Sunday, May 26, 2013

Glad the week is over....

In the drama that I call life, it's been quite week.  First our Miss Kitty (and we miss her so much!), then Seamus breaking his ankle at rugby.  And that was quite a roller coaster ride!  First told he needed surgery to put screws in, then he didn't, but has a cast.  Crap weather, snow on my newly planted plants.  I was glad when the week was over.  This weekend is a course weekend, which isn't great, but the end is in sight. 

Unfortunately I accidentally ate a teensy bit of gluten yesterday, because I didn't read a label.  Dumb.  So today my stomach feels like I drank battery acid and then scrubbed it with a wire brush.  Not pleasant.  I only had a mouthful, I can't imagine a whole bunch!   Lesson learned, don't absently mindedly eat stuff without label reading.  My mistake, I've only myself to blame.

Found a new massage therapist down the street from school, who I really liked.  She worked on my blasted IT bands.  She asked if the right side was especially painful, because it was REALLY tight.  Yes, yes it was/is.  Hoping everything I'm doing for it heals it up quickly!




Allistair planning his escape.  Now that he's an only kitty, he's even more determined to go everywhere with the dog.  The birds don't know how lucky they are!  And he has no idea that the coyotes will eat him if I let him out.  He's also loving Seamus, giving him lots of cuddles and loud purring.  Funny for a cat that really is a one person creature.  I guess broken bones need kitty love to heal, in his opinion!

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Jasmine

Yesterday was a sad day at our house. Our beautiful almost seventeen year old kitty Jasmine had to be put to sleep. She was my daughter's cat, a little orange fluffball, named Jasmine after the Aladdin character. Because that's what four year old little girls do.

We've had her since Jess was four and Jackson was nine months. We had her longer than we had Seamus. She will be missed.

She's not the first pet I've had to make the hardest decision for, and she won't be the last. But I swear that when you love pets the way I do, a little piece of my soul never recovers. Other animal lovers will understand exactly what I mean.

For first time in many years we are a two pet family. One dog, one cat. It's weird.

And now we heal. Today will be a better day.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Weirdo magnet part 2 and some other stuff

So, remember how I wrote a post not long ago about being a weirdo magnet? It keeps happening. I've received two more friend requests from men, and of course both profiles are a little sketchy. One is a "soldier for hire" and claims to work for a paramilitary organization in Afghanistan. But lives in Jamaica. He was clever enough to have a couple of pictures of him with a kid, and says he a widower. The one I got last night is from a handsome (who'd you steal that picture from?) man from Barcelona, but living in Maryland. He speaks English and "spainish". Of course he does. Because a native Spanish speaker would undoubtedly spell it that way. I've come to the conclusion that my profile pic must make me look really naive/desperate, and that the friends of my friends are making some poor choices of who they are friending on Facebook. And apparently "married" means nothing. I've also come to the conclusion that Manchester and Maryland are common choices for scammers to say they live. If they told me they live in Anchorage I might believe they are real people. Not really. I'm still a little concerned that somewhere in fbland my profile is linked to a porn site or something. Or a middle-aged ladies looking for younger handsome men dating site. Either way, if you find out I am, let me know!

In other news, I'm learning to overcome my deep seated distrust and disdain for mainstream medical doctors. I have found a good one. I'm getting better care than I have in 20 years, with the exception of the fantastic care I always get from my naturopath. He actually wants to find the root cause of the symptoms I have and takes me seriously. The look on his face when he asks questions about my history and finds out I've been asking the same questions since I became an adult is priceless. He will never say it, but it's evident he doesn't think I've gotten very good care in the past. Which is unfortunate, but I'm grateful that I'm getting it now. Not much wonder he's so busy and is always running behind with his appointments. I hope he never leaves my community!

I'm ever grateful for long weekends, and the chance to get caught up-- with sleep, housework and projects for my course (which is almost over, hallelujah!). A little gardening is in order, date night with my love and time just vegging out and getting ready to face the next few very busy weeks at school. I might even do some yoga. And of course the exercises I've been given for my knee.

Whatever you're doing this long weekend, enjoy. Garage sales, gardening, opening cottages and trailers, it's all good.

Much love.

Saturday, May 4, 2013

10 Things

My blog friend Eco Yogini wrote an awesome blog post yesterday. You can read it here

http://ecoyogini.blogspot.ca/2013/05/10-things-you-need-to-tell-yourself-big.html

and in it she challenges us to write 10 things you love about your self---your non-physical self. She also asks us to tell 3 friends something you love about them. Let me just start by saying that she is an inspiring woman, her passion for the environment, her Acadian heritage and her work as a speech pathologist are a pleasure to read about. And I love when she writes about yoga too.

So......here goes. 10 things I love about me:

1. My ability to form relationships with children, as an educator. My office isn't where you go when you're in trouble, it's a safe place to talk to a caring adult.

2. My passion for all things education, especially improving student achievement.

3. My cognitive ability. Like the way my brain works.

4. The way I've never met a dog that didn't love me. Or cat for that matter.

5. My off-beat sense of humour. It's been a little hidden lately, but I love laughing. And making people laugh.

6. My practical, get things done nature. I am the antithesis of a procrastinator. Works for me.

7. My creativity. I have an artsy side, I enjoy creating.

8. My passion for equity. Especially for children. It's amazing where we can find silent inequities in daily life when we're aware.

9. Speaking both English and French. Sometimes I forget that it's not something everyone can do.

10. My uncanny ability to remember names, phone numbers and birthdays. I may lose my purse, but I can remember all of my elementary school friends parents' phone numbers and their birthdays. Without the help of Facebook. And word for word conversations. It drives my husband nuts.


After a crappy week, Eco Yogini's post made me smile.....and helped to put things in perspective. Yes, I'm very distracted lately, my brain circuits are overloaded, hence losing my purse, but that doesn't make me stupid. Which is how I felt when I realized in my distracted state, having left my purse at a store, and recovering the purse minus my iPod and brand new iPhone and some money. Stupid. And an expensive mistake. But it was a mistake, we all make them. And in the end, it's just stuff. Possessions. I got back the purse I love, that my hubs bought for me for Mother's Day last year. That's more important to me than the other stuff. I can replace them (because I am fortunate enough to have a great job and the financial means, that in itself is a huge thing I should be grateful for).

I am much more than my possessions, my physical body and the mistakes that I make.

And I am passing the challenge along. Either comment or write a blog post telling 10 things you like about yourself, and tell 3 friends something you love about them. No physical attributes allowed! It's harder than you think.

I realize how much my professional life defines me as a person. It's time to get a hobby!