Why I Blog

One of my friends wrote a post about why she blogged and encouraged us to do the same so I thought: why not!

I started it out as a place to write about my feelings that I struggle to express in words.  I've always been more open in text rather than in speech, and it helps keep me sane if I can get out my inner most feelings in some way.

I also like to blog about the random little things that happen in life.  And I decided recently that I want to be sure to include the little moments that make me smile, at least one per post.  Because I think sometimes we loose ourselves in the BIG and forget the small.  And it's the simple day to day things that make the most impact.

I also ramble a lot so really I blog to be heard and to be felt.

Random Little Joys:

I broiled a steak and although I cooked it more than I like (I need my meat mooing), it still tasted fantastic!!  (Normally I fail spectacularly at broiling stakes.  Which is quite vexing since I'm a barbecuing pro).

Getting a favourite on a story** that I'd written years ago.

Listening to the awesome music that I'd never transferred from my old laptop!

**Disclaimer if you choose to read it:  I'd started writing it for fun because I desperately needed something to do while I was sick with mono.  It's un-edited and poorly proof read, but it holds a special place in my heart because it's one of the few stories I've actually finished.  And yes, I've written fan fiction. And may or may not be considering a Legend of Zelda fan fiction.

Look I wroted fine print cause I can!

C'est la Vie

This past week I felt like that old man from the Hunchback of Notre Dame.  You know the one, keeps getting liberated from whatever captivity only to stumble into another prison.

Saturday I had an epic wipe out thanks to fresh snow on ice.  I made the mistake of bracing (which I keep telling myself I won't do the next time I fall), and busted up my write arm.  (Which is mostly better now).  And despite falling on my side I managed to bruise the front of my knee... Who knows...

Then, not even a week later... was it thursday?  Friday?  Someday...  Anywho I fell out of the hay stall. Don't even know how that happened and, despite my aforementioned hurting arm while bracing, guess what I did again!  Only with my left hand.

Imagine my moment of: Oh crap!  Because if I actually hurt that one then I'd wouldn't have been able to do anything.  Which would really suck.  Thankfully that one was fine.

Random Other Things:

SO happy Jennifer Lawrence won Best Actress!  (And she fell, poor thing, but it was so funny and cute).

Belle is potentially having teeth issues, but I'm also suspecting she's not liking the fact that I'm asking a little more of her... Took it easy the past couple of rides in case it was her teeth and lo and behold she was happier in the bridle... Hm.  (Teeth issues are a real possibility, it is that time of year).

Snow storm sucked.  But I finally got my house cleaned.

I had a melodramatic couple of days at the beginning of this week and then settled back into being myself...

Last night while picking a movie with friends, I had a moment that probably defines me very well when I said I was torn between watching a chick flick I can't remember and The Last Samurai.

Yep.  (We ended up watching 10 things I hate about You, which wasn't the other choice).

Valentine's Day Plans

Lock the doors.

Watch Skyfall.

Skating on the Canal

I've always been a little amazed with the fact that the locals of a beautiful area rarely take advantage of the beauty right in their backyards as it were.

Until moving out (obviously) I'd lived in Ottawa since I was three years old, so for most of my life.  But I can not for the life of me remember when the last time I went skating on the canal was.  My clearest memory is a school field trip when I was in senior-kidnergarden... when I was five.  And I hadn't been skating since I was fourteen.  (I ended up giving my skates away since I wasn't using them anymore).

So needless to say I was really excited yesterday when some friends from church decided to meet up and head out on the canal.  But also a little nervous I'd fall flat on my face within two seconds. Nine years is a long time.... It's also crazy to think that it has been nine years since grade 9.... Moving on.

The evening held a few firsts for me:
First time tying up my skates all by myself with my bare hands!  (Well technically second since I'd tied them while trying them on).
First time skating on the canal at night!
First time having a maple butter beavertail. (Yuuuuuuumm!!)

I did wipe out a couple of times, but it's the canal.  Ruts and cracks will do that to everyone.  But it was really fun!  I remembered little things that I'd learn while playing ringette and just had a really good time with friends!

Can't wait to get back out there!



So pretty!!

Weathering the Cold

So, if you're in my area you know that this week was cold.  Colder than it has been for a really long time.  My first worry was about how "fun" it was going to be to work in it.  But my biggest worry, I hadn't even thought of till I got a text from my coach's husband saying that he was worried about my water lines potentially freezing and advising me about keeping it going.  He brought me a little heater, I turned up the heat in my place and ran the dishwasher and did a few extra water related things to keep things moving.  Just as I was about to head to bed, a little later than usual, I realized my water had indeed frozen.

Oh... my gosh.  Not a fun thing to realize at ten o'clock at night and you know most people near you are in bed by 9:30 (like I usually am).

There was panic, pacing back and forth and staring at the hole that lead under the trailer and thinking:  yuck I don't want to go down there, but I need to do something.

So, I grabbed a flashlight, hopped down and just stared at the lines going: what am I going to do?  I can't heat up water, running water is slightly the problem at the moment.  I'd had the little heater going in the porch area, but not right by the lines so then I thought, heck worth a shot.

Then I just waited, and prayed.  But y'know, the: ohmygoshpleasehelp, garbled type of prayer.

And then a minute or two at most I hear the water stream through the open taps.  Then there was a lot of thank yous.

It reminded me that you have to do all you can before (or during) prayer, and then leave it all up to God.

Sometimes I forget to do things.  Sometimes I just wait.  But we've been given our agency and our bodies and our minds so that we can use them to solve our problems, and then faith is that extra leap when we can't do it all ourselves.

I also became quite pleased with my layering skills.

Mucking in -37C weather, and I was nice and toasty!  It only took a bajillion layers and physical labour, but it worked!

I also was really thankful to my trusty little car that, although with a lot of protest, started up every morning.

This week was quite nice, albeit a little stressful.  I had plenty of extra time to write, paint, cook and play video games.

No Regrets

I love sitting in church and hearing everything I need to hear.

I love that I love reading the scriptures again.  I've learned that I need to make the time, not wait for it to happen.

I love that Heavenly Father really is right there waiting for me to get it right.  And have conversations with me like no time passed at all.  (Even when it's mainly chastisement.  But from Him it's filled with love).

I love feeling like I know what to do with myself again, even when I haven't a clue at all.

Everything falls into place when you let go and let God.

But letting go doesn't mean doing nothing.  It means doing everything you can, and letting go of the stress and fear that comes from waiting for what you want.

"Thus saith thy Lord, the Lord, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of His people, Behold I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again."

~Isaiah 51:22

In Sunday School our teacher asked us if we'd ever had an answer to a prayer come to us from the scriptures.  He also asked if any of us would be willing to share.  I hesitated because I couldn't think of a very definite moment, except for the ones I'd been experiencing over the past few days.

And it's not so much an answer to a question... Though I suppose it is.  Lately I've been reading from Isaiah.  No order in particular, I just let the pages flip until the stop at a place that feels right and read whatever chapter that is.

I got a lot of talk about not polluting the Sabboth, not keeping myself seperate from others, and that I've beaten myself up enough and that it was time to move forward and do what was right.

I also may have hesitated cause I was afraid of crying in public.

Travel Plans

As much as I am very much a home body, I love, love, love to travel!  But sadly have not been able to travel for a very long time.  I gotta say it's been driving me slightly mad, I just want to go somewhere.  Everywhere in fact.  I'd seriously love to hop on a plane and back pack all over Europe, Asia, etc.

When I was younger our family used to travel a lot, my mom always said it was in exchange for us not having a cottage.  Totally okay with that, it gave me a great appreciation for seeing the world.

There are many places I really want to see, and so it's really hard for me to try to pin down one place to set a goal and visit!  (Start with one, move on with the rest) just when I think I've finally decided, I think of another place I'd love to go see.

My top two pics right now are Rome and St Martin!

Rome, for many, many reasons.  Thousands of years of history right in one city!  The art, the architecture, it's in Italy.  But also it's been popping up a lot in books, movies, games I read.  I feel like there's a giant finger poking me constantly and saying: Rome, Rome, Rome, over and over again.  Until one day I finally went: ALRIGHT!  I'll start saving up!  (Still have to actually start saving up).

But then I remember this lovely little island in the Caribbean that I got to visit with my parents one year during March break.

Of all the places I've visited it is the first place that I was sad to leave.  Not that I didn't enjoy my other vacations and trips, but I feel like I left a part of my soul in St Martin.  And I have days where I just desperately want to go back there.

The people were amazingly friendly.  Super welcoming and helpful and gracious and just really amazing people.  (The Manager of the restaurant said he'd find me a horse loving guy).  And the scenery???

Ya huh.

White sandy beaches, warm water, never to hot weather, barely rained.  My favourite part?  Sitting on a the little porch to our room at night looking at the lights of the houses in the mountains and watching the masts of the ships docked in the marina sway in the tide.

So cozy, so amazing.

So I've decided I'm honeymooning there and my future husband has no choice in the matter.  I already know what resort too, and we're doing a full moon trail ride.

That way, I can happily visit Rome when I've saved up for it knowing that that trip is already planned.



;)