Friday, July 31, 2009

Still Got It

I had to go to Deer Lake yesterday. There are always errands to run when you own a variety store, always little things to pick up here and there, bank deposits,to do, office supplies to replenish, etc.

I drove with my Mom and Granny. We pulled into the parking lot of the hardware store - I had to pick up an order the hubster had called in earlier. One of the guys who works there was standing at the glass door. I've seen him before - very lean, average height, sandy-coloured hair, Indian ink tattoos from his early days, neither attractive nor unattractive, but with a glint in his eye that speaks of "bad-boyishness".

I approach the door and it swings open.
I think: "Ah, being a gentlemen I see..."
Forgive me, but I do love when a man opens a door for me.
I look up and smile and say "Thank you".
And he looks back at me as I pass and in response says, "You must have just fell from heaven!"
BAHAHAHAHAHA....I kid you not, I wouldn't lie, that man ACTUALLY spoke those words!
I immediately think: "Oh yeah, angel right here...and you sir, are probably the devil in disguise."
But as I sway by and glance back over my shoulder, all I can do is giggle like a schoolgirl.
I continue on, feeling his eyes on my back. (But then I think: Well Myrna, good or bad, it's kinda hard to miss this "volumptuous" booty...ha)
I walk up to the counter , get my stuff, and leave the store.

Maybe the guy's just a sucker for a girl who can carry a 50lb box of nails.

I got in the truck and cracked up laughing, telling my mom and grandmother how I just got hit on. They both had a good laugh too and mom agreed with my "devil in disguise" analysis. Too funny!

But still, in a strange and twisted way, it sorta made my day.
Singin'...
I still got it
Oh yeah
It's your birthday
Get your groove on

Call me a sucker for compliments.

But still, I think I'll send the hubster to the hardware store himself next time.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

If Trees Had Eyes

I often click on the "next blog" thingy at the top of my home page. I like to lurk. I'm curious about what other people have to say - whether it's to display home-made cards, family photos, or teenage rants - I'm just curious.

My click this morning got THIS blog

I found the fact that someone took the time to find the oldest tree in this region, and then put it on display for all to see and appreciate, quite intriguing. People really are fascinated by such things. We want to know about how this tree has stood through five centuries. Perhaps I should use the term "people" very loosely and simply speak for myself - I personally think it kinda cool to imagine what this tree has "seen" in its lifetime.

My thoughts immediately begin to turn to the kinds of things a tree would experience, what it would have looked upon, had God given it eyes to see.

How many times had its rough bark been grazed by human hands in passing?
How many children had hidden behind its thick trunk?
How many lovers embraced under its shade in the heat of summer?
How many of its flowers had adorned the crown of an autumn bride?
How many weary travellers had leaned upon its strength?
How many of its seeds were harvested in efforts to cure the sick?
How many battles were fought in the field it overlooked?
How much blood was shed upon its fallen leaves?

Then I realize that God in his wisdom perhaps denied a tree its eyes on purpose. Someone once said, "what the eyes cannot see, the heart cannot feel". I never felt this statement appropriate for a person. Perhaps the author was speaking of a tree - for with eyes, the sorrow it would have beheld would have suffered its death five thousand times over in the course of those centuries. Its visions fraught with such extremes of joy and grief would have corrupted its mind and this Bitaog would have long turned to dust. For who could withstand such emotional conflict?

Perhaps I should not speculate. Perhaps I allow my reflections to get me carried away. Perhaps the tree has simply been lucky enough not to have been met by a sharp axe. Perhaps.

Would this tree survive another five thousand years, what would its experience be? More of the same? But then, that I really cannot even imagine.

For more fabulous tree specimens visit http://scienceray.com/biology/botany/spectacular-trees-from-around-the-world/

Friday, July 24, 2009

Twilight Haters


It's no secret I'm a huge Twilight fan.
But I came across this on another blog and I seriously laughed so hard...hahahaha!
(that would be Mr. Pattinson himself dying in Harry Potter, for those of you who were unaware)
I guess the sparkly diamond thing is a little much for some people to handle.
On that note:
Dear Stephenie Meyer,
Please, for the love of all that's good (your books), don't allow the "New Moon" movie to be as poorly done as "Twilight"...PLEASE, I'm begging you!
Sincerely,
Myrna

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Want Another "Child"?

I love dogs. I have always loved dogs. I got a sweet and crazy dog named "Niki" (so named by my first crush, Craig) when I was 12, much to the upset of my mom, in particular, who was/is deathly afraid, and the secret joy of my dad who adores canines. I rescued Niki and brought her home and Mom didn't have the heart to send her away. She was pretty much full grown when I got her, tho' less than a year old, and had been chained to a small dog house with no attention and little food. The 12-year old that I was, simply wanting a dog but not mature enough to understand the care required, was unable to entirely rehabilitate Niki. She didn't make a very good house pet and spent most of her time outside in a large fenced in yard built by my Dad. She loved the snow, loved rolling in the mud, and when she ran away, which was often, always came home smelling of salt water. She was a big dog, about 80 lbs, and an extreme mutt with some obvious markings of huskie and border collie. Unfortunately she developed extreme anxiety, "nerves" you might say, as she aged, even to the point of injuring herself, and my parents had her euthanized a few years after I left home. I always feel bad when I think of Niki.

Now, my husband wants a dog, sometimes he wants two. His sister had 2 (now 1) gorgeous Golden Retrievers, which he absolutely adored. Bailey is calm and well behaved, stocky, almost white-blonde, never requiring a leash. Casey (RIP) was a fun-loving, squirrel-chasing, eat all her food and Bailey's too, couch-chewing golden-blonde beauty. The hubster lived with these two crazy girls for several years and misses their presence. He is again reminded of his love for Goldens when Christa & Kristen arrive home with their Boone.

On the days when I'm feeling very brave, I think I would love to have a dog too. But I certainly don't want to be one of those people who go out and get a dog for puppy cuteness only to be disappointed when their adult dogs don't suit their expectations. So, my google search of "The right dog for our family" came up with this:
http://animal.discovery.com/breedselector/dogselectorindex.do
I love it! It's a breed selector on the discovery channel website which asks you 10 questions about your preferences regarding grooming, exercising, energy levels, friendliness, temperature tolerance, etc. My top search result (shamefully, with potential owners who don't exercise much) comes up with 99% match of the Clumber Spaniel - a breed I've never heard of before but who looks shockingly like the canine version of our cat. We also gets lots of other types of spaniels, the St. Bernard and other "Mountain dogs", the Newfoundland, some husky types, bulldogs, the droopy-eyes bassett hound, and the Chinese Crested, to name a few.

And the thing is, we would HAVE to get a big dog. Our cat is 23 lbs for goodness sakes, and it just goes against nature to have a dog in the house smaller than the cat. Although I must admit the image of our cat being the one on the leash and a toy dog in my purse strikes me as hilarious!!!

But we are not ready for a dog. Dogs are a lot of work. Dogs require a lot of time and patience. Dogs require walking. Dogs are like having another child - A child that cannot always go with you on vacation, a child that is difficult to find a babysitter for. I hope one day to be ready to surprise the hubster with a doggie. But not now.

For now, we'll stick with our easy-care, leave at home all day, pet - our kitty!

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Holy Hectic Batman!

It's been a crazy weekend. Monday came and went and I still couldn't grasp that Saturday had arrived yet!

Della and Jamie's wedding went over AWESOME, if I must say so myself. The rain held up for the outdoor ceremony at the lighthouse and the photographer got her shots, without droplets on her lens, for the most part.

Supper had a bit of a hiccup (eek! Send Myrna into panic mode here!). We were told, as the caterers, that supper would be starting at 6pm SHARP. Now, most of us knows this NEVER happens at any large event - the SHARP part, that is. But the bride and groom are very prompt and insisted their wedding be on time as well. So, there we were in the kitchen, caesar salad appetizers all mixed and ready to be served on time, when the DJ decides to not show up and puts us all behind an hour! Needless to say, the lettuce was really starting to wilt in the heat and I was really starting to worry. But the happy couple assured me it was fine and not my fault, I was doing what was asked of me by being ready at the requested time. Phew!! And the roast beef dinner - well, the only complaint I got was that there was too much food on the plate. Double Phew!! I figure better too much than not enough, right?!

And catering wedding #1 tucked under the belt - quite an adventure I never thought I'd be on.

On Saturday as well, I decorated this cake for THIS grand opening. The 7-legged octopus was my first attempt at fondant and I'm quite pleased with how he turned out.















Sunday was another fun day with Christa and her Nikon as she spent a few hours with us in the afternoon to take our family pictures. I'm SOoooo super excited to see how they turn out and can't wait to show everyone. I've just got to tell ya, Sarah had the cutest wardrobe for the shoot, and yours truly was smokin' hot (I've never worn so much eye makeup in my life, I swear!) for her shots with dad's lonely old '52 chev pickup truck. You'll see!

Then we had our mainlander/visiting back home friends over for a bbq. Neil and Jacob, Daphne, Colin and their kids, Joshua and Caitlynn, and Christa & Kristen. It was DELISH! Thanks Jamie for cooking up a great skoff! I just loved having everyone over. I hardly ever get to see these guys anymore and having them all together - with me! - in Newfoundland! - at my house! - WOW! A girl just couldn't be happier!

Last night was Christa's baby shower which I hosted at my little cafe. We had an awesome turnout of family and friends - Thanks everyone! - and I think it went over very well. Christa got fantastic gifts, the games were fun fun fun, the cake turned out cute and yummy to boot, and the food was scrumptious. Jenny came over from NP with baby Lucas to stay the night - added bonus! And Christa is her adorable little turquoise checked sundress over that baby bump - I just can't take my eyes off her, she's so beautiful! (Insert sniffles here because she's leaving ALREADY in just a couple of days...boohoo!)

As a bonus, with all the running around and neglecting to count my points on paper (my head doesn't add things up all that well for some reason), I still managed to drop 1/2 a pound. I'm okay with that and happy to be on track a little better so far this week.

Hope your weekend was as fun-filled as mine.
P.S. Because of the shower, I totally missed the Bachelorette "Guys tell all" last night but I did catch a glimpse of the preview for next week - GASP! Reid is there, he's holding a ring - is he coming back?! I wonder does she pick him?! I wouldn't know which hottie to pick - that's where polygomy would enter my thoughts! (until reality gave me a swift kick, of course, and I remembered how crazy my ONE, albeit fantastic, husband can drive me). Do you watch? Any thoughts?

Friday, July 17, 2009

She's Here

I'm really excited today because Christa has arrived home to the rock for vacation...yippee!

I immediately had to go see her last night when she arrived, although it was getting quite late, but I just couldn't wait to see her gorgeous baby belly...yes, I'm obsessed with pregnancy. Needless to say, Christa looks FANTASTIC!

This is going to be a very busy weekend. I have a gorgeous cake to decorate today for a grand opening, several catering trays to deliver this evening for an anniversary celebration, and a wedding supper to cater tomorrow evening. Can I just tell you how difficult it is to find good fresh produce here in small town Newfoundland?! Wow! I never thought we'd find enough romaine for our caesar salads! But it looks like all is a-go now, at least we hope so.

On a personal level, we're quite busy too with our family photoshoot with Christa - so excited about that! And on Sunday, after the work craziness, we're going to try and get some friends together for a bbq. My highschool friend and cousin, Daphne, is home with her family as well and it's been WAY too long since I've seen her. AND, (this is all so awesome overwhelming!) my great friend, Neil, is also back on the rock with his son, Jacob. We got to visit once so far but I'm looking forward to seeing them again before they go home.

Christa has informed me that I really need to post more pics. Honestly, I find it difficult to find the time to write, let alone post pictures. But I'll try a little harder in future to give you some eye candy.

Have a great weekend everyone! Please pray for sun!

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Happy Birthday?

I'd say my birthday, tho' Happy (as always), was probably THE most uneventful birthday in the history of mankind. I did lots of things I personally feel one shouldn't have to on their one special day of the year:
- Got up early. And can I tell you how much I loathe mornings! And yes, I must use the word "loathe" simply because "dislike" wouldn't quite cut it!
- Went to a meeting. Not that it was a bad meeting but still a meeting none-the-less...on my birthday...a meeting...ugh!
- Worked. Went to work at 10:30 with the intention of decorating a birthday cake (for someone else, of course) and then leaving immediately afterwards. It got busy and I ended up staying until 5pm.

But then I got to enjoy myself a little:
- Went swimming in my favourite gorgeous brook to cool off and relax....awwwww!
- Went home and got a little card and a big hug and kiss from my baby girl. It took a bit of effort to get either because she wanted to keep the card for herself to open. And then when I finally got the card and asked for a hug and kiss, she decided she would hug and kiss the giraffe on the front of the card. That kid is just too cute!

Now back to my previously scheduled post of items I wished I didn't have to do on my birthday:
- Got left alone while the hubster went to work.
- Made myself supper. Mac n cheese. Ice cream for dessert. I figured I deserved a birthday treat but then felt guilty as I visualized the little weight watchers angel on my shoulder just a-shakin' her skinny little head at me.
- Tidied up after the toddler tornado in my house.

I know it sounds like I'm complaining. And I suppose my selfish self feels the need for a little spoiling on my birthday. Yeah, that would have been nice. But really, what do I have to complain about? Absolutely nothing.
- I had the health and strength to get up early.
- The meeting wasn't fraught with peril and secrecy.
- I have a job to go to.
- I have a wonderful family and circle of friends.
- I have a darling little girl.
- When supper time rolls around, there is plenty of good food to eat.
- I have a beautiful roof above me and not a legitimate worry in the world when I lay my head down at night.

Yes, my birthday was the same as any other day in my life. But it's a good life. An "easy" life. A blessed life. And for that, I am thankful.

For that, it was a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY indeed!

Monday, July 13, 2009

Not a Single Ounce

These are the weeks that are discouraging. Even though I know it's totally my fault. Even though I have been eating chocolate chip muffins gallore from our bakery. Even though the WII fit is getting dusty. It's still discouraging.

I didn't lose a single ounce this week. Not even one tiny little ounce.

I'm trying to look at the bright side: I also didn't GAIN a single ounce. Not even one.

I'm at a stand-still. Oh, I'm just dying to eat greasy mac-n-cheese for lunch, topped off with a giant brownie. At least my temporary cravings would be satisfied. If it's covered in cheese, I love it! If it's covered in chocolate, I love it more! Why can't the good tasting stuff be healthy? Life just isn't fair to this melted cheese-lovin' chocoholic.

Ok, enough of the whiney victim story.

This week, we're dusting off the WII Fit (I've already gone swimming a couple of times - bonus!), and I'm getting in some green leafy veggies for lunches. Yes, sir-ry Bob!

And when I weigh-in next Saturday, the scale will have some happy news for me. I have a photoshoot with Christa coming up so I need to look G-O-O-O-O-D!

Thursday, July 09, 2009

All Worth It!

There are days when being a mommy can be very tough...yes, very tough indeed. And I am only a mommy to one little, not to mention how tough it would be to have more kiddies.

Then there are moments that make you forget absolutely everything else in the world. Not a single difficulty matters, no problem seems too great, the mess is absolutely forgotten, and chores can wait.

A moment like, when yesterday, while I was working on supper and standing in front of the fridge, Sarah ran up and wrapped her little body around my leg as tight as possible and said, "Yuv oo mommy" (Love you mommy). And I melted and immediately folded into a big puddle of mush onto the kitchen floor and gave my little one the biggest hugs ever!

Life, in that moment, stops. Time stands still (if you let it). Nothing else matters. Hearing that tiny little voice utter those giant words is a memory that will sit with me for eternity.

Love you too baby girl! Love you til the end of time and beyond!

Saturday, July 04, 2009

Weight Watchers Update

I was so nervous coming back from vacation just KNOWING I would have gained back some of the 11 lbs I had lost the 6 weeks or so before.

And then I ALWAYS have a hard time getting back into the swing of things after a vacation, no matter how short, when I return home. For about a week after, I'm still eating vacation-style (that, for me, would mean take-out, french fries, chocolate, Tim Hortons breakfast sandwiches and chocolate muffins, and pretty much anything I want without any thought of calorie counting).

So this morning on my usual Saturday morning weigh-in I was seriously expecting a gain of at least a couple of pounds. But much to my surprise and absolute delight, I had actually LOST another 1/2 pound.

Bah! 1/2 pound you say! Well, considering I am the type of person who can be anywhere from 2 - 5 lbs heavier the same day at night than in the morning. Uh, Yeah! That, for me, was enough to jump up and down and go try on my old bathing suit just so I could remind myself once again of my goals.

And the points counting continues on again this week - 11.5 lbs gone, only 32.5 more to go! I'm one quarter of the way there already!

Thursday, July 02, 2009

Back on the Rock

We got back on Monday from our mini weekend vacation to New Brunswick to attend Sheldon and Meaghan's beach wedding. It was so great to get away, even if only for a couple of days. I have a feeling this will be our only vacation this summer so I really wanted to make the best of it.

Jennifer, Chris, and baby Lucas along with Jamie, Sarah, and I decided to rent a mini-van and hit the road together. We thought this would make the road trip a little more interesting and with such a short time, even the hours spent on the road, need to be good ones spent in good company. We left super early (5am) on Thursday morning to catch the ferry crossing in Port-au-Basques at 10:30am. It was a good crossing and the kiddies did wonderfully. Unfortunately, it was very foggy and we weren't permitted out on deck - I was really looking forward to bringing Sarah out to watch the waves.

The drive from North Sydney into Shediac went pretty well. Sarah started getting antsy the last couple of hours and Lucas decided he'd had enough the last hour of the drive. But after stopping and giving them a rest (and a meal, in Lucas's case), we arrived at our cottage around 10:30 Thursday night.

I had pictures of the cottage (a very cute little place where a lot of other wedding guests stayed as well and made for some very interesting pre-wedding night entertainment for our guys...sorry, no pics of that although I only wish I had been motivated enough to stay up until dawn...I'm certain the photos would have been worth it...until the next morning, that is!) Umm...oh yeah, I HAD more photos of our trip, the cottage, Sarah on the playground, etc. but I've lost them somehow. I'm really hoping they didn't get deleted from the memory card but that's what it looks like right now.

Jenny and I got to do a little bit of shopping, despite protests from the guys. But I got to tell ya - between the mall and the fast food joints and the Michaels store - Moncton's customer service is certainly not the friendliest. Wow! At one McD's it took Chris LITERALLY a half hour to get 2 fountain pops, the mall wouldn't let us use a shopping cart to put Lucas's carrier in, and the Michaels store put Jennifer's items into TWO bags but only handed her ONE bag, which we didn't discover until we were well on our way back to Nfld. Ugh!

But our reason for the entire trip was to attend Sheldon and Meaghan's wedding and it was an absolutely beautiful event. It was very casual, short and sweet, on Parlee beach. It actually reminded me quite a bit of my own wedding. Everyone standing around in shorts and sundresses in their barefeet, barely hearing anything being said because of the sound of the waves on the shore. Awesome! And I cannot even BEGIN to tell you how GORGEOUSLY STUNNING this couple is. Sheldon is totally the epitome of hotness and Meaghan is quite possibly one of the most beautiful girls I've ever met. Together, well, let's just say I can't wait to see their perfect little offspring. lol :)

We got to visit Hopewell Rocks as well. I've always wanted to visit the bay of Fundy to see the extreme tides, I find it absolutely fascinating. I love the ocean as it is but this was simply a magnificent spot to see.

Sarah and Lucas both did SO well on the trip. Lucas was a great baby. He is certainly a little screamer and does not hesitate in the least to let you know when he wants something. But for the most part, he slept during the drive, slept during the wedding, and ate everywhere in between. Sarah decided that she did indeed like her "U-cas" now (after stating "no yike dat" in previous visits) and was constantly asking "Where is he?" when he wasn't in sight. I think we both have super children..and such cuties too, I might add.

On the way back, we stopped and ate at Mother Webbs for the best steak, like, EV-ER! And we crossed on the 11:30 pm ferry crossing back to Newfieland on Sunday night. It was a good crossing and we managed to get a few hours sleep in our bunks but STILL didn't get to go out on deck. And I am beginning to think that rain and fog are constants in Port-au-Basques and Cape Breton...wow, what yucky weather in those spots!

And now it's back to reality once again. Luckily, my reality here in Newfoundland at the moment includes beautiful warm sunny weather and I can't wait to go for a swim this afternoon!

Do you have vacation plans for this summer?