Sunday Musings of This, That and other Things.

One good sleep out of twenty. Not bad . But as the saying goes. ' Please Sir, can I have some more?'
Two nights ago I had a phenomenal sleep. Straight through, no waking up in the dead of night letting
consciousness take control.
Yeah, I could use a few hundred more of those.
Last night? What the EFF was I thinking of? Babysitting a child that doesn't sleep the night through. Falling sleep on a carpeted floor, waking up an hour and a half later, pain taking over every part of my body.
Groan
Serves me right. Dumbass. I apologized for growling at hubby like a bear this morning. But sheesh he was so damn chipper from a full night's sleep. Grrrr

I have to ask this. Who in their right mind lowers the lid to a public toliet? How gross is that? Please please someone tell me she washed her hands after. Quite the dance we females do in public washrooms eh? Are you like me? Assume the position, ( thanks to my work outs for strong quads ) use your foot to flush, wash religiously, close taps with elbows, dry hands and if there's no towels to dry, haul my sleeve down over my hand and ewwww turn the door handle. Yeah, this shirt's going in the wash when I get home.
Yet I can clean up dog barf, clean up a poopy baby butt and go picking through the garbage for my daughter's retainer my ever lovin' hubby threw away by mistake. Go figure.

I have to say, I made awesome ciabatta bread. And a no-knead one thank you very much. Might take 18 hrs to proof but if you've ever made ciabatta bread you know how wet the dough has to be. Who wants to play with dough that resembles goo?
Did I mention Montreal style bagels?? Why hello :-) I did, I made them. Despite Mike's naysayin' that it's impossible to make them, ok they're not St Viateur but they're not far from the real deal. Ppfffhh @ Mike.
Tonight was yummy home made chicken soup, tomorrow a beef stroganoff that from start to finish takes four hours. But please add 8 hours to simmer home made beef stock. Well shove over Julia , Jamie's in da house. Who's coming for dinner?  :-)

I'm after getting my handsome hubby ( yeah, Christmas is coming, I'm ego strokin' ha ha ) to put up my cute little 5' tree tonight. I'm also going to sit and enjoy a Bailey's Irish Cream and tea. (oopsy damn I always 'spill' a wee bit of that Bailey's into my cup,clumsy clumsy me ) Are you like me? I hate wrapping gifts but a shot or two of alcohol makes the job a whole lot easier. I'll put on my psudo fireplace and music, my flannels and get 'er done! UGH, stupid wrapping.

Things clicking into place, short term and long term plans forming. My world is balanced.
All is well looking out beyond the kitchen window.

Sounds of Silence

Hush! Can you hear it?
The silence. This beautiful 'no one's home' music to my ears melody. I can hear a pin drop. ( or in this case the police sirens, we are after all in E-Town eh. )
How often does this happen?
Hardly E V E R . Ahhh bliss is mine to be had. No demands, no errands, I'm ignoring the phone.
How many ways of to do nothing? Let me count. Muahahaha
Dishes in the sink. Soaking never disintegrated Corel so screw it HA! 
One more load of laundry to fold, bahh they can get wrinkled.
Yess sirreee, I'm livin' on the edge today my friends. HA HA !
Looking around, drumming my fingers, thinking...

Hmmm ... no one's home. Perfect time to wrap prezzies, ( no, wait, can't do that. I drink when I wrap and it's too early hmm )  a good time
to clean out old products in the bathroom. Baby's not here to grab everything. ( well now, 95% of that crap is my daughter's , can't throw that stuff out without her going through it )
If I really want to, I can get a KILLER work out in uninterrupted, yeah! ( what am I thinking of?! Had one yesterday, my butt's still hurtin' from it, gotta LOVE those squats yeahh! )

Sigh, I'm pathetic. No one's here and I'm looking for things to do?
I need professional care.

Help....me.....?

Glitz,Gab and Girly Time

Supper out, girly style :-) Love it!
There's nothing more relaxing than supper out with a bunch of girls. True we were down two but that didn't lessen the noise (read laughter) one iota. We closed the place down. Girl talk, my oh my, and girls can talk. No holds barred, curl your ears, jaw dropping, juicy tidbit topics of the female variety, my friends. And not in a catty way either.You need to bring certain elements to the table for a successful evening like that.
These ladies have it. There is no one upmanship crap, no ulterior motives, no E G O .
It's such a revelation to be a part of it, yet to stand aside at the same time and witness it.
I relax, I laugh, I contribute.
Yeah, it's a win/win. :-)

Breakfast out with one of my Besties :-) Love it!
Breakfast is my favorite meal out. It's my best time of the day.I'm fresh, I'm awake and I'm hungry something fierce. Tomorrow I am going to a posh little place that serves exceptionally good breakfast eats. The ambiance is relaxed, not the usual insane rush of eating out on a Friday or Saturday night in E-town. It is a bit of a drive but so worth it. The flavors, the sounds of happy people. It is Saturday morning after all. The week has melted away and they are in a social mood. Huge windows invite natural light making the ambiance light and airy. The taste of fresh coffee, the breakfast-y sounds of the Diner lends to a couple of very enjoyable hours. And naturally the company I am with compliments and completes the whole experience.

You gotta have heart

I have a heart :-)
Go figure. HA
That was the joke of the day.

My facebook status ( for those of you who are unable to access it ) was:
" is at the Medical Imaging Center, they're trying to figure out if I have a heart. hmm debatable I'm told "

I was joking around as I had to go through extensive tests. True to Jamie form,I joked about it.
It's what I do, it's how I deal. But lo and behold, out came the responses to tell me how big my heart was or that I had a heart of gold and so on.
Truth? It wasn't what I was fishing for AT all, not my intention. But boy o boy, it touched me deep.

Those who know me, know I NEVER hunt for compliments, I don't need them. I'm secure in
who I am, what I am in my world and those in it. But still...it touched me.It takes me aback, makes me blush ( I kid you not ) but warmsme in a place I allow few to touch.

Testing was long. Getting injected with radioactive crap isn't my idea of fun and it made me feel funny for most of the day. ( I get injected again tomorrow shitpissfrig UGH )There's the reason I don't dabble in drugs, I H A T E feeling 'funny', not myself, not in control. Getting knocked out before an operation, when you feel higher than a kite? I panic. The nurses have to coo,sooth and almost sing me bloody lullabies till I go under. Waking up? Best not be in my line of vision, I'll bite you head off. I'm truly that grumpy when I come to.
When I had the clips inserted after my second baby and I came to, I remember every single nasty thing I said about that no good for nothing cowardly husband of mind who wasn't letting anyone snip snip, no way , no how, not a snowball's chance in H -E -double L. No one was getting near the family jewels with a sharp instrument, not going to happen, to bad so sad, ain't going there blah blah blah  
 * taking a breath here *
He wasn't there when I came to. I'm sure the nurses would of felt sorry for him and ushered him out.
I was gunning for him the first  half hour.

What was I talking about ? ...Oh yeah, my heart. :-) At some point I felt like I was on an episode of House. That's some heavy duty HUGE machinery they have in there.
But the good news is,  I DO have a heart! I know I have one, I saw pictures. So phooey on you who say I don't. The proof is in the pictures. :-P

And currently my heart is all warm and gooey from those that reached out
and touched me with theirs.
:-)

This, That and Other Things.

THIS
Blows. It really does. I've been off my game since the operation. I have to tell you
I didn't expect to be thrown for this much of a loop. WTF? Well, we all know me,
once I get pissed I do something about it.
Tomorrow I will get up after sleeping a deep soundless sleep. ( yeah I know I know, I'm
dreaming already arn't I? )
I'll feel like I slept for 10 hours straight and head downstairs to start that magic brew
that gets me going in the morning.

 ( No nagging, I quit smoking 17 yrs ago. Don't get all
up in my fries ( ooohh and had some of those today, sooo good) about coffee, it's here to STAY. HA )
That rich aroma that will send signals to my brain and the electrodes in there will start firing  instead of idling.
I'll eat a calorie smart breakfast and I'll get dressed, head downstairs and attack my exercise equipment.

This is how I flip the bird to my weaknessess, I fight it tooth and nail. And honestly I'm sick of feeling like I do,yucky and bloated. UGH.








THAT
Blows. Chunks. It pissed me off. I watched the hurt in my daughter's face, saw
the disappointment settle on her shoulders. Where I"m from, our word is our contract.
I taught my girls the same thing. Don't expect me to be impressed when someone says
something and doesn't follow through. Some people talk for the sake of being heard.
I can handle being let down, God knows I've had PLENTY of it but I can't stand
watching my daughters hurt by it.

So Momma Bear came out growling.
I'm short, I'm french and I'm scary as hell when I'm like this.
Ask my daughters if you doubt.  :-)






OTHER THINGS
Got me in the mood. It really did. Hubby bought THE cutest 5' Christmas tree.
While I don't like Halloween , I do like what Christmas means. The significance
of December 25th, the thought of having both my girls with me, watching my G-baby's eyes sparkle
brighter than the lights in the tree. Baking ( I'm going to get those Italian cookies
right this year, that recipe's driving me NUTS lol ) and cooking different things.
Toutiere, Stew, Soups.( this is where the danger lays, I can really get into comfort eating, it's a fight between
me and that damn carbohydrate monster that stalks me in the winter. The SOB. )

This is my wish list

or this if that isn't a possiblilty

Or (thanks to my sister for hooking me up on this stuff) I would LOVE this

Truth? It doesn't matter what I get, as long as I have my family with me, get togethers with my good friends and my Christmas shopping done by end of November.

Kudos and Coal

So today I'm in the mood  to give out kudos and coal. (as in lumps, some richly deserve it on both counts )

Let's give out the coal first, it's heavy and lumpy. ( ha ha pun intended ) Please step up and accept your lump.

- For the cashier, who can't say hello or thank you. Why are you here?

- For the lady who looked at me like I was beneath her at Timmy's.Bad hair day?

- For those that talk THIS LOUD on their cell phones while waiting in line. Um I really don't CARE about your life/deal/greatness that you are/did/made. Spare me.

- For that matter, those that talk THIS LOUD at any given time anywhere, any place , any time. Um embarrassing.


And the Kudo goes to :

- The young man that held the door open for the elderly person. Momma raised you right. :-)

- My youngest daughter, surviving a tough ugly week health wise with a 2 yr old to look after.

- My eldest daughter for not doing away with the village idiot that escapes every day and walks in her store.

- My dentist office,( Chris) for going that extra mile when you didn't have to.

- To one sister for getting through the week with her boy sick with H1N1.

- To my dear friends from Massachusetts, Montreal and Edmonton, I appreciate you FULLY.

- To my other sister.For keeping us safe. xo

A few of my favorite things ♪♪♬

Go ahead, you KNOW you wanna sing it to the Sound of Music 'Favorite Things' ♪♬♪ . No one will know *wink*


Snow covered mountians and a room with a view
Little G-baby kisses, the smell of fresh coffee brew
Butter London nail polish that shines like bling
These are a few of my favorite things.

A new hardcover book and my favorite armchair
Booking a flight with free airfare
Lil Boo giving me colourful drawings
These are a few of my favorite things

A group of friends who are all mismashes
My daughters bright smiles and lovely eyelashes
Knowing it's your family when the telephone rings
These are a few of my favorite things

When people act crazy
When a bad situation stings
When I'm stressed and just plain mad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad

The Ugly and the Beautiful

How do you define ugly? (Not in a people sense but we will talk about that later on.)
But rather in a day to day?
Look below.

THAT'S ugly, my friends. I'll wait a sec while you count the piles. Plus the one in the washer. sigh. 8 loads of laundry. This is what happens when I have an operation and recoup from it. When your 19 year old daughter falls dog sick and has to care for her 2 yr old. When your husband works dawn to dark.

Discouraging isn't it?
Well no sense crying in one's beer over it, it's got to be done.
And I know my family, the more daunting the task, the more they look to me to bail them out ;-)

To give points to hubby he carried ALL those clothes down four sets of stairs to the basement. I LOVE him for it. This is what makes me buck up and tackle this bloody mess. I'm not exhausted from carrying it all down.





How do you define beautiful? (again not in a people sense but we will talk about that later on. )
But rather in a visual sense.
Look below.

This, to me, is absolutely beautiful. It was taken when I went to Massachusetts to visit my friend, Mary. I'd forgotten the sheer size of the trees in the eastern part of North American.
I LOVE the setting for this house, heck I LOVE this house. :-)
And the colours weren't good this year Mary remarked. In fact it was the 5th Autumn the colours weren't bright. Geezus, give me this ANY day, I'll take it!
But New Englanders know their Autumns. I would imagine in all their glory, the colours are so bright they would hurt the eyes in the sunlight. Beautiful.


I'd write a longer post but you know, 8 loads of laundry and all. If I don't surface for a couple of days, call for help. I probably got caught in the piles and they won't let me freeeee. ha ha

Penis envy.. ALMOST.

It's such a damn chore when girls have to go. Guys whip it out where ever
and have at 'er. And no shame about where they 'go' .

I was at the dog park and sure enough, I recognized the familiar stance of a guy with his business whipped out and probably spelling out his name. I don't get the entertainment value of being able
to spell your name. Four letters? Puleease..
I have time to sing 'Oh Canada'  ( Yeah, patriotism runs in my family ha ha )

But still, it's a bloody chore. It's not like I can spell out my name. First of all, I'm not
that double jointed while assuming the girl stance nor do I have the ability some females have.
( the ability to stand and um project, if you will )
But when the need hits and I'm a place like the dog park, I wish I had
the ease of the job like they do.
It's such a chore. It really is. While some females have no problem hiding behind a bush,
I refuse to. Honestly? I'm almost embarrassed to admit this but I'm terrified of being
bitten by God knows what in the nether regions.

It's worse when you are like me and have a small 'holding tank', you can't ever be
ten minutes away from a  bloody powder room.
I called it 'Penis Envy... Almost'  because I stop and
think, after witnessing this guy, 'Eww, no hand sanitizer,gross!'
And really? I am the prettier sex and I wash my hands after.

(To give credit I borrowed the term 'Penis Envy' from my doc after asking
 what he thought of female body builders. But that's a convo for another day.)

Till then, things are looking fabulous beyond the kitchen window.
:-)