Time to get a little personal

I don't usually get very personal on here. I'm not quite sure why, since it's a pretty small group of people who read my blog. In any case, I haven't in the past, but now I'm going to share something that I'm rather proud about.

I've been on a weight loss journey this year. One of my EA's and I joined Weight Watchers and 5 months later, I've lost 40 pounds! I've still got a ways to go, but it's awfully motivating to know that I can actually do it now!


Here's a picture of me from this summer, before I started losing weight.




Here's a picture from a few days ago, 40 pounds lighter!

A Canmore Christmas

I know. It's February. Better late than never, right?


We stayed in a beautiful condo in Canmore for Christmas (try saying that 5 times fast!). This was the view out our windows.







With all the food and stuff we brought along, we didn't have room to bring a tree. I found this tree in the Christmas store in Banff, so I bought it and we decorated it. The Starbucks ornaments are my favourites.




Someone wrote this festive message on a bench downtown. So I took a picture of it.




On one of our walks, we came across this duck. Actually, he came across us. We were just walking and he was flying above us and as soon as he saw us, he swooped down into the snow beside us. Luckily, we had bread with us as we were on our way to find and feed some ducks. This is the first of MANY duck pictures. These ducks were awesome.



































I don't know why these videos won't fit in the border. Oh well. Enjoy.







On our way back from feeding ducks one day, Huey spied an adventure. There was a little island of ice with a branch going across the creek. Being the adventurous sort, he set off across the branch.



Don't fall! That would be cold.



So proud.



Then he made a giant snow angel.



Back home again. Dad and Zack are so cute.

Blogger Failure

Oh, that title works in 2 ways! It has been way too long since I blogged, AND I tried to do a long overdue Christmas blog and stupid blogger won't upload my photos.

I'll try again later.

Just thought I would let you know of my efforts.

Call me boring, but...

I love vanilla. It's true. Given my choice of chocolate or vanilla, 9 times out of 10 I would choose vanilla. I love its richness, its scent, and the creaminess of it.

I like it by itself.

Has anyone else noticed that it's being added all willy-nilly to make all kinds of strange combinations? It's made this huge comeback! It's everywhere!! I would have thought that this perfume would have killed it forever, but I guess it's been long enough that people have forgotten...or at least forgiven.

Anyway, today I saw a juice flavoured--get this--"Apple Vanilla Pear." What? Seriously. Doesn't that just sound weird??

Anyone brave enough to try it, report back here with the conclusion.

I dare you to frown.

Go ahead...look at the following pictures and videos and just try to be unhappy. I dare you.

Literary Holidays

Well, it was the Christmas of reading this year. I finally had time last year to catch up on some reading and read some excellent books (Life Inside, Slumdog Millionaire--so much better than the movie, etc.) and my reading pile just keeps staying the same. Not because I'm not reading--but because I keep buying new books! So I thought it was time to make a dent in that pile, which is what I did over my Christmas holidays in the midst of all the relaxing I was doing.



I didn't doubt it would be good. Everything I've heard about it was true. Excellent excellent.





Very good. The first 3/4 of the book was amazing. The last 1/4 wasn't bad but I think she tried to do too many twists. But so worth reading. I learned a lot about the Vel' d'Hiv, which I didn't know anything about. Don't let my little complaint about the last bit keep you from reading it. You should read it. For sure.





Interesting and gripping. Not life changing but it kept me engaged.





Everyone should read this book. All of the anti-vaccine propaganda that's been floating around has been driving me NUTS because most of the information is SO misrepresented, out of context, and ignorant. Get your flu shot, don't get your flu shot...I don't care, but don't base your decision on misinformation. Anyway, the book is a good source to read. It's about more than just vaccines, though. It's about the widespread mistrust of scientific progress. It's good. You should read it.






READ THIS BOOK. Heartbreakingly beautiful. It's about a woman who finds out she has early onset Alzheimer's. Keep your kleenex close by.

Bump it!

So, my students and I wrote our Christmas play this year. We wrote some of the students and me into the play, so I had to choose one of my students to play me. I was talking to the mom of the student who will be playing "Miss Smith" and she said her daughter is so excited. Mrs. D was joking around with her daughter Becky, saying "Maybe I should call you Gina till the Christmas play."

Becky said, "Mom, you don't need to call me Gina. But I would really appreciate it if you got me a bump-it* so I can look like Miss Smith."

*Just to be clear...I don't actually wear a bump-it. I do it the natural way.