Earlier this evening, I watched a segment on some new program, about Gabrielle Gifford.  It dealt with her abscence and the impact that it had on her office and the people who work for her.  They said that since she had been shot, that they were constantly thinking "what would Gabby" want done as they go about their business.  The people who work in her office talked about what a life changing event the murder of her collegues and her attempted murder had on everyone working in the office.  They said that their desire was that in spite of all the death and pain, that they wanted something good to come of it.  They talked about how the office had become a rallying point and a place of comfort for so many of the people affected by this tragic event.

I couldn't help but reflect on my own situation and the tragic and unexpected death of my husband.  He died on March 2nd and we would have been married 35 years on June 23rd of the same year.   When referring to grief, someone commented on how everyone always says it gets better after you lose a loved one, and the grief and pain go away.  This person commented that the grief doesn't ever go away, one just learns to integrate it into one's life.   I think that is so true! 

I don't think the grief and pain go away.  Rather I think you just integrate it into your life - it becomes part of the fabric of your being and changes you forever.   It's like a large scar.  It heals but it never really heals completely...it's still tender and you feel pain when you least expect it.

So many things have changed since I lost my husband and I can't help but reflect on all the changes in my life.  There was such an outpouring of kindness and love from people I didn't really know all that well.  It makes me forever grateful for the support and love I received, sometimes from people I barley knew.

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't miss  him and wish he was here with me. I go to bed every night and before closing my eyes, I tell him that I love him. He will forever be a part of my life, a part of my being.
The emptiness and pain of loss doesn't ever go away....you just learn to live with it.

We arrived home safely last night.  We flew out of Palm Springs to Edmonton and then caught a connecting flight to Abbotsford.  The stop in Edmonton was a bit of a gong show.  There was a huge lineup to go through security to connect with our flight to Abbotsford - there had to be at least 150 people lined up at one point and the line was not moving.  We couldn't figure out what the holdup was until we finally moved into the screening area.  Very inefficient and far too much nonsense with doing and re-doing things.  Colossal waste of time.

Once we cleared security we walked to the other end of the airport to our gate.  We were almost there when we learned that the gate had been changed.  You guessed it - the new gate was at the other end of the airport and we had just come from there!  So off we went, trudging back to join the rest of the masses lined up to board.

The kicker was we didn't get to bring back any duty free.  On our way down to Palm Springs we picked up our duty free in Calgary when we changed planes to catch our connecting flight.  We assumed the same would apply on the way home.  We thought we would be able to hit the duty free prior to clearing customs in Edmonton.  Not so much.  Apparently, Edmonton doesn't have a duty free for inbound international flights, or so Canada Customs told us.

What kind of  "international" airport doesn't have a duty free?    I never heard of such a thing!!

We had a fabulous vacation but it's good to be home again.

Caio!

Well, it's that time again.  We're nearing the end of our vacation here in beautiful Palm Springs.  We have 3 more days to enjoy the golf, the pool and the house and then on Sunday we leave for home.

The weather has improved and it's now quite warm - more the temperature one would expect this time of year.  Everyone we talk to tells us that it's been unseasonably cool for the last couple of weeks.  Go figure!  I can't really complain though as we've played 12 rounds of golf and the weather has been perfect for that.  I've also had a lot of pool time so I'm leaving here a happy and relaxed camper.

Well must run.  Just wanted to check and give a quick updated.  Once we get home and settled in, I'll post some of the journal pages I've done.

Caio!

We had a lovely day today.  Since we had issues with the pool - long story - and couldn't use it, we decided to go golfing again today, instead of just sitting around.  We played the Resort course at Taquitz Creek.  It's a nice course - fairly difficult with lots of water and deep sand traps.  Trust me, I know about the sand traps because I played far too many of them!   K became frustrated because it was a little beyond her ability and got down on herself about it.  However, even though she had a few difficult holes, she still came in with a decent score for a beginner.

I don't usually golf two days in a row, and Wednesday will be our third day golfing in a row.   However, we're golfing again tomorrow at Indian Canyons.  We both love that course and it's somehow fitting that we're playing Garry's favourite course on the third anniversary of his death.  He's tickled that we're doing that and that K is playing so well.

The weather is supposed to be great for the next week or so and I'm really happy about that.  I'll be able to get some serious pool time in - finally.  Between the cooler weather and the issue with the pool, I haven't been able to enjoy the pool for almost a week.  While the cool weather has limited my pool time, it's been great weather for golf so we've enjoyed getting out and doing that so I guess there's really no need to complain!

After golf tomorrow, we're going out for dinner and then we'll hit the casino for a short visit.  I need to cash some traveller's cheques so that's the best place to do it.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Well must run as I need my beauty sleep.  Caio!

We had a wonderful day in Palm Springs today.  We had originally planned to golf but when I saw that it was going to be a warm day, I opted for spending the day by the pool instead.  We golf at Tacquitz Creek, one of our favourite courses, tomorrow.  The weather is supposed to be rainy on both Saturday and Sunday so we'll problem engage in a little retail therapy.

We went to the casino tonight - not a good thing.!   I left a healthy deposit and hopt to be able to withdraw some of my deposit the next time I visit. 

Well must run.  I need to get in my jammies and have some ice cream before settling in for the night.

Caio!

left page of journal spread

right page of journal spread

This journal spread was created by Heather Robinson, my exchange partner.  I love the colours and composition  that Heather used!  This page is so bright, happy and energetic.  It's interesing to see the difference in our styles!

Here's another one I did for the exchange.  I'm really pleased with the way it turned out.  I love Asian inspired art - it's so serene and zenlike. 

I learned something about my style when I was working on this.  I've been stumped as I can't seem to think outside the box when it comes to these pages.  I've been trying to do a page from start to finish in one sitting and it has just not been working for me.  This particular page was done in stages - a few minutes here, a few minutes there and it just seemed to flow together.  Much more cohesive and certainly a more enjoyable process for me when done in stages.  Lesson learned!

I've been threatening to upload so art for weeks. Here is one of the pages I completed for an art journal exchange that I'm doing with another CSTer,   Lately I've been doing a few zentangles.  I find when my creativity needs a jump start that these little guys help to do that.

We're away in Palm Springs enjoying the sunshine and golf.  The weather is less than perfect - cooler than it would usually be this time of year.  The forecast for the next 14 days is a lot cooler than I would like but....good for golfing, just not all that great for enjoying the pool.  I'm hoping this is a case of the weatherman being wrong so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

We've been here since Friday afternoon, and both DD and myself have managed to get a tan.  We played a round of golf yesterday afternoon.  The winds were gale force so that made it a bit challenging but we had a good time.  We golfed with a canadian couple from Parksville, BC.  Nice people and both of them were very good golfers.

Today is a lay around and relax day.  The temperature is only supposed to go up to about 68 but I think I will still be able to get some sunbathing time in.  We may head off to the casino for a couple of hours tonight - we'll have to play that by ear.

I hit Michaels on Sunday and picked up a few more supplies.  I was organized enough to bring some watercolours, pens and glue with me, as well as a small journal but forgot to bring some of the other things that might be useful.  I managed to drop $50 but picked up some good stuff so the trip was worthwhile.  I thought I packed a paintbrush but when I got here found that I did not - duh!  So for the time being I'm using a cheap blush brush and a wine cork to spread my paint.  Whatever works!

Must run - will check in again soon.  Caio!

Just popping in to say hello.  The last week has been very busy and I've had little time for art.  I'm planning to do some housework today, not exactly my favourite thing, and then hope to post some new work to the blog later today.   I know, I know.....I've been saying that for ages.   Thanks for your patience.

Countdown is on for vacation and I'm starting to get excited about our trip.  I sooooo need some hot weather, some time on the golf course and of course some pool time!  I'm starting to stockpile my reading material to take with me and making my "to do " list of everything that I need to do before I go.  Busy, busy, busy....

Must run - will check back in again soon.

I've been woefully absent from my blog for almost the last month. Extremely busy time of year for me both personally and professionally.

We had a very quiet Christmas, just the two of us, and it was lovely. We both enjoyed it immensely. Santa was good to me and spoilt DD ....Santa was out of control. New Years Day, we hosted a small dinner party with a few close friends. Everything went very well, my prime rib was done to perfection. It was a lovely day and I know that DH was there with us in spirit, presiding over the festivities.

I was back to work again on January 4th and right back into the swing of things again. Work is sometimes hectic, frequently crazy and often frustrating. I'm really enjoying it, I'm learning and growing so much, however, I do find it wearing and exhausting, both phyically and psychologically. When I come home at night all I want to do is sleep. There are lots of changes happening, and lots more changes coming in the near future so it should be interesting to see how the unit evolves and grows.

This weekend is my 3 day weekend and I hope to get a few things accomplished. They've been sitting in limbo for far too long and need to be addressed. First and foremost, I have some art projects to finish and send off. The recipients have been very patient but enough is enough. And then of course there is the dreaded housework and clutter control. Two of my least favourite tasks!

Well must run. I've made a commitment with myself to post to the blog more frequently. I have several pieces of artwork to post but would like to take a picture rather than scan. I'll try to do that within the next few days so please swing by again soon to see the updates.

That's it for now....Caio and Happy New Year.

We had the office Christmas party on Thursday night and it went really well. We got together at the Washington Avenue Grill (WAG) in White Rock. The restaurant reminds me of one of the old fashioned Kegs - you know you walk in on the main level and climb the stairs to the second floor for the restaurant? Lots of wood and old stuff and some very nice looking purple chandeliers. There was entertainment - a 2 piece band - and they played jazzy type music, some Neil Young, Clapton, that sort of thing. Nice ambiance, good service and really good food. I'd go back again, possibly in the summer when you can actually sit outside and enjoy the ocean.

We did a tour of the new HQ building today. This thing is absolutely huge - it's 3 football fields long and will be 7 storeys high when complete. All state of the art! The completion date is supposed to be early 2013 and the building will accomodate 2800 employees. That's like a small city!

Not ready for Christmas, not even close to being ready! I've purchased one gift for DD and I've ordered some Purdy's on line for my dad. Other than that, nada! DD put the tree up for me today - looks fabulous and it's such a big help to me that she does this! I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it! I hope to finish up my christmas cards this weekend and get the ones that need to go a long distance out maybe Monday or Tuesday. The local cards can go out a little later if need be. If I can get the energy, I would like to try to do some shopping this week after work. Once the stores are open late every night, I find hitting the stores, after work, between about 5 pm and 7 pm works really well for me. I can get a lot accomplished in a short period of time and the hordes don't start to show up until after supper. We'll see..

Reno is still unfinished. He tells me that he'll be here on Monday to finish the tiles. I've told him I want this completed this coming week and he assures me that he only has a couple of more days of work to do. I'm looking forward to wrapping this up. My house looks like a bomb went off in it and it has looked this way since the end of August. It's starting to get on my nerves!

I'm off to a funeral slash celebration of life tomorrow. If I have the energy afterwards, I may do a little shopping. Problem is that when I go shopping for someone else, I always find tons of stuff for myself. Not good, not good! Sunday I need to work on some art and maybe get a little cleanup done in the house.

Treated myself to a new set of acryilc nails and I am so pleased. My hands no longer look like ugly claws - they actually look like human hands now. Vanity - thy name is woman!!

So little time and so much to do!

Work has been extremely busy. My supervisor is out with a death in the family, a second person who was in a car accident and couple of staffing and/or hiring issues we're trying to resolve. Then on Thursday, I found out that the gentleman I've worked for during the last 2 1/2 years is leaving the unit. His last full day was Friday. He's a very nice guy and I'm happy for him that he's moving on to a new situation but I'm also sorry to see him go. He's been very good to me. Since I act in my supervisor's absence, my already full plate is now overflowing. Good grief what more can happen? That was a rhetorical question, so universe do not feel the need to orchestrate anything else!

My reno is humming along. Counters, garburator and overhead lighting is in. My guy is working on the tiles and we're hoping that the backsplash is finished by next weekend. Then it's just a matter of the under-counter lighting, which should be a snap, and then he's done! Woohoo! It looks great so far and I can't wait til the backsplash is done.

Thursday morning I was walking across the parking lot at work. I had forgotten my phone so went down to get if from my car. On my way back across the lot to the office, I took a header on the pavement. I think I stepped in a little hole, but not really sure as it was so dark. I didn't have any warning, next thing I knew I had done a face plant on the pavement. Instinctively I put my hands out to break my fall so I'm very lucky I didn't hurt myself worse. The first thing that went through my mind was, oh my gawd my broken jaw! I did hit my face, but it's only a scrape on the front of my chin, under my mouth. I didn't actually hit my jaw on the ground, just some road rash which bled profusely. Now I have an ugly scab on my chin which everyone politely pretends that they don't see! I bruised my left hand and my left wrist is tender, possibly sprained from breaking my fall. I also have a skinned right knee and a tiny scrape on my right palm. All in all, very minor compared to the damage I could have done. To add insult to injury, I had an audience. Talk about life's embarrassing moments!

I've been busy this weekend working on art projects. I finished a couple of ATCs for a swap, have some christmas cards to send out for another swap and need to work on 2 scraplings. These scraplings are a totally new concept to me so it will be interesting to see how they turn out. As well, I have completed almost 15 personal christmas cards. These particular cards were fairly labour intensive, however they're nice looking cards so I think the effort has been worth it. I'm still trying to decide whether I'll make all this years cards the same or vary the designs. The only problem with varying the designs is that I won't remember which cards went where next year so not sure what I'm going to do.

I need to finish up a few things this morning and then DD and I might go out for breakfast. It will depend on what time she gets up. She has to be at work for 5 am every morning so she enjoys getting caught up on her sleep on the weekends and I certainly can't blame her for that! Sometimes she'll sleep late into the afternoon and sometimes she's up before noon. We'll have to play that by ear. We may both go for groceries or if she sleeps late enough, she'll probably go by herself and I'll stay at home and work.

Must run. Caio!

I had a great day today. It's not often that I go and do something that's just for fun. Today I attended a distress ink class at Be Creative in Pitt Meadows. The class ran the full day and was really good value for the money. It was a nice group of ladies, Lisa is a great instructor and I learned some new and very cool techniques to use on my cards, atc's and tags. Of course, it goes without saying that I also dropped some serious coin buying all the new goodies I need.

I thought I was so caught up with my christmas stuff but have now fallen behind again. I am creating cards for family and friends though and have done some of it by production line so it's working quite well. I can't take credit for the design - I saw it in one of the paper crafting mags and fell in love with it. I'm using the design for christmas, but it could be modified for almost any occasion. Just changing the background paper and the colour scheme will make the card look totally different.

The painters are almost finished painting my house and I'm very pleased with the colours and the work they are doing. Next week they start on my kitchen. The kitchen is not a total reno, more of a sprucing up as I did not replace my cupboards, however I'm sure the changes will make a huge difference. I'm excited about it as I can't really visualize how it will look.

I think I'm hooked on digital stamps. They're so affordable and the gratification is as close to instant as you can get. I've bought several from Mo's Digital Pencil - no affiliation, just a very satisfied customer ! I'm really pleased with the results I've achieved so far. I just bought 3 more this weekend. I'm not usually into cute stuff, but these are really cute and I'm sure the finished cards will be very popular.

Well must run. I have a journal spread to do and some cards I'm working on so no time to waste.

Caoi!

I'm disappointed and mad at myself that I don't update my journal as much as I should. Lately it seems that all I do is eat, work and sleep ! I come home exhausted every night and have no motivation to do anything. Just counting the weeks til we head off to Palm Springs again so I can re-charge my battery.

Work has been crazy - so much to do and so many meetings. Also lots of drama with an employee. It's physically and mentally exhausting to deal with all the goings on. It makes it difficult to get anything done. The work keeps coming and I don't ever seem to make any headway. Who knew I would be this busy?

My house is still a work in progress. The reno was put on hold while I recuperated from my surgery and then my guy got busy with another project which is now finishing up. The plan is he and his crew will be here Monday morning to start working again. He is reasonably confident that he can get everything done fairly quickly. I hope so however he really does have a lot to do. Right now my house is a bit of a disaster area and I'd really like to get things back on track in time for Christmas.

I made a couple of purchases last weekend. I haven't been able to entertain very much the last several months because my diningroom chairs bit the biscuit. I only had 3 chairs and everyone knows you can't have much of a dinner party with only 3 people! So I finally got around to buying 6 new chairs - very plain, parsons style with slipcovers. Not terribly expensive but serviceable as I don't really use my dining room that much. DD assembled them for me and they look great so I'm looking forward to actually using them now. I sure wish I could afford to replace my dining room suite, but I can't!

I also bought myself a bedside table. Good riddance to that horrible MDF thing that masqueraded as a piece of furniture. I bought the bedside table at Jysk as well and it's not bad for the price. At least it's real wood with a beech veneer not that awful MDF that Ikea is selling now. I remember back in the day when Ikea prided itself on well made, solid pine furniture. Not so much anymore! A lot of their stuff is just fancied up particle board these days. What's up with that?

Well must run. I'm all caught up with stock for the store, at least for the time being. However I have tons of cards to make for my own use and then would also like to come up with some new wedding designs for the spring.

Caio!

Dad had his hip replacement surgery on Oct 25th. When they did the surgery, they discovered that he had a broken hip which would explain why he was in so much pain for so long. Unbelievable! It didn't show up on the exrays so they have no idea how long his hip has been broken. The doc just shook his head. He says if Dad could endure the pain of a broken hip for several months, then his recuperation will be a breeze for him.

I checked in with Dad today and he's home 12 days after his surgery. He's not having any pain to speak of, at least nothing that his regular meds can't handle. He's getting around with a walker and has informed me that in a couple of weeks that all he'll need is a cane! He sounded really good, back to his old self again which is really good to hear. He had only been home a couple of hours and he'd had a beer with my brother and was looking forward to a roast beef dinner. I have much to be thankful for!

Yesterday a co-worker commented to me that it's only 46 days til Christmas. How the heck did that happen and where has the time gone? I'm making my Christmas cards to send to family and friends again this year so have started to work on some designs. I'm also working on more stock for the store. There are only a few weeks til the cards will start going out so I have my work cut out for me. However, on a bright note, I think that I'm ahead of schedule in the card making area so thats a good thing. I don't usually even think about making my own cards til much later in the month.

Work is a zoo and I'm totally swamped. I think someone comes in at night and adds more work to my desk ! This coming week is a short week as I'm out of the office at a meeting all day Wednesday and then Thursday is a stat due to Remembrance Day. Hmmm, maybe the fact that it's a short week is not a bad thing after all!

Well must run. I want to work on some more cards before I go to bed.

Caio!

Work has been crazy busy and I've been exhausted when I come home from work. However, things are finally starting to come together. Still a few challenges with staff and such but I think I'll be able to function without losing my mind!

As well, this is a really busy time of year for me with Christmas just around the corner. I'm working on stock for the Open House and have a couple of swaps to complete by the end of the month. It always seems like a good idea to sign up for these swaps at the time and then I usually have to scramble to get them completed on time. So why do you keep signing up, you might ask? Good question! I feel that these swaps help me to stretch my creative muscles and they're something fun to do. Sometimes I think all my stamping/creative time is spent on "business" stamping with little being done on the fun side.

On a side note, I'm really enjoying the journal partner swap I'm doing with HR. I'm not always sure what I'll write about but eventually some seed of an idea takes hold and I'm good to go. I never seem to have a plan, per se. I get a kernal of an idea and then it just kind of flows once I get working on it. Hopefully when this next week of busy-ness is over, I'll be able to set aside some time to do more of my personal art.

Today I took an alcohol ink class at Be Creative. It was great and I really enjoyed it and feel that it was very worthwhile as I learned lots of tips and new techniques. Of course, I spent a fortune on some "must haves" after the class but that goes with the territory. Now I can't wait to play with my new toys ! I plan to use one of the techniques I learned on my Christmas tags for the swap on CST.

Well must run. Caio!

And some Christmas cards!

Hey - almost forgot. Check out the tags I made. I think they're absolutely darling.....but then I could be prejudiced ! These little bits ( with the exception of the large red glitter snowflake) are ready made stickers to which I added glitter etc and then made into tags. Love them and I think they are spectacular looking. Just my opinion ! :)

Well....I'm very pleased with myself. I was able to complete all the order for the Open House at Little Cricket and made the final (well almost) final delivery yesterday. Afterwards I realized that I had forgotten to include the set of cards I had promised to include for the customer draw. Sometimes I wonder what I'm thinking! So I still need to deliver that item but that can be done earlier in the week.

Today was kind of a nothing day. I did the grocery thing and then played with my new food saver. Who knew these machines were so easy to use and so fabulous? Almost wants to make you run out and buy more food so you can seal and save it!

I should have been working on stock for the second Open House in Langley - that did not happen so tonight will probably be a late night. I must also come up with 28 tags for a tag swap I'm in and also a journal spread (by Tuesday if you please) for a journal partner swap I'm in. I have the idea for the page and now I just need to execute it. As usual I've overcommitted myself and not managed my time properly. I think that perhaps my procrastination/less than perfect time management may be a symptom of my perfectiionist tendencies. Interesting concept that is!

Well must run. I have tons of work to do before I go back to work on Tuesday and my studio is an absolute disaster. When I create the glittler and paper scraps are flying. Despite my best intentions to clean up after myself, it almost never happens. Who has time to clean up when there's so much to create?

Caio !