despite my height and my frequent fainting sessions in the field of heat and wrapped green uniform from head to toe with a heavy pair of boots and sword on my right arm. I remember how I fought with the creamy white silver cleaner every time we held these parade of march battalion just to make that sword shining through the light enough to blind your eye if you were watching. That went on for two years....

Today, if I tell that story to anybody, I'd swear ( holy! I can swear!), all I could see is that look in my honey's dry sense of humour. But hey, guess what? Can do you a proper salute? Can you command a platoon with proper marching and make them behave like real men? Can you salute through a heavy sword or a wooden shotgun? ( I hear him laughing again...) Just a few of the things I learned from that experience.... I still fear the men in uniform esp those with real weapons hanging on their waists. But every time I hear my honey tell me stories about how those men fought the war; and how much he knows about "Normandy"; how his own dad became a Veteran, whom we owe our lives from, this military thing is becoming more and more real to me.

I swear I've seen more real footage with my honey than what I've watched on the tube when I was a little girl with grandpa taking control of the remote: Filipinos' reenactment of the Japanese invasion in the Philippines and stories of my grandma when they used to hide under war bunkers (or hide from some Japanese who were trying to pursue her); and that my mom was born 1944, a very significant war era till this very day. I'm sure many of you have their own war stories and today, of all days in 365 days of every year, WE DO REMEMBER. And my honey's story of his dad, in vehicles and warships with millions of military men, soldiers who fought and died for our rights and our freedoms that we enjoy today, that's how we would commemorate this day.



TEN-HUT!

LSNED Final Chapter and a new class....

 As promised, I aimed to finish my book and it's finally done! Yoo hoo! So here's the rest of it and if you have access to Picasa, I have the full photos there.
(Updates: Something is wrong with blogger.... it's getting more and more frustrating to load pictures. Is anyone having the same challenge, let me know please?..... I am definitely thinking of switching to Typepad, what do you think?)

It feels so good to finally have this book piled together with all the albums I've done on Shimelle's classes. I feel so proud and accomplished everytime I revisit and flip the pages. I can't wait for JYC and I am aiming to post a finished product here as well which was half-done last year. For you who have the time and would like to journal a memory of this year's Christmas, please come and join us. I promise you: it'd be FUN!

Click below's picture for more information....

SEE YOU IN CLASS!

What's for breakfast?

It's another day off for me today and thought I'd share some more posting here with you before I tackle the big pile of  laundry that awaits me in every room. I've been meaning to do a regular "household chores" schedule for any Mondays off I get (very few of them since I got this new job). Unfortunately, schedules don't work for me. I think I'm one of the few people you'll meet that has become someone who just goes with the flow most of the time. So whatever it is I feel like doing, just DO IT! That's my story and I stick with it. You might wonder though.... what does my honey think of this?

ME: It's my day off- yoo hoo!
HIM: You mean it's "our" day off.
ME: It's up to you honey....
HIM: Ok. So what's for breakfast? And I guess you're making me a special dinner too. Mmmmm....
ME: Honey, I'm doing the laundry right now.
HIM: Oh yeah but that's ok honey. You have a whole day.
ME: No hon, I still have to do a lot of scrapbooking so don't bug me!
HIM: Well, I can wait.....
@ around 10:00 am, our 2nd cup of coffee had entered our system and out...
HIM: So what's for breakfast honey?
ME: Hang on, I still have to finish my blogpost.
HIM: Oh dear, let me see.... mmm. .....
noise in the kitchen, Zac Brown Band starts  playing in the background, phone starts ringing.....
an hour later, that familiar musical sound calls for unloading the first wash....
my honey starts yelling, "breakfast is served!"....
HIM: who wants breakfast? me! anyone? ok, I'm eating....
ME: hold on, I have to do my 2nd load of laundry here.
HIM: food is getting cold, hurry up!
.... and this goes on until it's time for dinner.

Oh, and we skip lunch whenever my honey makes his gourmet breakfast on "our" days off. He always tells me that I'm spoiled but if your spouse makes the best breakfast, can you blame me? He--lllllloooooo!!!!Oooops! the laundry.........

HIM: what's for breakfast?

Pride of Parksville that I am grateful for....

What time is it? Is this the real time? My watch says it's only 5 past noon... but it really doesn't matter. Here on the island, people don't bother about the time. On a sunny cool Sunday like today, with the different colors hanging on those balding trees, spread all over the streets, who cares about the time?

 The NEW Beach Club right downtown Parksville is beaming with happiness. 

 The birds were chirping happily while Mr. Sun conquers the cool weather.

The water was so calm while the seagulls were flying within arms length in search of food at the park .

 The currents of the Englishman river overflow the "top bridge" at this time of year, leaving potholes all over.

Just a few of the things that Parksville is proud of. Things that the locals and tourists alike come back for, over and over again, be it in the summer time or fall. Things that I am proud of myself and had become part of my life for the past 3 years. And the best way to enjoy it is, take time and appreciate.