ANOTHER FAVOURITE ETSY SHOP..........#12.....GLASS HAPPY STUDIO

I came across this woman's beautiful works while browsing through some 'new' shops a few days ago. She is relatively new to the 'Etsy' family, so I say welcome and I wish you much success.
She uses her talent as a glass artist to both blow and sculpt with glass. Added to that, her choice of colours is stunning! One piece of her work would indeed draw your eye immediately, if placed in a strategic spot in your home.
I am SO fascinated by this art medium. I truly would love to learn how to do this or at least get a shot at it just once.
When my daughter was attending Cornell University I went to Corning glass once and saw some amazing, amazing works of art from years gone by and right up to the present. Somehow, I gravitate to glass art pieces,but I really haven't analyzed why, I just do.

Please go visit her Etsy shop at:

www.glasshappystudio.etsy.com

In her own words, here is her bio and description of her art and why she does what she does.....

BIOGRAPHY

One striking newspaper ad was all it took to get me into a studio dedicated to teaching the art of glass blowing. And one memorable class was all it took to get me hooked and continually fascinated by glass blowing.
Though I have worked with a variety of media, I have never found one as fulfilling and exhilerating as glass blowing. One of the things I find so satisfying about the art is that the opportunities for learning and experimentation are endless.
I've dedicated a fare amount of time to the subject over the past seven years for it to just be a casual hobby, now I have found a style all my own and its time to put my hard work, embodied in my art, for all the world to see.
I hope you enjoy my labor of love, because at times burns, sweat, and tears have accompanied many of these pieces (literally).
************************************************************************************
My work is hand-blown or hand-sculpted by me, here in Portland, OR. Each piece is unique and has a character all its own. My work is inspired by nature, an ever evolving exploration of form and shape, and of course individuality, a specialty that no one piece is ever alike.
It is my pleasure to share my passion for this art form with you. My hope is to display a wide arrangement of my many explorations of glass and color. I find it to be one of the greatest joys in my life, not to mention a whole lot of fun!
************************************************************************************
As a final footnote, let me encourage a visit to her shop and even better, if there's a piece you fall in love with, please purchase. I think these pieces would be wonderful corporate gifts as well.

FUN!....BE A GODDESS EVENT!

Well, last night was the Peterborough 'Be a Goddess Night' for women only,held in the big Square downtown.
It was my first time to one of these events, but it's apparently been going on for around 7 years.
It's fun mixed in with a mini trade show of businesses owned and operated by women.
For example, many cosmetic companies featured, a chocolate business, a floral business, a couple of salons, a couple of spas, three different exclusive clothing stores, etc. etc. Each handed out information, some give-a-aways, some draws for product,a natural food company, and all run by women. It was quite impressive actually how many establishments are owned by women and there were many that donated or advertised that did not have tables set up.
Throughout the evening one of the local radio stations played wonderful upbeat music. There were blackjack tables, poker tables, roulette wheel etc. where you could play with paper money and get points to purchase something small.
There were Elvis impersonators mingling with the women and they were a lot of fun.
About six of the local restaurants made and provided wonderful hors'deurves which were served throughout the venues by our local police and our provincial police. The men were in their dress uniforms, wearing white gloves and very pleasant.
There were three different fashion shows at various times in the evening which featured clothing sold at the more upscale shops here in town.
There was a lot of tables with items on that were up for silent auction. I actually donated two framed photos of mine, but don't know as of this post what they ended up bringing in for the event.
There was also a photographer there(female) who was doing free photos of anyone that wanted a picture. I had done with my neighbour, Annie and then one done of myself alone. She will send out our pictures via email in .jpg form...can't wait to see it. If it's halfway decent, I'll change the one I have on facebook, etc.
My friend whom I've mentioned before,also named Marg was in the last fashion show as one of the models. Oh, if I could only afford the gorgeous pant outfit she modelled.....stunning!
At the end of the evening, Tina, who owns one of the major salons in town, and was the major organizer of this event, dressed up in really 'funky' clothes, put on a blonde wig, fishnet stockings, a gorgeous skirt, a black leather top and did a crazy dance routine to a Lady GaGa song .... hilarious!
All of the monies raised will go to the United Way of Peterborough.
All in all a really fun time. I will attend next year.

MY PERSONAL TRAINER........

Well, I had my first session with my personal trainer this morning. The machine that accurately measures weight and body mass index wasn't working properly, so we'll try to get that again next week at my next session.
She has set me up with a beginners program which one day focuses on cardio and then the following day focuses on weight training. This is manageable, but difficult nonetheless. I am SO out of shape! I can't even stand on one foot anymore for 15 seconds! Pitiful!
We discussed in depth what I want to get out of this and what kind of regime I need to stick to in order to accomplish my goal.
She did tell me that people like myself, that have Grave's Disease and take thyroid medications often take longer to reach their goals. It has something to do with the weird metabolisms we have and the autoimmune problems as well. She said I'll eventually get there, but to be aware it usually takes longer for people like myself. Add to that the age I'm beginning this process and I will need way more patience than I'm prone to in order to succeed.
In a year, she said I could get close if I stick with it.
The other thing she lectured me on was my diet. The fact that I rarely eat breakfast or lunch is problematic. She explained that when you don't eat at least something in the morning and at lunch on a regular basis, your body goes into 'starvation' mode, so it tends to hold the fat for energy. I have to document every single thing I put in my mouth the whole duration of my training. This is a great challenge for me! I explained that my whole body is backwards. I like to eat much later in the day, I like to stay up much later. My body is totally out of sync with the normal body patterns. Hmmmm...should be interesting. She said it's better to eat 8 - 9 really small meals per day so your body know it's safe to burn off the fat I already have.
I was also told NEVER do two consecutive days of weight training as it's really hard on the body and could actually cause injuries.
Next week I plan to have her take a photo of me that I'll post and thereafter take one each month so I can see the progression.
And so this part of my new journey begins!!!

ZUMBA............Oh my gosh!

Tonight was my fourth night of Zumba and I have to tell you I'm really bad at it! Never mind, the point is I get a full one hour workout and we(the ladies) really do have a good time and yes, a few giggles as well. It is quite tiring, though!
I meet with my personal trainer tomorrow morning to get a full physical fitness assessment and then she will design a program based on where I stand at the moment and where I want to get to by year end. Hmmmm, I have a feeling if I think the Zumba is tough, it will seem like a walk in the park by the time I get through my program.
I have made SO many bad choices that I'm now paying for, so I'm determined to make a few I can be really proud of moving forward. I am so determined to get into shape.

I'm having SO many internal struggles at the moment. I've decided the physical is critical, but, I also want so badly to focus on my photography. I'd like to make a decent living at some point, but for the immediate, I absolutely MUST find a job that will give me a regular paycheque. I'm so tired of living with financial stresses! I've had to evaluate the things I can do something about and let go of the stressors I can't do anything about. Hopefully, there's a company that can appreciate my experiences and what I have to offer.

I have to admit that never in my wildest dreams did I think I would I find myself in both the physical and emotional mess I'm in at this point in time. What I imagined I would be doing at this stage in my life is so far removed from what is my reality at this point. For much of it, I only have myself to blame. All I can do is try to correct what can be corrected. What's that saying....'If you fail to plan, then plan to fail'.

I deserve a better life, and I'm going to begin a new journey. At 62 years old, it will be interesting, a challenge and I hope surprising how I find a new me. It's actually kind of exciting and yet terrifying all at the same time.

Prayers and support of some of my friends and family keeps me going.

MOVING FORWARD.......

Well, I don't seem to be accomplishing everything on my daily lists, but I am getting some things done.
Yesterday, I spoke in depth with one of the personal trainers at the Fitness Center and once we had done an overview of my medical history and what I wanted to achieve as my goal, we agreed to meet on Tuesday morning. It's been mutually decided that I will sign on for 3 one hour sessions and a full assessment with a detailed program to follow.
It was interesting, as she asked me what my overall eating habits have been up until now. I'm definitely going to be a challenge for her and she a challenge for me. I explained that I almost never eat breakfast, with the exception being the Tuesday and Thursday family breakfasts. I can eat then as I've been up at least two hours by the time we all meet. No way can I eat when I first get up! If I do, and I've tried as recently as last week, I feel nauseous all day...weird, but true.
Today was especially bad as I didn't eat anything until 6:30 PM tonight. I just wasn't hungry and if I'm not hungry, I don't eat.
When I do cook a full meal, it's always quite balanced as far as nutritional requirements. I eat a wide variety of vegetables. The exception is okra...yuk! I'm not a huge seafood lover, either. I do eat shrimp, telapia, some crab, and of course halibut when I buy fish and chips. I eat a fair amount of chicken, a little red meat, some pork and occasionally, I'll eat some lamb(slowly acquiring a taste). I love pasta dishes and a couple of times per week, I'll cook more vegetarian.
I went to visit my friend that does the art flies today, did a bit of shopping for some birthday cards, went to visit my aunt in the hospital who broke her pelvis at 92 years old, got some groceries for my girlfriend's mother and took them to her, and then went to the Fitness Centre for about 45 minutes.
I came home and made some dinner....good!
I had purchased some chicken legs and thighs that were on sale really, really cheap today so roasted them and I plan to make some soup tomorrow with them.
Tomorrow I've been invited to my cousin's son's birthday get together. He'll be SO excited as I made him his very own chocolate pecan pie. It's his absolute favourite pie!
I think I'll go to bed early tonight and read for a bit and then get some full sleep. I didn't sleep very well last night. Tonight will be better, for sure!
My husband left this morning to travel to North Carolina to spend some time with our oldest daughter and her family. He's actually going to be gone eleven days. At the tail end of his trip, he'll spend a couple of days with our youngest daughter and her family in Princeton, NJ.
With that in mind, I hope to get a couple of major tasks completed while he's gone.

CALM....YES I AM!

It's so nice when some calm finally comes to one after days and days of busy tasks, and lots of stress.
I finally decided to pray about it and turn most of my 'issues' over to God to resolve for me. So, I've become more calm and I wait for some answers.
For the past three weeks I have a new favourite, favourite CD and I play it and play it and play it! It's Whitney Houston's new CD and there are two songs in particular that I SO identify with and make me feel good. The first song is 'I look to You' and the second is 'I didn't know my own strength'. LOVE these and I'm sure I'll wear my CD out playing it over and over while I'm driving.
I need to get myself an MP3 player and download the songs on to it so I can also listen over and over while I'm on the treadmill.
I talked to the Health and Fitness Club today and have decided to hire a personal trainer for one hour consultation. I can't afford to have one indefinitely, but, if I can get an assessment and then get the trainer to write me my own program to accomplish my goal for year end, I can then 'get on with it'!!!
I'm tired tonight as I did a two hour stint at the Club today after I'd run a few errands. I'm now at an incline of 3 and a speed of 3 on the treadmill.
Tomorrow I'll go again for about 45 minutes but will just do treadmill.
I am actually enjoying it so far even though I do get tired. I'm also meeting a few new people which is a bonus as well.
I'm sending out resumes to jobs posted on 'Service Canada' that I might qualify for and hope to get an opportunity be it full time or part time. I'm optimistic that something will break for me soon...again, something else I pray about.

HECTIC TIME...........BUT GRATEFUL!

This past few days has been hectic for many of us in the family. Each of us is dealing with different crises, and yet, we must be mindful of the devastation and true difficulties the people of Haiti are going through.
My cousins registered charity has been working diligently to collect donations to help out. They were at both our towns larger malls over the weekend and were so pleased with the generosity of the people of Peterborough and surrounding areas.
The government has pledged to match any and all donations from registered charities to help.
My cousin's son was in a car accident on the weekend, but he is now home and doing well. Just after the news of her son, her Mother(my aunt) fell and broke her pelvis. She is 92 years old. These are the same two people that run the Seeds of Hope charity. A lot on their plate and we(the family) are trying to help out where we can.
The good news today is that Tony, the man on the ground in Haiti, was evacuated out last night along with his Haitian wife and their baby. He has SO many sad stories to tell. The local news channel is holding a press conference with him this afternoon to let people know how bad it is and to inform them of where they plan to use the donations that have already been received. Tony says that once he has his wife and baby settled here, he plans to return to Haiti as soon as possible to help where he can. God bless the special people trying so hard to make things a bit better.
As is life, we are all going through various trials and tribulations, but we really need to get some perspective and be grateful!
When I went to family breakfast this morning, my father came after a few weeks of not coming(we are somewhat estranged) and he had brought my brother(again estranged) who has had so many opportunities and yet at almost fifty years old has nothing, is doing nothing and looks very, very poorly. He's lost over fifty pounds since I last saw him. What a sad, yet avoidable situation! I really struggle with having compassion or sympathy for him as he's had SO many chances. Yet, I can't wish him any ill and really hope before his life comes to an end, he finds some inner peace with the many demons he seems to fight.

ARTBOXES............FAVOURITE ETSY SHOP # 11

This Etsy shop is SO great! For the parents and grandparents out there that are looking for a birthday gift or just a special gift for a child, these are such a great idea! What a neat travel companion for the children in your lives!

This is a family craft that is now carried on by the next generation.

In her own words I've copied her story:

The story behind this hand-crafted wooden Art Box is Irma's beloved late grandfather who made her first ever Art Box as her 12th birthday gift. In remembrance of him, Irma decided to bring back her favorite childhood treasure! With the help of her 'art-chitect" husband Jeff, they perfected the Art Box design.

"The best kind of entertainment in life is your own creativity!" ~ artist's Grandpa Tan

=========================================================
ATTENTION:
ART BOX is recommended for crafters, college students, creative peeps, school-age children (not toddlers).

Our new Art Box makes creativity on-the-go easy, functional and fun! Kids can easily doodle, play games, draw, write and create right on their Art Box. Because it’s portable, kids can use their Art Box for creative fun while riding in the car, or anytime busy hands need something to do-like in a restaurant or waiting at the Doctor’s office.

For adults, our Art Box creates a perfect organization solution for use as a reminder board, to jot messages, lists and more. Inside, store pens, personal belongings, keys, or use for craft or scrap booking supplies.

As seen in ETSY GIFT GUIDE "STORAGE SOLUTION" -- ART BOX is your best choice for starting a smart living & an organized working space; giving a fresh look to your studio, dorm or home office as well as unique scholastic inspiration for gift giving or a present for yourself to keep...

Our wooden Art Box design has a magnetic white dry-erase board on one side and a chalkboard on the other, which slides open to reveal easy storage inside for art supplies or personal items. Personalize it with your name or vibrant colors wood artwork design to make it your own. WRITING KITS INCLUDED

Please go visit her Etsy shop ...

www.gdfunktional.etsy.com

I know we just got over Christmas, but this would make a great Christmas gift!

HAITI EARTHQUAKE TODAY...SEEDS OF HOPE NEEDS HELP!

Well, I just heard from my cousins tonight that Haiti suffered a brutal 7.0 earthquake today and there is mass devastation everywhere.
My cousins husband was due to leave tomorrow to go in and prep for a complete medical team that was going to leave this Saturday to provide various types of medical and surgical care to the people of Haiti in the Goave mountain area.
There will now be even more need for donations, supplies both personal and medical. Last week, a large group of family and friends spent the day packing a variety of supplies to ship down.
This is such a sad and difficult situation! For those of us that are so blessed, please consider helping these little children, especially.

To find out about this non-profit charity that originates here in my hometown, please go to

www.hopegrows.ca

As of right now, most of the phone lines are down, so it's very difficult to get updated on the status of the island and the people.

Seeds of Hope focuses on the mountain areas where the poverty is absolutely overwhelming!

L-O-N-G W-A-Y TO GO!

Well, I've now done three or four more sessions at the Fitness Centre since I last posted here.
I know that I quite enjoy the treadmill. I am SO not ready to spend much time on the eliptical trainer(it could kill me!) I really enjoy the Zumba classes( 2nd one last night) although, I feel like I have two left feet at the moment. The trainer assures me I'll get it eventually. I wish I had the dancing talents of my two daughters at the moment.
Today, I did my first 'Gentle Aqua Fit' class and I must say I really, really enjoyed it! It is resistance training in very warm salt water. There is a number of these half hour sessions every day. I think I'll try to get to as many as possible. Once I'm comfortable with these, I'll move up to the 'Aqua Fit Yoga' classes.
I've discovered that my balance absolutely sucks. I used to be so good with balance, but definitely not so anymore! Wow, a lot of work ahead in that area!
What I do know, is I'm not giving up and I know for a fact that I have a long way to go. That's OK, as I'm determined to meet my goal by year end to be a size 10 and relatively in decent shape.
Somewhere, sometime this year, I also need to work on quitting smoking. That will be even tougher!
There are SO many things in my life that I have NO control over at the moment, so I've decided to work on things I do have some control over.
This year is for me!
I keep praying and I have faith that God will provide some much needed answers for my life!

THEATRE CLEANING......DISGUSTING JOB!

Well, I had my first night of cleaning theatres. My cousin and I cleaned four theatres and were finished around 3am.
It is back breaking work as you have this little broom and have to get in under every individual seat and sweep out the garbage, which could be popcorn people have dropped or some who just throw the bag on the floor whether it's full or not, empty yogurt containers, nacho and cheese trays, Skittles, Bridge mixture, napkins, gum just thrown on the floor or stuck to various areas of the seats.
I was incredulous at how disgustingly filthy and inconsiderate people are at these places. In all the years I've attended theatres myself, I've never left garbage on or under the seats! For goodness sakes people, there is a garbage pail right as you exit the theatre! Now that's the height of laziness and inconsideration! There are many, many cup containers still full of soft drink. Many, many bags of full popcorn!
Some people obviously have more money than brains. At the price of theatre refreshments, why would you purchase and then never eat or drink your items? Just amazing how sad the human condition and mentality is for a segment of the population! I would really hate to see how some of these people's homes look like! YUK!
My cousin and I worked non-stop and it took us three and one half hours to do the four theatres.
I must admit, you earn every penny of the $10.00/hour wage. It's a different work mentality than I'm used to for sure. The young kids they spend the time training quite often never come back, but also never bother to tell management they won't do it...they just don't show up.
You do that type of work and you realize quite quickly, that you're getting older and yet most of the crews are older and more reliable.
I will keep going until I find something else, but it is a very tiring job. My back certainly felt it and my feet.
I don't go in to work again until Sunday night and I'm bringing my camera to take some pictures......unbelievable!!!
In this life, you do what you have to do, right? I have to get some debt paid down and I WANT to purchase a high quality digital SLR camera....SO....I'm doing what I have to do!

ELIPTICAL TRAINERS..........ARE KILLING ME!

Well, this morning I got two photos framed, wired etc to donate to a women's event coming up on January 27th. They needed to be gift wrapped, so I put them in really pretty gift bags with nice tissue paper. The organizer wanted me to include on a removable sticker the value of each and a short bio of myself. I dropped them off at her salon. She runs a hair and beauty salon called 'Fandango'. Tina(the owner and organizer of the event) was absolutely thrilled with both photos. She actually said she wants to see more of my work and may want to buy a couple for herself(Yeah!!)
I then met a friend at the Magic Rolling Pin (tea room) for lunch. This friend and I have the same name and have discovered we also have many things in common. Her and her husband own a very large portion of the farm land in the area. Her husband sells mostly hay and grains all over the USA and Canada. We've only begun to really get to know each other and both of us have concluded this is the beginning of a new and great friendship. She does an amazing amount of volunteer work. She also attends the church I plan to go to this Sunday. We will definitely spend even more time together as life goes on.
Afterward, I went to the Sport Centre to do an hours workout. I am telling you that the eliptical machine may just do me in! I only did fifteen minutes again and my legs were shaking so bad. I then did 45 minutes on the treadmill. My heart rate is right on target, but I'm only doing about an 17 or 18 minute mile. My goal is to get to a 10 minute mile....lots of work ahead.
I begin the first night of my part time job tonight. Being a night hawk, I'm hoping that I'll be OK working those particular hours. I guess I'll find out tonight!
When I get home around 5 am. I'll sleep for a bit and then I think I'll go in and do the 'gentle aqua fit'. My muscles will be ready, I'm sure!

ANOTHER OF MY FAVOURITE ETSY SHOPS..........#10

This woman does wonderful little bears and burp cloths etc. for children and babies. They are colourful, whimsical and just plain cute and cuddly! She also does memory bears as well. She just recently had a baby herself so doesn't have quite the same amount of time. There are many of us that understand the baby and time issue very, very well! What is it they say? ... been there, done that!

Please go visit her shop at :

www.camillam.etsy.com


As per usual, I've cut and pasted her profile from her actual shop in order to use her own words. Here goes........


I have always found a lot of joy in creating bears for my children, nieces and nephews, and countless friend's children too. I am excited to be able to offer the loving comforts of a teddy bear to more people!

I am a Marine wife and stay at home mom with plenty to do. I also know it is important to fuel our hobbies, one of which is that I sew! I am happy to have an avenue where I can do more with my talents.

A few uplifting testimonials that make my day:

"I fell in love with her store from the very first moment. Sewing adorable bears in the most gorgeous of children's fabrics, I immediately requested her to create bears for my two little girls.
Why do I love camillam's store so much? She has amazing communication. She gives you exactly what you asked for and impresses you with her sewing skills. She puts her love into every single piece that she creates and it definitely shows. Camillam is an Etsian that I would recommend to anyone looking for wonderful, well-made, affordable gifts for their little ones."
Jessi (TwoSeasideBabes etsian artist)


"When the bear arrived yesterday I was so excited for them to open it. When they did they were so excited to see their new bear. They were hugging and kissing him. Then I told them that it was a special daddy bear that daddy put all his kisses in so that every time they kissed the bear they were receiving a kiss from their daddy. They suddenly became very attached to the bear taking turns, reluctantly, playing with it. The daddy bear gave them each a kiss good night and they agreed to take turns sleeping with it.

Outside of the fact that this is by far the best teddy bear I have ever purchased as far as quality, attention to detail and excellent customer service goes it also gave me back my sanity."
Emily (EllaBearBowtique etsian artist)

OUT OF SHAPE OR WHAT???

Well, this was my first day making use of my new Wellness Centre membership. I arrived and picked up my membership card (needed every visit), got my tour of the facilities, and an explanation of what was included and what would cost extra.
Once that was done, I had quite a bit of time until my Zumba class, so decided to walk for an hour on the indoor track. One of the trainers told me that 10 times around the track was equivalent to 1 KM. and 16 times around the track was equivalent to 1 mile. I did a little over the mile. I took a break to sit and have a drink, but still had time to wait for class. I then did 15 minutes on the eliptical machine(at lowest setting) and 15 minutes on the treadmill (lowest setting). Took another break and was time to begin the Zumba class. Oh my gosh, it is way, way harder than it looks. The instructor is very pleasant, but she tried to teach us at least 40 dance moves in the first session! I would have preferred to have it segmented over the next two or three weeks...guess not! I was so confused at times and by the time the hour was up, I was already feeling sore....can't wait to see what I feel like by morning.
Tomorrow is the restart of family breakfasts. I then have a couple of errands and will try to accomplish a few tasks.
I begin the night job cleaning the theatre from 11:30 PM until around 4:30 AM on Wednesday. I won't be going to any of the family breakfasts on Thursday mornings when I have to work the overnight...oh well, I need the money more.
Can I just tell you how I ache just sitting here! Pitiful! The pain just tells me I'm overdue for some conditioning physically and mentally! On my way!

A NEW YEAR....A NEW BEGINNING

Well, I'm feeling fairly positive at the moment. I've started a list of changes I want to make for my life. I'm off to a good start.
Yesterday, I signed up for a one year membership into the Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre. Once signed on as a member, I signed up for Zumba classes. I begin tomorrow and proceed for 10 weeks. I'm excited about getting started. Tomorrow, I'll go in early to find out about the aquatic aerobics as well. This centre has great facilities from an indoor track for walking/running, eliptical machines, treadmills, rowers, salt water pool, regular pool,etc. etc. No excuses now! What's silly is I've had Zumba dvd's for ages here at home, but can't figure out how to use the new DVD machine we have...duh! It goes back to that technically challenged problem I have at the moment. Hmmm, maybe I should add that to my list as something new to learn!
I spoke with my cousin about working nights cleaning the theatres and he should let me know something today or tomorrow.
In light of my anticipated new changes, I've been attending different churches to find one I feel comfortable and at home. So far, I've tried six, but nothing gives that sense of welcoming and calm I'm looking for. Today, I went to the church some of my cousins attend and my Dad attends at times. It just didn't give me the feeling of comfort I want. I have friends and family that are of different faiths and I have friends and family who are agnostic or atheist. I respect their beliefs regardless of mine. My goal is to build on my faith, not tear down what others have chosen to believe or not to believe, as the case may be. I have always had a strong belief there is a God, but I had lost my faith in Him and in churches. I look forward to rediscovering both.
I have always felt there are definite reasons things happen to us, and I feel through all of the 'stuff' that happened in 2009 I'm meant to learn and grow from each difficult experience.
As yet, even with my daily prayers, the answers have eluded me to this point. I am starting to feel I'm moving forward in a more positive direction, however.
It's funny how comfortable we all get with the 'status quo' and yet will complain about it. For me, I've decided I deserve more and I deserve better.

I'd like to close this post with an acknowledgement of our four fallen Canadian soldiers and one Canadian journalist that will be repatriated this afternoon and then travel what's now been renamed the 'Highway of Heroes'. The bodies of these men and women are flown to Trenton Air Force Base, a ceremony to acknowledge each person takes place, and then the hearses drive them to Toronto for an official autopsy. Once that takes place, their bodies are handed over to their families for a private funeral.
In Canada, we have chosen to honour our fallen in a very public way. It's both touching and warranted. Hundreds of people go out and stand on the bridge overpasses all along Highway 401 and pay tribute to the soldiers and in some small way say 'Thank you'.
To see some of the amazing videos of this:

Go to YouTube and key in the words 'Highway of Heroes' and there are many, many individual videos that show the tremendous outpouring for these, our fallen.

My nephew has done two tours of duty in Afghanistan and I pray every day that he will never have to return. Thank you, Caleb and thank you to all our military families.

CHANGE........SIMPLE WORD....NOT SO EASY TO DO

As I've stated in previous posts, this has been a very challenging year for me on different levels, but especially emotionally. I do not wish to replay this past year, for sure!
I need to make some changes in my life and am struggling with the best way to go about these changes. I've decided that my major focus will be me.
I'm praying about this and developing a strategy to make 2010 a much better year.
One decision I've made is to shut down the event planning business. I did not devote the time needed to it and if I'd done better research, I would have realized that most events in this city are handled on a volunteer basis mostly.
Another decision is to really work on my photography and spend the proper time needed to bring in some decent income. I'm not sure what's happened to me at this stage in my life, but photography has DEFINITELY become my absolute passion! I'm squirreling money away in order to afford a really awesome SLR camera with a couple of major lenses. My goal is to own one before the summer.
Then there's the physical me. On Monday, I'm taking out a membership to our Wellness Centre and also plan on signing up for either the Zumba classes or the Hip Hop classes. That should be cute! I'll probably be in with a bunch of twenty or thirty year olds. I don't care. I want to get back to a size 8 or 10. Well, that's certainly not going to happen unless I'm prepared to put in the time and the work. My goal is to be there before 2010 ends.
I am SO happy I've moved back to my hometown area. Finally, I'm in a place where I have tremedous tangible support and wonderful, wonderful emotional support. Moving around with my husband's job, I never had much of that.
Well, I refuse to call them New Year's resolutions, but will work on moving in a positive direction for me.
The only other thing I need to do is find a part-time job to get rid of some debt. At 62 years old, we'll see what happens. My cousin got a job cleaning the theatres from 11pm to 4am. I'm going to ask him to keep me in my mind if there's another opening. Being the night owl I am, it's probably a good fit for me.
This may be selfish, but I really NEED this change.
I'm so shocked at how quickly one's life can take a major turn....
Finally, Happy New Year to all and a wish for a definite Happier New Year for me!