Gratitude finale...

Well my 30 days of gratitude got derailed a bit by life and It was a very hard project to undertake as sometime life clouds what is important and make you overlook the thinks that you find most precious.

So today I am grateful for life... my life that is mine to live and make mistakes and bad choices and come out a better and wiser person from my mistakes.

I am grateful to have the body as flawed as it may be that is still mobile and can take me swimming in the ocean or out with friends. I am grateful for my soul that has seen ugliness but still has the ability to laugh, cry and love.

I am grateful for my life....

Grateful that I can still be Grateful...

Well I have been MIA as lives other then my own have taken over here...

If you have read past blogs my oldest son gets bullied - often - so the last few weeks was a lesson in small town behaviour and mentality...

My child - is almost 13 but he's not violent at all but he always wants to hang with the bad kids and that often gets him in trouble and bullied - go figure - you would think the bad kids would stick up for him but no they just watch.

So after an x-ray of his rib and the kid and the bully kid & his parents coming to our house to offer him up for chores to make up for hitting my child (yes please come to my home so my kid could also feel unsafe here) and a trip to the police and a non progressive call with the principal and a day of missed work and alot of anger followed by alot of crying I have come to the conclusion that you have to take care of your own shit and that I hate alot of people!

So after all that - I have been trying to stay on track with my food and I did so so. I need a fill but cant get one until after holidays - Yeah Florida!

So today I am grateful for being able to still be able to be grateful for anything after seeing the extreme ugliness that the world can hand out - especially to kids who are just trying to figure it out.

ps. super proud of JennXaz who hit onederland!!! Im coming but slow like a a snail or maybe in my case a slug. LOL xoxo

Grateful Days 11 & 12

Day 11

Day 11 falls on Remembrance Day so I am grateful for my country Canada. As the anthem goes... The land of the free and the home of the brave! Thank you Veterans for making it so.

Day 12

I am thankful for Chocolate... all forms of Chocolate - from the seed of the cacao tree to the limited edition Halloween mini Cadbury bars. I love it, Love It, LOVE IT!!!! Melted in fondue, Shaved on top of my latte, warmed in my kids hot chocolate and added to my zucchini bread. Chocolate is magical and tasty. I am GRATEFUL for CHOCOLATE!!!!

100th post and A Liebster Award!!!

Oh I Lieben my boobmie and friend JennXaz !!!! Thank you for nominating my little hidden blog! Im going to cry!

The "Liebster Award" is for bloggers with less than 200 followers. Liebster is a German word meaning dearest, darling, beloved. The award is given to up-and-coming bloggers who deserve recognition and support to keep on blogging.  

There are rules:

1. Think of 11 facts you'd like to share about yourself.

2. Answer the questions I asked.

3. Think of 11 questions you'd like to ask your nominees.

4. Nominate 5 bloggers with less than 200 followers.

So here we go!

11 Facts about myself:

1. I gave birth to my 1st baby without an epidural and the second without any drugs at all - I love the process of birthing babies but not being pregnant. If it was an option at the time I would have had a home birth in water.

2. I once had sex in the middle of a big top with a French circus clown who didn't speak English from Archaos (a French contemporary circus). This affair went on while the circus was in town for about a week. How crazy!

3. I used to colour my hair fun colours like purple, fire red and blonde. Purple was my favourite.

4. I swear alot.

5. I am an only child but found 4 sisters and a brother when I found my birth family. It's a lesson in "be careful what you wish for" as I would much rather have stayed an only child.

6. Im a club kid and once I became of age I worked at the nightclubs I partied at.

7. I never finished high school but still graduated from college.

8. I went to Australia by myself when I was 14.

9. I had never been a long relationship before I met my husband.

10. I like being alone.

11. I wish I could redo my wedding. I would do almost everything differently.

The questions asked by JennXaz who nominated me:

Favorite job and why?
I was a Doula both birth and postpartum. Even though it was gross at times - getting to see a life come into this world is incredible and puts you in this state of awe and amazement that women can do this incredible thing...plus tiny new babies are soooo cute.

Favorite food and why?
Japanese/sushi - so pure and lots of different choices

Biggest indulgence?
Birthday Spa Days at a really good spa by myself

Biggest fear?
Being in an old age home unable to make decisions for myself

Favourite trait in a friend?
Loving

Worst disaster you have been in?
Black out in the summer of 2003 - 2 days no power and hubby was away for training... We made the best of it. Me and a 3 year old Simon camped out in the backyard - the 1st time in forever that you could see the stars in downtown Toronto. Sorry I live in Central Canada nothing disastrous ever happens here...

First car?
1981 two tone blue Oldmobile Cutlass Supreme

Feature about yourself you love?
Lips

Item you are grateful for?
Car

Experience your are grateful for?
Giving birth to my boys... and skydiving with my BFF

Person you are grateful for?
My husband who is my best friend even when he irritates me.

My Nominees are...

Athena Banded Warrior
Rockband Barbie
Fat on the inside
Bandster Momma
Think it! Do it! Live it!

My Questions for my nominees are...

1. Strangest place you've had sex or fooled around? 
2. If you could have dinner with anyone (dead or alive) who would it be and why? 
3. If you could buy 1 thing for yourself - money is no object - what would it be? 
4. You must leave your home right NOW!!! What 3 things would you save (not family or pets they're automatically saved)? 
5. Favourite place you have been to and why? 
6. What is your idea of the perfect day? 
7. What is the best food (the one everyone loves) that you can make (bake, cook, fry, etc)? 
8. What time do you go to bed? 
9. What colour is your living room? 
10. Do you remember the 1st movie you ever saw? What was it? 
11. What would be your dream job? 

Have fun!!! Cant wait to see your answers.

Grateful Days 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10

Day 6

I am grateful for the ability to drive. I couldn't imagine life without being able to just go where I want (too a limit) and the freedom that it brings. Being able to visit friends and family that are far away. Its wonderful!

Day 7

In the same vain as day 6... I am grateful for the invention of all modes of transportation. A plane brought my wonderful friend Erika from Austria home for a few days so we can talk and catch up and laugh and cry and bitch. A boat allowed me to see Alaska (my most breathtaking trip).  and a train took me around Europe on an adventure. 

Day 8

I am grateful for finding my birth family. Not just the mother but an entire other family. I have mixed emotions about them and am trying to keep my distance a bit from them now but I looked for my birth family for 10 years. From the day I turned 18 I put my name on a search list with the Government and it was a long waiting list a 10 year list to be exact. When my name came up I was in a good place in my life and it couldnt have been better timing. I met my birth mother, father (not together) 2 full birth sisters, 2 1/2 birth sisters, 1 1/2 birth brother and a grandmother and cousins, aunts and an uncle. It was the adopted kid jackpot of birth searches. 

Day 9

I am grateful for the 80's. It's MY generation. I am a child of the 80's along with Charlie Sheen, Drew Barrymore and my personal fave Matthew Broderick (Ferris Forever!!). It was the age of being bratty and overindulgent and weird. I loved Duran Duran, Cyndi Lauper, The Spoons, Depeche Mode and The Cure. I crimped my hair and it could withstand the greatest of wind storms. The whole attitude  of the 80's lives in me and makes me so NEAT!

Day 10

I am grateful to have a home. When I was small my dad moved us every few years to a new house (twice to the same house) Usually better than the one before but for a kid this instability was horrible. A new school every few years and new friends - I couldn't get too attached because i knew we would move again. So I turned to food as something that I could control since my environment around me was out of my control. I followed my dad's pattern in my adult years and moved alot myself. But after Simon was born we bought our 1st house when i was pregnant with Michael we outgrew our 750 sq ft home and moved once more - 1.5 hours outside of the city that I grew up in and to our new home that will be remembered by my children as the house that they grew up in. It will be the home that I will raise my family in. I have finally found a home not just a house and I am grateful.

GRATEFUL... Day 5

Today it's a bit harder to pick what I am grateful for.... The first few were obvious... but today's pick is an emotional choice as right now they are making me crazy but deep down I am truly grateful for...

my parents

They adopted me at 10 days old and gave me a good life - even with all their flaws in parenting I cannot say that I am more dysfunctional than most. They love me the only way they know how and I am thankful for them.

I am Grateful for....day 4

Day 4

Today I am grateful for my friends... 

• My old friends - who have seen the things that have shaped who I have become and are still in my life to remind me of what was - I love you xx
• My new friends - who are open enough to love the person that I am now - thank you - I know what you see is what you get is not easy when you never know what you will get LOL! Love ya!
• My neighbour friends - I am sooo Grateful for you - you make my house a home.
• My work friend - really just 1 good one - I call her Yoda - she's my wise big sister - thanks for letting me bitch and keeping me sane in the insanity
• My husband's friends - you are the funniest group of people I have ever met and I thank you for marrying wives I like!

Last but not least...

• My blog friends - you are a very special group of friends who share my most deepest secrets. The unconditional friendships here have enriched my life and made an impact on who I am. I love and thank you all!

Day 3 of Grateful...

Day 3

hubby

Grateful... Day 2

Day 2

of course... Michael

30 days of Gratitude... Day 1

I know its Thursday and I usually pay homage to the Beautiful Laura Belle but another idea has stolen my heart... at least for the next 30 days.

Ms Brenda at Bandster Momma had the idea of a "Month of Gratitude".

Im in 100%. There's something special about looking at your crazy life and finding those things that make you get up in the morning. So here I go....

DAY 1

Simon