It's Monday Jan 10th today ~  I had a weekend but not much of one ~ I was sick with the flu when I woke up Saturday morning and stayed in bed until this morning at 6:30.  It sucks to be sick on your days off!!!
We were going to friends who were making dinner for us Saturday night ~ we haven't seen them in awhile and I so wanted to go....and Ray kept saying to me, are you ok ~ are you able to make it??  I'd better call Mary if you are too sick ~ and I'd say ~ I'm ok...I'll just have a nap and then I'll be better :/  Well after sleeping for an hour and a half (which I NEVER do during the day) I woke up feeling worse ~ chills every time I moved, couldn't get warm ~ a headache that was soooo bad ~ the worst stomach ache I've ever had in my life.....dinner was at 6:30 and we'd have to leave about 4pm as they live an hour away....however at 3:45 I said to Ray, I can't make it, I'm too sick....so he called and cancelled and apologized and told them I was sick....I felt horrid, not only wasn't I going, but I now didn't cancel until the last minute and she'd worked hard to make us a nice dinner.
Ray was so good, he brought me hot tea and soup and made me eat/drink it as I didn't feel like eating anything....he tucked me in and made sure I was warm.  Then I heard him on the main floor talking and laughing....I was hoping he was on his phone and not going crazy keeping himself company! LOL....then he came upstairs to show me the following photos sent to him in a text message from our friends...

the prime rib roast Mary cooked for dinner

The homemade apple pie she made especially for Ray!!

He was just sitting down to his dinner when the message came so he sent her the following..

Ray's boiled egg and toast.....

I woke up the next morning, feeling a bit better, the chills and achy feeling gone and stomach ache toned down a lot but still very weak with a massive headache, and thinking Mary would never speak to me again, I opened my email to find a very sweet email from her ~ we missed you, don't feel bad and hope you're better soon.  Lets have dinner in 2 weeks, and she'll cook again!!

Now, that's a good friend....and why I love her and her beau Maurice :)  

Ummmm...Mary, can I at least bring dessert??? :)

Time

Time, where did you go?
Why did you leave me here alone?
Wait, don’t go so fast
I’m missing the moments as they pass....
Chantal Kreviazuk

(I wanted to name this post ~ Time Well Wasted, but I can't find a song :/)


Hello, my name is Tracey and I'm addicted to the computer/internet!


Remember when you were a kid and when you saw a computer on TV it was the size of the room that held it??  Ok you're probably not that old ~ but when I was a kid this was the case ~ if you had of told me I'd hold a computer on my lap and be able to talk to the world, I would have taken you immediately to get a lobotomy!!

Computers have taken over the world!!  I bet you don't go through a day without being on it least once ~ I'm on mine when I have breakfast in the morning, checking email and facebook and favorite sites I like to keep up with.  I sit in front of one all day at work ~ on it 85% of my day, although I must say, I'm not doing anything fun or personal.  I grab it (I use a laptop) as soon as I walk through the door at night and I'm on it a lot through the evening, unless there is something on TV I'd rather watch, most nights I do both!!  I've even taken my laptop to bed with me ~ but most nights I take my iPad cause it's smaller ;) and *occasionally* I've been known to take BOTH with me!!!

Is this wrong?? My husband who snapped the photo thinks so!! LOL

Top 5 things I do on the computer/internet:

1. check email
2. check facebook
3. surf the internet
4. listen to music
5. watch tv shows I've missed or can't get on my cable
6. surf iTunes for new music, movies, apps 
7. upload photos from my camera, iPod, iPhone
8. make videos with music out of photos mentioned above
9. I've started putting my recipes on my laptop (a very time consuming job) so I don't have to search through books and books for a recipe I'm looking for ~ I can find the recipe put my laptop on my island and bake/cook away ~ I LOVE IT!!

Top 5 sites I frequent

1. facebook ~ check in with friends to see what's happening and let them know what I'm doing :)
2. pioneer woman ~ great blog, recipes, camera/photography tips
3. rosie radio ~ read about her show each day ~ it's always on when I'm working
4. my bank ~ make sure  it hasn't been hacked into :) but mostly to pay bills :/
5. about 50 blogs I try to keep up with
6. crafting ideas
7. dictionary.com to see how to spell a word
8. look up how to do almost anything I need done and can't figure it out 
9. chat with far away friends
10. play games ~ bejeweled blitz2 (I'm addicted ~ and compete with a friend to beat her butt!! Hi Joy :)

I'm not sure why I put top 5 ~ I could keep going!! 

The computer/internet is the best ~ and I know I lived before I had it, I'm just not sure how!!!

Auld Lang Syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot, 

And never brought to mind? 

Should auld acquaintance be forgot, 

And auld lang syne! 

For auld lang syne, my dear, 

For auld lang syne. 

We'll take a cup o' kindness yet, 

For auld lang syne. 

Ok, the weekend away didn't go quite as planned, but we still had a great time together :)
Before my son (sick as a dog) called at 3:30am Saturday morning and we rushed home to take care of him, we ~
did a bit of shopping ~ Ray found a jacket and a couple of great sweaters on sale....
We checked into our hotel, and just relaxed and watched some TV, ok we napped some too ~ LOL
We had 8:30 reservations at the restaurant downstairs, and got dressed up for that.
It was a New Years Eve special menu a 4 course dinner that was scrumptious.
While eating, we decided to list good things that happened in 2010?

1. we got his family back
2. we got a new trailer
3. Josh has really come around, warming up to Ray more, respecting him as a step-dad
4. we had a great summer in the US for 3 weeks just chilling out with no worries
5. this was the first time in many, many years both of us looked forward to and got excited about Christmas
6. Josh got to go to Space Camp in Huntsville Alabama
7. We spent 4 days in Whistler with good friends and had a great time with them

Then we talked about the bad things 

1. losing Mary was of course #1 ~ what a huge loss for both of us

and really the only one we could think of ~ we both had a pretty good year with lots of good memories. 

Happy New Year

Another Year it went so fast,

Another month is in the past

Another day, but this the last

As we close the year

Another year to add to age,

Another chapter, turn the page

Another time, another stage

As we close the year

And whether old or young, a daughter or a son

My wish to everyone, my wish to you

Happy New Year, God bless you this year

Peace be to all here, Peace be to you

Had some laughs and shared some tears

Had some doubts and had some fears

Sure am glad that you are here

As we close the year

Time with kids who keep us young

Time to play and having fun

Time we shared with everyone 

As we close the year

Sung by: The Suspenders 

Happy New Year Everyone ~

2010 was a good year for me ~ I lost 30 lbs :) and feel pretty good about that, I just hope when I get back on the scale after Christmas and all the goodies I've consumed I'm not 30+ lbs. heavier!!!!

I feel I'm getting to know myself better ~ and *if* you know me, and I know not many of you do ~ I have learned to listen to my inner filter (which I swore for years I never had!!) I have learned when to bite my tongue and not just blurt out what I'm thinking or feeling ~ weeeeellllllllll, I'm trying to to listen to it, and I'm getting way better at it than I have been in the past.

I'm grateful for having Ray's family, *my family* back in our lives :)  I'm sorry it took so long, but I'm very happy to have them here to visit with, talk to and get to know ~ and getting to know each grandchild is so special to me ~ they are all great kids and I love them all already :)

I hope 2011 is good to you :)

I'm going to Bellingham for the weekend ~ staying in our favourite out of the way place to just get away and chill out and do nothing but spend time with each other, and what better place or way to ring in the New Year with the person you love?

Short list of resolutions ~ and I mean SHORT, as I never stick to them anyway.

and as always #1 is (drum rolllllllllllll please)

Lose weight....enough said ~ I think this is #1 on almost everyone's list!!!

Post more on this blog ~ actually, I'm pretty impressed with myself ~ and doing a decent job of posting regularly ~ I have no idea how people with kids, jobs, lives post on this everyday or even every couple of days....I can't seem to manage it....of course my life isn't all that exciting that I have something to say everyday or even every couple of days.....

Count my blessings (more often) and be grateful for what I have in my life.  (This is one resolution I promise I will stick to and won't give up on ;)

Ok, I told you it was SHORT ~ LOL

HAPPY NEW YEAR ~ I'll be ringing it in at midnight eastern time ~ so I can be in bed at a decent hour.....God it sucks to be getting old!!!!

Be safe this New Year's Eve and if you're partying ~ please be responsible and don't drink and drive!!

Oh Christmas Tree

Oh Christmas Tree,
Oh Christmas Tree,
How lovely are your branches.....

We had help decorating our tree this year ~ We were looking after Ray's grandkids Tristan and Brenna and Josh and Tristan wanted to decorate it ~

I love these photos ~ Tristan handing Josh an ornament...

It's 2 photos, but looks like one....

It takes a lot of concentration....

...to get the tree just right!









While the boys were busy decorating the tree, I was busy baking....

Making pastry and then buttertarts....

And then we're all done :)

Great job on the tree boys...

Buttertarts

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies for the kids

Lemon Meringue Pie for Ray....

RAY, RAY.....hey, where's Ray??

watching TV in between naps ;

                



                 he's been
                    busy too ~

Count your blessings....

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.




things I'm grateful for today :)

1. love
2. family
3. friends
4. laughter
5. seeing my husband enjoying his grandkids

Christmas is Coming

Christmas is coming, 

The geese are getting fat, 

Please put a penny 

In the old man's hat. 

If you haven't got a penny, 

A ha'penny will do, 

If you haven't got a ha'penny, 

Then God bless you. 

Last night we went to "The Suspenders" Christmas concert at the Bell Centre.  I'm sick with a cold/flu and I really didn't want to go thinking it was just 3 guys standing there with instruments singing Christmas carols, asking the audience to participate.  The only thing I wanted to participate in was my pillow and bed!!!
However, these guys really put on a show ~ and I'm so glad I went.....I laughed so hard ~ they've taken popular songs, and made them into Christmas songs...here are just a few examples...
"Every year it's just another family brawl" to the tune of "another brick in the wall".

One of their sons came out looking like Justin Bieber and sang "U Smile" while photos of santa holding screaming children played on a big screen behind them.

With all their children (9) onstage holding wrapped gifts singing "I want to know what this is" to the tune of "I want to know what Love is"

Aaron doing "Cry Me A River" Cry me a river, cry me a river, I've cried all Christmas over you.....

And the song 12 Daze of Christmas that they wrote was hysterical.

Between all the costume changes and hijinks, they also did the standards, O Holy Night, Little Drummer Boy, Happy New Year, Winter Wonderland, Silent Night, they all have wonderful voices and have a harmony only a family can achieve.  My favorite was "The Prayer" that Alistair and Ashley sang together ~ it brought a tear to my eye.

From the left, Aaron, Ashley and Alistair Milne ~ The Suspenders.  You can find them on iTunes, their Christmas CD's are Snowball and Snowed In ~ their voices are great and their harmony is amazing.  If you ever get the chance to go and see them, make sure you don't miss out ~ even if you don't feel like going, go anyway, I promise you won't regret it  :)