THIS GIRL WAS MADE FOR WALKIN'

According to family legend, my original mode of movement was scooting. Yup, I was a bum scooter. Eventually I developed the fine art of using my two legs in an upright position and started walking.

I've been walking ever since. I confess. The cards are on the table. This girl was made for walkin'!

There was no bussing system in Trenton, so as I teenager I had to walk downtown to find whatever mischief  was to be had. A quick 10-15 minute walk and there was I was, in the middle of the action. Hanging with the other street riffraff, the drug-ees and drug-dealers, the strippers, the mentally unstable. I would walk to meet my girlfriend who literally lived on the other side of town on the Base. She was a good 7 inches taller than I and mostly in the leg region. I  had to trot to keep up with her, my two steps to her one. 

Here I am, nearly 40 years later, still walking. 

I walk the dog. I walk on my lunch. My running shoes are well worn and scruffy. I bounce along taking strides bigger than my frame can handle. 

I walk in the dark and pick out constellations. I walk through sunrises and sunsets. In rain, snow, heat and cold. 

Recently my husband bought the mother of all treadmills. 

It takes up a good chunk of the basement and is really keen on whipping you into shape. There are numerous walking tours you can take, all led by svelte young things that are over the top in the motivation department. Personally I just put it on manual, bring the incline up really high, stick my I-pod in and start walking. 

Eventually my knees and/or hips are going to wear out from all this walking. I will probably be signing up for whatever bionic parts are available for replacement.

This girl was made for walkin', that's just what she'll do. One of these days this girl is gonna walk right up to you!

SNOW: LOVE IT, HATE IT

I got up this morning and "boom there it is" Our first official snow fall. I walked Lulu with sharp bits of baby ice hitting me in the face. And so it begins. 

I have a weird love/hate relationship with snow:

Love to look at it, hate to drive in it

Love the smell of it, hate how cold it is

You get the picture. 

So, after walking Lulu I made a nice hot cup of coffee and snuggled  in to warm up. 

Blanket (electric) - check

Fireplace - check

Big, fuzzy slippers - check

Pets - check

I sent this pic off to a friend of mine who LOVES snow. This was her response:

Cause she gets out there and enjoys it. While I'm prepped for hibernating, she is just gearing up!

It really is beautiful stuff. I bought this painting for my 50th birthday done by a local artist, Jesus Estevez 

I could have bought something in the sailboat or flower genre but no, I'm drawn to a snowy scene of downtown Belleville.

Some of my best-selling photographs are snow scenes.

Firebush in Snow

Narnia

Ice, Ice Baby

For Christmas I asked for snow shoes (and a kitten, cause I aways ask for a kitten). This year, by golly I'm not just going to be a recluse and watch all the winter drama from my window. This year, I'm going to get out there!! 

Full disclosure: I say this every year. But maybe this year will be different.

Now where are my big fuzzy slippers??

HUNGRY?

Every time feed Lulu it is a high 5 celebration, or in Lulu's case, high 10. I open the cupboard and drop in some dry food and that's when Lu jumps up and gives me a two paw smack down.

High 5 (x2)! Let's eat! It's gone in about 15 seconds or less so I'm not sure she even tastes it. But we celebrate these moments.

Food...glorious food! 

This week was colonoscopy week for me. Now I won't go into all the details but part of the prep includes very little food. On Monday  I ate light, knowing what was ahead. After supper it was nothing but liquids (juice, broth, water) until Wednesday when it was nothing at all until after the procedure. So for nearly 2 days there was no food going in and LOTS going out. 

Let me tell you I was hungry. And dehydrated. And once I was given the green light, food tasted glorious!

My oatmeal was as Lulu would say a High 10.

Warm with raspberries and a bit of maple syrup...Please sir, can I have some more??

The family took me out for a belated birthday dinner on Friday and at Linguine's I had the Olio pasta.

Rich in garlic, olives, artichokes and mushrooms with penne pasta. 

Heaven!!

Proverbs 27:7 says "One who is full loathes honey, but to one who is hungry, everything bitter is sweet." 

You can apply this to pretty much everything. Christmas is coming and we here in Canada have so much. Sometimes we take it all for granted: food, clothing, gadgets, peace and protection. Hunger for anything is something most of us are not familiar with.

So, if you need a reminder....just go on a fast for a couple days, whether that be food or your phone, car, whatever. 

I guarantee you will find everything seems sweet again. 

I RAKED, I BAGGED, I MOWED, I'M DONE!

There are certain times in home ownership when you just have to hunker down and get'r done. 

Yard work...for example, particularly in spring and fall. For me, yesterday was one of those days.

I'm blessed with a beautiful back yard so I can't complain too much about having to spend the day out there.

Time to rake the leaves up!

It was chilly but I bundled up and doubled up on sweaters and mitts and got to work raking all these bits of gold up.

Lulu, though not much help in the raking, bagging and mowing department, is very helpful in the assessment and moral support department.

After making a number of piles here and there, the bagging commenced.

I found one last rosebud. She looked a little frostbitten but I snipped her off and brought her inside, hoping she would open up. 

Raking and bagging done, it was time to move on to mowing, hopefully for the last time this season. And here is the final product friends:

My husband helped take down the canopy on our gazebo and other than one last raking job and putting in the spring bulbs my work back here is done. 

A cup of tea and nap were in order to rejuvenate and I'm ready to move onto the next stage of home ownership....

For the next few months it will be me, a shovel and lots of time in the driveway!