The Perfect Summer Weekend

I'm feeling like a big stress ball this week.  No particular reason, at least not that I can pin-point...maybe a million little things.  But I don't enjoy feeling like a stress ball.  I want the stress ball feeling to go away.

So let's take it back to a simpler time, when life was about nothing other than drinking on the back deck, going to picnics, swimming, and visiting with family and friends.

Like, 3 days ago.

It really was kind of the perfect summer weekend.  The weather was stinkin' hot, the drinks were ice cold, and I didn't have much of a care in the world.  When I woke up Monday morning, groggy and sleepy and wondering why weekends go so fast, that was my most clear thought:  That was the perfect summer weekend.  Summer could end now and I would be satisfied.

And then they announced on the radio that it was the first day of summer.  So I guess this season isn't quite ready to be put to bed yet, eh?

Friday after work, I picked my mom up and we headed off to Shawville to grab some groceries.  I ended up buying a few new pairs of shorts and tank tops too, because, ya know, I'm a behemoth again. ugh.

When I got home, I put the groceries away and headed up to my friend Lolly's for a little visit with her and Sharon.  We were brainstorming on a few fundraising ideas we had for next year's Relay for Life.  We have big goals for next year, my friends.  BIG goals.  So we snacked and chatted out on the deck... lovely evening all around.

Saturday was one of those days I was extra-excited to literally do nothing.  I had no major housework to do, no grass to cut...no reason to feel guilty about doing nothing.  I got up fairly early and went for a big walk around town before having my coffee and watching some PVR'd eps of Jimmy Fallon.  I washed my bedding, made my sweet potato/quinoa/bacon salad for the Sunday School picnic, and cleaned the upstairs bathroom, but that was as far as my work went!  I spent the rest of the day tanning (aka burning) on the back deck.  My friend Brenda came over early afternoon, and then later on Susie and Adam joined us too.  We made a few little sojourns away from the deck - once to visit the two artists in town who were taking part in the Pontiac Artists Studio Tour, once to the store for ice cream and more beverages, and once to get supper at the chip wagon after Sue and Adam arrived.  But aside from that, the day consisted of sitting, chatting, reading or crocheting (I was reading, B was crocheting), and drinking.  That was IT.

Sidenote - my new favourite summer beverage are these giant cans of Seagrams carbonated drinks I found at the store, they were selling them 2 for $5.  The berry is delicious, the orange tastes just like Orange Crush.  The only one I wasn't a big fan of was the grapefruit - but if you like grapefruit, you'd like it.  It's very grapefruity!

We stayed out there on the deck, just drinking and talking and relaxing long into the night, until well after midnight.  Shannon popped in for a visit, and we did some visiting with my bro-in-law's family who were having their Father's Day celebration in his parents' backyard down the hill behind my place, and it was just a really great day.  I tried hard to be careful about keeping sunscreen on, but still managed to burn my legs.  The good part about that was that when the mosquitoes descended after dark and were biting me through my pants, I couldn't even feel it!

Sunday was the Sunday School Picnic, which was a nice distraction on Father's Day for me.  I know my ol' man never liked celebrations anyways, but it's hard not feel lonesome for him on that day, especially when my Facebook newsfeed was full of Father's Day wishes and pictures.  Anyways, it was another hot and steamy day, so it was perfect for an outdoor church service, potluck picnic, and swimming at Lindsay and Ryan's!  I'll let the pictures tell that story...

After the picnic, I settled in on the couch at Mom's for a nice, long nap.  I'm so not used to being hung over and sunburnt anymore.  I finished the day by watching a movie on my laptop in bed while I snacked on chips instead of eating a real supper.  It was just that kind of day.

So yeah.  That was my perfect summer weekend.  Which happened before summer even started.

I guess I'll enjoy it a little while longer... ;)

Random Thursday Things

• Something kind of big happened in my world this morning.  I had been thinking about it all week, and the day has finally come. I have been paying off a line of credit for what feels like a million years.  I got myself into credit card debt in my foolish late teens/early twenties, mostly buying concert tickets... I was the concert Queen back then! I'd round up a gang to go to whatever show was rolling through town, order the tickets for my friends, they'd pay me in cash, and the cash would stay in my wallet.  I'd never put it against the actual credit card bill.  I had good intentions, but then POOF, the money would be spent and I'd be another couple hundred in the hole on the card.  Somewhere along the way, I realized it was getting pretty serious, so I had a meeting at my bank, and they set me up with a line of credit with a much lower interest rate to pay off that card, and then I started paying off the line of credit.  It has been a long, slow process.  I know that in the grand scheme of things, my debt was small compared to many others', but for a single girl struggling to survive on a sole pay cheque, it's been a long ol' run of living pay day to pay day.  It's been a little cloud hanging over my head for years.  There were days when I didn't think I'd ever be done with it.  But the day finally did come!  I keep signing back in to my online banking just to look at that zero balance on my credit line.  Such a feeling of relief! :)
• So what shall be my first big investment now that the line of credit is paid off?  What shall I start saving for now?!  Because you all know me... I always have a big goal in my sites! haha!  Since Netflix has been a big focus for me since I got Internet back in early March, my next project is to maximize my Netflix time.  You've all heard me lament the woes I've had streaming Netflix thus far.  It started out great, but then after about a month, it went whacky on me.  I'd google and find a solution that would seem to work for a few days or weeks (re-booting the router, switching playback settings to "low", deleting the app and re-loading it, etc) but eventually, it would go back to freezing or giving me error messages on a regular basis again.  The past week and a half, I can't get through more than five or ten minutes without getting an error message.  I have realized, though, that if I'm watching on my laptop, it works perfectly. No freezing, no error messages. Ever.  But it seems a shame to have to huddle over my laptop screen to watch my favourite shows when I have this nice big flatscreen TV sitting there... So that brings me to the next step.  I now have purchasing a Chromecast or an Apple TV on my radar.  I don't really understand how the things work, but I understand they essentially turn my TV into a "Smart TV" - and think it would be the best solution to this problem.  If anyone has any feedback on either of them, or a suggestion that I might not have heard about, please do share! 
• We are in the midst of a string of really nice weather here right now.  Which is nice, since the last week or so was pretty crappy.  Cool and windy and rainy... blech.  For awhile, it felt like we got a May heatwave and that was going to be it for our summer!  Thankfully, the hot sunny days are back again.  I'm especially excited that it looks like it's going to be a beautiful hot day on Sunday for our Sunday School picnic.  A perfect opportunity to test out one of my new bathing suits!
• Have I mentioned that I've found a new summer drink?  I've always liked Palm Bays, but they are so sweet that I can usually only handle one or two.  This year, I've discovered they're selling them in pouches that you can freeze into slush.  My friend Lindsay let me try one of her Cherry Lime ones at Book Club a few weeks ago, and I LOVED it.  I have a few Strawberry Pineapple flavoured ones in the freezer that I think should hit the spot this weekend!
• This weekend is one of those weekends where I don't really have a lot of firm plans, and I'm sitting on the fence of trying to decide if I want to do EVERYTHING or NOTHING.  I have to do groceries at some point, and make a dish for the Sunday School picnic (and of course I'm going with the sweet potato/bacon/quinoa salad...thank you again, Shannon, yummmm), and I have to go to said picnic.  I've been tossing around the idea of trying to find someone to do the whole Pontiac Artists Studio Tour on Saturday with me... or, just visit the two fab artists in town, and spend the rest of the day bumming around home.  There's something quite appealing about just sitting out on the deck and reading in the sun, then hitting the couch for a movie night... Oh decisions, decisions.
• This weekend, I MUST go to Marcotte's for a chocolate-dip vanilla soft serve cone.  I haven't had one in over two weeks!!!!  AGHHHH!!!!

Well, I think that's all the random I've got burling around in my brain this morning... Happy Thursday, pals!  The weekend is almost here!!!

A few words on love

It's "What I'm Loving Wednesday", but I'm going to go off-page a little bit this week.  Rather than listing all the things I'm loving today, I'm going to just talk a bit about love and what it means to me.

Like many others, I woke to the disturbing news Sunday morning of another mass shooting in the United States, this time in Orlando.  It came on the heels of the sad story of a young former contestant on the The Voice, Christina Grimmie, being shot at one of her shows by a deranged fan, just the night before, in the exact same city.  While gun violence and mass shootings have become too common-place in our society over the past 15 years, this one on Sunday morning stood out as being much worse.  This one was the biggest in US history.  It is devastating on many levels, first for the sheer number of innocent lives lost:  49 people.  49 innocent people.  Then, there's the fact that it happened at a gay nightclub.  So a certain group of people, a group of "different" people, appear to have been the primary target.  And then, there are the claims that the lone gunman had pledged his allegiance to ISIS before going on his attack, and that brings in the terrorism side of things.

So much hatred.  So much anger.  So much pain and fear and sadness caused by one person's horrifying actions.

I keep thinking about those people who were out for a fun night of dancing.  I love to dance.  I've never been to a gay nightclub in Orlando, but I can imagine the vibe.  There would be drinks flowing and smiles and a dance floor that was completely alive with energy and love.

Nobody goes out for a fun night on the town expecting to become the victim of a mass shooting, or a terrorist's plot.  They wouldn't have been expecting it in the least.  Countless lives were shattered in those shocking moments when one man, so filled with hate and anger, decided to open fire.

I don't understand what has to happen to a person to bring them there...to bring them to that point.  I do know what it feels like to be angry.  I know how it feels to be frustrated and to not understand something.  I know how it feels to disagree with another's point of view.

But I also know how it feels to love.  And in the end, for me, the love always wins out.

I suppose I'm cut from a very simple "live and let live" cloth.  While I don't necessarily understand other's ways of living that are different from my own, and I don't necessarily share other's opinions on a wide variety of matters, I just want everyone to be happy and at peace.  I think that feeling is shared by many of us.  Just because we don't always agree, and just because we don't always understand, doesn't give us permission to take radical actions.

The colour of a person's skin, their sexual orientation, their religious or political views... what difference does it make?  We are all just human beings, traveling our own paths, trying to do our best.

And yet, there is evil in this world.  No matter how many of us are working towards living simply, with love and patience and understanding in our hearts, there has always been - and likely, always will be - the forces of evil among us.

I feel fortunate to live in a small community, in a country with more strict gun control laws, and away from that scary "big wide world" where these bad things happen.  I know that it can happen anywhere at any time, yet I feel more shielded and safe here.  I'm surrounded by a family, friends and a community that show every day the true meaning of love and compassion.  We don't always live peacefully, we don't always understand each other, and we certainly don't always agree, but I feel that truly, deep down inside, we have love for our families, our friends, and our neighbours, and no matter what happens, we will be there for one another.

I think Jimmy Fallon said it best in his monologue Monday night when he reminded his audience that this was one bad guy - 49 good people, and just one bad guy.

Good always outnumbers evil.

Love wins.

Be good to one another.  Try to be as understanding as you can.  When you don't agree, then just agree to disagree.  We can't all think the same and have the same feelings and have the same thoughts.

We are all different people, on different paths, following the beat of our own drummers.

But we can all make the decision to let love guide us.

It will never lead you astray.

The Wednesday Loves

Another busy week is rolling right along...but time for a quick break to share what I'm LOVING this week!

I'm loving listening to all my old Hip CD's.  My God, they just never get old.  So many memories are tied to these albums and songs.  Sadly, we were among the throngs of disappointed fans of the band who were unable to secure tickets to their final tour (seriously, though - who DID get tickets last Friday morning?!), but I'm thinking we'll come up with a plan to make the most of that weekend in August we were hoping to be in Kingston for their last show.  Feels like only the right thing to do, to somehow still honour Gord and the entire band.

Lovin' that I got to spend last night in my "happy place"... the movie theatre!  It felt like it had been ages since I'd last been to the movies.  I thoroughly enjoyed my date with my mom and Donna to see "Me Before You".  I was already a fan of the book by Jojo Moyes, and the movie did not disappoint. It was beautiful and bittersweet, and I thought the actress who played Louisa Clarke was incredible.  She just lit up the screen, a real scene-stealer.

I also love that I ordered a large buttery popcorn, of which I ate less than half...which means I have leftover theatre popcorn to have as a treat tonight when I watch my adorable Jim in The Office! ;)

Oh, and yes.  I love Jim.  aka John Krasinksi.  He's definitely my new favourite.  I wish I had a Jim in my real life.  How is Pam able to resist?!

I know I mentioned it a few weeks ago, but I'm still lovin' JT's new jam, "Can't Stop the Feeling".  I thought it'd be starting to wear thin by now since they play they shit out of it on the radio, but nope.  Still makes me wanna dance, every. single. time.

I love that I have some new swimwear for the summer!  I had ordered one pair of bottoms and three tankini tops, praying that at least one of them would fit, but fearing the worst because I had no idea what size to order.  The bottoms were fine, but the first top was so tight I was afraid someone was going to have to cut me out of it.  I was ready to have a meltdown, but thankfully, the next two tops fit fine.  Phewf!!!  OK, summer, I'm ready for you!!!

Loving the Italian feast I have planned for Saturday night!!  The Canada Day Committee in our town held a fundraising Facebook auction this past spring, and I offered up a "Little Taste of Italy" homemade lasagna dinner for four, which my friend Sarah won.  The ladies are coming for dinner on Saturday evening, and I've had fun this past week or so coming up with ideas for the different courses, beyond just the lasagna.  I really hope they enjoy what I have planned for them!  I can't wait!!

I absolutely LOVE the salad I've been bringing on my lunch all week, and can't thank Shannon enough for sharing the recipe! I knew as soon as I read the ingredients that I would love it... Sweet potatoes? good.  quinoa?  good.  shallots? good.  bacon? gooooood.  Can't get enough of it!

Well, I think that's all I've got going for this week.  Happy Wednesday, pals!!

Relay for Life 2016

The 2016 Pontiac Relay for Life was held this past Saturday night at the fairgrounds in Shawville, and I was pleased to take part once again, walking with my Slipper Sisters.  Last year, I had to take a hiatus, as my cousin Kayla's wedding was the same day - and I am not a powerhouse trooper like my friend Brenda, who is somehow able to go all day, then go all night (and then continue going all day the next day!!) But I was happy to be able to return this year, and walk all night alongside many others.  We each walk for different reasons, in memory or in honour of different people, but all with the same goal:  we walk in hopes that one day, a cure for cancer will be found, and we won't have to walk anymore.

I admit, it took me a while to get psyched up for Relay this year.  I had committed to the Relay team before I found out the Canada Day Committee's annual golf tournament and steak dinner was the same day, and then I was torn.  I have stepped down from the Canada Day Committee, but I still really wanted to support the cause, as the legendary Canada Day celebrations in our little town are very near and dear to my heart.  I knew I couldn't golf and party all day, then walk all night - like I said, I'm not Brenda!  I'd literally turn into a zombie!!  Both are important causes to me, so I struggled with what to do.

In the end, I chose Relay, and opted to swing by the golf course during the day to drop off a donation from my mom and I.  Otherwise, I spent Saturday resting and relaxing, doing odd little jobs around the house in the morning, and attempting to nap in the afternoon.  Despite a miscommunication about what time we were leaving, Lolly, Sharon, and I managed to get ourselves collected and out the door in good time and headed up to Shawville to settle in to our camp site, grab a bite to eat at the Lions Club BBQ on the grounds, and get ourselves geared up to walk!

It was a ridiculously warm evening - the warmest Relay I've ever been part of, with the night time temperature not going much lower than 18 degrees.  I didn't look for a sweater until long after midnight, never changed out of my capris, and didn't find myself dying for the soup at midnight or a cup of coffee to warm myself up.  It was a fairly easy night to walk through, only one small shower of rain, and the lightening and rumbling thunder that rolled around at times never came near us (thank God - I don't do thunderstorms!!).  Seriously, the biggest battle of the night was with the june bugs, which seemed to come out in droves for the event!

As you probably all know, I started taking part in Relay for Life after my dad passed away following a brief but hard-fought battle with cancer in February 2012.  With the exception of last year, I have walked that track countless times over the past four years, sometimes surrounded by friends, sometimes alone; sometimes laughing til my sides hurt, sometimes with silent tears in my eyes.  Sometimes I've walked fast, marching along with determined purpose in my heart.  Sometimes I've hobbled like an little old lady.  Sometimes I've danced.  Once during the night, I've even run.    Sometimes in dusk, sometimes in the early light of dawn, sometimes lit only by the luminaries along the track in memory or in honour of our loved ones.

But with each step, no matter what the mood or temperature or time of night, I've thought of him.

This year, cancer seems to have touched my family and friends even more than any year before.  This year, I wasn't just thinking of Dad.  I was thinking of friends who are facing, or have faced, the horror of cancer in their lives; of a cousin who passed just days before; of uncles who are currently battling.  I walked holding too many people in my heart this year.

The Slipper Sisters were a small but mighty team this year.  We consisted of only 6 members - our captain Lolly, Sharon and I; event organizer Jaime and one of her volunteers Kim, who were busy most of the night keeping the show rolling; and Brenda, who, as I mentioned, had been working at the golf tournament and steak supper all day and well into the night.  She joined us in the wee hours of the morning to finish it off with us.  And yet, despite being one of the smallest teams present, we managed to achieve "Silver" status with our fundraising, reaching over $6,000 raised for the Canadian Cancer Society.

Jaime and her team of volunteers deserve all the accolades, cheers and rounds of applause they get.  This is no small event - it takes a lot of planning, organizing, and efficiency to pull it off each year, and I am seriously amazed at how smoothly everything goes (and how calm Jaime stays!)  Congratulations once again to ALL of them for their tireless efforts in the days leading up to Relay for Life, and during that long and sometimes seemingly endless night.  And this year, when the final tally came in, they had raised over $120,000.  Simply amazing!!!

I know I've said thank you to those who support us countless times over the past days and weeks, but I need to give them all one more big shout-out.  On a personal level, I was able to raise over $900 myself, and that is 100% thanks to the amazingly supportive family and friends I have surrounding me.  I know it's cheesey, but they truly are "the wind beneath my wings" as I circle that track.

And of course, thanks to my teammates for hanging in there with me during the night.  It's not always easy to stay friends when exhaustion creeps in, and I'm known to get a little nasty and short in the grain when I get tired.  So I appreciate their patience and I'm thankful that, no matter what, we'll be "#stillfriends" when the sun comes up the next day.

Relay for Life 2016 is the books.  Another night filled with memories: some poignant, some special, some hilarious, some not so fond, some sad.

 And with that, one more little prayer that a day will come when we will not have to walk any more.

What I {Heart} This Wednesday!

Wednesday has rolled around again!  I still have my Relay for Life recap to come, but I'm back-burnering it for one more day... I just have to list what I'm LOVING this Wednesday.

I love that it is JUNE!!!  We made it through the crazy days of May!!  I know there's no sign of things slowing down anytime soon, but I always feel like if I can survive the month of May, I can survive anything.  WE DID IT!!!

I'm loving that it is a gorgeous day out there.  The sun is shining, and after a few stifling-hot days over the past week, today is just to be seasonably nice.  I'm already looking forward to my walk at lunch time, and another one this evening!

I love that every where I look this morning, something is catching my photographer eye.  Some days I feel like I look and look, but there's nothing out there worth taking a picture of.  Today is not one of those days.  I feel like I'm surrounded by beautiful potential photos today!

I'm loving The Tragically Hip.  I was devastated by last week's news that lead singer Gord Downie has been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, and I've had him on my mind ever since.  I was in Grade 7 when I "discovered" The Hip.  They instantly became my favourite band, I developed a bit of a crush on drummer Johnny Fay, and I made it a personal mission to buy every single album they had made.  When I first picked up the guitar, "Wheat Kings" was one of the very first songs I learned to play, and it is still my favourite "go to" when someone asks me to play something.  I have been lucky enough to see them live in concert 3 times, and I'm hoping for one more chance this summer when they go on tour for what will likely be the last time.  I hadn't listened to any of my Hip CD's in quite a while, so I dug them out last week and have been re-immersing myself in their music.  My God, there are some gems in their vast and amazing songbook.  Fingers crossed that I get my hands on some tickets this Friday.

I love that my friend Stacy's blog post inspired me this morning to order some new bathing suits!  I'm in a sad state right now, as the bathing suits I wore in the olden days are still way too big on me, but the cute size 8 tankinis I've worn over the past 2 summers are no longer even close to fitting me.  (boooo!)  I'm honestly not even sure what the heck size I am anymore, but I took a guess, and I'm praying at least one of the suits I ordered from Sears this morning will fit.  Only a few weeks until the Sunday School picnic and pool party at Lindsay and Ryan's, and I don't want to be off on the sidelines in a muumuu! ;)

Loving that we got to take in a few innings of my niece Danica's first ball game last night in Wolf Lake!  Mom, Aunt Mona, and I were highly entertained watching the Aylmer Angels play their first game of the season.  Dan was all smiles, skipping to the plate when it was her turn to bat and seemingly having a blast.  We, on the other hand, were sitting in a very cold wind (where did that come from?!) and battling a million black flies (they are BRUTAL this year!!) so we didn't stay for the whole game.  But I got a few pictures so I was happy.

I love that I have positive energy and happiness flowing through my veins again.  I've felt like I've been on a bit of a downer lately, and over the past few days, I've felt that seeping away.  It feels good to just be in a good mood!

I'm so loving that I won the Budweiser e-fridge at the Canada Day golf tournament on Saturday!  I didn't get to take part this year because I was already committed to Relay for Life, but I did swing by the course for a little visit, and while I was there, I bought a couple of squares in the square game.  Later that night, when I was walking laps around the Relay for Life track, my phone started blowing up with texts from friends letting me know I'd won the e-fridge! hahaha!  I don't like beer, and I really have no place for a beer fridge, so I think it will be finding a new home, but it just made me feel good to win something.  I never win anything!!!

I love that summer plans are starting to take shape.  I believe we will have family in town visiting for Canada Day, and I'm so excited to see them.  Then of course there's the annual vacation to the camp to look forward to, and as I mentioned, hopefully a special concert to go to in August.  This summer will likely be more quiet than the last one, but I'm looking forward to that.  Can't wait to soak it up and relax!!

Happy Wednesday, friends!! :)

All You Need Is Love!

I missed "What I'm Loving Wednesday", but hey, who says it can't be "What I'm Loving Thursday", am I right?  We all need a little extra lovin' from time to time! ;)

I'm loving the video of The Lonely Island and Jimmy Fallon performing their song "I'm On A Boat" with classroom instruments.  I had never heard of The Lonely Island or this song before, but it totally made my day.  It's been stuck in my head ever since.  Andy Samberg is awesome, and we all know how I feel about Jimmy... ;)

I love my new favourite non-swear word, also courtesy of The Lonely Island and "I'm On A Boat" - Mickeyfickey is a great way to vent some anger without saying the "real" word.  I've been "mickeyfickey'ing" a lot since I learned that one!!

I'm so loving the Netflix show Bloodline.  I was debating on the weekend what show I should start next.  I am into The Office, and quite enjoying it, but I felt there was room for another show in my life at the same time.  I was debating between Bloodline and House of Cards.  The deciding factor was Kyle Chandler's sexiness.  He trumps Kevin Spacey, BIG time.

And I'm loving Kyle Chander as John Rayburn in Bloodline JUST as much as I loved him as Coach Taylor in Friday Night Lights.  There is just something so irresistible about that man!

Back to The Office... Yes, I do love it as well!  And I am also quickly falling for John Krasinksi, who plays Jim.  I remember loving him in the movie "Something Borrowed", but he hasn't really been on my radar otherwise.  He is now!!!

Have I mentioned lately that I love Netflix?  Oh, how I love my Netflix.  Especially now that it seems to work on a semi-regular basis.

I LOVE that Relay for Life is on Saturday, and with each passing day, I grow more excited.  As that night grows longer, the silliness in our camp can get a little ridiculous, and those are the moments at Relay for Life that I love most.  We shed tears that night, to be sure... and it's nice that many of them come from laughter!

On a more somber note, I have to mention my love for the people surrounding me - the family and friends who are supporting me in my Relay for Life efforts.  I'm sure I'll have more to say on that subject in coming days, but today I couldn't talk about the things I love most without mentioning those who have sponsored me and helped boost me well past my goal of raising $500 for the Canadian Cancer Society.  Cancer is an evil and nasty disease, and it's hard to find someone who hasn't been touched by it.  I walk in memory of Dad, but there are just too many people in my life who have battled, are battling, or have lost their fight.  Just this week, a cousin of mine lost his battle, and of course I was devastated by the news that The Tragically Hip's lead singer, Gord Downie, has been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.  It hurts terribly to think of all of those who have been effected.  I will be holding them all in my heart as I walk on Saturday night. <3 div="">